Hello everyone, My 60,000 mile Stock Iroc-z L-98 Do I need to add Zinc to the engine oil these days with the new low/no zinc oils?
Thanks for any help,

 

No, just use a good quality oil. Me personally, I use Valvoline 10w30. Use what ever you like.

 

Thank you. I'm adding it to my 1978 T/A with a Pontiac 400 but was not sure about the 87.

 

The claim with zinc is, it has a better lubricating quality on high performance engines, but then some claim it's not so good on emission equipment. I think if you change the oil regularly with a quality oil, you will have long engine life. I have 158,000 on my truck and it doesn't smoke or burn oil. My Friend has 375,000 on a 1994 chev truck and doesn't burn or smoke oil. It all depends on you maintenance schedule.

 

You can run zinc it wont hurt, In fact I run a solid roller and Crower told me to run zinc oil because it helps the oil cling to the parts a lil bit better. I run Shell Rotella T..

 

Zinc is a high pressure additive, it is definitely needed for older flat tappet non roller cam engines to keep the cam lobes from going flat (like on a 1978 pontiac 400 or pre 86ish chevy smallblocks) but your 87 should have a roller cam so a zinc additive is not necessary.

 

The 87 5.7 is not a roller. FYI. I add zinc to mine. Better safe than sorry.

 

The 87 5.7 is a roller. I have one. If your's isn't a roller, you don't have the original motor in it. Read this;https://www.thirdgen.org/1987-chevy-camaro

 

Todays oils have plenty of zinc in them

Good film strength look at Valvoline VR1 good stuff

 

"The 87 5.7 is not a roller. FYI. I add zinc to mine. Better safe than sorry."
I had an 87 GTA at one time and it definitely was a roller cam motor, I believe 87 was the first year for rollers in the F-body. If you have a roller you dont need zinc additive.

 

"Todays oils have plenty of zinc in them" The only modern oils that have "plenty" of zinc in them are the expensive racing oils and maybe some specialty oils made expressly for classic cars. Even the diesel oils have had most of the zinc removed from them, The EPA claims it poisons cats (not the furry kind).

 

More info than you'd ever want about oils:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php

AS to your question .. I run SOME zinc

 

I stand corrected. The PO replaced the cam. One of the receipts I got with the car was for a non-roller cam. I mistakenly assumed the engines were non roller. Sorry about that.

Steve