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MG TD TF 1500 - Engine oil?

What are you guys using for engine oil now in light pf the ZDDP/ zink issue? I switched to Shell Rotella for the MGs. We've been using it for years in the Dodge Turbo diesel trucks.
D. Sander

Any good 20/50 oil works well with the addition of a Lucas Oils additive. There is a product in their line that is for breakin of rebuilt engines and it is very high in ZDDP zinc. I put it in my MG TD and my MGB GT.

This product was recommended as an additive by the local "Lordco" parts store and so far so good. In Canada many of the Diesel oils have reduced zinc as well so this seems a good alternative.

As an aside, Octagon Motor Group in Vancouver BC has been importing Castrol Classic motor oil from England and it has maintained the zinc so that is also an alternative.

Brian
Brian Smith (1950 TD3376)

Rislone oil supplement with Zinc/ZDDP Treatment

It isn't just a couple ounces of additive. It not only provides the ZDDP for about 5 qts of oil, it comes in a full quart of lubricant.

It lists for $10.99 at Advance Auto, but by buying it online in quantity, they give 15 & 20% discounts, and sometimes better than that if you keep your eyes on their website. That brings the price down to around $9 per bottle. Free pickup at the store- no shipping charges.

.
Jim Northrup

Valvoline VR-1 20W-50 Bud
Bud Krueger (TD10855)

I have been using Valvoline VR-1 20W-50 for a few years now... It has the additives you need in a "motion lotion."

Cheers,

Rod Macleod - TF 1500 HDB46/6798 ("Molly")
Rod Macleod

i use Brad Penn oil, has the zddp in it.
Tom Maine (TD8105)

I'm using Valvoline VR1 20w-5-. The rottella no longer has the high Zinc levels due to the emmision requirements implemented on Diesels a couple of years ago. Your not getting the protection your after with it any longer.
LaVerne

Castrol GTX 30 wt.

Alex
Alex Waugh

Mr. Sander, I buy Rotella buy the case in 2 gallon containers for the farm tractors, but don't use it in my cars. The old oil had a high amount of zinc in it, but due to environmental regulations, the new Rotella doesn't, simply because the new diesel blends don't produce the carbon output the old fuel did. Diesel oils still have a higher amount of detergents in them than oils designed for gas engines, as I'm sure you know, but their not blended for gas engines. Brad Penn, VR-1 and some other special oils have the zinc flat tappet engines need. On a second note, racing oils with high zinc content, for the most part don't have the detergents in them for everyday driving. Their designed for short time use and have little or no detergents at all. JMHO. PJ
P Jennings

GT-1® High Performance Motor Oil with Liquid Titanium® (SM). I don't know about the "liquid titanium" part, but the 20-50 weight has the needed ZDDP. George
George Butz

Valvoline VR-1 20W-50
dave
Dave Braun

VR-1 in the B and the TD. TD has run it since break in. Have not taken anything apart, but so far it seems to be doing well
Bruce Cunha

You Valvoline VR-1 folks need to see the:

Thread: Cam follower damage with ZDDP

Folks, if it says it meets SM then it hasn't got enough Zinc and will damage your lifters in time.
Here is a case of damage after 7000 miles with VR-1 and no ZDDP addiative after startup breakin.

If you are running on an engine that used oil from the pre ZDDP ban for a while, it will just take a bit longer to wear thru the protective layer.
Don Harmer

I use 20-50 and add zddp. I remember how thick this stuff is and try not to visualize pushing this stuff through the engine.
Peter Dahlquist

Not saying the above is not correct, but you have to remember that we are not the only cars that this affects, we are talking about every american muscle car and a ton of others. While this was a big issue in all the old car magazines some years back. I have not seen a lot in any of the magazines about this since some of the manufacturers started making oil for the older cars.

Yes the ZDDP levels are not to what they used to be, so using an additive may be a precaution to take. I just find it interesting that the additives are not for sale everywhere. If this was as big a problem, I would suspect you would see it on the counter of every auto parts house. I would also think the main manufacturers would be addressing it.

Kind of like lead additives. These used to be readily available when everyone thought that not running lead in our cars would harm them. That has not turned out to be the case for most cars. Now you pretty much have to order this on line.

Again. I am not saying that the addition of extra ZDDP or lead additive is not a precaution to take, so if you know of a easily available additive that really does give the needed additional level of protection, please post it.
Bruce Cunha

I use Mobil 1 20/50 Synthetic Extended Performance. It has the same ZDDP content as those that have been mentioned and has reduced the small leakage that I used to have in my TD to nil. Easy to find also.
George
GF Metz

Don - it seems premature to state categorically that the lack of ZDDP caused the tappet problem -there are still unanswered questions.

1) How old were the tappets? Manufacturer? Was the cam new, reground, or used?

2) Did you run the engine at about 2500-3000 RPM as soon as it started up for 20 minutes or so, in order to break in the cam and tappets?

3) Stock valve springs?

Until these questions are answered I don't think we can do any more than guess.


Tom



t lange

This thread was discussed between 19/02/2011 and 20/02/2011

MG TD TF 1500 index

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