Break in engine oil

[DATSUN671]

What is a good brand of break in oil? I just recently rebuild my l20b. Could I just use regular oil?

 

Thanks for the help.

[datzenmike]

Get 15w40 Rotello T or Chevron Delo 400. It's a light diesel oil with lots of ZDDP in it to protect our cam and followers from wear.  Newer oil formulas have less ZDDY every year. Break in oil is not used today. Get the engine running properly and take out on a highway (as soon as you can) with lots of room and accelerate hard in 3rd gear up to speed and slow down to 30 staying in 3rd. Repeat 20 or more times. If in town, run in lower gears and vary the speed at all times. Accelerate and slow down in the same gear. Check oil and water often. Make the engine work hard as this will thrust the rings against the cylinder walls wearing them in and making a good seal. Do not baby the engine, as this will extend or even prevent proper break in. Change the oil and always the filter at a few hundred miles.

[mrmark]

you don't want multi-viscosity oil for your break-in oil.  I recommend Brad Penn 30W.  Straight weight oil for the first 500 miles.  NO Synthetic either!!!  

[datzenmike]

Yes!! Absolutely NO synthetic for the first 10k

[Z-train]

Get 15w40 Rotello T or Chevron Delo 400. It's a light diesel oil with lots of ZDDP in it to protect our cam and followers from wear.

This.

[Ranman72]

I always broke motors in with straight 30 and non detergent 

I used Valvoline 

[mrmark]

The Brad Penn has lots of the ZDDP as well.  All the machine shops that I know of recommend it for break in.  We rebuild about 15 Porsche engines a year(small mechanic shop) and have had good results so far. I'm not sure how hard it is to get Brad Penn on the west coast, didn't really think of that :P

[datzenmike]

Back when our Datsuns were new the ZDDP level was way over 1,000 PPM. As high as 1,600 ppm. Today's oil is from zero to 600/800PPM and falling. By today's standards 900 would be high.

 

1,100 PPM would (I think) be minimum safe for flat tappet cams and followers. The alternative is worn off cam lobes and grooved followers.

[scooter]

Brad Penn oil is badass.

No synthetics till WELL broken in

I'm a big fan of rotella also.

[DanielC]

Valvoline VR-1 racing opil is also high in  ZDDP.

[Scgreen620]

Back when our Datsuns were new the ZDDP level was way over 1,000 PPM. As high as 1,600 ppm. Today's oil is from zero to 600/800PPM and falling. By today's standards 900 would be high.1,100 PPM would (I think) be minimum safe for flat tappet cams and followers. The alternative is worn off cam lobes and grooved followers.

 

 

For the ones who's don't know what zddp and ppm mean can you decode that for me plz :)

[DanielC]

ZDDP is an abbreviation for an oil additive that contains zinc, and phosphorus.   This additive bonds to metal and prevents metal to metal contact, most importantly where the cam lobes slide directly across the rocker arm pads.

PPM=Parts Per Million.

 

Modern engines do not have a metal  to metal contact like our Datsun L-engines.  They do not need ZDDP.

 

In an engine with high miles, that burns a little oil, if you have high ZDDP, it will poison the catalytic converter.  So, as the levels of this additive were brought down, engines changed to not require it as much.

 

Modern engines need modern oils.  Older engined need older formulas of oils.

[russaroll]

Chevron Delo 400

 

this is what i'm using and will prolly continue to use after break in.

 

thanks ratsun  :thumbup: