does anyone know anything about this oil

[RivVrgn]

there websight says its an all american refined oil from Pa. Not one of the big boys. I think available in most popular wieghts

I have a few buddies that run this in there older cars and they say it does great. It is refined with zinc in it. I would rather use an oil made with zinc than add it to a modern oil.

Any thoughts or familiarity ?

thanks

Edited June 11, 2012 by RivVrgn (see edit history)

[Jim Cannon]

Link is not showing up.

[RivVrgn]

sorry, no link just a picture. operator malfunction

[Guest Straight eight]

Why not go to Shell Rotella? It has the stuff you are looking for, and it is made for gas as well as diesel engines. The single weight has more Zinc than the multiviscosity blend.

[RivVrgn]

I'm sorta new to this zinc thing but I thought the Rotella and the chevron delo had there zinc content lowed when the diesels were forced to use low sulfur fuel for emissions and it went hand in hand with reducing some things in the oil too bringing down with it the zinc content.

In other words I thought content was legislated way down.

Whatever works if it still has the zinc in it, cool I'll use it. it would be easier to find than this Brad Penn oil.

So I would use single weight not 10w40? How would I determine the weight to use

Edited June 12, 2012 by RivVrgn (see edit history)

[pyntre]

I run it in my 401 Nailhead, THE GREEN OIL. great stuff

[Jolly_John]

I have quarts of the OLDER Chevron Delo oil available for sale, in both the straight 30w, and the 10w30. This is the kind of high zinc and phosphorus content oil needed to protect our flat tappet Buick V8's.

This is the older Delo that has much better levels of zinc, than the Chevron Delo being sold in stores today. The oil industry formulation specs changed about three years ago, due to environmental regulation tightening. That means the current Chevron Delo and Shell Rotella oils now contain significantly less zinc than the oil I'm selling.

The quarts of 10w30 Chevron Delo I'm selling have approximately 1550 ppm of zinc...and the 30w Delo is even higher than that. The price is $5 per quart (12 quart minimum purchase). That price beats the speciality oil companies that serve the old car hobby by $2 to $3 a quart.

Shipping to Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota is especially reasonable because I can use Spee-Dee Delivery Service (about 20% less than the cost of UPS). Feel free to PM me, if you have questions. John

Edited June 12, 2012 by Jolly_John (see edit history)

[RivNut]

I've heard that the engineers at Shell are changing the formula for Rotella. Mind you I've just heard this, I've not seen it in print from any reliable source.

Here's a link to Brad Penn's site. The 10w-30 looks like it would be a good product for the nailhead.

Penn Grade 1 High Performance Oil

Mobil 1 synthetic is also high in zinc if you get the correct weight.

Here's a chart of the Mobil 1 oils. Their 0w-40 has the highest levels of zinc and phosphate.

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Files/Mobil_1_Product_Guide.pdf

I'm not a big Wal-Mart shopper but you can't beat their price on their 5 qt. jug when compared to 5 quart bottles of Brad Penn plus shipping.

Walmart.com: Mobil 1 Extended Performance 5W-30 Full Synthetic Motor Oil, 5 qt: Automotive

Some of the reviews I've read come from Porshe and Mercedes owners and they find the Mobil 1 product more than adequate.

[Jolly_John]

Hello, Ed. I don't intend to spark one of those "oil wars"!!!.....but the zinc content listing for Mobil 1 found on your link is 1000 ppm for the 0w-40. The 15w-40 is a bit higher. However, NONE of the Mobil 1 oils come close to the minimum 1500 ppm zinc content that many of the oil and engine "experts" have noted we flat tappet engine (nailheads and others) owners should be using.

However, this all has been written about in many of the old car publications and internet forums.....over and over. Truthfully, I don't care what a guy or gal choses to use in his or her old car engine. I simply know that I'm a believer of the 1500 ppm or better zinc content recommendation. Best, John

Edited June 13, 2012 by Jolly_John (see edit history)

[Ted "Wildcat65" Nagel]

Original poster:

This Brad Penn oil is excellent. I am using it in all my Nailheads.

AM&P does a lot of 455 performance engines and Mike there uses their break in oil. I'm a fan!

I'm also using a regular castrol oil with Lucas zinc additive in the lesser engines...

[RivNut]

JJ,

I've been led to belive that 1,000 ppm was sufficient for the zinc levels. Where did you get your information. Any links or websites I could peruse.

Ed

[Jolly_John]

Hi again, Ed. The typical zinc content in the old SJ motor oil spec. was 1500 to 1750 ppm. So, I hark back to those days, since the SJ motor oils did not cause any problems in our old car engines.

Here's a link to a good, recent paper by William "Bill" Anderson, P.E. In addition to his engineering background, he has run an old car restoration shop for years, with an emphasis on mechanical restorations. In his article, Bill states his opinion that 1200 to 1400 ppm zinc is the lowest acceptable level for our old car, flat tappet engines.

http://www.andersonautomotiveenterprises.com/PDFs/techtips/new_oils_and_old_cars.pdf

By the way Ed, I always try to keep an open mind...do you have some information (links or websites) I could review that support the 1,000 ppm level?

In reality, there are ALL SORTS of opinions about this oil reformulation issue, AND the minimum levels of zinc and phorphorus that are needed for our old car engines. Some guys say that how "hard" the car is driven and the mileage between oil changes also are factors with the new oil formulations, when it comes to protecting our lifters, cams and rocker arms.

The bottom line for me is that I don't think anyone absolutely knows the answer to this zinc level question.

However, I always tend to err on the side of caution. So, regardless of what the literature says.....I use oil that has zinc and phorphorus levels similar to the old SJ rating oil, since I so know that presented no problems to our old car engines. That's why I've been happy with the earlier Chevron Delo oil I've offered for sale a few postings up. I bought a couple of lifetime supplies of these oils (30w and 10w30) a few years back! Now, I realize I'll never use all I have here. (Don't tell my wife). Best, John

[Guest dcdpgh]

As suggested above, asking about motor oil will result in a wide variety of opinions. However, responding to the OP's original question, yes I am familiar with Brad Penn oil, and it is the only oil I've used in my old car in recent years.

I have recent UOA (used oil analysis) results from Blackstone Labs validating elevated levels of zinc and phosphorous in Brad Penn oil, as well as low trace metal counts from my samples. That was good enough for me to know that I was doing the right thing for my engine.

There are other oils and oil supplements out there that are reported to produce similar satisfactory results. Go onto any old car forum such as this one and search "zinc", the results will net many hours or reading. One can draw their own conclusions from there.

[Guest usmcclark]

ive been in the lubrication buisness for a while and ive never heard of that, i would say give it a shot and she how it works. i usually run quaker state or castrol in my cars

[Jolly_John]

Hey, Dan. Your comment above says it all:

"Go onto any old car forum such as this one and search "zinc", the results will net many hours or reading. One can draw their own conclusions from there."

That's the point I was also making earlier. An old car owner should simply understand the cutbacks in zinc and phosphorus that have occured in "over-the-counter" motor oils in the past five years, and draw their own conclusions. My experience has been that there is no convincing some of the guys that these changes mean they need to do something different with their collector car engine oil.....especially after they get what might be uninformed input and/or conflicting info from the quick change oil place, auto parts counter person, general repair shop, or another old car buddy!

I suggest anyone still happy with using a current over-the-counter oil in their collector car simply find out how many ppm's of zinc are in the formulation, and then compare that with the 1200 to 1400 ppm level suggested in the article by engineer Bill Anderson (see the link above). It is likely they will have no idea what you're talking about at the store where you purchase the oil. So, you may have to call the oil manufacturer. There is usually an 800 number of the back of each oil bottle. John

[RivVrgn]

Boy I lit that fuse. So how is the Brad Penn oil able to maintain its supposedly high level of zinc if federal regs say otherwise? Or is it not any higher than the afformetioned?

[CheezeMan]

The bottom line for me is that I don't think anyone absolutely knows the answer to this zinc level question.

Amen. That is why this is always a hot topic whenever it is brought up.

Each will need to decide what is best until the definitive answer is found.

RivVrgn, One important piece of information you will need to know is that switching oils can also be harmful to the engine. When the old oil drains out, some of it is left behind to mix with the new oil coming in. If the two oils are not compatible, they will nuke each other and any protection with it. Oils are a significant chemical concoction; adding or removing anything can damage the formula.

If you can avoid it, don't switch oils often. If switching, you may need to change it twice to get the old oil out. This can be very expensive with that Brad Penn (or other name) oils.

.

[Guest dcdpgh]

Boy I lit that fuse.

Not at all. This is good discussion that all old car owners with flat tappet engines need to educate themselves about. I am far far from an expert, I simply spent time reading as much as i could on the subject from several different sources, and made a decision about what I was going to do.

John's link to Bill Anderson's article is a good read, and is an example of the type of article research I am referring to.

[Ted "Wildcat65" Nagel]

Boy I lit that fuse. So how is the Brad Penn oil able to maintain its supposedly high level of zinc if federal regs say otherwise? Or is it not any higher than the afformetioned?

The regs apply to new cars that need to maintain emission standards, the oil makes it possible for the newer engines to burn cleaner.

Brad Penn oil is not appropriate for new cars. It is engineered with our old cars and flat tappet cams. And it is made with Pennsylvania Crude here in the USA (partial synthetic though)

[George Buick Riviera]

http://www.millersoils.co.uk/pdf/automotive/Classic%20Oil%20Brochure.pdf

Classic Car Engine Oil | Millers Oils

and distributor for USA:

Distributor | Performance Racing Oils | Millers Oils

[RivNut]

I read every page and never saw any ZDDP numbers. Is this just a claim or can they back it up?

Ed

[George Buick Riviera]

Ed, I have no idea, maybe you could ask at technical@millersoils.co.uk and post info here ?

http://www.millersoils.co.uk/corporate/which-oil-guide.asp

[RivNut]

I'm perfectly satisfied with the Mobil 1 Synthetics. The 0w-40, 5w-50, and 15w-50 weights all have enough of the ZDDP in them to meet any requirements I might have. An engineer friend of mine just returned from the SEMA show and attended a discussion on just this topic. It was the concensus there that if you're driving your car in a non-competition setting, that 1,000 ppm of zinc / phosphate is a safe choice. All three of the Mobil 1 Synthetics that I listed meet those minimum standards. The REALLY nice thing about the Mobil 1 Synthetics is that Wal-Mart sells a five quart jug for less than $30.00. Even if your local store doesn't stock it, you can order it online and they'll ship it to your store for no charge.

Something else came from the SEMA discussion that might be of interest. It was the consensus that adding an additive to your choice of oils could offset some of the engineered properties of the oils. That would not be a good thing.

Ed

[Guest RACEFABULOUS]

Hi Guys, Brad Penn is the best high performance oil on the market, the history speaks for itself. The original name is Kendall GT 1 also known as "The Green Oil" for it's natural green color, used by high performance engines the longest. The Kendall named oil in stores today is only the name purchased and slapped on the case, not the oil. I'm the first distributor for Brad Penn - Penn Grade 1 High Performance oil in the greater Seattle, WA area. The street stock I sponsored last year at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA took the championship for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Street Stock Division. I also sponsored a UL Hydroplane with Brad Penn. Check out the site for Brad Penn at Welcome! My clients include owners of classics, hot rods, corvettes, porche, machine shops, race teams etc. Brad penn comes from the oldest working lube refinery in the world, so that in itself says a lot. This is the testimonial by my sponsored driver: Brad Penn High Performance Oil has helped my engine produce more horsepower for four years now. I used to use another brand of oil and was not completely satisfied once I saw the inside of my engine. I discussed more lubrication options with an oil representative, and it was clear to me that Brad Penn Oil was and still... is the best option for my high performance racing engine. The low viscosity has kept my engine turning with the smallest amount of friction possible. Turning at an average of 7100 RPM, I need to be able to know that the internal parts of my engine are staying lubricated with no coating loss or scratches due to metal pieces from wear. It is amazing how this oil has done such a great job for me and helped me to be very competetive in my racing career. I would recommend Brad Penn High Performance Oil to anyone in the racing community, and to anyone who has any sort of high performance engine. I was lucky enough to have Sunny Williams, a distributor of Brad Penn Oil, take an interest in the Ingraham Auto Pirates. The team and I are very greatful to know Sunny and have her around our team. Thank you so much Sunny!

I hope I helped answer some questions about Brad Penn. http://www.facebook.com/RacefabulousDistributions, http://www.facebook.com/racefabulous?ref=profile,

[Guest Robert Ricci]

in a 1963 401 Riviera should i use 10w 30 or 15 / 40 brad penn? thanks