CoffeeCommando

Oi, I just poured in the oils and am working on the coolant. That CompCam ZDDP additive is way more ZDDP'ish than the Lucas TB Zinc Plus. Thick darkness is a good indicator of ZDDP. That stuff came out like molasses.

I think I might start using that during oil changes instead of the Lucas. The back of the CompCams bottle says to change the oil at 1000 miles. I've heard 500 so I will investigate that. It seems as though given how thick that stuff is it should be good for that distance. If that Lucas is 30,000 PPM ZDDP then the CompCams must be around double just judging by the sheer thick'itude of it. It's also cheaper than the Lucas. I might start batch ordering those bottles so I get the free shipping. Seems like nothing that's really over-the-top good for the engine can be found locally.

More and mores stores and stores are losing their quality it seems.

CoffeeCommando

CoffeeCommando

Wow, NewEgg is getting in on the action too. This guy from Torco really gets into the weeds on the history of what synthetic is and how there's no standardized version of it. It's basically a marketing scheme and only 1% of synthetic needs to be in the oil to have any type of synthetic claim at all. I think this one is more enlightening than all the others.

robsjeep

The jeep is running. 350 miles on the odo since I broke in the cam and all is well. Oil pressure is 15+ psi at idle and 45 to 50 psi on the freeway.

Tbone289

Yes, you can thank Castrol and the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus for that one. Most of what is sold on store shelves today that is labelled "synthetic" is highly refined (hydroprocessed) mineral oil. It's been that way since 1999 or so.

PatHenry

Nice!! Glad to hear it's running well!

TimV

So, it's been some time. Seems there was a few projects being done by contributors to this thread.


How about some general updates? Pretty please?

CoffeeCommando

My engine is still alive, but I use high zinc oil with an additive so it's not going to be dying anytime in the next decade or 2.

It's too soon for there to be any catastrophic damage from using a shelf bought oil at this point unless the break-in additive/oil was very low in ZDDP. It's not a next week, next month or next year sort of issue using the shelf bought standardized oils on 1980's era flat tappet camshaft technology, it's more of a gradual wear over time, the consistency of the oil changes will play a much more critical role when using them. Someone using the API rated stuff but changing the oil every 3,000 miles is going to go much further than someone waiting for 5,000 miles, so you can't gauge longevity just by which oil gets put in. Even the outside ambient temperatures and the quality of your cooling system is going to play a role in that equation. Every 18 degrees over 212 cuts the life-span of your oil in half. That equates to every 1 degree reducing oil life span 5% over 212. 215 would reduce oil life by 15%, which equates to 2,450 miles for a 3,000 mile oil life and 4200 miles for a 5k mile oil life.

I'd say most XJ's probably run at about 210 and maybe a few degrees over, one reason I wouldn't bank on waiting 5,000 miles to change your oil. I've had 3 and 210 is the norm, and a bit higher when the AC goes on. If you live in a hotter climate and constantly have the AC on and only ever use shelf bought oil I would recommend changing the oil every 2,500 miles at max if you don't want to have to do a cam shaft replacement in the next several years.

Inline 6's are popping up on youtube more frequently with engine noises. When I bought the first XJ back in 2007 the engines were legendary for hitting 300,000 miles, some even hit 4 and 500,000. Now they don't even break 200,00 and they're giving the tell-tale signs of kicking the bucket with lifter tap. The 300K club will not be happening for anyone using standardized API approved shelf bought oil designed to reduce catalytic converter degradation in todays cars that are not only overhead cam (less wear) but also using rollers (even less wear), I can assure you that.

..but that just means more cheap factory-quality junk yard parts for those of us that still have working engines. Now that I have paid the price in engine failures I have learned what it takes to make an engine last a long time so that information will pay for itself in the future.