Shell ditched all the gasoline engine ratings from their products with the exception being the new multi vehicle. It's why it's no longer mentioned as a universal oil anymore. That being the CK4 does have phosphorus and zinc right around 980ppm. I think that would be fine for your engine.

Great thread. I've been in this discussion before in other forums. Interesting about VR1 Valvoline not having detergents. I just rebuilt the engine in my truck this year. 312 Y Block. I put in an Erson cam. Erson's instruction sheet specifically says not to use the diesel oils because of the lack of zinc. They recommend Brad-Penn oil or ad an additive. Supposedly Valvoline 10W-40 still contains enough zinc. That's what Ted Eaton runs in his Y blocks he builds. Anyone who knows him has seen his engines tested at the Engine Masters competition. Can anyone say 598hp in a Y Block?

I have been running valvoline vr-1 for 10 years or so on a few different vehicles. Never any issues. I did swap intakes on my 400 in the 77 and with 10k miles on it the lifter valley was just as clean as the day I assembled it.

Mytoolman, that is one awesome looking tool truck! Very cool. I bet it makes a bunch of people do some head turning.

I've been running chevron supreme 10-40 since I built the engine over 80,000 miles ago.

I don't add any zinc or additives.

Runs better now then it did when it was brand new.

So no, I don't buy the "It needs zinc" myth either.

Very cool tool truck! Seems I saw that camper posted on here when it was for sale earlier this summer?? Good to see it will saved.

I've never put anything special in my old, stock FE's. They don't have enough spring pressure to hurt a camshaft/lifter even with the lower/lack of zinc.

My hot rods all get VR1 as they are much more then stock and turn much more RPM when playing. They get regular oil changes, and after my 428 has been together for 20+ yrs it is still clean as a whistle inside.

This business about zinc content is discussed to extremes in the oil forums.
From what I gathered in several days of reading the technical material, some zinc is good, and then the benefit drops right off. So, depending on other things in the detergent and additive package, manufacturers use enough, and then quit. The very high-zinc oils did not provide better film strength in testing. Too much zinc causes problems, and detracts from the performance of other additives, and it is only useful in a narrow range of concentration. Some oil has a better long-term use profile for bad, extended-use situations. Of course, we would not do that, and love to change oil cuz it makes us feel manly.

Nearly any modern automobile oil is vastly better than the best of 10 years ago. Wear is dependent on 'enough' film strength, but more doesn't help. In the case of used and abused oil, a bit more is good, as an insurance policy. Oil-dilution is the big enemy.

Short answer: Use 'fresh' oil (not old and frozen), of the lowest viscosity that does the job, change yearly in spring and at about 7K miles (assuming normal driving).
All oils are too thick at startup, so keep the RPMs in the gentle range until the temps come up. Buy quality filters, and Wix is a great deal for the money.

Yes, I know, I spend way to much time researching things, then sound like an opinionated old fart.
So you spend a week with the chemists, and see what you can put in a few lines! HA!
I will accept abuse off-line, and explain the details.

I think you explained it very well, using the KISS method.

He did explain it well, I agree

When I go to trade shows such as SEMA I will literally spend many hours of each day speaking with oil reps, for the most part the boys at Motul because I have the best relationship with them. I am fascinated by oil and the chemistry behind it.

I do not believe in extra additives. I do not believe in undermining the many millions of dollars spent on engineering by large companies who do not benefit in any way by harming your engine to play backyard chemist based off of some fallacy I read on the internet.

I've yet to find an oil rep who recommends that you use extra additives. It's snake oil and it's possibly (read: likely) hurting your engine. And no, old man, - whoever you may be - the argument of, "My engine hasn't blown up yet so this stuff must be good" is absolute bollocks. You literally have zero clue what is going on in your engine. That's your free Tuesday morning reality check for you.

Oils contain a finely-tuned chemical balance of additives. Start adding more stuff into them and you throw off the balance - the very balance that is protecting your engine from wear. Too much zinc is a bad thing. Too much zinc will literally harm your engine. But how the hell are you supposed to know? The only way for any of you to actually know what you are doing to benefit or hurt your engine is to take a used oil sample and send it out to a laboratory for an oil analysis. I do this every oil change on my daily driver Audi and will soon be doing this in my F100. This way I know exactly what is going on inside of that engine and I am able to detect future issues before they become issues.

It's true. Today's oils for the most part are low in Sulphated Ash Phosphorus and Sulphur (SAPS), which includes zinc, largely due to the EPA's history of stricter fuel economy regulations which also act on oil manufacturers. This is largely done to protect the integrity of the catalytic converter. High saps oils will eventually burn out a catalytic converter, which would create more pollutants, but high SAPS oils are also less runny, requiring more effort from the engine to turn, requiring more fuel to be burned, meaning less fuel economy - but also meaning more protection. Low SAPS oils are more fuel efficient. High SAPS oils protect the engine better. It's all about balance.

But did you know that the EPA really only looks at oils up to a 30W? That means that 40+W oils aren't looked at with anywhere near as much scrutiny and are perfectly legal to be high SAPS. "Why are most hot rod high zinc oils 10W40 or larger," you ask? Well... that's a big reason. In layman's turns, pretty much any 5W20 or 10W30 oil as an example is highly regulated, and as such the EPA mandates that a large percentage of any manufacturer's fleet use these oils. Because they're a low percentage of their overall fleet, this still allows manufacturers to sell sports cars such like the Corvette if we're using Chevrolet as an example to run 40, 50, or 60 weight oils - high SAPS oils. These engines will after all face rougher conditions than your typical A to B commuter.

"Today's oils don't have zinc so I need to play backyard chemist and add zinc. And obviously you can't have enough so I'll add the whole bottle!" No, dummy. Just go out and buy an oil with the amount of SAPS that you want. It's really that simple. If you don't know what you want, call up your oil company of choice and ask them! They have oil reps whose jobs are to be knowledgeable in their products and their intended applications and know how to explain that to you.

In my F100 I use Driven by Joe Gibbs HR5 10W40 oil which is specifically designed for hotrod engines, AKA old engines. Due to costs and my own personal brand loyalty, I am likely going to try out Motul 6100 10W40. I am assured that it will perform well in my intended application. I will compare my oil analysis results to determine which one protects my engine better as well as which one lasts longer in my engine without needing to be changed.