msmith

So, how do you know for sure that an oil has the ZDDP content it needs to have? I don't see much clarity in labeling.

Is the ZDD Plus additive a good option when added to a commonly available oil?

67mustang302

Putting additives in isn't always a good option, it might work for break in, but if you have a good oil to start with you won't need additive bottles. And they can just mess up the chemistry. All of Torco's stuff is 1,200+ppm of ZDDP compounds added in the form of their MPZ, which also has liquid organic molybdenum. The price has come down a tad lately, the mineral is like $6.50/qt, the regular synthetic is like $8.50 and the super race synthetic is like $16.50

1971mach1

ONLY 15W-50 Mobil 1 has enough ZDDP!! ALL the other weights of Mobil1
have 800ppm. Check their website at mobil1.com.
Valvoline also has a nice website that states the ZDDP levels (ZN/PH should be minimum .12% or 1200ppm).
Roushoil.com also has a new synthetic made by Valvoline that has enough
ZDDP in the 10W-40 weight and up.
Be carefull of some racing oils. They may have enough ZDDP but not enough detergents to
keep your engine clean. Racing oils were ment to be changed after each race.
Valvoline Vr-1, Roush Oil and Mobil1 15W-50 are known to have enough of both detergents and ZDDP.
(So they say on their websites).

Canary94GT

Thank you so much! I was looking on Valvoline's site at the VR1's characteristics the other day and was wondering if its .14% zinc meant it had 1400ppm.

67mustang302

Yes, .14% is 1400ppm, .08% is 800ppm etc.

Be careful though, there's no guarantee those formulas won't change in time. An oil can be SM rated and still have high zinc(Torco's 5 and 10 40's are both this way). The reason is any oil ABOVE 30wt is exempt from the reduced ZDDP requirements for SM ratings, but can still retain all other lube requirements etc. Also the "race" or "off road use" oils are also exempt. But, you have to watch out for the stuff labeled in the API circle as "energy conserving." If you're going to buy an off the shelf oil, do your homework and make sure you know EXACTLY what you're buying.

ShadyNinja

the only oil I could find for my older car that still had the extreme pressure additives( Zinc and Phosphorus ) was AMSOIL ( I did not look at racing or diesel oils)

https://www.amsoil.com/storefront/amo.aspx?zo=1667299

67mustang302

Basically here's the rundown....

All of Torco's oil have a solid amount of ZDDP(as well as moly)
Amsoil sells many oils with ZDDP, but I don't think all of them have it
Redline I know sells oils with ZDDP but not sure if all of them have it, I think they do though
Bradd Penn does as well, not sure if all of their oils have it but I suspect they do
Valvoline sells SOME with ZDDP, but not all, so you have to specifically pick the right one
Mobil 1 has some with ZDDP at healthy levels, but they're fewer now than before, so you have to pick the right one there as well, however Mobil 1 is also a good oil, so I'd suspect that their lower ZDDP oils have an equally capable additive to replace the lost amounts

Stay away from diesel oils though unless they have a gasoline rating, they're not designed for high rpm operation and can foam, plus they also have different additive packages sometimes to deal with the demand of diesel operation. If it's a gas and diesel rated oil, it's fine. But be ware, most of the diesel oils now have lower ZDDP on account of diesels needing to meet emissions.

Not sure what's up with Pennzoil, Quaker state etc.

If you're looking for a really good high quality oil for a high performance application(regardless of flat tappet or not) then I'd say Torco, Amsoil or Redline, otherwise any of the others are fine.