Bred Penn Oil or VR1
 

which oil would you use in your flat tappet motor:Brad Penn 10-30 semi or 10-30 VR1{VV205} or valvoline conventional,not for street use,{VV850} 10-30 and why?I've noticed the ZDDP is Lower on the BP then the Valvoline

Re: Bred Penn Oil or VR1
 

You want the oil with the most Zinc content, we us Rotella Truck oil 30 or 40 wt to break in all motors and most of all flat tapet cams. Its the Zinc not the brand of oil.

Re: Bred Penn Oil or VR1
 

Rotella along with Chevron Delo has reduced the amount of lead contend with the reformulation this year. We switched from VR-1 which also reduced the lead content to Brad Penn and like what we are seeing. We have gone from changing oil after every event to four events and then we look at the filter before we change the oil.

Re: Bred Penn Oil or VR1
 

As far as VV205 vs. VV850, they both have the same zinc content. VR1 has enough detergent for street/strip applications, but "Racing Conventional" NSL (VV850) is for race-only use.
As you may know, Brad Penn is the old green Kendall GT1, which is still one of the highest zinc motor oils available, AFAIK.
7820 is right about diesel engine oils like Rotella and Delo cutting down on the zinc; I don't know why some cam companies are still recommending them. But I haven't read or heard anything about Valvoline reducing the zinc content in their racing oils. If that is the case, they haven't updated their website or their MSDSs, and they haven't told their phone techs either.

Re: Bred Penn Oil or VR1
 

Check out Valvolines VV851 (conventional) or VV855 (synthetic) both contain additional zinc. A little more pricey but the peace of mind is well worth it.

Re: Bred Penn Oil or VR1
 

Guys, just a heads up on the Rotella, if you have a larger warehouse in the area, they may still have some of the oil with the higher zinc. Look for the label that is solid, light blue in color. All newer cases/bottles have the "rainbow" type label. We located several cases that had not been rotated out and latched onto them. Just an FYI......

Wade O

Re: Bred Penn Oil or VR1
 

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Directly from the Hot Rod article, June 2006, When Good Cams Go Bad:

SH API oil rating 1996
zinc = 0.130%, 1130ppm (parts per million)
phosphorous = 0.120%, 1120ppm

SJ API oil rating 2001
and
SL API oil rating 2004
zinc = 0.110%, 1100ppm
phosphorous = 0.100%, 1000ppm

SM API oil rating 2005
zinc = 0.087%, 870ppm
phosphorous = 0.080%, 800ppm

SM API oil rating 2007
zinc = 0.060%, 600ppm
phosphorous = 0.080%, 800ppm

Cosworth Racing Oil
zinc = 0.125%, 1250ppm
phosphorous = 0.115%, 1150ppm

Shell Rotella T CI-4
zinc = 0.140%, 1400ppm
phosphorous = 0.130%, 1300ppm

Pennzoil 25W-50 Racing Oil
zinc = 0.196%, 1960ppm
phosphorous = 0.180%, 1800ppm

Quaker State Q Racing Synthetic
zinc = 0.200%, 2000ppm
phosphorous = 0.180%, 1800ppm
Obviously, the 4 oils above do not have an API rating for newer engines. Their rating would be SH or SG. Pennzoil Racing is SG. Rotella is SH/SJ.
From the Kendall website for GT-1, which I've used since 1964 and now can no longer use for fear of cam and lifter damage:

additional spec. for oils of interest:

Kendal GT-1 green 40W, old mfg.
zinc = 0.200%, 2000ppm
phosphorous = 0.200%, 2000ppm

Kendall GT-1 amber 40W. Older green GT-1 used in Thunder and still have 5 quarts of the green oil left. New GT-1 color is amber. Green GT-1 has high zinc and phosphorous content. Amber GT-1 has low content.
zinc = 0.104%, 1040ppm

Kendal GT-1 amber 30W. Older green GT-1 was used in the other Olds engines.
zinc = 0.104%, 1040ppm

Kendal GT-1 amber 20W-50
zinc = 0.113%, 1130ppm

Kendal GT-1 amber 10W-40
zinc = 0.086%, 860ppm

Also:
Chevron Delo 400 10w-30
zinc = 0.140%, 1400ppm
phosphorous = 0.126%, 1260ppm

Chevron Delo 400 10W and 20
zinc = 0.127%, 1270ppm
phosphorous = 0.114%, 1140ppm

Chevron Delo 400 30, 40, and 50
zinc = 0.127%, 1270ppm
phosphorous = 0.116%, 1160ppm

Chevron Delo 400 Synthetic 0W-30
zinc = 0.130%, 1300ppm
phosphorous = 0.114%, 1140ppm

Chevron Delo 400 Synthetic 5W-40
zinc = 0.151%, 1510ppm
phosphorous = 0.136%, 1360ppm

Valvoline VR1 20W-50 Racing oil
zinc = 0.130%, 1300ppm
phosphorous = 0.120%, 1200ppm
sulfated ash = 1%
calcium = 0.250%, 2500ppm
NOACK % off @ 250C = <15% (This rating tells how much oil will be lost as vapor at high operating temperatures. 15% is the break point. 10% is very good. 5% is fantastic.

Valvoline Not Street Legal Synthetic Racing Oil
zinc = 0.120%, 1200ppm
phosphorous = 0.120%, 1200ppm

Valvoline Not Street Legal Conventional Racing Oil
zinc = 0.120%, 1200ppm
phpsphorous = 0.120%, 1200ppm

Royal Purple Synthetic Racing 21 Oil 5W-30
zinc = 0.1961%, 1961ppm
phosphorous = 0.1130%, 1130ppm
calcium = 0.2994%, 2944ppm

Royal Purple Racing 41 Oil 10-40w synthetic
zinc = 0.1901%, 1901ppm
phosphorous = 0.1171%, 1171ppm
calcium = 0.2843%, 2843ppm

Royal Purple 15-40 w Synthetic
zinc = 0.1213%, 1213ppm
phosphorous = 0.1126%, 1126ppm
calcium = 0.2961%, 2961ppm

Harley Davidson 20W-50 Synthetic
zinc = 0.1068%, 1068ppm
phosphorous = 0.997%, 997ppm
calcium = 0.1342%, 1342ppm

STP oil treatment
zinc = 0.1959%, 1959ppm
phosphorous = 0.1814%, 1814ppm
calcium = 0.1371%, 1371ppm

Redline Synthetic 10W-40
zinc = 0.1350%, 1350ppm
phosphorous = 0.1371%, 1371ppm
calcium = 0.2782%, 2782ppm

Redline Synthetic 10W-30
zinc = 0.1407%, 1407ppm
phosphorous = 0.1340%, 1340ppm
calcium = 0.2869%, 2869ppm

Redline Synthetic 5W-30
zinc = 0.1421%, 1421ppm
phosphorous = 0.1419%, 1419ppm
calcium = 0.2917%, 2917ppm

Mobil 1 Synthetic
zinc = 0.1376%, 1376ppm
phosphorous = 0.1223%, 1223ppm
calcium = 0.2937%, 2937ppm

Re: Bred Penn Oil or VR1
 

This report was written before the re-formulation and is not applicable for what is being sold today.