FYI : I spoke with Daniel of ...........
Oil Extreme International LLC
4216 State Hwy 57 N
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
(920) 495-7686 .............today. he and I had a good 30 minutes on the phone....his dime !
I asked about 'Prolong' additive and he said it was chlorine based which is not good subject to high heat, when it turns to an acid and eats iron. ( IIRC.)
Anyway, his chemists at his company discovered a chemical blend that when added at 2 oz per quart to 'most' oils, increases the film strength , as detailed in the link in my first post.
As a bonus....Daniel told me that the BMW Mini can have transmission problems in that 2nd gear cannot be engaged. His oil additive has cured that problem. Also, the shudder problem on some late model CVT cars is also eliminated adding Oil Extreme . I have no personal experience with this and only Daniels feed back on these transmission problems. However, the next Mini that comes by will have this done and see what the outcome is. Ill post it if it happens....or, even if it doesn't.....work, that is.
If you take the time to read 540 RATs blog you will see oils that are the highest to lowest film strength. I just changed the engine oil in my ML430 to MOBIL 1, the #5 best oil tested for film strength.....115,000 psi plus.
For a long time, I was a firm believer in ZDDP but the 540RAT blog has made me rethink my oil options and additives.
I have never been a additive guy as I consider most of them a waste of money. However when a engine shop here had 12, Ford 460ci natural gas station pumping mule motors on the dyno loose their cams after as short as 20 minutes, they eventually stopped the problem with ZDDP additive after being informed the new oils they had been supplied with are low in ZDDP from 1800 ppm down to 700 ppm or less, so Catalytic converters can be made to go 150,000 miles under new guidelines by the EPA.......among other 'benefits'. EPA is looking to regulate ZDDP as it can kill catalytic convertors.....they claim.
However, although they used a ZDDP break-in-oil, I have no knowledge of the oil they where using prior to, or after the engine cam/lifter problems....or if they still do. If you need to know who this company is, IM me and I'll give you their telephone number.
https://mobiloil.com/en/faq/ask-our-auto-experts/questions-for-auto-experts/has-zinc-been-removed-from-motor-oils
According to 540 RATs findings though, ZDDP is NOT REQUIRED to make an oil have a film strength high enough to stop break-in flat tappet lobe and lifter wear.
Indeed, he points out that incorrectly balanced amounts of ZDDP, in many cases, REDUCE the oils film strength.
However on one oil a reduction in film strength occurred when Oil Extreme was added, this was the case with 5W30 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM synthetic.
"..........
11. “Oil Extreme concentrate” added to 5W30 Pennzoil Ultra, API SM synthetic = 111,570 psi
This oil on its own WITHOUT the “Oil Extreme concentrate” added to it, has a wear protection capability of 115,612 psi. But, with 2.0 OZ of concentrate added per qt, which is the amount intended for racing, its wear protection capability “WENT DOWN 3.5%”.
zinc = TBD
phosphorus = TBD.
moly = TBD
calcium = TBD
TBN = TBD............"
Now, it's for you to be your own mechanic and either take on this 'testing data' or not. Personally, I am going to try my next 1970cc VW Type 1 engine on the #5 best film strength oil in the test report. I shall pre-lub the engine as per usual with a quantity of oil slightly higher than normal ( 5 quarts instead of 3 and a 1/2 quarts.) just as I have done for 40 plus years on a brand new T1 / 2 and 3 motors....even before I was aware of ZDDP in the UK.
( We mostly used Castrol 20W50 GTX in the UK.)....a hang up from my motorcycle racing Castor oil days....amazing smell.
This higher oil level allows the cam on these engines to dip into the oil rather than the splash they normally get from the rods and main bearings. After about 15 minutes at 2000 to 2300 rpm, I drop the oil level to usual dip stick level and consider engine ready, if there are no oil leaks or other concerns.
If I have any more info ' I'll post it here.......
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