Oil Recommendation

[IowaTom]

I know this topic can be a can of worms, but I'm assuming I'll be using a bottle of ZDDP (zinc) additive in the engine of my Kaiser, once I get it running, unless you fellows can suggest an oil you're used successfully without cam issues.

Also the car I bought has the three-speed OD and I'm thinking it might be a Borg Warner T-96.  Studebaker used them quite a bit and I'm very familiar with those wonderful little trannies.  Is the rear a Dana (27), also?

I have an old Chilton manual with cars from '40 to '53 but the info on Kaiser is minimal.  My '54 to '63 manual has nothing at all on Kaiser. 

Thanks!

[darrin145]

 I use Valvoline Racing Oil in the 40+ cars in the collection I care for. It already has the additives, nothing extra to buy or forget! Never a problem.

 Gary.

[joefrazer]

Other oils with higher zinc content include Quaker State and Shell Rotella T. Zinc quantities have been reduced in all oils for several years now  but these two still have amounts higher than the others.

[damagedduck]

What's every take on this? ( I found it while looking for oil for the old beaters)

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2012/10/18/tech-101-zinc-in-oil-and-its-effects-on-older-engines/comment-page-2/

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

When Barbara and I were in Cleveland (and I was at Ford's CEP #2) I got one of the Ford lubrication specialists to be guest speaker at the fall 2010 (it was that long ago?) Midwest Meet.  He mentioned Rotella and Quaker State as good oils for older engines because zinc is good for the metallurgy of the older engine blocks and parts. 

Older tractors and other farm equipment (combines, etc) with gas engines also have to cope with the chemical composition issue; Rotella is Shell's grade for industrial engines but also works fine in old cars and trucks. 

[Terry T]

I had heard/read that the ZDDP additives have limited effect since they do not properly mix with the base oil, or something like that.

[dusty]

I just got off the internet from the oil institute on the zink in oil. I think i'll go with DELO400LE it has 1254 ppm fo zink and is formulated for flat  Tappit Diesels AND GASOLINE POWERED VEHICLES.

[Quadromaniac]

I am using the Delo in my Allstate.

[IowaTom]

Thanks everyone!  I bought a bunch of bottles of ZDDPlus some time ago and have been using them with oils I buy on sale.  Would prefer to buy something off the shelf that already has the necessary zinc in it.  If Delo 400 LE and Valvoline Racing Oil have it, I'll buy 'em!

[Terry T]

Oil choice is probably not much of an issue in a car that isn't driven much.

I use either Rotella 30W or Quaker State 30W in both my Kaisers, 2 Wheelhorse tractors and a '52 Ford 8N tractor.

I have put 15,000 miles on the Kaisers in the past 6 years. And one of those went non-stop 9 days to CA.
One Wheelhorse is 33 years old and the other 25.
I have used the 8N, running at full throttle with a 6' mower deck on back, to cut 5 acres for the past 27 years.

With these experiences, I think that I have made the correct choice in oils!