Recently one of our more astute customers noticed a tech article on a website of an oil company from the UK that addressed the lack of Zinc in the oil issue we have all been fighting.
The article is very interesting. It kind of reminds me of politicians, credit card companies and global warming wackos (the lowest form of humanity). Explanations & twisting bits of non-relative or made up information to help promote their agenda. We are concerned with our customers and our products. We present information that we think best serves you. This is our agenda! We are not concerned with the rest of the automotive market such as "Half-Breds" (Hybrids) or restored Model T Fords. Our parts, specifically cams & lifters in these example, run spring pressures from 320# to over 450# open (if you use our new "COOLFACE SOLID OIL THRU LIFTER" (P/N HUG 5012EDM). These numbers are very common in the performance and racing industry regardless of brand. However, for everyday citizens, these are unheard of if not unrealistic numbers and in their minds not something that they need to be concerned with. Except, of course, if they want to tell you that you shouldn't be doing it either. Remember, "THEY" know what is best for you.
We, and I include everyone in the performance and racing industry, struggled for many years to find a cure for the flat tappet cam and lifter problem. We are dealing with high performance engines with higher spring pressures and more aggressive cam profiles. Bottom line is this, every cam company has some type of tech article or disclaimer about oils and flat tappet cams. This is not a made up or perceived problem. It is real. Cams were, in the past, failing on a more than normal basis. In hind site we can see that the time line of the cam problems is parallel to the reduction in Zinc Phosphate package in the oils.
What about diesel oils? Shell Rotella, one of the leading diesel oils in the world, has a note on their website concerning the reduction of Zinc in their oils. They refer to the Zinc as a "part of the anti-wear system within the oil". Now they are removing Zinc to meet new emmission standards. This new formulation of diesel oils has created a situation where we cannot recommend diesel oils for flat tappet cams.