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M35a2 oils

rustystud

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Just looked at a bottle of Lucas "Engine Break-In Oil Additive TB ZINC-PLUS" at my NAPA store. Says it protects flat tappet camshaft and valve train during break in. Designed specifically for racing applications, that must mean multi-fuel engines. (sarcasm) Anyone know anything about this product???
I have never used this product but as long as it has "alkyl ZDP" (zinc dithiophosphate) I would have no qualms using it. Remember you want your zinc level to be around 1600ppm .
 
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frank8003

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Just looked at a bottle of Lucas "Engine Break-In Oil Additive TB ZINC-PLUS" at my NAPA store.
So for to place it at 1600PPM and 22 quarts of oil then 4.6 bottles of Lucas "Engine Break-In Oil Additive TB ZINC-PLUS (Lucas #10063) should be correct.
View attachment ZDDP Lucas Zinc_Values_Oil.pdf
I found 12 bottles at 10 bucks a piece so that adds about 46 bucks to the oil change filters bill (free labor) or there is Lucas part #10075, heavy duty diesel SAE 15-40 CI4 Magnum lube oil at about $23.50 a gallon [$130 per oil change]. The Lucas SAE 15-40 CI4 Magnum 10075/76 indicates ZDDP level at 1524PPM.

My 46 year old engine type can use different fuels but it has no PCV, just a road draft tube from a pressurized crankcase. There is no vapor/bad stuff re-injection of anything from the crankcase back into the engine.
placard engine lube oil IMG_7459.jpg
For me it is back to the study of CI4 versus CJ4 versus the SAE spec for OE30 specified to be used. Now attempt to find what additives were in the original OE grade SAE30 specified in the LO 9-2320-209-12
So I seek obsolete engine oils CC or CD as they were specified at .14% zinc by weight but, can be found now? Ahab, this is still interesting.
 
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Katavic918

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Turns out 50wt non detergent motor oil is hard to find. Guess I'm back to 80/90. Can anyone suggest a run of the mill 80/90 that is safe for our trans and transfer cases? Thanks!

Edit: shell spirax it is.
 
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rustystud

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Turns out 50wt non detergent motor oil is hard to find. Guess I'm back to 80/90. Can anyone suggest a run of the mill 80/90 that is safe for our trans and transfer cases? Thanks!

Edit: shell spirax it is.
On posts 193 and 194 I listed a whole bunch of suppliers that make a OEM oil for the transmissions and transfer-cases. My personal favorite is the Shell Spirax .
 

AZK9

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Well... I did my complete oil and filter change. Added the correct measure of zinc additive and now have that task checked off my list. However, all is not without some concerns.

Here's why:

The last oil change was done by the previous owner and he used an unspecified systhetic. When inspecting all areas for leaks, non were found (prior to purchase). The truck sounded and performed well. Everything remained leak-free after the M35A2 was driven 40 miles to my place. I checked again... all looked good and leak-free. As I mentioned in a previous post, the oil had turned very thin, dark BLACK and had the smell of charcoal/soot, but prior to today I had not discovered any leaks from the system.

Today, I warmed up the truck and then drove it about 6 miles and waited about 10 minuted to prepare for the oil change. I then got under the truck to drain the pans and to my shock... there was a kind of weeping of the black synthetic oil CLEARLY visible. At first, it kinda looked like 'condensation' to me, but a wipe with a clean, white rag proved it was in fact the thin, black oil. :shock:

Well... I went ahead and drained all of the synthetic out of both pans. Changed out the two old filters with new and then added the new oil and zinc additive to spec.

Once all was completed... I warmed up the truck and then drove it another 6 miles. It runs much better (at least seems that way to me) than it did prior.

I've checked for additional leaking (after having wiped everything clean) and so far nothing new is weeping out, but it's only been a couple of hours.

Now... that's not all that I'm worried about. In the bottom of the drained oil I discovered what looks to me like 'casting metal', or shavings. I have not yet found a magnet good enough to check to see if they are steel, brass, or some other metal, but my wife is searching for one as I type.


Any thoughts? :roll:
 

AZK9

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... In the bottom of the drained oil I discovered what looks to me like 'casting metal', or shavings. I have not yet found a magnet good enough to check to see if they are steel, brass, or some other metal, but my wife is searching for one as I type. ...
Ok... I have tested the metal pieces which came out into my drain bucket and most are not attracted to a strong magnet. A few are, but most are not. It's a bit hard to tell for sure, but they mostly look to be a silver, bright color.

I am looking for a decent camera so I can post a photo, but it was easier to find a magnet! Until I get my good camera back from the person who borrowed it, the photos might have to wait. Sorry. :oops:
 

Katavic918

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Well, if you run it long enough you'll find out sooner or later where those shavings came from. Are you talking shavings or flakes? I wouldn't worry too much either way unless you're finding gear teeth and ball bearings in you're oil change. Being it you first change on a new truck which you have no idea of the history. I would drive if and monitor. Short change the oil and see what comes out in 15 hours or so.
 

AZK9

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... Short change the oil and see what comes out in 15 hours or so.
Ok... Sounds like a good idea.

Question: If that new oil, once drained out, looks clear... do you think it would be ok to filter it and put it back in the engine again?
 

welldigger

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Ok... Sounds like a good idea.

Question: If that new oil, once drained out, looks clear... do you think it would be ok to filter it and put it back in the engine again?
Yes. But I can just about promise the oil won't be clear. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the oil though.

With a diesel you can't let black engine oil scare you. It's just going to happen.
 

rustystud

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The bright silver metal is aluminum. There are a number of places that can come from. Like what was said earlier, just monitor the oil. Welldigger is correct about oil turning black in diesels. It will happen within hours of running. Sometimes much earlier.
It's normal. If you reuse the oil, strain it through some painters filters. It will take a long time to do this, but you will get any particles out of the oil. One thing to consider. Synthetic oil will loosen up crud that has set hidden in all the little crevices of the engine. So until you recheck the oil you will not know what is really going on in there.
 

welldigger

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The bright silver metal is aluminum. There are a number of places that can come from. Like what was said earlier, just monitor the oil. Welldigger is correct about oil turning black in diesels. It will happen within hours of running. Sometimes much earlier.
It's normal. If you reuse the oil, strain it through some painters filters. It will take a long time to do this, but you will get any particles out of the oil. One thing to consider. Synthetic oil will loosen up crud that has set hidden in all the little crevices of the engine. So until you recheck the oil you will not know what is really going on in there.
Any modern oil with a good detergent package will loosen sludge. Though usually synthetic oils do usually have a good detergent package.

But even Rotella 15w 40, delo, or whatever high quality Dino oil will have a stout detergent package.

Cheaper oils you would have to see the breakdown of the additive package to see if it really meets spec. Most do but not all.
 

AZK9

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Thanks for the comments folks. [thumbzup]

I'll get to the 'short change' this weekend and filter the oil before putting it back in. If there's anything major to report, I'll repost then.
 

frank8003

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Ok...... Short change the oil and see what comes out in 15 hours or so. Sounds like a good idea. Question: If that new oil, once drained out, looks clear... do you think it would be ok to filter it and put it back in the engine again?
You have a positive pressure crankcase. Design is to blow all the combustion byproducts into the circulating lube oil. Diesel engines plague is the soot generation, the particulate mass, including the microscopic ultra-fine particles size one tenth millionth meter (nanometer and up) does not belong in the engine. The five gallons of oil drained shouldn't be put back in the crankcase nor into the fuel tank.
Engine oil use is not the thing to be frugal with. Then again the suggestion to run it 15 hours and change the oil again is good especially if it was running for the whole 15 hours, not a bit of time once in a while. Probably open up be slammed here but I don't even think this tactical monster block and heads gets normalized as to metal temperatures unless actually driven.
 

Katavic918

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I had intended on replacing my trans and tc fluid with 80/90. I got to Napa and saw the 5 gal buckets of gl-1 so in a spur of the moment decision I decided to try it. It shifts so much better now and when I do grind it feels much softer, kinda like its better insulated. I'll remind you that I previously had 40wt non detergent motor oil in it before. It had 80/90 in it when I got it about 6 months ago but I really don't remember how it felt then. That's when I was in a whirlwind of repairs so there were other things on my mind at the time. I did notice some brass flakes when I changed it, not sure if that is normal. At least I know that if the 80/90 that was in it wasn't yellow metal safe that it's been completely flushed out of the boxes. So I'm smiling for now, until the next catastrophy.
 

Another Ahab

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I had intended on replacing my trans and tc fluid with 80/90. I did notice some brass flakes when I changed it, not sure if that is normal. At least I know that if the 80/90 that was in it wasn't yellow metal safe that it's been completely flushed out of the boxes. So I'm smiling for now, until the next catastrophy.
You remind me of the story of the guy who falls accidentally off the top of the Empire State Building:

- People with open windows hear him as he falls; whistling past, saying

- "Well, so far so good...."
 
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