AMSOIL Racing Products Provided Exceptional Protection for Drag Racer

AMSOIL DELIVERS ‘SHOCKING’
PROTECTION IN DRAG RACING ENGINE

Preferred Customer and truck driver Paul Jordan of Butte, Mont. started racing a Junior Dragster at only 11 years old. At 14, he purchased a Plymouth* Duster,* which he’s dragraced since the early 2000s, competing in Montana, Idaho and the surrounding area. 

After 13 years of drag racing, the bearings in Jordan’s
Chrysler 408 showed virtually no signs of wear.

“A friend of the family talked my parents into bringing me out to the racetrack one day and from that point on I was hooked,” said Jordan. “I was only the second one in Montana to have a Junior Dragster at that point.” 

 

In 2007, Jordan built a Chrysler* 408 engine for his Duster. He used AMSOIL DOMINATOR® 15W-50 Synthetic Racing Oil (RD50) as the break-in oil and service fill.  

As you would expect, the engine constantly operates under severe conditions. It makes about 550 horsepower and regularly hits 5,000-6,000 rpm. 

Jordan estimates his Duster has made about 4,000 passes down the drag strip since 2007. 

“I’ve won five championships over the years, so I’ve made a lot of passes down a lot of tracks,” he said.

It uses six quarts of DOMINATOR Synthetic Racing Oil, a WIX oil filter as the primary filter and an AMSOIL Oil Filter as the secondary filter. Most notably, it has run on methanol fuel for the past three years, which is prone to attracting moisture and diluting the oil. 

“If you switch to methanol, the rule is you should change oil every other race,” said Jordan. Even so, he only changes oil once a year.

“There is no indication of any contamination,” said Jordan. “I look through it to see if there are any metal particles, but I’ve never had any. I probably could have put two years on the oil if I’d wanted to.”

He recently decided to tear down the engine for the first time since building it 13 years ago to refresh it, which typically includes installing new bearings, piston rings and honing the cylinders. He also wanted to make some modifications to increase power.

“I expected to open the engine, pull the bearing caps off and see a couple of them pretty much worn out and on the verge of failure,” said Jordan.

Instead, the inside of the engine looked clean and virtually free of wear. 

“It was pretty surprising when we pulled it apart, popped the bearings out and they looked nearly brand new,” said Jordan. “There’s no ridge at all on the cylinder walls, which is incredible. And I used to spray it with nitrous, too. The cylinders are in unbelievable condition. There are a few scuff marks, but nothing you’d expect for something that’s been abused for more than a decade. It was really shocking. And I can’t believe how clean it was; there was no buildup anywhere.”

Jordan said the crankshaft just needed to be re-polished. The car ran its best elapsed times at the drag strip in 2019, meaning it never lost power over the years.

“I could reassemble the engine as-is and go another 13 years,” said Jordan. “I have no reason to believe, other than AMSOIL, that the engine lasted as long as it did. I use AMSOIL in everything I own. I use it in my pickup truck, my semi, my race car...if AMSOIL made shampoo, I’d use that, too.” 

Jordan adds that he used AMSOIL Super Shift® Racing Transmission Fluid (ART) in the TF727 transmission used in the car from 2003 to 2017 without a rebuild.

“I truly appreciate the fine lubrication products offered by AMSOIL, and you can expect my loyalty for many more years to come,” he said. 

AMSOIL Racing Products

Zinc Wear Prevention in Motor Oil

Do Older Engines Need Oil With ZDDP Additives?

What is high-zinc motor oil?

Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) is the most common zinc-based additive and is used primarily as an anti-wear agent to prevent premature engine wear. It also provides corrosion and oxidation protection.

However, because the zinc and phosphorus found in ZDDP can negatively affect catalytic converters, it has been phased out of motor oil formulations in recent years.

Reducing ZDDP has drawbacks, as classic-car owners have found. Older vehicles with flat-tappet camshafts and, in particular, engines that include high-tension valve springs or other modifications that create high contact pressures, can suffer premature wear due to reduced ZDDP levels.

For best protection, engine builders and gearheads typically use high-zinc and high-phosphorus motor oil to offer extra protection for flat-tappet cams, lifters and other components during break-in. AMSOIL Break-In Oil, for example, contains 2,200 ppm zinc and 2,000 ppm phosphorus.

Buy AMSOIL Break-in Oil

How do ZDDP additives work?

ZDDP anti-wear additives are heat-activated, meaning they provide wear protection in areas of increased friction.

As temperatures rise and surfaces come closer together, ZDDP decomposes and the resulting chemistry protects critical metal surfaces. When parts move during operation, any sliding or rolling motion takes place on top of or within the ZDDP anti-wear film, which reduces metal-to-metal contact.

Flat Tappet Lifters

This is especially important in engines with flat-tappet camshafts or engines modified to create more horsepower. High-tension valve springs, often used in racing applications, also increase the potential for cam wear and require additional ZDDP.

Flat-tappet cams vs. roller cams

The design of flat-tappet cams makes them especially vulnerable to wear. As the name indicates, the tappet – or lifter – is flat. During operation, the cam-lobe slides rapidly over the tappet, increasing friction and temperatures.

A thin oil film is the only barrier that prevents the lifter and cam lobe from welding together.

If the oil film fails or provides insufficient wear protection, the two components can eventually wear the flat-tappet cam and affect valve operation. Engine power and efficiency can decline if the flat-tappet cam cannot lift the valves enough to adequately charge the chamber for ignition or release exhaust fumes. Because most V-8 engines of the muscle-car era came standard with flat-tappet cams, the problem is especially prevalent to classic-car and hot rod owners.

Roller cams, on the other hand, are differentiated by rolling contact rather than sliding contact. Although costlier, roller cams are common in most modern vehicles and can be retrofitted into classic-car and hot-rod engines.

The role of piston rings

Even though Hugh didn’t ask about it specifically, I should also mention the importance of seating the piston rings during break-in.

Although a new or freshly honed cylinder appears smooth to the naked eye, it actually contains microscopic peaks and valleys. If the valleys are too deep, they collect excess oil, which burns during combustion and leads to oil consumption.

The sharp peaks, meanwhile, provide insufficient area to allow the rings to seat tightly. That means highly pressurized combustion gases can blow past the rings and into the crankcase, reducing horsepower and contaminating the oil.

Breaking in the engine wears the cylinder-wall asperities, providing increased surface area for the rings to seat tightly. The result is maximum compression (i.e. power) and minimum oil consumption.

Do you always need an oil with ZDDP additives?

Do you need to use high-zinc motor oil in an older engine after break-in, which is typically about 500 miles?

Yes, if you want to maintain horsepower and promote longevity. 

Even after the cam has seasoned, it’s still exposed to tremendous heat and pressure, especially in a heavily modified or racing engine. The constant barrage of pressure can rupture the oil film responsible for preventing wear, leading to metal-to-metal contact.

After break-in, we recommend using an oil with at least 1,000 ppm ZDDP in a flat-tappet engine. That way, you’re providing your expensive engine with maximum protection against wear and horsepower loss.

AMSOIL Z-Rod Synthetic Motor Oil, our primary recommendation for classic cars and hot rods, contains more than 1,400 ppm zinc and more than 1,300 ppm phosphorus.

Buy AMSOIL Z-Rod 10W-30 High Zinc Synthetic Motoroil

Buy AMSOIL Z-Rod 20W-50 High Zinc Synthetic Motoroil

That’ll keep your classic car running for the long haul.