Vintage motor break in oil - Thoughts?

HollywoodMX

HollywoodMX

Coast to Coast
I'm starting my new motor soon. Its full of assembly lube in more places that your wife has orifices, ha! ;)

I know there are random shavings in the so I'm actually going to flush it first with some random 10w30 I have kicking around, Then change the oil early than usual in engine braking terms. My motor is a hybrid xv920/980 now 1000cc, with all new mechanical parts in the upper end and a custom clutch I made in the side. Steel cylinders, custom hi-tensile forged pistons, new titanium this, new aluminum that.

Its summer now so I'm thinking a 20w50 non synthetic and minus friction modifiers, something like rotella. Some may argue semi-synthetic for break in which I'm good to hear the arguments cause I'm not sold on the conventional oil but it is winning. Let me know your thoughts "if you have experience with things" because I think I have the most expensive virago engine in the world..lol. ;D I'm laughing but more crying laughing because its sadly true.
 

Attachments

  • xvengine.jpg
    xvengine.jpg
    375.6 KB · Views: 165
Big fan of Rotella oils, when I was exactly 17 years old, I was introduced while servicing a big (forget HP 34 years ago) Onan generator, that thing was amazing to me at the time because we no more than hit the start button and that thing came on for about a second and then went to WFO for weeks at a time... even in cold temps the start procedure was the same, after ten years of the same generator same crank and scream, I use the Rotella in all the old big motors... But I use Valvoline in my bikes or Yamalube in new stuff no Syn unless real Ester from the dirt.
 
HollywoodMX said:
I'm starting my new motor soon. Its full of assembly lube in more places that your wife has orifices, ha! ;)

I know there are random shavings in the so I'm actually going to flush it first with some random 10w30 I have kicking around, Then change the oil early than usual in engine braking terms. My motor is a hybrid xv920/980 now 1000cc, with all new mechanical parts in the upper end and a custom clutch I made in the side. Steel cylinders, custom hi-tensile forged pistons, new titanium this, new aluminum that.

Its summer now so I'm thinking a 20w50 non synthetic and minus friction modifiers, something like rotella. Some may argue semi-synthetic for break in which I'm good to hear the arguments cause I'm not sold on the conventional oil but it is winning. Let me know your thoughts "if you have experience with things" because I think I have the most expensive virago engine in the world..lol. ;D I'm laughing but more crying laughing because its sadly true.
Click to expand...
i use magnetic drain plugs and joe gibbs break in oil . . in your case i wouuld use 10w 40. . rotella is no break in oil but of course it will work.
 
Magnetic drain plug - definitely. I wouldn't worry about the assembly lube. NON-Synthetic(!) Rotella all the way. Change it after 50-100 miles the first pass. Rotella is a diesel oil and has high ZDDP not generally found in standard spark engine oils. Much like JGR oil, but you can buy it nearly anywhere. ZDDP was discontinued in spark oil due to catalytic converter degradation.
 
Oh boy an oil thread... Ill put in my $.01 then put my helmet on and run far away lol...

While i also use Rotella (if it aint broke dont fix it) to break in engines, i recently had a long meeting with my Bel Ray representative who explained fairly convincingly that ZDDP is old news. Bel Ray and Kawasaki are the first and only oils to meet the newest JASO requirements iirc. Rotella passes Jaso MA and MA2 tests and is a mainstay in many bike shops.

No Synthetic for engine break in. The only thing I personally run sythetic in is any atv with an auto trans. Makes a world of difference in shifting. Otherwise I avoid it like the plague. Keep in mind also that many oils that are labeled Synthetic contain as little as 5% synthetic material.
 
jpmobius said:
Magnetic drain plug - definitely. I wouldn't worry about the assembly lube. NON-Synthetic(!) Rotella all the way. Change it after 50-100 miles the first pass. Rotella is a diesel oil and has high ZDDP not generally found in standard spark engine oils. Much like JGR oil, but you can buy it nearly anywhere. ZDDP was discontinued in spark oil due to catalytic converter degradation.
Click to expand...
actually most oils still have zddp and the gov set a maximum level they can contain to meet a certain rating which is still acceptable for cat converters . . in. fact most if not all Mobil olis have zddp.
 
Tune-A-Fish said:
Ole JGR has a line of oils too?? guys a god fearin race fanatic mang!
Click to expand...
the Joe Gibbs oils are made by chevron . . in 2012 they started using a new synthetic base called m PAO in their race cars that chevron developed which has a viscosity index of around 200 where the more common PAO oils have a viscosity index of around 160 . . joe gibbs has also switched most if not all of their oils to this base since then.
 
barnett468 said:
actually most oils still have zddp and the gov set a maximum level they can contain to meet a certain rating which is still acceptable for cat converters . . in. fact most if not all Mobil olis have zddp.
Click to expand...
This is correct. The maximum levels were set for otto cycle (spark) engines, not for diesel (no converters). Don't recall it was gov. mandated but I am no authority. Ironically (or is it typically) I don't think modern converters are affected by ZDDP so the spec has become obsolete anyway. Regardless, the wide preference for Rotella is based on it NOT being like all mainstream non diesel oils in its substantially higher ZDDP content. There are numerous very good blends available, and for highly abused valve trains they can make a life and death difference, but as a rule, they are expensive for no discernible gain in utility. For non racing applications, (read crazy valve spring pressures) it is unlikely anyone would see a benefit using more expensive (read higher performance) oil. For the record, oil companies change their products all the time, and the percent content of any additive is always suspect. There is no governing body nor government agency that oversees what is in a bottle of motor oil. The SAE sets standards, but the compliance to any standard is wholly voluntary and completely without over-site. Your trust in the maker is your only assurance that it meets any standard.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

DTT Light or Dark

  • DTT Light
    • www.jadusmotorcycleparts.com
    www.lostapostle.ca/
    www.sparckmoto.com

    Spread the Love

    Back
    Top Bottom