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DougF

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I called on a customer this week that happens to be a Brad Penn Oil distributor.

After my sales call, I went to the office to discuss oil. I didn't realize what I was getting myself into as these guys took close to an hour of their time (and mine) to discuss the history of motor oil.
Not to beat a dead horse but, the reason for the reduction of ZDDP (zinc dialkyl dithio phosphate) had to do with warranting catalytic converters. It seems that these additives cause converters to plug up. As is typical government officials, they were wearing their blinders. A properly running engine doesn't spew oil into the exhaust system and hence won't damage the converter. So basically, we are paying the price for those who do not maintain their cars.

I was given a copy of Precision Engine Magazine Jan.-Feb. 2008, https://www.precisionenginemag.com , that includes an article on break in oil. The site only promotes subscriptions. Among those recommended are Brad Penn Penn Grade 1 Break-In Oil, MicroZol BR, Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil, Chevron Delo 400 (diesel rated), Mobil Delvac (diesel rated), and Swepco 306 15w-40.

They do not recommend the use of synthetics for break in as it may be too slippery to allow ring seating and flat tappet rotation. Other recommendations for break in include using a moly based paste on cam lobes and lifter faces, prime the engine's lubrication system before start up, lubricate lifter walls and pushrods with engine oil, and run engine at fast idle varying between 1500 and 3000 rpm for 20-30 minutes.

We had a lengthy discussion about the Brad Penn Racing Oil. "The Green Oil". Brad Penn, formerly Kendall Oil, I was told is the only company using 100% PA crude. They told me that eastern oils have long been considered the better oil for lubrication, while mid west and western oils are used more for gasoline and other products such as cosmetics that use petroleum.

I have heard a lot of good references on Brad Penn over the past couple years. I know it has become very popular in the racing circles. I bought a case of 20w-50. If you do buy it, make sure it is the racing oil. They also have racing oil available in 10w-30, 0w-30, 40 weight, 50 weight and Nitro 70(your guess is as good as mine).

The diesel rated oils are now effected by the same mandates as we are facing so be careful in purchasing.

I was shown a recent article stating that Crane Cams is now recommending Brad Penn Oil. Crane, they told me, is the last of the major cam companies to jump on board recommending their oils.

I was told the company hasn't put money into ad campaigns, and the brand name hasn't really projected a quality product image. But they do take their money and reinvest in research to continually improve the quality. Brad Penn stands for Bradford, Pennsylvania, their headquarters.
If you are interested in their website, amref.com .

I'm sure this is old news to some, but I hope it can help somebody. I'm not trying to sell their product, the information I have may be weighed a tad in one direction, but this is the only oil distributor I call on.

They informed me of other properties of their racing oils that I don't want to get into(it is easy enough to make a fool of yourself when you are discussing things that you really know) so check their website.
 
So if I read this right. Kendall is now Brad Penn?
 
Brad Penn is operating out of the old Kendall facility in Bradford. Kendall Oil is now based out Houston, owned by ConocoPhillips.
Sorry for any confusion. Fingers don't always move at the same speed of the thoughts.
 
So let me get this straight. There still is a Kendall oil but it's owned ny Conoco in Houston and the old plant is now owned by Penn. Is the Conoco oil as good as Kendall use to be??
 
"and run engine at fast idle varying between 1500 and 3000 rpm for 20-30 minutes."

I know the above is the commonly accepted way to replace a cam and lifters.

What I dont understand is why a complete NEW engine just being installed in a new car does not require a 20 to 30 minute run in. Whats the reasoning? New motors get only a couple of minutes of testing just after being put together.
 
I believe this procedure is just suggested for all new motors and new cams using standard flat tappets.

As far as the quality of Kendall being the same, I can only state what these gentlemen told me. Eastern oils are known more for their lubricating properties. That is why you don't see the gasoline refineries on the right side of the country.
They said other oils can be used as motor oils, but they traditionally haven't been known to be as good. I'm not in a position to comment beyond that.

One other point I left out was Brad Penn Racing Oil has a very good cling quality. So the oil should be where you need it at start up.

The one gentleman told me he used to run semis. When he started using Brad Penn, he could tell the difference in engine noise levels at start up.

I'm looking forward to trying this stuff to find these things out for myself.
 
New engines do not have flat tappets anymore. And the ring surface(face) is a different cut than days of old. The major factor in running at an elevated speed was to get the cam lobe/lifter face broken in, the lifters needed to start turning in the bores and wear in on the cam lobes..

Some manufacturers still use a lube, Ford Motor Company, Acura, for some. Look at the oil filter on a Ford at the new car lot. Then go compare it with the oil filter from parts. Same part number, but two different items.
 
So is the focus of this thread aimed more towards the lubricating quality of oils or the lack of ZDDP in modern oils?

I am seeing the ZDDP topic come up more often on all the boards I frequent. I have chosen to continue to use Castrol or Valvoline 20W50 like I've always done and add ZDDP. There is a readily available source for this, STP in the RED bottle. There are more expensive additives you can buy from online sources and from GM. One online source is here:
https://www.zddplus.com/
An acquaintance of mine has started using this product.
 
I paid a little more than $3.00 per qt. for the case of racing oil. Almost $.20 less than I was paying for Valvoline Racing Oil. I will find out this summer if I notice a difference.
 
RonMacPherson said:
New engines do not have flat tappets anymore.
Click to expand...

Not true. The overwhelming majority of new engines have flat tappets.

So gosh, why don't they have the failure rate that rebuilt engines do?

1. Reground camshafts. Many are done cheaply and poorly. They are not microfinished, they are not hardened, and because the radius is now smaller the ramp angle is more severe on the lobe.

2. Cheap tappets. This has been a long ongoing problem in the industry. Get OEM tappets if at all possible. With Triumphs, you can't, and most of the tappets available are far too soft.

Either is bad, but when you combine a reground camshaft with soft tappets, things fail in very rapid order.
 
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