[DeTomaso] Racing Oils - The Good, The Bad and The Slippery

[Charles McCall]

I wish you hadn't told me that. I was fat, dumb, and happy with my ZDDP
additive, thinking that I was doing the right thing to protect my engine. 

Nuts. 


"racing oils require less detergents and dispersants since the typical
racing engine doesn't go for thousands of miles before oil changes.
This is very fortunate since research and testing showed that both detergent
and ZDDP additives work in the same manner. Both additives produce
sacrificial films which adhere to the surfaces you're trying to protect.
Since detergents can actually compete with ZDDPs for the surface of the cam
lobe, high detergent oils tend to give the ZDDP additive less surface on
which to be effective. This is a major problem when using Diesel engine oils
on high-lift, flat tappet cam lobes."

"Secondly, don't try to produce your own racing oil. ZDDP supplements have
existed for decades, but most people don't know the secret of blending ZDDP
into oil. If the oil is cold when the ZDDP is added, the ZDDP won't go into
solution. If the oil is too hot, the ZDDP will decompose before it ever gets
to the parts you were trying to protect. And "No," I'm not going to tell you
what the blending temperature should be."