but the only thing I can find as far as a date is that the first letter was written a year ago (from when?) The ZDDP is acused of hurting catalitic converters is the reason the levels were dropped and I assume they believe newer engines weren't going to be harmed by the new standard. I use four stroke motorcycle oil which is not under the new API standard. Seems REdline is more interested in making a good lubricant than paying for API aproval.
Als take into account this is most likely well over a year old and Diesel engine emissions are tighter now so they may be affected or soon to be affected.
I'm not a valvoline fan but their off road oil (VR-1) seems to have the higher levels of ZDDP
i have been using 15w40 for my atk(rotax) fourstroke 350 and have ahd no issues-not sure about the cannondale though.
i have been using 15w40 for my atk(rotax) fourstroke 350 and have ahd no issues-not sure about the cannondale though.
I hope you aren't thinking I was saying the rotella is bad. It is a good oil although with what I have dug up, I would not use it to break-in a engine with a new cam or cam followers/lifters without an additive. and I probably would use the additive with any oil if the motor had a new cam.
after the cam is broke-in it may not be as important to have the ZDDP But I will use an additive in my dales if the oil I am useing carries the GF-4 or SM ratings
Other than from makers of the additive I have not found much saying a broke-in cam will wear without the additive.
Allways been top notch. But, would make sure to run the ZDDP (zinc) additive on break-in. some would argue that you should run it all the time in the dales or vehicals without catalitic converters (converters made after 2004 that is).
THe are more oils popping up for "break-in" with the higher levels of Zinc. Have also seen additives that claim they are for break-in and make all kinds of claims but, nothing stating that they have the ZDDP or zinc. I have not found anything that claims it can protect like the ZDDP so if it doesn't say ZDDP or zinc I wouldn't trust it.
Reading from other sites it kind of seems there is a rash of gm motors loosing cams... of course after the warranty is up in most cases but far before something like that should wear out. Most are blaming gm for hardness problems and there may be some truth to that but might also be an early warning sign of times to come. Would be interesting to see somebody that meets all of the small print requirements make a claim against one of the oil companies that offer the warranty against oil related engine failure citing absence of zinc as a cause to see if they would pay it.
the problem is whatever they are using in catalytic converters. the ZDDP is making them fail. i think it was said it is like a poison to whatever they replaced the platinum with, so if the converter fails before the federally required warranty, the automaker would be responsible to replace it. and someone or some agency decided that the oil was fine without the ZDDP. which I haven't been able to find out who or what kind of testing was done to determine this. Several of the major cam companies were taken by surprise with this or at least that what they claim.
As for cams staring to fail early, it is very possible this could be the cause. I'm not sure what year they switched from using platinum, but it was shortly after that when they found out the ZDDP was harmful to the new converters and the came up with a new api rated oil without the zinc, so some newly manufactured engines may have been assembled and broke-in with the new oil.