Mobil1
Race 0w30
Valvoline Race
VR1 20w50
Driven XP3
Syn. 10w30
Driven
Break-In
15w50
Shell Non-
Detrgnt.
30w
Viscosity 100C (212F) 10.8 20.4 11.1 17.9 11.9
Calcium (ppm) 1,006 1,090 236 366 0
Sodium (ppm) 2 0 8 0 0
Magnesium (ppm) 555 528 0 0 0
Phosphorous (ppm) 2,020 1,302 984 2,990 0
Zinc (ppm) 2,323 1,475 792 2,713 0
Molybdenum (ppm) 1,670 50 1,784 0 0
Boron (ppm) 52 176 0 0 0
Silicon (ppm) 3 9 7 2 0
Titanium (ppm) 0 0 0 0 0
higher levels of zinc phosphates for flat
tappet engines, but few realize that the
old engine builder’s recommendation
of a non-detergent 30w as a break-in oil
actually had significant merit.
While detergents are a main compo-
nent in daily-use engine oil because they
help keep the engine clean, they do this
at the expense of the ZDDP additives.
High detergent concentrations tend
to strip the zinc and phosphorous that
attempts to adhere to heavily loaded
applications, such as lifter lobes. To
improve the performance of these
anti-wear additives during break-in,
it’s best to use oil with low detergent
concentrations. This is why using
diesel oil for break-in is not the best
choice because, as you can see from
the SPEEDiagnostix reports, diesel oil
contains high detergent concentrations.
We’ve included test numbers for Driven
Racing Oil’s 30w Break-In oil so you
can see how its formulation is aimed at
ensuring proper wear-in by favorably
combining high ZDDP levels with rela-
tively low detergents. SPEEDiagnostix
also included a sample of a 30w non-
detergent oil that is obviously not a
good idea since it contains literally no
additives at all.
As another example of continued
changes in the lubrication landscape,
new gasoline direct-injection engines
like the GM LT1, LT4, as well as the
truck L86 and L83 versions all require
a new, unique oil formulation. GM calls
it dexos1 Gen 2. We won’t get into all
the details of the difference between
dexos1 Gen 1 and Gen 2. There are
several online articles on the necessity
for the dexos1 Gen 2 subject if you want
to investigate this further. The critical
point is that the dexos1 Gen 2 formu-
lation (API designates this as SN+)
requires drastically lower calcium levels
and zero sodium, both of which are
common detergent additives.
Testing has revealed that high
calcium concentrations combine with
9
SPEEDiagnostix performed all these new oil sample tests, but their main job is used oil analysis.
This is a sample of a report with color-keyed highlights that can quickly point out a problem
they have identified. In this case, the engine has a fuel dilution problem. The report also offers
the exact breakdown of additives in your oil just like the values in this story. Information like
this can help you find a small problem in your engine before it becomes a much larger one.
(CHART 02)
Parts-Per-Million in Percentage
Percentage Parts-Per-Million
1% 10,000 ppm
0.1% 1,000 ppm
0.01% 100 ppm
0.001% 10 ppm
0.0001% 1 ppm
OIL ANALYSIS
Castrol
20w50 SN
Castrol Edge
SN+ 5w20
Chevron Delo
5w40
Diesel
Rotella T6
Diesel 5w40
Motul
10w40
Viscosity 100C (212F) 20.3 8.9 15.2 15.1 14.0
Calcium (ppm) 2,096 463 1,324 2,140 3,134
Sodium (ppm) 0 0 5 5 4
Magnesium (ppm) 18 1,330 453 86 15
Phosphorous (ppm) 783 777 900 1,151 1,130
Zinc (ppm) 640 920 771 1,293 1,359
Molybdenum (ppm) 64 88 0 5 1,006
Boron (ppm) 129 54 80 157 1
Silicon (ppm) 4 6 8 5 9
Titanium (ppm) 0 8 0 0 0
Pennzoil
5w20 SN
Amazon Euro
0w40 SN ACEA
Valvoline
Blue Diesel
10w30
Mobil 1 LV
ATF HP
Aero Shell
15w50
Viscosity 100C (212F) 8.2 13.7 1.7 6.3 19.4
Calcium (ppm) 2,561 3,115 900 94 0
Sodium (ppm) 1 4 0 0 0
Magnesium (ppm) 11 26 1,162 0 0
Phosphorous (ppm) 718 1,242 1,164 183 1,342
Zinc (ppm) 848 1,327 1,394 0 0
Molybdenum (ppm) 63 0 69 4 0
Boron (ppm) 0 0 0 92 0
Silicon (ppm) 2 0 0 1 4
Titanium (ppm) 0 0 0 0 0