We’ve been told for decades that anything with a flat tappet camshaft, and in general any of the engines we know and love from the 1950’s through the 1990’s, needs different oil with a ton more zinc in it or all the surfaces in our engines will wear out in no time. Flat camshafts were the most common excuse for needing the extra zinc, but is there more to it than that?
Our friend, Lake Speed, aka the Motor Oil Geek is going to use science, analysis, and decades of oil expertise to tell us whether we’re doing it wrong. Do we really need special oil for our muscle cars?
Video Description:
NOTE: This video is NOT about flat tappet camshaft break-in or racing engines. Please refer to this video about cam break-in. 
• Engine Break-In Oil – Is It Science or Jus…
Mobil 1 Classic 10W-30 says it’s for vehicles from 1951 to 1996. What’s different about this oil that makes it special for vehicles from that time period? Many people believe classic cars need high zinc motor oil to protect flat tappet cam engines, so do vehicles from 1951 to 1996 REALLY need a special oil. Let’s find out!
To analyzed this new oil, we ran 4 tests – FTIR, PDSC, KRL and ICP. We compare these results to modern Mobil 1 and a vintage can of Mobil 1.
Once we have that data, we can answer those questions – how is this oil different? and do vehicles from 1951 to 1996 really need a special oil?
