Valvoline VR1 20W50

My car is serviced by Tim Stanford, highly respected in the Ferrari community, who uses that particular brand and type. I have not had any issues in my five years of ownership.

 

Well, if the manufacturer says not to be used with Cats and your 328 still has a cat then don't use it. If you want added zinc for whatever reason, there are other oils with higher zinc amounts that are fine with cats - Mobil 1 0W40, for example. I'm not suggesting you should use Mobil 1 0W40 OR any specific weight, that's just an example.

As far as having "issues" with oil, with the extremely limited use that these cars typically see, any oil you can buy in the motor oil department of any auto parts store...or a backwoods grocery store ... will work just fine. Though if they only have SAE 20, you might want to watch your oil pressure to be sure it gives you at least 10PSI per 1000 RPM!

 

Would rather replace my cats than my motor.

 

Sure, me too but there's no reason to run oil that is bad for a cat when there is plenty of oil that isn't. Why would you use a product that is specifically NOT recommended for the application?

 

It's not the zinc content that may mess up the cats, it's the phosphorus in the ZDP.

I'd rather risk messing up the cats then accelerated wear on the cams and tappets due to the lack of the zinc.

Lots of talk about this on other sites. I'm also on the 914world site and the type 4's are seeing lots of wear when using the new synthetic oils. My Alfa 164L also prone to accelerated wear if non or low ZDP oils are used. I used Mobil 1 15-50W in it.

 

I use VR1. The mfg notes say not for street use. Which I interpreted as "no cats" for off road only.

 

Hate to beat a dead horse here since there are so many threads on the topic of oil. I remember reading a thread concerning Valvoline racing oil on the corvette form several years ago where this exact topic was discussed. Interestingly, Valvoline responded to several questions and issues. I have attached the link to the thread which includes the response from Valvoline (# 23 & 25).

Hope this helps.

VR1 Racing Oil isn't the oil we thought it was - Page 2 - Corvette Forum

 

Mobil 1 15-50 is OK for the cat as well! So you are providing the "increased" additives you believe you need as well as NOT causing any issue for the cat as opposed to using an oil that is not recommended for the cat. Having an oil that handles the application seems like the way to go...

But if not, folks should use whatever they are comfortable with..

 

I just bought a stash of this stuff at Pep Boys. They said at the counter that it is no longer to be sold in California due to certain chemicals that are no longer deemed safe, or whatever!!! They sold me their remaining 16 quarts on a misc sku and were happy to have it off their shelves.

 

The detergent package in VR1 is crap. I used to work for Valvoline and like their product but would never use VR1 in a street engine. Brad Penn Has the zinc you are looking for and a far superior detergent package.

 

What's up with the detergent package?

 

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I've actually been using VR1 synthetic (black bottle) for a couple years and chose it based on the Zddp content. After reading the Valvoline response on the corvette forum linked above, it sounds fine to me. I use Brad Penn in my 930 Turbo. I'm no oil expert, but read a lot.

 

Interesting.. I use the opposite, Brad Penn for the 308 and other cars in the stable, and Valvoline VR1 in my 930 as its better with the high temps produce by the turbo... there have been known instances of Brad Peen causing coaking in turbocharged cars.

 

^ This

 

What's up with the detergent package?

 

I was contemplating switching to VR1 for the zinc content, but after doing some research—including speaking with a Indy-winning race oil engineer—I decided against it. Turns out that VR1's SG rating (and the lack of the API donut on the container) means it doesn't meet API's current classification guidelines. Actually, the SG rating has been phased out since 1988 and is now considered obsolete. The SN classification—along with SM, SL, and SJ—are considered current. The SG classification is so old that the engine tests for it were retired many years ago. In a nutshell, if the container does not display the API donut, anything could be in the bottle.

This gave me pause to say the least. I use a current, quality non-synthetic with the current API classification with a zinc additive to achieve the required 1600 ppm for street use: Cam Shield cam-shield premium ZDDP antiwear protection for camshafts, lifters and valve trains in your classic car or hot rod

Also, my old-school mechanic advises against a synthetic oil for my 328...

 

"Also, my old-school mechanic advises against a synthetic oil for my 328..."

And old school photographers probably recommend against digital cameras...

 

That's funny, because Ferrari didn't have anything against synthetics - that's why 308 QVs and 328s came from the factory filled with synthetic oil when new.

 

When Vinny at Auto Elite says "absolutely not", I listen...

 

A minor detail, but frequently overlooked....

 

We're using Rotelo Diesel in my '77 GTB.

 

It's lacking. Designed for short use and frequent replacement.

 

I thought detergent are only use for during break-period only.