<VV> Diesel Oil in Corvair

[J R Read]

Hi Mark - and thank you.

I guess I was not clear enough on the original question since it looks as if 
only Bryan understood what I was asking.  I've been using synthetic oil 
(after about 1500 miles on rebuilds) - Mobil 1 to be specific - in all 
vehicles for 20+ years now.

What I was trying to get at was the ZDP levels in various Mobil 1 products. 
The 15w50 is 1200ppmPhosphorus and 1300ppm Zinc and is recommended for flat 
tappet applications.  The "Turbo Diesel Truck" version is 1100ppm 
Phosphorous and 1200ppm Zinc.  This is the one I have been using but have 
recently found it hard to find.

This caused me to re-think about whether or not I should even be using an 
oil indicated for diesel engines at all.  The viscosity level of the 
"diesel" version is closer to the 10w30 I would like to be using than the 
15w50, so that is another consideration.

So, my question is...  are there harmful effects to a gas engine when using 
"diesel" oil?

Later, JR


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Durham" <62vair at gmail.com>
To: "J R Read" <hmlinc at sbcglobal.net>
Cc: "VirtualVairs AA" <VirtualVairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 2:17 PM
Subject: Re: <VV> Diesel Oil in Corvair


JR, some older synthetics did cause seal problems, but that was back
in the 90's. I've read reports, on the Amsoil site and several off the
internet, where the full synthetic oil in New York City cabs was run
over 300K miles on gasoline engines without an overhaul, and without
changing the oil. They just changed the bypass filter element every so
often and topped it off then. They also did periodic oil sample tests
to confirm the health of the engine during the test.

When disassembled, the engines had less wear on the internal parts
than a engine using petroleum oil for under 100K miles if I remember
right, and was still clean inside. You could still see the cross hatch
pattern in the cylinder barrels.

So, if you want your Corvair engine to run smoother, seal up the rings
better and run cooler, full synthetic oil in the proper viscosity
range for the engine is the only way to go. Synthetic oils are in a
class of their own.

Here is the traditional disclaimer statement: Synthetic oils will not
fix a tired engine. But if you have good compression and good oil
pressure, it should work for you. If you don't, a higher viscosity
petroleum oil will do you for awhile.
Mark Durham

On Wed, Mar 9, 2011 at 9:37 PM, J R Read <hmlinc at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Synthetic!
>
> I've used it - for a couple of years.
>
> Now I wonder - is anyone aware of a DISadvantage?
>
> Later, JR
>
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