<VV> Quaker State "Defy" Oil

[Bill & Chris Strickland]

> These failures occurred following a standard break in process and the general consensus was that the oil was to blame, not a problem with the parts or process.

Two of the cam-lifter failures I'm familiar with that occurred in SBC's 
during this period were in hi-pro engines built by professional engine 
shops, and both of them attributed it to the bad lifters that were in 
the market at about the same time -- both engines were repaired under 
warranty by the lifter manufacturer.

The oil change and these sub-quality lifters came to market at about the 
same time -- which came first, the chicken or the egg?  Would the old 
oils have masked the problem with the lifters?  Data on this seems to be 
lacking.  Yes, during the seventies, GM had problems with improper heat 
treatment of some camshafts, and pre-mature lobe failures at 50-70,000 
miles were common -- not to be confused with the more recent lifter /oil 
failures at under 1000 miles.

Bill Strickland