Soon, folks are gonna start learning about ZDDP levels the hard way ....

The antique valve train in the Savage engine REQUIRES a high ZDDP oil to stay healthy.

Some folks on here lately have been buying second hand bikes from folks who didn't get this message.

Oldfeller--FSO wrote on 07/30/12 at 18:50:09:

Where'd you get that ZDDP supplement? I was in Autozone the other day looking for the same red-tinted stuff, but all they had was "zinc substitute" type products. Is the real deal easy to find?

Cool, thanks.  I'll look for it.  It was probably right in front of my face and I glossed over it because I didn't expect it to be labeled break-in additive.

 
+1 on the Rotella products, they have 1,200 ppm of ZDDP and are motorcycle MA rated right on the jug.

People who use "any old car oil" are buying expensive repairs for themselves -- witness all the bikes being bought slightly used by new owners with all the mysterious "tickings" and "knockings" of late.

Suzuki is dodging this issue by recommending an obsolete SF oil (which 15-20 years ago was still readily available and it DID have enough ZDDP in it back then).  

Now days, straight SF only oils are just about non-existent, and the bottles generally carry a whole bunch of more modern SM and SN designations in front of the SF (which means it honors the modern standards first, not the older ones).  

Check the ZDDP levels in these trick labelled oils, you may get a surprise.

Also check out the new oil watchdog group who is slapping the hands of oil bottlers who lie about their products.

http://www.pqiamerica.com

Interesting that a watchdog group is NEEDED now-a-days, I guess the reason is that people don't know very much about oil any more and they assume "any old car oil" is good enough ..... and they are buying engines because of this lack of knowledge.


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Acell 10w40 as sold by WalMart is packaged by Warren Products, same folks who do the SuperTech oils.   Warren meets the specs AS SPECIFIED for any oil they sell -- but read the thread below from Bobistheoilguy for how an obsolete spec can give the bottler more wiggle room than was allowed when the spec was current.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=25598...

If you are buying Acell 10w40 you could be buying Warren Product's SuperTech HDEO Universal 15w40 in a gallon jug for the same price or a little less per quart.  It has all the full modern HDEO additive packages in it so it will outperform a simple F rated oil on many fronts, ZDDP included.

Or you could splurge and buy the motorcycle MA rated Rotella T in the white gallon jug.   That extra dime or so a quart gets you a well known, well respected oil that is WELL KNOWN to properly support your Savage engine.

So if I were to put SHELL ROTELLA T oil in the bike would it still need that bottle of ZDDP additive? or is there a sufficeint amount of it in that type of oil?  

"Japaneses" ?    haha way to show em how us americanses are vastely superior  

Klotz 1400 ZDDP and it made for motorcycles.

 
Do they not have Walmarts with Auto departments in Mass.?

I know they have auto parts places like Autozone and Advance Auto Parts.


Ask the clerk where they keep the diesel oil.



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ZDDP boosters are expensive, they almost double the cost of an oil change when used with lesser car oils.

For the price of that bottle of booster, you could buy 2+ full oil changes of Rotella T (white gallon jug).

Look again, look for the diesel oil section in wherever you are looking.