[RocktimusPryme]

Originally Posted by 455Grandville

It’s my understanding that stock engines with mild valve spring pressure don’t need as much zddp as a engine with a hotter cam and stiffer valve springs.

Ive sorta begun to come around to this way of thinking. Disclaimer here, I dont pretend to be an expert on this subject, but after reading, and hearing a fair amount of smart people talk about it, I think there has been a snapback effect to oils losing zinc levels. To the point where people are paranoid about it now.

In reference to stockish motors that dont have a lot of spring pressure, and arent running aggressive ramps. Seems like nearly all cam failures happen during break in. Once your cam is work hardened, I have a hard time seeing it go bad due to an 800 ppm zddp level instead of 1200 ppm.

The ONLY thing Ive ever seen than made me question this a little is I saw one study that said in paraphrase "After break in, the only time your cam really requires the additive zinc package is during the couple of seconds during startup when the whole engine doesnt have proper oiling yet."

Another note with regards to cam failure is that I think some of them come down to good old fashioned user error. How many people rebuild with stouter valve springs than they need?