Product Detail
3 Bottles of ZDDPlus Engine Oil Additive
ZDDPlus™ is an oil supplement that contains very high concentrations of the well-known additive ZDDP (Zinc Dialkyl Dithiophosphate), which has been the primary EP (extremepressure) ingredient in all quality motor oils for over 70 years. In the late 1980s, however, the concentration of ZDDP in motor oils has been greatly reduced as newer oil classifications have come on the market.
ZDDP is an essential cam wear solution for classic and performance cars. ZDDPlus™ is the original, best researched and documented zinc additive available.
The sliding cam-to- cam-follower interface in a non-roller lifter engine requires a special anti-wear additive, which has historically been ZDDP. After 70+ years of positive protection afforded by ZDDP, emission system changes are forcing a reduction in the amount of ZDDP in motor oils, leaving your classic or performance car at risk of premature cam and lifter wear. The key ingredient of ZDDPlus™ is ZDDP. ZDDP has been known to shorten catalytic converter life. Manufacturers have been redesigning engines for several years to extend the life of catalytic converters in order to lower emission levels. One engine redesign has been the switch to roller rockers. As a result, oil manufacturers have agreed to reduce or eliminate ZDDP from motor oils.
Read more...- Ideal wear solution for flat tappet engines
- Provides added protection that today's oil cant
- Restores protection that today’s motor oils cannot provide
- Well-research test results
- Protects engine during break-in
TechBrief1 - Introducing ZDDPlus.pdf
TechBrief2 - ZDDP and Cam Wear - Just Another Engine Oil Myth.pdf
TechBrief3 - Lubrication Terminology.pdf
TechBrief4 - Oil and Additive Testing.pdf
TechBrief5 - Racing Oil as a Replacement for SM Oil.pdf
TechBrief6 - Diesel Oil Use in Classic and High-Performance Gasoline Engines.pdf
TechBrief7 - Oil Additive Dosing and Dilution rev4.pdf
TechBrief8 - The Automotive and Oil Industry vs the Aftermarket Viewpoint on ZDDP.pdf
TechBrief9 - ZDDP and Oil Filters.pdf
TechBrief10 - Oil Base Stocks.pdf
TechBrief11 - Internal Combustion Engine Lubrication.pdf
TechBrief12 - ZDDP and Engine Break-in.pdf
TechBrief13 - Oil Viscosity.pdf
TechBrief14 - ZDDP and Pre-WWII Engines.pdf
- Why do I need ZDDP?
The EPA has placed stricter emission requirements on new cars that influenced manufacturers to remove ZDDP from motor oils. Vehicles that were specified to use SF (1988) or earlier motor oil, its engine requires ZDDP by design. Your older performance car could be damaged with the use of modern SM oils. Cars equipped with flat tappet cams need ZDDP due to the high-pressure points. Newer cars have roller rockers and ZDDP is not needed in those applications.
- What do the oil grades such as "SF" indicate?
In the API (American Petroleum Institute) classification system, "S" and "C" are the two basic application categories of oil. "S" is intended for gasoline use and "C" is intended for diesel use. "A" was the first grade in each category and resulted in "SA" and "CA" grade oils. Each designation progressed farther up the alphabet as new grades of oil were introduced. The newest grades are "SM" and "CJ" respectively. "SF" was for 1988 and older engines.
- Aren't the newer oils better than the older oils?
Historically, every new grade of oil introduced since the 1930's was better than the previous grade and could be considered "improved" with one exception. The original SA grade was straight mineral oil (non-detergent non-additives) and SB contained additives which could not be used in the earliest cars specified for SA. While it is true that SM oils are better for NEW cars, they are NOT better for the OLDER cars equipped with flat tappet camshafts. Simply put, the newer, better oils are not backward compatible for older cars primarily due to the gradual reduction of ZDDP starting with SG grade introduced in 1988. In the next few years, it will be eliminated.
- How much ZDDPlus™ should I add to my oil?
One bottle of ZDDPlus™ will raise the ZDDP concentration level of SL or SM oil to the standards that were in place when SF (or earlier) oil was specified. (SL and SM is the current category available today).
- What if my oil already has some ZDDP?
ZDDP is most effective if the concentration is between 0.18% and 0.2% by weight. Tests have shown that concentrations above this amount, up to as much as several percent, have no effect except to prolong additive life. The current oils available today contain very little ZDDP.
- Can I use ZDDPlus™ with regular or synthetic oils?
Yes, ZDDPlus™ should be compatible with all conventional and synthetic oils intended for automotive use. Virtually all of these current oils have had some amounts of ZDDP for years, and it continues to be decreased in available oils.
- What is the shelf life of ZDDPlus™?
The shelf life of ZDDPlus™ is essentially the same as regular motor oil (many years), as long as a few conditions are met. The temperature should be kept below 120 degrees F and above 0 degrees. You need to keep it sealed until it is mixed with motor oil. ZDDPlus™ has a tendency to absorb moisture, not unlike brake fluid. Absorption of water will degrade its performance, although heating it above 100C until it is not cloudy will restore it.
- When should ZDDPlus™ be added?
Anytime, but the best time is when you get the oil changed. A single 4-oz bottle is the correct concentration for a 4- to 5-quart oil change. This will bring the oil back to SF specifications.
- How long does ZDDPlus™ last?
ZDDPlus™ is a sacrificial additive, meaning that in the process of working, it is depleted. ZDDPlus™ should last the life of a normal oil change as specified by the manufacturer of the car, but attention should be given to the categories of service known as "normal" and "severe" conditions. Severe includes stop-and-go driving and short trips, which result in shortened service life of not only ZDDPlus™, but most of the other additives in the oil.
- Why should ZDDPlus™ not be used in OBD (On Board Diagnostic) cars?
The key ingredient of ZDDPlus™ is ZDDP, which has been known to shorten catalytic converter life. Manufacturers have been redesigning engines for the last decade to minimize the need for ZDDP, in order to lower emission levels. One method is switching over to roller rockers.
- Why not just use diesel rated oils, since they contain higher levels of ZDDP?
Diesel engine requirements are much different than those of gasoline engines. The higher speeds and lower bearing surface-to-power ratios of gasoline engines require oil with higher shear ratings than most diesel oils. Diesels also have higher bearing clearances and that calls for higher viscosity oils. The additional detergents required for soot control actually reduce the effectiveness of added levels of ZDDP found in diesel oils. Also, newer diesel oils beginning in 2007 have greatly reduced their content of ZDDP.
- How does ZDDPlus™ compare to EOS?
Historically, EOS was the most concentrated ZDDP supplement available. It was intended to boost ZDDP levels of oils that already contained EP additives. EOS was packaged in a 16 oz bottle. It also sold for over $10 per bottle. ZDDPlus™ is packaged in a 4 oz bottle and contains TWICE the amount of ZDDP contained in EOS, since it is intended to be used with newer oils that contain little or no ZDDP. In the summer of 2007, EOS was discontinued, making it difficult to find today.
- What about the additives offered by the cam manufacturers?
Some of the "Break-in" or "assembly lubes" offered by cam manufacturers contain marginal amounts of ZDDP while others offer virtually none. In most cases these products are intended for initial run-in and rely primarily on other additives such as MDS (molybdenum disulfide). These products are seldom recommended for continued use and most are intended to be removed before the engines are put into service.
- What about off-the-shelf oil additives?
Automotive engines have always been designed and warranted to work properly with the current available oil at the time of manufacture. There has not been a single off-the-shelf additive shown to perform any beneficial function except financial gain to the additive seller. Unlike other additives that have never been recommended by manufacturers, ZDDPlus™ is a replacement for the long-used component of oil that manufacturers once required, but over the years have been forced to remove from the oil for the benefit of newer cars at the expense of older cars.
- What about the claims of the various additives?
The performance record of ZDDP is well established. The manufacturer of ZDDPlus™ (ZPlus, LLC) makes virtually no claims for ZDDPlus™, EXCEPT that it restores the EP (extreme pressure) function of the oil to the level originally required for your older car. Other additives make far reaching claims. If the claims attributed to most additives were even partially true they would have been part of the standard crankcase fill directly from the manufacturers like ZDDP has been for decades.
- Why haven't I heard more about this problem?
The general public, as a rule, has nothing to be concerned about. The people that need to be concerned are owners of older classic cars and performance cars. After the SF category, the amount of ZDDP has gradually been reduced as each new API category is introduced. Had ZDDP been removed completely after 1988 (SF), the scramble for an alternative would have been a big concern. But, since it happened gradually, the concerns were not so obvious.
