Depends alot on the temperature range your climate exhibits. My F-wrench recommends 20-50 for the Seattle climate. Other areas with more 'seasons' will vary greatly. Jedi
Because of the cam/shim interface of older Ferraris (non-roller cam followers) you need oil with ZDDP additives in it, which nearly all oils had until the EPA started forcing the oil companies to remove it for emissions purposes starting in the 90's. ZDDP is a MUST for "flat tappet" type engines. Now nearly all off-the-shelf oils have little or none. There has been documentation of premature cam failures due to the removal of these additives. (Google) I heard that Brad Penn oil has the full compliment of ZDDP additives. I seem to recall that the formulation of the Brad Penn oil is very similar to the now discontinued Kendall "green" oil. I use Redline Synthetic in the TR, it too has a full compliment of additives but pricey. There is also the option of using ZDDPlus additive, which I use with Valvoline in my older BMW's, http://www.zddplus.com/ Here is a Wiki on ZDDP, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZDDP (................Applications The main use of ZDDP is in anti-wear additives to lubricants such as greases, gear oils, and motor oils, which contain about 1%. For applications in oils for gasoline engines, zinc and phosphorus emissions could damage catalytic converters. The same compounds serve also as corrosion inhibitors and antioxidants. ................ Naming These compounds are widely used and correspondingly have numerous names, including ZDDP, ZnDTP, and ZDP.) .
Take a look at "fleet" oils which have both diesel and gasoline API ratings, such as CJ-4/SM. They contain good levels of ZDDP and typically come in conventional grades of 10W-30 and 15W-40 and in 5W-40 for synthetics. There are plenty of decent brands. I favor Shell Rotella T and Chevron Delo. I wouldn't worry about the cats on older cars, if there are cats, being affected, unless you're burning a great deal of oil. And if so, you've got bigger problems than catalytic converters.
Wow Spasso. Dude knows his oils! I can always count on folks like you to add real content to these things. Does Brad Penn and DDTP do anything for an '86 328 that my Castrol GTX 20-50 doesn't do? Jedi
I've read a bit on the demise of ZDDP in oils is all. I'm no expert. I just want the right stuff that will protect my engine. The cams in your 328 work the valves the same way they work in my TR, cam lobe to "flat" follower, no rollers. The pressure between these two parts is extremely high, this is where the ZDDP comes in. I think you'll find that Castrol GTX has also had the ZDDP additives reduced. (There's a list) You can run the Castrol and add ZDDPlus or run the Brad Penn. BTW, most of the off-the-shelf additives have about 2% ZDDP, pretty much worthless, ZDDPlus has considerably more. (no affiliation) Check out their website. It was recommended I run 5/40 in the TR because I have 16 quarts of cold oil to heat up and need a lighter oil for that issue here in the Northwest. I was also assured that the 40 weight aspect of the synthetic would be adequate for the heat we have around here. I ran 20/50 Valvoline in my 308 in lieu of the 10/50 Shell it called for (Unobtanium). With 50k miles on the engine it was right for that car.
I used to use 15/40 Fleet from NAPA and Delo 400 in some of my daily drivers and even though they have the additives needed I was cautioned about using oils formulated for diesel engines in gasoline engines. The formulation for diesels is different, especially when it comes to detergent and anti-corrosion properties. I can't remember the specifics but the article mentioned that it could be detrimental to gas engines over long periods of time. If I can find the info I will post it up.
The OP was what oil to use in a "vintage Ferrari". If I put synthetic in my 1959 car, I'd have one hell of a mess on the garage floor.
If you want to know about oil go to www.bobistheoilguy and look at the forums there-- real experts post. The bottom line is that for non-roller cam follower engines like all the vintage Ferrari engines you should NOT use regular off the shelf gas-engine oils-- they don't have enough ZDDP these days due to government regulations. You can either add your own ZDDP or use the gas - and diesel-approved 15W-40 oils like Shell Rotella T, Chevron Delo 400, or Mobil Delvac. I use the Rotella T synthetic in my Dino because with a 5W-40 rating it has excellent cold flow properties at startup and plenty of ZDDP. I buy it at Walmart and it is not expensive. The government is making the manufacturers lower the ZDDP of these oils too, but they still have enough for flat-cam follower motors. Castrol GTX 20W-50 is what I used here in Los Angeles until they took the ZDDP out of it. And it was probably too thick really. I have read that the oil recommended in the owner's manual was more like 10W-40. For Seattle 20W-50 is certainly too thick unless you are doing track events.
There are probably less than 100 Ferraris that have non-rolling cam followers-- engines built in the late 40's and at the very beginning of 1950's. From the early 1950's till the advent of overhead camshaft Ferrari V12's have rolling followers. john
It has plenty of ZDDP like the Kendal GT of days gone by . I us the 20w50 even though the OM calls for 10w50... www.bradpennracing.com
I use Shell Rotella in my 166SC, P 3/4, 412P, Ford MK-IV, and Lola T-70. I've put over 100K street miles on those cars using that oil and upon engine tear down found no issues at at. As an aside if modern gaskets are used Vintage engines can run systhetic oil without issue. I use Shell 0-60 Helix in Dino Competizione.
I can't comment on the 2-cam engines, but my Dino, like most OHC engines of the time (Alfa, etc), uses a flat cam follower that rides on the cam lobe. There is no roller in there. So the cam follower is sliding over the cam lobe surface, not rolling over it. That's why you need the extra ZDDP. Oils of that era were designed for engines with that construction. I don't know when (or if) Ferrari started using a roller follower.
I think you have it backwards. Nearly ALL Ferrari street engines are NON-roller engines, including the V-12's. Take a look at the Workshop Manuals, no rollers.
Yes but as stated before, the usual off-the-shelf additives you will find in these stores have very low amounts (2% or less) compared to ZDDPlus and oils with the full compliment of additives.
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=196294&page=6 Look at Post 101 of a very early 2.3L engine. john
Beautiful engine. Nice design but I believe the reason Ferrari moved away from a follower layout like that was valve train inertia at higher RPM's, hence the design of shim & bucket with the cam directly over the valve centerline. 246, 3x8 series, Boxer, Testarossa, 355's etc.
