Zed Head

Went out and looked at an early 70 shaft and a 76 4 speed trans. with a dust shield and I'd guess that you have 2 1/2 - 3" of engagement, when you could have about 4 - 4 1/2". So, not fully engaged, but not so loose that it would pop out. There is a bushing/bearing inside the transmission though that helps locate the slip yoke. You may or may not be engaged with that. One member here had a worn bearing, different style of transmission though, and it allowed some looseness.

While you're under there you might as well unbolt the flange from the diff and see how much room there is to push in the trans. I'm pretty sure the factory only left about 3/4 - 1". Pretty full engagement. No need for more play because the diff and trans are both locked in to place. The slip yoke barely slips. Actually, it may be that the u-joint got torn up because the propeller shaft tried to come out of the transmission, got cocked and broke the u-joint. The shop might have just reproduced a too-short propeller shaft. Also, it might be too short because you have the later diff location, but the early shaft length. Just throwing out some possibilities.

Here's an interesting web site and an article by a consultant. Doesn't seem to have an axe to grind either way. Put your own search terms in, I had ZDDP in the first link. Lots of good reading (except for the format, it's Powerpoint or giant screen mode...) on all kinds of lubricants, grease oil, synthetic, additives... http://www.lubesngreases.com/search/?zkDo=search&publication=all&query=+zddp http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/20213322#/20213322/48 Obligatory edit. Had the wrong page linked. Also interesting that he's talking about the phosphorous component of ZDDP. And one reason to lower ZDDP is because of the sulfur content. So you can search all three words and find much more stuff. Zinc, phosphorous, or sulfur.

The diesel oils do/did seem like a good option. But, I've seen some indications that diesel engines are or will be getting more regulated (good!), and may be using catalysts to clean up the emissions, and that the diesel oils are getting reformulated for that reason, just like the car oils did. The problem is that since ZDDP is not called out or spec'ed it could disappear with no obligation from the manufacturers to tell anyone. We'd never no. Might start another thread just to see if anyone has had a stock cam go bad, using plain old motor oil. Still curious. VR-1 and GT Racing oils are cheap enough though that the insurance factor makes sense. VR-1 is even available in the parts stores, no internet gyrations necessary.

It does look like it might be short. I think that the two dust/dirt shields usually overlap almost completely. Did the shop measure or did you, or did they use a factory specification? If they cut it to the early 1970 spec. it might be for the set-forward differential. Do you have the modification to move the diff back? Need more info. If you take a measurement, someone here can verify length. I have one of each style, short and long. Measure from the center of the u-joint caps. In the meantime, you could unbolt the shaft from the differential and push it in to the transmission to get an idea of how much engagement you're not getting. If you raise the back end high enough you might be able to remove it without losing your fluid.

Started a new thread! Good luck grannyknot. http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/51321-internet-expertise-exemplified-by-a-conversation-about-zinc/

Rather than fill grannyknot's thread with more stuff, I figured I'd just reply here to patcon's comment. Just not a fan of people who defend their positions too zealously with little but the internet to support it. From here, #35 - http://www.classiczcars.com/topic/51243-cam-wear/page-2 You have to go back to posts 16 and 17, two pages from Chickenman of links pulled from the internet with commentary, then read my reasonable post 18, then Chickenman's dismissive tone in post 19, to see how it starts...... Deleted some stuff.... Still... tuning out the bad vibes..

Mike did address this before. Apparently the forum software doesn't have that option. You either get no edit notification at all, or one for any edit, any time. I'm spoiled by other forums and have developed the habit of posting then immediately fixing my errors before anyone sees them. We even have a WYSIWYG box on the More Reply Options page here on classiczcars.com. Lazy on my part, just excusing my own errors.

I did see that, and thought about adding that link. I just don't know who DA Lubricants of Indiana is. Or where Brad Penn oil comes from, besides Pennsylvania. More Google leads to DA. http://www.dalube.com/ Price isn't bad - https://classiccarmotoroil.com/products.php 15W-40 seems a little high viscosity and kind of limited. That's the same weight as Rotella and the diesel oils. Hmmm... Don't know. Guess I'm looking for the do-all product from a big name manufacturer, cheap. I can dream. At this point the Valvoline VR-1 10W-30 looks like the best option for me, up here where it's often cold. http://www.amazon.com/Valvoline-VV205-6PK-10W-30-Racing-Motor/dp/B00DJ4FMK2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1429225750&sr=8-2&keywords=valvoline+vr-1+oil

That was me. I knew somebody would get me. I was being ironical, I think. Just a small item on the list for the next web site revision.

It's your tone. Needs work. And too much verbiage to make a simple point. So no, after seeing the tone, then all of the words, I didn't read all of your posts. I tuned out and moved on.

The big EDITED banner at the bottom of an edited post bothers me so much that I now leave all of my small mistakes in the post. Is this wrong? Can't even edit within seconds, without the banner.

I would also read, a lot, before buying anything. There are many threads on this forum about seal kits that don't work right. Most of us, that are now happy with out seals, are using Kia Sportage seals, either from a wrecking yard or through the internet or Kia dealer. You can waste a lot of money if you don't research what you're buying first. Also, in that vein, there will probably be a time when your engine doesn't run quite right. You'll be tempted to make a quick diagnosis and buy more replacement parts, like fuel pumps, AFM's, ignition modules, EFI relays, etc. Don't do that without testing first. One purchase you could make today, that will pay off in the long run, is a decent multimeter. In a few months you'll be an expert in primitive EFI systems.

Thanks. It's the detergents that would be the issue, I suppose. Sludge. Browsing through all of the various oil container labels, and ad copy, and internet information, it's surprising that none of the companies can paint a clear picture of what someone with an old, pre-catalytic converter car can use to keep their old car engine in safe condition. Seems like there's an opportunity here. Not to mention all of the old cars with catalytic converters, What are they supposed to do? Valvoline seems to get closest with their VR-1 but even they can't simply address the basics of everyday use. Still called a racing oil, with just an insinuation that it's appropriate for daily usage. Pennzoil doesn't even have a link to their racing oil on the Pennzoil web site. http://www.valvoline.com/pdf/vr1_racing.pdf Somebody needs to just produce an "old car oil" and supply information about how they address the cam wear issue. With zero hype. That would be awesome.

Nice. I kind of wish mine was the dark green, although my stealth brown probably saves me some traffic stops. The intake snorkel in the engine bay is stock. It's a dry spot. The air is moving and getting replaced in there anyway, so still "cold". If you park it outside, beware of leaking seals. They're probably dried and shrunk by now and various areas will drip and fill up with water without your knowledge. Spare tire well, under the seats, down by the ECU and fuse box, down the back of the firewall. Don't jump the car on a dead battery, then use the alt. to charge the battery. it's a good way to overload the alternator and damage it. If the engine was started last year, You probably don't need to do much to the engine before restarting. But the fuel tank could need some work. The hydraulics, noth brake and clutch, might be on the edge due to moisture buildup. don't be surprised if they work for a while, then fail. The heater hoses are probably on the edge too. Same thing. Drive it for a little while before modding. You'll probably change your mind about some of the things you're planning to change. It can take some time to work all of the little bugs out.

"Bar car"? Pickup car? That's a lot of oil. Just stopped by the auto parts stores, OReilly and Baxter are side by side, to check out oils. Three big names in diesel oils, Motorcraft, Delo, and Rotella, all had notes on the bottle about how they were formulated for with low ash for the latest emissions devices, one even said catalysts. Could be that ZDDP is leaving the diesel oils too. May not be the cheap option anymore. Baxters had the whole selection of racing oils, except for Brad Penn and Pennzoil. The VR-1 was $6.29 per quart, the others ranged up to $12. Redline's synthetic oil said right on the label - not for break-in, only after 3000 miles. Kind of implying that you need that ZDDP in there for a few thousand miles, at least. So maybe the whole deal is to get any roughness at all smoothed away before the ZDDP isn't necessary. Which would make sense since roughness would have extreme pressure and ZDDP is also defined as an extreme pressure additive. Although I think it was originally added for oxidative stability. If I remember right.

Are there brand names on the paste and the ZDDP oil supplement? Curious as to what the pros send out with their cams. Did Schneider send recommendations on oils also?

I've seen the rough finish on new cams. I wonder what it is though, a coating, or the actual finish from grinding? Anyway, here's some good data on materials and other rocker arm specs. - http://www.rhdjapan.com/kameari-l-type-rocker-arms-set-l6.html

A note from the past, and a thought: the first Nissan rocker arms for this application were chrome plated. Very, very smooth, I assume. So, surface roughness of any kind may not be desirable. The roughness for cylinders is more to get the two surfaces, cylinder and ring, matched for sealing purposes, not long-term wear. I think. And since you have fresh metal now, assuming that the ZDDP basics are correct, you should treat that new rocker pad surface with ZDDP-containing break-in oil or break-in paste. To rebuild that critical "anti-wear" layer. The ZDDP action is at the molecular level, much, much finer than any roughness level you could decide to shoot for. I'd go for a super smooth surface with ZDDP-containing paste and oil for break-in. Of reputable brand. Based on the stuff I just packed n to my brain over the last few days.

Apparently the phosphorous ash coats the catalyst particles, rendering them ineffective. It doesn't pack the pores, just makes the catalyst inert. Doesn't take much, but it probably does take a while. That's the reason they removed the ZDDP from the oil in the first place. As I understand things.

Aren't the racing oils designed for low miles? How often do the Porsche guys change their oil? Pretty cheap at Amazon though, with free shipping. http://www.amazon.com/Pennzoil-3623-12PK-Performance-25W-50-Racing/dp/B00B2IO58W

A note, or warning, for anyone reading through this who has a later year, or CA, car - these ZDDP containing oils will probably degrade your catalytic converter. You can't use them. So the focus for those people would be on the best wear resistance, without ZDDP. So far, the things that stand out to me, from what I've read, are that zinc,or ZDDP, level alone will not predict wear protection (it's the complete oil and additive package). ZDDP is most important during break-in, like within the first few seconds of contact and pressure and the first hour or two of wear-in. Once the galling starts, it just keeps going. ZDDP is more important for engines that have high pressure areas, like flat tappet cams with high performance cams and springs. Cam and rocker materials probably play a factor too, they need to work together. And it's a complicated subject that's hard to understand, even for the professional engineer. Some of the most interesting work out there is by engineers who were trying to do a study on another issue, but their mule engines kept wiping cam lobes. I've collected several papers and may add them later. They're long and boring though. Also, the most reliable recommendations, after break-in anyway, will probably be from people who run (ran) fleets of cars, like taxi companies. High mileage, abusive conditions, and the bad oils are probably weeded out pretty quickly. But it would have to be from before the shift to roller-rockers. I'm still looking for that kind of information. In today's world, the marketing guys just have too much influence, I can't believe anybody's ad copy.

Might be the hose length. ? The slave cylinders are the same up to 83. Notice it's a different cylinder, looks like a rebuilt OEM, or new OEM. Not the aluminum body aftermarket unit. http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/PROD/classic22b01e/21-2102

Reading all of the articles on the internet from people selling zinc additives does not lead to understanding. You've fallen for the hype. Sorry, many people do. Edit - we should stop dumping in grannyknot's thread. Please start a new one if you want to collect all of the internet articles promoting ZDDP, and racing oils using Pennsylvania crude. Please don't fill up my other thread either. Nothing wrong with a good discussion, but each one has a place.

Last comment, the idea that has to make everyone wonder - if ZDDP is necessary to keep old engines alive, then we should be seeing failures on a regular basis of camshafts and rockers in old high mileage cars with stock camshafts, since the ZDDP is gone and most peole (I think) use plain old oil n their cars.. But we don't. They're just not failing. Which is strong evidence that ZDDP is not necessary, once the engine is broken in, or if a stock Nissan factory camshaft is used. So back to the original request, if anyone makes it this far - what oil are you using, how many miles on the engine, have you broken in a new cam or is this an old stocker, etc.