I have a 1988 Corvette convert. with 70K miles on a stock engine. Recently I've read that the amount of ZINC in engine oil has been reduced to a level that would no longer protect the camshaft against eccesive wear.
I currently use Mobil Fully Synthetic 5W-30 but found out that it only contains 800 ppm of zinc, which is low.
I was wondering if anyone else has heard of this issue, and what type of oil would you recommend?
Thanks in advance.

 

I'm not an expert by any stretch, but from I understand it's more of an issue with flat tappet cams, not rollers. I think yours has rollers. Wish mine did.

 

The Mobile 1 you are using is fine for your engine. Yes, Zinc in most oils nowadays has been reduced to around 700~800ppm. It is part of the recent SM rating.

If you really want more Zinc in your oil, you can use a diesel rated oil (15w-40), such as synthetic Rotella, which I have used in my '92 LT-1 and it seemed to like it. I do not think the added Zinc benefited me any, but wanted to give it a try.

To learn as much as you can about oil, jump over to BITOG.com. Happy reading.

CG