Welding Tips and Tricks

So i have been pestering the hell out of the Amsoil techs and also doing some research myself on oil for small engines since i have quite a few of them these days.. and here is what i have came to the conclusion of..

As some of you might know that the Oil made post ~2004 lacks enough ZDDP for older engines with flat tappet cams something in the amout of 1/2 the ZDDP content needed for them.. causing a major issue with muscle cars in the mid to late 2000's that had Comp cams getting alot of the blame for this before someone figured out that the latest and greatest EPA regs had dropped the ZDDP content in oil from 1200-1600 PPM to 600-800PPM..

all this got me a thinking as i know small engines still use flat tappet Cams unless they are some of the BIG HP V twins as some but not all of those use roller lifters in them. question i had was dose a small engine need the HIGHER ZDDP oil like older car engines.. what i found out is Yes they do for a few reasons..

the First reason is the Camshaft as it is a flat tappet design the next reason is that ZDDP also helps with piston bore ware espcialy as the piston changes direction in its up and down motion..

the other thing i did find out is the along with ZDDP a small engine also benifits from synthetic oil as well this being mostly in part due to the fact alot of small engines are air cooled and there oil temps can be all over the place both high and low.. and dino oil dose not take to well to being at high heat for overly long.. it can do it just not nearly as long as synthetic but synthetic also is alble to keep its viscosity with out thinning out at higher heat then dino oil dose.. Another thing is it dose flow better at low temps then dino oil due to fact it lacks the wax like impurities that dino oils have in them..


now what i think is if someone gets a known good ZDDP additive the one i have been using is Lucas's Racing ZDDP TB Zinc-Plus stuff along with a good synthetic oil.. takes about 1 oz per quart of oil to get you about 1400-1600PPM in that quart of oil..

what i didnt know is that Amsoil's small engine oil has the higher ZDDP content in it and is also synthetic.. win win there in my books but its not cheap either though why i did the looking at the Lucas stuff..


figured some of you guys might find this interesting as a fair number of us run engine drive welders or generators, and not to mention the lawn mower or your weekend toy.

For less than $40 annually, you can sign up for an AmSoil VIP membership and buy their products wholesale. I've used their fluids exclusively in all my engines for nearly 20 years. Brake fluid, trans, differential, engines, 2-stroke, 4-stroke, Diesel, Marine Diesel, you name it. I use it.

For anyone with a Diesel motor, their Marine Diesel formula is a 25,000 mile rated oil. You can run it in your street car/truck and safely and happily go 25k between oil changes. Do the math, its a major savings and perfectly safe. And if you own a "European Car" their Euro spec oil is the product to use. Euro spec oil is rated for both gas and diesel motors equally, so its formulation is far more appropriate to the Nikasil lined bores than regular "synthetics" on the shelf.

cj737 wrote:For less than $40 annually, you can sign up for an AmSoil VIP membership and buy their products wholesale. I've used their fluids exclusively in all my engines for nearly 20 years. Brake fluid, trans, differential, engines, 2-stroke, 4-stroke, Diesel, Marine Diesel, you name it. I use it.

For anyone with a Diesel motor, their Marine Diesel formula is a 25,000 mile rated oil. You can run it in your street car/truck and safely and happily go 25k between oil changes. Do the math, its a major savings and perfectly safe. And if you own a "European Car" their Euro spec oil is the product to use. Euro spec oil is rated for both gas and diesel motors equally, so its formulation is far more appropriate to the Nikasil lined bores than regular "synthetics" on the shelf.

I'm actually a dealer of amsoil.. the Lucas thing was something I had gotten a while ago.. as I have alot of non amsoil oil that I no longer use for my trucks I am using it up for small engine brake in as it gets dumped alot.

But yeah amsoil is very good stuff.. and there one of the only companya that offer oils for various applicationsizes not just a one size fits all.

Which small engine oil would be good for a 13HP generator? What about for a two-stage reciprocating compressor?

Oscar wrote:Which small engine oil would be good for a 13HP generator? What about for a two-stage reciprocating compressor?

http://www.amsoil.com/AmsoilLookups/Sma ... ookup.aspx

Most small engines I've seen recommend regular changing due to heat / small volume / lack of filtration using mineral straight 30 oil - not sure if it's available where you are but it's still around here - most cans even have a picture of a lawn mower & old like 50's car on the can - never seen analysis of the composition but I use it & don't really see related problems - think it is an older formulation so maybe still has the make up you speak of - most oil related trouble seem to be when modern multigrade oils are used - I agree in principle a synthetic should be better but have yet to see one intended as a replacement for straight 30 - be interested if there is to try but would have to be a brand supported in the UK - think the market here is too small for any of the major players to be interested though - I'm lucky that a local company will find the spec & blend virtually any oil to order as long as you meet the minimum quantity - they still blend TVO for the old tractor guys.

Oscar wrote:Which small engine oil would be good for a 13HP generator? What about for a two-stage reciprocating compressor?

http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/m ... e=ASEQT-EA this oil would be the oil for the engine and the compressor would be http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/c ... e=PCJ05-EA

they also offer that oil in 10,20,30, 30/40 weight oil from what i saw..

noddybrian wrote:Most small engines I've seen recommend regular changing due to heat / small volume / lack of filtration using mineral straight 30 oil - not sure if it's available where you are but it's still around here - most cans even have a picture of a lawn mower & old like 50's car on the can - never seen analysis of the composition but I use it & don't really see related problems - think it is an older formulation so maybe still has the make up you speak of - most oil related trouble seem to be when modern multigrade oils are used - I agree in principle a synthetic should be better but have yet to see one intended as a replacement for straight 30 - be interested if there is to try but would have to be a brand supported in the UK - think the market here is too small for any of the major players to be interested though - I'm lucky that a local company will find the spec & blend virtually any oil to order as long as you meet the minimum quantity - they still blend TVO for the old tractor guys.

From Amsoil they say this about there small engine oil.. from what i have seen personly it dose what they say.. i will be giving it more testing this summer though in my 10HP 5000W generator as i will be adding a hobbs meter to it tomarrow after its 10 hour brake in.. so i can watch the hours and see how the oil is..

Amsoils Formula 4-Stroke® Small Engine Oil (ASE) is a robust formulation designed for hot-temperature, severe-service operation of small engines where routine maintenance is often difficult or infrequent. It is formulated with premium synthetic base oils that exceed both 10W-30 multi-grade and SAE 30 straight-grade viscosity requirements. Unlike conventional SAE 30 motor oils, AMSOIL Small Engine Oil has a naturally high viscosity index and does not contain paraffin (wax). It has a -38°F pour point and qualifies for SAE 10W, making it an “all-season,” multi-grade lubricant with a wide operating temperature range. As an SAE 30 weight motor oil, AMSOIL Small Engine Oil provides outstanding protection for hot-operating engines. Formula 4-Stroke Small Engine Oil is a commercial-grade lubricant that helps improve productivity and reduce maintenance costs through superior engine protection.

ryanjames170 wrote:

Oscar wrote:Which small engine oil would be good for a 13HP generator? What about for a two-stage reciprocating compressor?

http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/m ... e=ASEQT-EA this oil would be the oil for the engine and the compressor would be http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/c ... e=PCJ05-EA

they also offer that oil in 10,20,30, 30/40 weight oil from what i saw..

Dang, kinda pricey, lol.

Does anyone know the actual pricing discount if one was to become a preferred member? That 5-gallon pail of compressor oil is bit much for what I need, lol.

Nevermind, I didn't know you could see the discounted prices by simply adding the Preferred Member charge to the shopping cart.

I wanna give a shout-out to Ryan for helping me get a good deal on my first order of Amsoil.

I ordered 10qt Dominator Racing oil, 12qt OE 10W-30, 10qt engine break-in oil, 8qt compressor oil, and 2qt 4cycle small engine oil. I am pending 1qt of the Dominator racing oil, but I'm sure they'll come through.







All this just because I wanted good oil for my generator, lol.

I use Motorkote, I don't know where it stands in the additive market but it's been a good product for me.

You only use it on the third or fourth oil change so it's cost is less. http://motorkote.com/

Interesting stuff. As skeptical as I am about additives, I couldn't actually find anything on Google about it causing problems, only people calling it snake oil.

My missing bottle of Dominator racing oil is going to be sent out tomorrow. Excellent customer service.

Oscar wrote:Interesting stuff. As skeptical as I am about additives, I couldn't actually find anything on Google about it causing problems, only people calling it snake oil.

My missing bottle of Dominator racing oil is going to be sent out tomorrow. Excellent customer service.

That is great customer service. When I run out of Motorkote I'll give them a try, I like to experiment with new products.

Most diesel engine oil is excellent for air cooled engines. Pick a grade with the right viscosity and use it. $12.73 a gallon is a no brainer.

So I was picking up an oil filter to do an oil change tomorrow on my truck with the Amsoil, and saw the motorkote. I picked up a 32oz'er. But not for my truck. Gonna try it on relatively "cheap" stuff like my air-tools, 20gal air compressor, maybe generator.