Kendall Oil ? ? ? ? ? ?

Help !

After using Kendall GT oil for over 30 years with excellent results and having been " out of it " for a while, I am hearing stories about guys losing bearings because kendall sold out a couple of years ago and the new company is not keeping to the Formula...Is this true or one of those made up reasons for not knowing what you are doing with Engine assembly.....? an inquiring mind needs to know ! ! ! ! ! thanks in advance for the answers I am sure to receive...........................Larry

 

We've always used Kendall, and haven't ever had any problems that were oil related.
bryan brown

 

You have to be carefull with so called "racing oil" any more. We started losing rod bearings with Pennzoil GT racing 60 wt in 2004 after 15 years of running it with no problems.

In a nutshell, the EPA upped the restrictions on over the counter oils by reducing and restricting zinc and phosphates in 2004 because it was found that engines that consume oil were contaminating catalytic converters on street cars. According to Mike Gruber with Valvoline, the WoO cars started spinning rod bearings whenever they hit 10,000 RPM when running over the counter EPA legal racing oils that met the new restrictions. Those additives pull heat out of the bearing surfaces which is very important at high RPM's.

We were a die hard Pennzoil sponsored team but decided to ask questions anyway. Come to find out, Pennzoil changed the formula in their GT 60wt racing oil to meet the EPA requirments so they could continue to sell it at auto parts stores. Their web site boasts how their GT performance racing oils meet and exceed the strick SJ performance requirements set forth by the EPA. Our last pallet of oil from them cost me 5 motors before we discovered what was going on. After some intense research and conversations with many oil manufacturers and distributors including Mike Gruber, I started using Valvoline's off road nitro oil and have not lost any bearings since. It has effected our pushrod life as well.

If the racing oil you are using can be legally sold over the counter at an auto parts store, it's time to get ahold of Mike Gruber with Valvoline, Forest Lucas, someone at Red Line Oil, or anywhere else that can supply you with an off road racing oil.

 

Randy - thanks for the info. For those who weren't aware of these issues, you could have just saved them a lot of grief, money, and time. Not to mention safety.

 

Brad Penn is supposed to be the original green Kendall Oil. check out their site. www.amref.com/racing/racing-oils.asp

 

So I'm assuming my Kendall Nitro 70 has been changed and isn't as good anymore? Kinda hard to swallow with those 25 cases sitting in the shop. So what should I ask my oil supplier, to make sure I get what I need, or what oil should we go to?

thanks
bryan brown

 

API oils

That reply is pretty accurate--the API-rated oils that the EPA likes aren't sufficient for serious engines. That little "starburst" you see on even the high-quality Mobil 1 sold at retail isn't a standard to uphold but rather a license to downgrade to a minimum of base stocks and additive packages.

Proper racing oils, like some of the Valvoline product and all of the Red Line oils, have higher rates of zinc and phosphorus--just what those WoO engines were missing at that kind of RPM.

The actual base stock by which the product is blended from is an even bigger issue, but it's all needs to be there to save parts and be used over multiple passes. It's well known around motor racing that the Group V Polyol Ester-based products deal better with fuel dilution, the biggest issue for alcohol and nitro racers.

Hope that helps,
Cameron Evans
Red Line Oil

 

Old Kendall

That is not accurate about non-API oils being sold over the counter. There is absolutely no restriction of sales--we would be out of business if that was the case! We see that Penn lists SJ specs on some of their oils, not the latest SM spec that's required by the buyers at major chains like Advance Auto Parts and the like. If you're serious about selling oil to discrimination road car customers, you need to make the upgrade to exceed the OE specs intended for API certs.

When it comes to Brad Penn's oil, it may in fact be the old Kendall, but there have been so many chemical advancements since that period that you really wouldn't want to look back. You can't say that you sell the old Kendall and add the packages required for anti oxidation, cleanliness, etc., that are required for new road car engines. For racing, it may be okay, but many newer racing oils are updated to give you all of what you want.

With base stock improvement, you can run an ester-based oil over multiple runs with better wear and even more ring seal. Heating the ester oils over 90 deg f will evaporate the methanol and it's ready to run...

 

Cameron, Once again you are correct!!, But you forgot to mention that the RED LINE OIL is the best product out there!! I have even found significant HP gains on the dyno with my Echo 400b weedwhacker, using the RED LINE 2cycle mix oil. Now only if you could come up with a mix for oil wrestling(Kelly is working on it).
Don Hudson- TA/FC 756
RED LINE OIL Funny Car.
www.donhudsonracing.com

 

Kelly just tested the oil for wrestling. He couldn't keep his, uh, friend in his grasp so he's going for more viscosity. The little guy kept getting away from him.

 

Penn Grade 1 Racing Oil "THE GREEN OIL"

Hello, I work for American Refinging Group, Inc. the company that bought the former Kendall Refinery in Bradford, PA. Our racing oil is sold under the name Penn Grade 1 Racing Oils and yes it is GREEN! This year marks the 125th anniversary of our refinery. We are the only refinery in the world processissing 100% Pennsylvania Grade crude oil and are 100% Made in the USA. If any of you need help finding a distributor please go to our website www.bradpennracing.com and fill out an inquiry under "Contact Us" I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

 

Do you currently have an product sponsorships available for 2005-06?

 

The new Hot Rod magazine has an article about the current rash of cam failures in street rod engines. They blame it on new EPA oils, cheap parts and improper break-in procedures.

A lot of the street rod guys are starting to use Shell Rotella 15-40W diesel oil (or equivelant Chevron) in their gas engines (including me). The zinc and phosphates haven't been pulled out of the CI rated diesel oils, but the new CJ coming soon will restrict it, too. Interesting to note that GM has an additive they put in new engines which gives the mix a healthy shot of zinc.

If you read the warning label on STP Oil Treatment you'll start using it in your tow vehicle and everything else (including Don Hudson's weed wacker).

RG

 

Not just because i live in PA. but i used Wolfs head racing oil since 1963, and i will say without a dought that PA. crude is the best in the world, Wolfs head is not making racing oil anymore, and i didn`t know about your oil being made here ,but i`ll bet you guys refined Wolfs head oil too.keep up the good fight

 

I used the brad penn 70wt over the weekend and really liked it . After sitting over night the alky contamination was gone and the oil looked new again . We will be buying more of the green stuff for sure .