I saw the post about "substitute for assembly lube" and started thinking about cam break-in and longevity... (I didn't actually go into or read that thread) Anyway, the gov't has required oils be reformulated recently... last couple years. One element that has been totally removed from oil is Zinc. This was there for pressure protection and is key in cam break-in and exactly how long the cam lasts. How can one put Zinc back into their engine oil? I know that Zinc is used in bar form on coffins... They strap a piece of Zinc to the bottom of coffins because when it is with other metals, the Zinc attracts natural corrosive forces and will keep the surrounding metals from damage until the Zinc is rotted away. Keeps the coffin solid and non-corroded, therefore totally sealed, for much longer (as in nearly 100x longer!) than if the metal sheeting on the coffin was left to itself in the moist ground. Back on topic: Since 1982, pennies have been make from solid Zinc, electroplated with copper. Could someone remove the copper and then strategically place the Zinc in the engine? The theorey would be the Zinc would ever so slowly leach into the engine oil, replacing the minute amount that was removed, and therefore protecting your engine... including your cam which supposedly needs Zinc desperately to survive. Thoughts?
Now that I think about it more... Why couldn't we put zinc into the water passages to prevent rust inside the engine?
I have seen a "sacrificial" zinc annode advertised that does just that....you place it in the neck of the radiator and it slowly dissolves, putting zinc in the coolant. Never used one, so I have no idea if it works or not. I think JC Whitney still sells them....
