ROLLER CAMMING ALONG!
Q: Ray, love your column, I only wish they could dedicate more pages to it. I have a 496-cu.in. “Generation V” big-block Chevy (a.k.a., the 8.1-liter) with 1,600 miles that I am converting to a roller cam. I have always run Valvoline VR1 Racing Motor Oil with flat-tappet cams, but is there any reason to continue this high-zinc oil with a roller cam? What about going synthetic?
Kudos also to Jeff Smith for his article on break-in oil. (“Break-In That New Engine Right,” HMM 245).
Dennis J.
Via email
A: Thank you for the kind words about my column, and yes, Jeff Smith is truly a wealth of information!
In theory, there is no need to continue using the high-zinc oil once you go to a roller lifter. The load placed on the lobe of the cam is minimized.
However, I would like to add a few caveats, since, like most things, there is not a broad-brush answer here.
Before anyone assumes the roller camshaft they installed does not need
