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FE Power Forums => FE Technical Forum => Topic started by: Wreckless Warren on May 02, 2016, 07:22:45 PM

Title: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: Wreckless Warren on May 02, 2016, 07:22:45 PM
I have used Brad Penn Oil for a long time but have not purchased any in a while. I see that DA Petroleum purchased Brad Penn a while back and it looks like their product has changed. Their multi-grade oils are semi-synthetic?

I'm hearing that Joe Gibbs Hot Rod mineral based oils are the ones to use with flat tappet cams. I used Brad Penn break-in oil for my new engine but I'm wondering what to use going forward, it has solid lifters.  Thanks. ww 
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: Ford428CJ on May 02, 2016, 10:14:24 PM
Thinking of going to Amsoil Z Rod in my boat with a flat tappet Hyd cam. Got over 10hrs on it now.... I'm so use to roller cams LOL
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: blykins on May 03, 2016, 07:11:57 AM
Brad Penn still has non synthetic mineral oil for flat tappets.
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: Wreckless Warren on May 03, 2016, 12:27:49 PM
Hi Brent, I could only find the mineral oil only in a straight weight, not a multi-grade (10W-40). Am I overlooking it? ww
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: blykins on May 03, 2016, 01:23:53 PM
Hmm, I'll have to check but I use a lot of the straight 30 weight oil with my flat tappers.
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: FordEver on May 03, 2016, 02:14:35 PM
http://www.amref.com/Products/Branded-Lubricants.aspx
Kind off confusing with the buyout, original Brad Penn site not much info, this should help, tech data with specs, click away. I just recently used the 30W break in and now the 15W40 semi.
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: My427stang on May 03, 2016, 04:41:13 PM
Brad Penn semi works great with flat tappets, it's all I used when I can find it, plenty of zinc and boron. Unfortunately my local supply dried up and not worth paying shipping.

I also like the 15w40.  Never ran Joe Gibbs, but likely good. I have run Schaeffer, decent stuff, Valvoline VR-1 is good and easy to find, and still have a few gallons left of early diesel oil

Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: gtxpress on May 06, 2016, 06:49:55 AM
I have been using Joe Gibbs since in rebuilt engine.  Seems to work fine.  The oil has a tendency to turn dark and I think that is a result of the mineral oil.  The motor only has about 4k on it since I drained the break in oil.  No complaints with it.
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: cammerfe on May 06, 2016, 01:09:01 PM
Back when my '64 Custom 427-T was new I used D-A Speed Sport oil. I was under the impression that they went out of the performance oil business but I just googled it and find that they now offer Super Speed Sport full synthetic. They were very helpful back-in-the-day---even going so far as to offer free oil analysis complete with a little can and mailer.

KS
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: Wreckless Warren on May 06, 2016, 08:08:38 PM
My folks gave me a DA Speed Sport racing jacket for my 16th birthday (1966). It was black with gold and black trim on the collar and sleeves and the DA insignia across the back . My mom sewed a 427 T-Bird patch on it for me. It was the coolest piece of clothing I owned. Living in S. Florida it was seldom needed but I wore it anyway (sweated my ass off). My Dad had one just like it and my mom still has it. Oh the days long ago. ww
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: fairlanegt427 on May 08, 2016, 11:15:46 AM
I have used brad penn lately and I like it,  I used to use belray but my local dealer doesn't stock what I want anymore so I had to switch.  Any one have any opinion on the belray?  I never did have any problems with  it.
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: Dryhoze1 on May 08, 2016, 09:57:39 PM
Brad Penn is awesome oil
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: Rory428 on May 10, 2016, 02:35:28 PM
Both my 427/454FE and my 331 SB Ford use solid flat tappet cams, as did several 428s before that, I have been using Brad Penn semi synthetic 10/30 in these engines for years, never had any issues to date. I order my Brad Penn from Ken at Oregon Cam, he is a dealer. My machinest buddy normally uses the Joe Gibbs BR break in 15-40 oil on flat tappet engines, and switches to Brad Penn after break in.
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: fryedaddy on May 12, 2016, 11:23:48 AM
anyone ever use rotella-t in their fe.my engine builder told me it has alot of zink in it,and he also told me to stay away from synthetic oils for an fe engine.he has been a bracket racer and runs a machine shop in bristol for over 40 years,and he raced ford only all those years,but i thought rotella was for big trucks only,i dont know
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: jayb on May 12, 2016, 02:47:16 PM
I use to use a lot of 15W-40 Rotella, it was good oil.  In fact, Comp Cams still recommends it for break-in of flat tappet cams and lifters.  I have been told it used to have more zinc in it than it does now, but I don't know if that's true or not.  In any case, thought, nothing wrong with that oil in my opinion.  But I prefer Valvoline VR-1.
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: fastback 427 on May 12, 2016, 03:24:37 PM
A couple years ago we took several oil samples to our local caterpillar dealer for testing. Cost 17$ per analysis. Going by memory the rotella had 1200 ppm zinc. The brad penn had 1300 and change. Well worth the money to check to sure. I've heard rotella lowered the zinc as well.
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: IDOIT4SPEED on May 14, 2016, 12:06:10 AM
 Schaeffers for me  started out with Brad Penn 10/30 in my 331 sb switched to Schaeffers  7000 5/30 picked up .15  the next year I got a deal on some Gibbs xp3 picked up another .1 ran the same oil all summer, about sixty passes. on tear down at the end of the season I found almost no wear, the very large flat tappet cam looked great.  started 2015 with Brad Penn 10/30 in my new Dart 348, after break in and one pass I switched to Schaeffers 5/50  picked up almost .2  big difference in how it ran. like to try some xp3 just to see.
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: Dryhoze1 on May 15, 2016, 11:42:14 AM
Schaeffers for me  started out with Brad Penn 10/30 in my 331 sb switched to Schaeffers  7000 5/30 picked up .15  the next year I got a deal on some Gibbs xp3 picked up another .1 ran the same oil all summer, about sixty passes. on tear down at the end of the season I found almost no wear, the very large flat tappet cam looked great.  started 2015 with Brad Penn 10/30 in my new Dart 348, after break in and one pass I switched to Schaeffers 5/50  picked up almost .2  big difference in how it ran. like to try some xp3 just to see.

Could that .2 been due to weather conditions?
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: troublemaker427 on May 16, 2016, 08:40:07 AM
I run XP3 in my race car.  Bearings and flat tappet cam look great.  It's not cheap but it works.
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: IDOIT4SPEED on May 16, 2016, 07:35:15 PM
Schaeffers for me  started out with Brad Penn 10/30 in my 331 sb switched to Schaeffers  7000 5/30 picked up .15  the next year I got a deal on some Gibbs xp3 picked up another .1 ran the same oil all summer, about sixty passes. on tear down at the end of the season I found almost no wear, the very large flat tappet cam looked great.  started 2015 with Brad Penn 10/30 in my new Dart 348, after break in and one pass I switched to Schaeffers 5/50  picked up almost .2  big difference in how it ran. like to try some xp3 just to see.

Could that .2 been due to weather conditions? passes made within one hour of each other. in 2007 I took my 66 chevelle circle track car to Raceway Park for  a Saturday play day and sunday night race  with IMCA vintage series. I had ben running Kendall 20/50 brown oil, not green like it used to be. I got a case of brad Penn 20/50, this was the first time I had run it. the difference the way the motor ran was night and day. oil temp dropped about 50 degrees  300+ is not uncommon in wet sump circle track motors during a 30 lap race. best of all was the power gain.  some times oil makes a bog difference in the way motors run. I want to try Motul 300V next
Title: Re: Brad Penn vs Joe Gibbs Oil
Post by: Dryhoze1 on May 17, 2016, 10:42:37 AM
Schaeffers for me  started out with Brad Penn 10/30 in my 331 sb switched to Schaeffers  7000 5/30 picked up .15  the next year I got a deal on some Gibbs xp3 picked up another .1 ran the same oil all summer, about sixty passes. on tear down at the end of the season I found almost no wear, the very large flat tappet cam looked great.  started 2015 with Brad Penn 10/30 in my new Dart 348, after break in and one pass I switched to Schaeffers 5/50  picked up almost .2  big difference in how it ran. like to try some xp3 just to see.


Nice !!
Could that .2 been due to weather conditions? passes made within one hour of each other. in 2007 I took my 66 chevelle circle track car to Raceway Park for  a Saturday play day and sunday night race  with IMCA vintage series. I had ben running Kendall 20/50 brown oil, not green like it used to be. I got a case of brad Penn 20/50, this was the first time I had run it. the difference the way the motor ran was night and day. oil temp dropped about 50 degrees  300+ is not uncommon in wet sump circle track motors during a 30 lap race. best of all was the power gain.  some times oil makes a bog difference in the way motors run. I want to try Motul 300V next