I have no idea, all I know is that it does make a positive difference and that's all I care about.
Best Oil To Use For Kawasaki
- Thread starter djdicetn
- Start date
It’s going to have as much zinc and phosphorus as most other 4 Stroke motorcycle oil or Power Sports oils. Kawasaki and Kohler don’t publish product data sheets. So, take a look at what Valvoline, Mobil, Castrol and others publish. The zinc and phosphate levels are going to be around 1,200 PPM.
Example: https://sharena21.springcm.com/Publ...2d889bd3/4707a799-e29c-e711-9c10-ac162d889bd3
Walmart Super Tech 10W40 Synthetic Motorcycle has 1,200 ppm of zinc. It’s the same as Mag 1.
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I run Rotella 30W in my 1958 Ford 601.Yep. Even Shell Rotella T-4 15-40
I find most everything that is brave enough to list zinc content has at least 800 PPM.
So, we are supposed to believe zinc works magic in lawnmower engines, trust that lawnmower-specific motor oils have massive amounts of zinc, yet no one puts their reputation on the line to enumerate how much zinc is desired or how much is actually in the oil?
Reading my FR600V manual I find "API Service Classification : SJ or higher class." The word "zinc" is not present in the PDF.
We are led to believe API reduces the allowable quantity of zinc as the Service Classifications progress over the years, but API states the actual performance of the motor oil is continuously improving. In other words, "have to make the oil better but can't rely on crutches such as zinc."
As has been covered here, zinc is a last-resort protection. Only when pressure pushes through the oil film does a layer of soft zinc provide a cushion. The zinc is crushed and consumed. When one runs out of zinc the protection ends.
My highly respected mower guy is adamant about using high zinc Kawasaki oil. Asked about a friend's 17.5HP B&S which sat for years with a flooding carburetor. New carburetor, got engine running, 5 minutes later it stopped. Stuck intake valve. Was told, "that is because he was using car oil and not high zinc mower oil!" (Am pretty sure the local John Deere dealer changed the oil before the carburetor crapped out). And I'm stymied as to how zinc in the motor oil is supposed to the valve guides?
The valve not only stuck, but the pushrod bent.
Your theory is based on anecdotal evidence.
An air cooled small engine has different oil requirements than a gasoline powered automobile engine. If they didn’t, small engine manufacturers would not have their branded oil formulated to meet certain requirements.
Kawasaki KTECH™ 4-Cycle Engine Oil | Kawasaki Engines USA
Designed to keep today’s high-performance, low-emission engines operating at peak efficiency, KTECH 4-Cycle Engine Oil also contains zinc additives that help prevent excess wear on engine parts.
kawasakienginesusa.com
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PTmowerMech
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Good question.
PTmowerMech
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Stens oil claims to have zinc. That's what I use.
Your theory is anecdotal. I’m asking for fact rather than, “lawnmower engines are different.”
Whatever! I’ve provided the literature that Kohler and Kawasaki puts out pertaining to their oil. Kohler even states that the demand of small air cooled engines is different than that of automobile requirements. Today’s automobile oils are engineered to meet the current EPA CAFE standards geared towards increased fuel mileage.
You do as you like and I’ll do as I like.