New Items
PLEASE NOTE: ALL PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO
CHANGE AT ANY TIME, PLEASE CALL FOR CURRENT PRICING.
WHAT'S MISSING FROM YOUR OIL MAY
BE DESTROYING YOUR ENGINE
What is ZDDP? There seems to be a problem with
the oil you are probably using in your TBird. An oil additive known as
ZDDP (Zinc Dialkyl Dithio phosphate) has been gradually removed from commercially
available engine oils.
There are two main reasons for the diminishing
use of ZDDP in our oils. First, the EPA has required new car auto makers
to guarantee that catalytic converters will last 100K miles. The use of
ZDDP is hard on catalytic converters. Second, cars that have roller rocker
assemblies do not need ZDDP.
What does ZDDP do for our engines? ZDDP is a
surface modifier. It modifies bearing to journal surface characteristics
to prevent metal to metal contact. Under the right conditions of heat and
pressure it plates over the contact surface and provides a sacrificial coating.
As it breaks down, it dissipates into the oil where it remains in suspension
until the right conditions are met and the process starts over again. This
cycle reduces the possibility of scuffing and galling.
We have spoken to our cam supplier and they agree
that currently available oils are different and they would suggest using
an additive that replaces the missing ZDDP.
How do we replace ZDDP? CASCO has reviewed the
available products and have settled on a product called ZDDPlus. ZDDPlus
is a concentrated 4 ounce bottle that you simply add at every oil change.
It is recommended for all engines built before 1988 that have flat tappet
setups. We have added this to our product offering as part number Z4 which
sells for $10.85 a 4 ounce bottle.
ZDDPlus™ QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
What is ZDDPlus™?
ZDDPlus™ is an oil supplement that contains very high concentrations
of the well-known additive ZDDP (Zinc Dialkyl-Dithio-Phosphate), which has
been the primary EP (Extreme Pressure) ingredient in all quality motor oils
for over 70 years.
Why do I need ZDDP?
The EPA has put stricter emission requirements on new cars, which have influenced
manufacturers to remove ZDDP from motor oils. If you have an older car that
was specified to use SF or earlier motor oil, its design requires ZDDP.
Your car could be damaged with the use of modern SM oils.
What do the oil grades such as “SF” indicate?
In the API (American Petroleum Institute) Classification System, “S”
and “C” are the two basic application categories of oil. “S”
is intended for gasoline use and “C” is intended for diesel use.
“A” was the first grade in each category and resulted in “SA”
and “CA” grade oils. Each progressed farther up the alphabet as
new grades of oil were introduced. The newest grades are “SM”
and “CJ” respectively.
Aren’t the newer oils better than the older oils?
Historically, every new grade of oil introduced since the 1930s was better
than the previous grade and could be considered “improved” with
one exception. The original SA grade was straight mineral oil (non-detergent
and without additives) and SB contained additives, which could not be used
in the earliest cars specified for SA. While it is true that SM oils are
better for newer cars, they are not better for older cars. Simply put, the
newer and/or better oils are not backward compatible for older cars, primarily
due to the gradual reduction of ZDDP starting with SG grade in 1988.
How much ZDDPlus™ should I add to my oil?
One bottle of ZDDPlus™ will raise the ZDDP level of SL or SM spec oil
to the standards that were in place when SF (or earlier) oil was specified.
What if my oil already contains some ZDDP?
ZDDP is most effective if the concentration is between 0.18 % and 0.2 %
by weight. Tests have shown that concentrations above this amount, up to
as much as several percent have no effect except to prolong additive life.
Can I use ZDDPlus™ with regular and synthetic
oils?
ZDDPlus™ should be compatible with all conventional and synthetic oils
intended for automotive use. Virtually all of these oils have contained
higher amounts of ZDDP for years and only recently have the levels been
decreased.
What is the shelf life of ZDDPlus™?
The shelf life of ZDDPlus™ is essentially the same as regular motor
oil (many years) as long as a few conditions are met. The temperature should
be kept below 120 degrees F and above 0 degrees. Until it is mixed with
motor oil, ZDDPlus™ has a tendency to absorb moisture, not unlike brake
fluid. Absorption of water will degrade its performance; however, the ZDDP
can be restored by slowly heating to a temperature slightly above 100C.
When should ZDDPlus™ be added?
ZDDPlus™ can be added anytime, but the best time is whenever the oil
is changed. A single 4 oz bottle ZDDPlus™ provides the proper concentration
for a 4- to 5-quart oil change.
How long does ZDDPlus™ last?
Minute amounts of the ZDDP molecule in the ZDDPlus™ form a necessary
sacrificial additive which becomes depleted upon use. ZDDPlus™ is designed
to last the life of a normal oil change for your vehicle; however, attention
should be given to the categories of service known as “normal”
and “severe.” The severe category includes stop-and-go driving
and short trips, and results in shortened service life. Not only is the
service life of ZDDPlus™ decreased, many other oil additives suffer
as well.
Why should ZDDPlus™ not be used on OBD cars?
The key ingredient of ZDDPlus™ is ZDDP, which has been known to shorten
catalytic converter life. Manufacturers have been redesigning engines for
the last decade to minimize the need for ZDDP in order to lower emission
levels.
Why not just use diesel rated oils since they contain higher levels of ZDDP?
Diesel engine requirements are much different than those of gasoline engines.
The higher speeds and lower bearing surface-to-power ratios of gasoline
engines require oil with higher shear ratings than most diesel oils. Diesels
also have higher bearing clearances, which call for higher viscosity oils.
The additional detergents required for soot control actually reduce the
effectiveness of added levels of ZDDP found in diesel oils.
How does ZDDPlus™ compare to EOS?
Historically, EOS was the most concentrated ZDDP supplement available. It
was intended to boost ZDDP levels of oils that already contained EP additives.
ZDDPlus™ is packaged in a 4 oz bottle and contains twice the amount
of ZDDP than there is in a 16 oz bottle of EOS. Therefore, it takes two
16 oz bottles of EOS to equal the same concentration of ZDDP in one 4 oz
bottle of ZDDPlus™. ZDDPlus™ is intended to be used with newer
oils with little or no ZDDP. EOS was discontinued by General Motors in the
second quarter of 2007.
What about the claims of the various additives?
We make virtually no claims for ZDDPlus™ except it restores the EP
function of the oil to the level originally required for your older car.
Other additives make claims so ludicrous; they cannot be accepted based
on common sense alone. Consider, for example, fuel mileage. The only proven
fuel mileage claim is that of the newer lower viscosity API rated energy
conserving grades of oil which claim 1.5% for the Type 1 EC, and 2.7% for
the Type II EC oils. Note - This claim is in percent, not mpg. If an additive
was to actually boost fuel mileage 20% or more, then auto manufacturers
would have found the very cheapest method possible to increase their CAFÉ
fuel ratings! If there was any truth to these claims, virtually every car
built would certainly leave the assembly line with those products installed!
Can an oil or additive have Zn and not P and still
contain ZDDP?
It is important to note that the wear protection properties are due only
to the characteristics of the ZDDP molecule and not to Zn or P in the oil
in other forms or from other sources. This means that if a particular motor
oil mentions the addition of Zn alone, or P alone, the ZDDP molecule is
not present in that motor oil. The ratios of Zn and P can be manipulated
by simply adding zinc salts or phosphates, but again, this does not produce
ZDDP and has no anti-wearing action.
Lastly, depleted ZDDP releases Zn and P into the motor oil and testing for
levels of either of these pure elements is not a gauge of the status of
the ZDDP level. What does this mean? If you see an oil additive or motor
oil specifying only a level of Zn without a level of P, then there is no
ZDDP in that product.
MASTER CYLINDER FILL CAP WRENCH
A wrench made especially for your T-bird master cylinder fill cap, so
you can remove or tighten the cap without ruining it. Made of non-marring
UHMW plastic. CNC machined by CASCO.
Part number TL14 sells for $5.99 plus S&H.
STEERING COLUMN COLLAR WRENCH
Don't be frustrated by trying to loosen your steering column collar
anymore! This wrench is specially made for loosening the telescoping collar
on the steering column. It is used with the insert (included) on the 1955
column or without the insert for 1956-57 column. CNC machined by CASCO from
non-marring UHMW plastic.
Part number TL15 sells for $39.95 plus S&H.
1955 LED TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLIES
CASCO started this project because the LEDs look neat. Then, after having
photometric tests done on the stock lens and filament bulb, we found that
the stock set-up fails current DOT safety requirements for stop lamp. This
prompted us to move forward with developing the product. Our assembly uses
24 LEDs, is DOT compliant, uses a pigtail that plugs into the original bulb
socket, and is also very attractive.
At this time, the 12 volt version of the 1955 T-bird LED tail lamps is available:
part number 13450A-LED12, are in stock and selling for $149.95 per pair.
Also available are the 1955 6 volt assemblies which come with rear LED
lamps, front LED parking lamps, electronic flasher, gaskets, and instructions.
Order by part number 13450A-LED6 for $189.95 per set.
Order now by visiting our on-line
parts store or calling us toll free at 1-800-374-0914.
1956 LED TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLIES
NOW available: 1956 LED tail lamps!! Order by part number 13450B-LED
for $134.95 per pair.
THUNDERBIRD SHAPED JIGSAW PUZZLE
Puzzle is in the shape of a 56 thunderbird and depicts a colorful 50's
drive-in scene. The puzzle contains over 500 pieces and measures 36"
x 11.25". Some assembly required. Part number TBPZ ... $17.95
WIPER SWITCH CABLE ASSEMBLY
Now available from CASCO is the wiper switch cable assembly for your vacuum
motor that runs from the dash to the motor. The switch assembly is a very
nice zinc plated part with the correct size cable & core attached. Order
by part number 17470 this part which sells for $59.68 plus S&H.
SOFT TOP REAR TACKSTRIP RETAINER
For many years our hobby has struggled to find a suitable replacement for
the rear tack strip retainer. CASCO has reproduced a great extruded aluminum
replacement that provides even more support to the castings that the original
retainer. Our retainer is supplied in three pieces of preformed .060"
aluminum
channel. Installation: Simply clamp channel in place, drill through original
rivet holes and through channel and install a short rivet in every other
hole. With a soft mallet, tap the tack strip into the channel and then drill
through the tack strip and install the long rivets in the remaining holes.
Kit includes 3pc channel, stainless steel rivets, and instructions. Order
by part number 50001B which is priced at $147.50 per kit.
MODIFIED "HIGH OUTPUT" WATER PUMP
CASCO now has available the modified water pump which has been discussed
at length in recent issues of the Early Bird. There are vanes added to the
back side of the impeller on a standard Thunderbird water pump. The modification
components are all stainless steel. This pump is designed to push a larger
amount of water through the radiator thereby helping to increase radiator
cooling capacity.
We also suggest that a thermostat with a larger opening be used with this
modification for even more water flow. The large opening 170 degree thermostat
is available from CASCO as part number 8575C and sells for $16.62.
The modified pump is available as part number 8501HO and sells for $136.25
plus S&H.
The complete article on this pump modification can be found in the July-August
2005 issue of the Early Bird or on the CASCO web site at www.classictbird.com.
(below)
WATER PUMP MODIFICATION ARTICLE
by Jim Brown with the technical assistance of John Lonsberry
After reading about the pump modification by Jack Ralph in the March-April
issue of Early Bird it made me wonder about the benefits of such an arrangement.
After receiving a couple of phone calls from customers asking if I thought
it would work and if CASCO had any plans to produce a pump with similar
modifications, I knew we had to devise a test and see what benefits there
were.
I discussed the project with John Lonsberry, our restoration shop manager,
at CASCO and he said, "It will be like the show Myth Busters"
and was immediately interested in working on the project with me.
We started our investigation by asking some radiator manufacturers if
more flow through the radiator was a good thing. They agreed that the more
flow the better. When we asked if there was a point of diminishing returns
one manufacturer said, "When you have so much water flowing into the
radiator that it blows the top tank apart it's time to think about reducing
the flow rate." So we set out to design our test apparatus with the
goal to find the pump configuration that gave us the highest flow rate.
In particular we were concerned about the flow rate at or near idle speed
since this is the most common time to have overheating problems. In the
case of parades, it's also the most embarrassing to have these problems.
Our test assembly used two 30 gallon plastic tanks connected to an engine
on our shop's engine test stand. The two plastic tanks were connected together
with 2" pipe with a ball valve installed. One tank ran to the inlet
of the water pump, and the other tank was connected to the water outlet
on the engine. We filled both tanks with 15 gallons of water. Then we closed
the ball valve that connects the two tanks and started the engine. While
the engine was running it pulled water out of one tank and pumped into the
other tank. We recorded the time it took to pump 10 gallons of water. It
was surprising to see just how much water is being moved by the water pump
that we have questioned for so long.
We tested the flow rates with these four variables:
1. RPM: We ran tests at 550rpm and 1500rpm.
2. Thermostat size: There are at least two different size thermostats currently
available to the hobby. The one with a small opening is available in 160
and 180 degree and has an opening of .887 square inches. We refer to this
thermostat as the small thermostat. The other thermostat which is available
in 170 degree has an opening 1.724 square inches, referred to in this study
as the large thermostat.
3. Baffle: Since there have also been ongoing discussions among hobbyists
about the effect of using the baffle, we tested it at the same time.
4. Pump modification: We ran tests with a standard water pump and also with
the same pump modified with additional vanes on the back side of the impeller.
In a similar arrangement to Jack Ralph's modification.
Since we were pumping water above the level of the engine's water pump,
the data shown in the graph may not represent actual flow rates through
a closed coolant system. However we feel comfortable making comparisons
between each configuration.
Discussion:
The poorest performance is shown by the two bottom lines. These two lines
are with the water pump baffle installed.
The middle two lines show the performance difference between the standard
pump and the modified pump using the small thermostat.
The top two lines show the difference between the standard pump and the
modified pump using the large opening thermostat.
Conclusion:
Assuming that increased water flow results in better overall cooling performance,
we can draw these conclusions:
GOOD: Do not use a baffle
BETTER: Use a large opening thermostat.
BEST: Use a large opening thermostat and a water pump with a modified impeller.
So how do we answer our customer's question whether or not CASCO will
produce a modified pump? It looks like there is some real benefit to be
gained from this modified pump arrangement and therefore we will be giving
the production serious thought. However it is important to point out that
when working on engine cooling we can't ignore, proper ignition timing,
a good clean radiator (or aluminum), proper fit of the fan in the fan shroud,
a thermostat that is opening fully (especially the large one), and possibly
auxiliary electric fans if you have air conditioning.
NOT SO NEW ITEMS...
SOFT TOP RECOVERING VIDEO
CASCO is now in the process of releasing a series of instructional videos
to assist hobbyists in various aspects of repair and restoration of their
Classic Thunderbird.
The first video in the series is now available. This video focuses on recovering
the soft top.
CV1 Video - Soft Top Recovering $19.95
COOLANT OVERFLOW TANK
For everyone that requested an easy to install good looking overflow tank,
this one’s for you. Designed specifically for your Early Bird. Adds
almost 2 extra quarts of coolant to your cooling system and gives you piece
of mind that you are maintaining proper coolant level. Easy installation
even on cars equipped with air conditioning. Coolant level can be checked
hot just like your late model car. Installation: loosen two existing bolts,
slide tank into place, tighten bolts, hook up flexible tubing, and fill
with coolant. Kit comes with tank, CNC machined TBird specific bracket,
tubing, and instructions. Kit is designed for vehicles with overflow tube
on RH (passenger side) and original style fan shroud.
Easy Installation = Easy Removal for concourse shows.
8005RK Coolant overflow tank ... $34.95
To order:
U.S. & Canada - toll free 1-800-374-0914
International - 740-622-8561
Fax - 740-622-5151