Anything with an API SM rating should be avoided like the plague. SL is a bit sketchy, as well. Even Mobil 1 is not appropriate by itself these days. Brad Penn, Amsoil, and Red Line are all good alternatives.
I've never heard anything good about ANY high milage seal conditioner additives for anything...AC, power steering, transmissions, you name it. It's just a cheap "fix" that always seems to cause more problems than it solves.
The ZDDP crisis is actually a pretty big deal for any older motor that runs flat tappet/lifter valve train. Search Pelican for "Ultimate motor oil thread".
I actually found this place just last night that has a bunch of good articles that pretty much sums it all up.
http://www.rlengines.com/Web_Pages/Tech.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by choinga
It doesn't matter how expensive the oil is or what brand name it has on the box - if the ZDDP levels aren't right and it's got 'high mileage' on the bottle, it ain't right for this car. FWIW, that link I posted looks like they are referencing MG's and are concerned about the ZDDP levels in GTX and of course, recommend not using it anymore. Not sure why you'd think that oil you've been using in a 70's british car has to be good for a 80's german car, but I digress...
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It's a freaking 4 cyl motor, not a rocket ship. Quality oil of the correct weight with the correct additives to protect the valvetrain is all that's important for any engine, and I would not be surprised if the old British motors have the same problems needing enough ZDDP to protect the cam and lifters as the 944's do. Granted, people have favorites, but at the end of the day, this is what it all boils down to.
The oil leak could be alot of things, including the front cam seals, or the lower balance shaft seals not being installed correctly. It could also be worn shaft sleaves that were not replaced that have eaten up the new seals. It could also be that the lower balance shaft did not get the correct seal installed (they are rotational direction specific, and the two shafts spin in opposite directions from each other). It could also be the oil cooler housing gasket, which is an integral gasket that not only contains the main housing seal to seal the coolant area for the oil cooler, but also has two other smaller seals that seal main oil passageways that are subjected to full oil pressure. Could also be the front corner of the oil pan gasket, but not as likely. Hard to say for sure, since all of these are in the same general area, and all leak to the same location. It could even be the cam housing gasket leaking up front, which also seals pressurized oil passageways that feed the cam bearings and hydraulic lifters. You'll have to climb under and try to trace the mess. It may need to be cleaned up first to be able to get a good idea of what's leaking if it's been going on awhile. Oil creeps uphill to some extent and attracts road grime like crazy as you probably know.