Torco GP7 harmful to cat?

[JanGeo]

A friend met someone who knows something about Torco GP7 ... says it contains metal that will harm catalytic converters. Has anyone ever heard of this? I asked my brother about it yesterday and he will check with the rep who sells it to the bike shop were I get mine who also uses it in his vehicles to see if the rep can find out anything from the Torco company. As my brother says this is not its intended purpose...

[trollbait]

Came across this. The Late Great Oil Debate

Low Ash type detergent/dispersants are used in most API-TC, Jasco FC and ISO GC certified 2-stroke oils. These oils are designed for air-cooled high performance engines that operate under severe load/temperature conditions. Low Ash detergents can keep the deposits to a minimum at ring land temperatures as high as 400 deg/f. These detergents are manufactured from compounds of Calcium and Magnesium (heavy metals). After these compounds (Calcium Phenate or Magnesium Phenate) do their job, they burn away, forming a heavy metal salt (ash) that is swept away during the normal combustion process. Hence, this is where the name Ash-type detergent comes from. Ash type detergents depend on the higher combustion temperatures (787 and 951 engines) to keep the resulting ash swept out.

Torco gp7 is a racing oil that meets those specigications. So it is an ash producer. A car engine isn't going to get hot enough, and the Torco may build up where it shouldn't.

The real concern is that as a racing oil it is off road use. Off road engines don't have catalytic convertors to worry about and their oils might still use zinc in anti-wear additives.

If it's for upper cylinder lube, Torco makes RCL. Which is good for street use.
http://www.torcousa.com/torco_product/rcl.html

[JanGeo]

The pib compound in GP7 was supposed to be a combustion catalyst has well as the oil being a fuel system lubricant. I only use 3 cc for 10 gallons so it's not a high concentration. It typically does not even burn in 2 stroke bikes and usually comes out the tailpipe as an oil.

[trollbait]

Sounds like those bikes aren't the high revvers it's intended for. In a water cooled auto engine, it probably isn't burning either. Perhaps it is dispersed enough at the lower concentrations to burn. Or it's slowing making its way through the upper exhaust towards the cat.

I thought the PIB needed to be the higher molecular weight stuff to have a benefit. Butyl rubber in other words.