What do they put in diesel motor oil that makes it different from regular motor oil?

They always say its more heavy duty.What do they put in diesel motor oil that makes it different from regular motor oil?
First off, diesels don't and are not designed to burn (to use) crankcase oil. As far as oil control goes, they're no different from a gasoline engine in that respect. In fact, I have a Perkins that has 3 compression rings and 2 oil rings. They sure wouldn't use 2 oil rings if they wanted it to use oil. Many Caterpillar engines had 2 rings (to reduce parasitic friction losses), a compression and a compression/oil ring and those engines would use oil from the get go.





A lot of diesel oils, especially those for older engines, have higher levels of zinc than do the latest generation of gasoline oils. Actually they don't have more zinc, it's just that the newest class of oils have less than before. Zinc makes things slippery and since most modern engines have roller tappets, it's no problem. Older cars, trucks, motorcycles and tractors (both gas and diesel) with conventional flat tappets need the zinc to prevent cam lobe wear, especially those high reving engines with very stiff valve springs (motorcycles).What do they put in diesel motor oil that makes it different from regular motor oil?
As stated above there is a form of zinc that is used along with other additives in compression ignition engines. (diesels)





Diesels run under higher pressures than gasoline engines. One additive that helps make it ';heavy duty'; and resist the pressure, zinc dialkyldithiophosphate, can clog catalytic converters in cars, but diesels don't have a converter to clog. So they can use it in higher levels.





There are other antiwear, detergent, antifoaming and corrosion inhibitors that differ in each formula.
diesels burn oil,there designed to...so they make an oil that is designed to burn.....


now im not talking a gallon a month,only a very small amount but nevertheless they burn oil.
Different detergents to deal with the different contaminants found in a diesel engine.