Preventing valve train wear in automotive engines i s one of the most importantproperties of anengine oil. However, the influence of engine oil additives on valve train wear has not been suffliently clarifld. In this investigation, the antiwearperformance of additives (such as ashless dispersants, metallic detergents and zinc dithiophosphate -WTP) and the influence of the interaction of the additives were evaluated. Firstly, ashless dispersants (such as succinimides. succinic esters and benzylamine-type additives) did not appear to provide signfxant antiwear protection in valve train wear tests. However, a succinimidecontaining boron demonstrated excellent antiwear performance.Secondly, metallic detergents were considered. An overbased calcium sulphonate and an overbased phenate were found to have good anti-scufmg performance when evaluated in engine tests and in Falex wear tests. However,from the results of four-ball tests, these additives did not appear to have many extreme pressure properties. From surface analyses, it was determined that a calcium carbonatefrlm was formed on the sliding surface of the Falex test piece, and thisfrlmprovidedgood protection against wear.Finally, the interaction of m T P , succinimides and calcium detergents and their influence on valve train wear were studied. The decornosition temperature of ZDTP increased with certain additives, including the succinimide. As a result, scufmg was more prone, at temperatures below those increased temperatures. Also, changes in additive concentration on the sliding surface. due to competitive adsorption, altered the antiwear performance of the oa