What engine oil brand and visc range do you use?
- Thread starter Velero49
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Does it matter what brand? IMNSHO, there's no real difference. May be some between detergent and non-detergent types, but they're pretty much all from Ashland.
I'd just use whatever viscosity that's appropriate for the local climate.
I'd just use whatever viscosity that's appropriate for the local climate.
Just Curious ......................................
........................ as to what brand you had been using and is now discontinued.
I had been using Delo 400 15W-40 for years and it's recently been discontinued in Canada. I now buy it from Walmart just south of the border and they're almost giving the stuff away. $12.00 for 4 L
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........................ as to what brand you had been using and is now discontinued.
I had been using Delo 400 15W-40 for years and it's recently been discontinued in Canada. I now buy it from Walmart just south of the border and they're almost giving the stuff away. $12.00 for 4 L
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Not all oils are created equal. Most oils are formulated for cars which have spark ignition. A few oils are formulated for compression engines.
On each can of oil (at least in the US) there is an API seal that indicates the type of engine the oil was formulated for. The "C" grades (like 'CD' or 'CF') are for compression engines (diesels) and the "S" grades (like 'SJ1' etc) are formulated for spark ignition engines.
Check on a can/bottle of Rotella T and you will see that it is formulated for both compression and spark engines. I use Rotella T 30 in my gasoline powered Atomic 4 engine. Rotella T is a Shell Petroleum product.
On each can of oil (at least in the US) there is an API seal that indicates the type of engine the oil was formulated for. The "C" grades (like 'CD' or 'CF') are for compression engines (diesels) and the "S" grades (like 'SJ1' etc) are formulated for spark ignition engines.
Check on a can/bottle of Rotella T and you will see that it is formulated for both compression and spark engines. I use Rotella T 30 in my gasoline powered Atomic 4 engine. Rotella T is a Shell Petroleum product.
Rotella 15W40.
Concerning the CH-4 rating, this was from a post I had a few years ago when I was changing oil for the first time. This was from the regional Yanmar dealer Mack Boring.
Their response was that any oil with CF rating or better was OK to use with the 3YM30. Acording to the service person I talked to, the reason for the blurb about not using CG-4 or CH-4 was because Yanmar hadn't tested these type oils in their industrial engines a few years ago when they first came out with the CG-4,CH-4 ratings. They just inserted this caution in all their industrial manuals until they could test the oils with the ratings. According to the service person, the cautionary statement is obsolete now but hasn't been removed from their manuals .
Concerning the CH-4 rating, this was from a post I had a few years ago when I was changing oil for the first time. This was from the regional Yanmar dealer Mack Boring.
Their response was that any oil with CF rating or better was OK to use with the 3YM30. Acording to the service person I talked to, the reason for the blurb about not using CG-4 or CH-4 was because Yanmar hadn't tested these type oils in their industrial engines a few years ago when they first came out with the CG-4,CH-4 ratings. They just inserted this caution in all their industrial manuals until they could test the oils with the ratings. According to the service person, the cautionary statement is obsolete now but hasn't been removed from their manuals .
Nothing but Castrol Products
I use nothing but Castrol (Dino) products. GTX 5w30 for my gas vehicles and Tection Extra 15w40 in my Case, Ford and Yanmar diesels. WIX or Baldwin filters too.
I use nothing but Castrol (Dino) products. GTX 5w30 for my gas vehicles and Tection Extra 15w40 in my Case, Ford and Yanmar diesels. WIX or Baldwin filters too.
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Oil is a chemical "soup", a mixture of different elements and compounds that, inside the engine have various properties allowing it to do several different jobs, not just lubrication, but cooling, cleaning, and holding contaminants in suspension, among others. It is not simply "oil", and brands are not all of equal quality.
Many car enthusiasts have been noticing high wear rates and outright failures of camshafts in older engines with flat tappet cams. The problem is widespread and has been directly linked to oils with no, or reduced levels of Zinc additive. So while some may want to assume all oil is equal, it is clearly not. Again, most industrial diesels run flat tappet cams, and most OTR truckers and heavy equipment operators run Rotella T 15W45 for the very reason that it has an adequate amount of Zinc and is a proven high quality heavy duty rated oil for diesels that will also work in gas engines. At least for now. Castrol is generally good but they have been manipulating zinc levels within certain lines and grades and its become confusing. I used to run Castrol GTX in everything before switching to Rotella. One jug of oil and I use it in everything. Simple.
Many car enthusiasts have been noticing high wear rates and outright failures of camshafts in older engines with flat tappet cams. The problem is widespread and has been directly linked to oils with no, or reduced levels of Zinc additive. So while some may want to assume all oil is equal, it is clearly not. Again, most industrial diesels run flat tappet cams, and most OTR truckers and heavy equipment operators run Rotella T 15W45 for the very reason that it has an adequate amount of Zinc and is a proven high quality heavy duty rated oil for diesels that will also work in gas engines. At least for now. Castrol is generally good but they have been manipulating zinc levels within certain lines and grades and its become confusing. I used to run Castrol GTX in everything before switching to Rotella. One jug of oil and I use it in everything. Simple.
My dad collects antique cars, Porsche 356's mostly, and is one of the few who actually prefers to drive them rather than "trailer queen" them... He has been running Rotella T in almost all of his old cars. The differences when these engines are opened up, compared to older oils, is simply amazing. Clean, no visible or measurable wear to speak of and no sludge or other crap anywhere. They also rarely if ever leak oil despite how they used to.....
I have two commercial fishermen as customers one has 13,000+/- engine hours on a John Deer and the other has 11,000 on a Cummins... Both of these engines run only Rotella T...
Our engine has 3400+ hours and also only runs Rotella T. This is what the valve train looked like at about 2800 hours..
The best part is you can buy it right at Wal*Mart or any Autoparts store and it is always in stock..
High quality oils and frequent oil changes and thats what the insides of engines should look like and thats how some guys can get 3 or 4 times the life out of an engine. When anyone says oil brand doesn't matter, don't buy anything from them, and especially not for top dollar.
I'd be more skeptical if they say one's better than another. Virtually anything commercially available today, with few exceptions, will suffice. It's mostly about viscosity at start-up.
But we know what is said about opinions.
Meh.
But we know what is said about opinions.
Meh.
Try telling the guy who's been operating aircraft in part 135 for half his life that oil brands dont matter. You spend $100K each on two piston engines for a big twin, which have a TBO of only 2300 hours which cannot be exceeded without overhaul, where even the most minor failure and downtime cuts deep into your finacial investment, not to mention the risk of outright engine failure in flight. I can assure you, oil brand and oil quality are very well understood in that arena and are quite critical, and its based on lots of engine failures and teardowns.
There is also a reason that only Kendall oils saw Mercedes diesels exceeding 800K miles without any major engine work. Same reasons why OTR truck engines can rack up a million miles between overhauls with Rotella. Guys been running it a long time, and everything has been tried.
None of them can do that running crap oils, and again, everyones tried it.
There is also a reason that only Kendall oils saw Mercedes diesels exceeding 800K miles without any major engine work. Same reasons why OTR truck engines can rack up a million miles between overhauls with Rotella. Guys been running it a long time, and everything has been tried.
None of them can do that running crap oils, and again, everyones tried it.
I do know a lot of commercial pilots. Okay, I will!
Is this wording okay?
D'oh! I've misspelled "friendly"! Hope Sully understands!
You are entitled to your opinion. Since you are probably running an outboard virtually any oil you picked up in an auto parts store while blindfolded would probably be ok for a season. Most of the cheaper engine oils out there are nominally engineered for cars, or spark ignition engines. The same can NOT be said for folks who own inboard engines, particularly diesels.
Diesel compression combustion can release sulphur into the oil which ends up as sulphuric acid that can eat away at the finely engineered moving and stationary parts of an engine. Oils that are made for diesels have additives that help reduce the negative effects of sulphur; oils that are made for gas engines have no such additives.
If you want to prolong the life of your inboard engine then you should understand that not all oils are created equal. If you are running a lawn mower or an outboard then nearly any oil of the right grade will do in a pinch.
If you read Nigel Caulder's "Boatowners Mechanical & Electrical Manual" you would find a few paragraphs devoted to just this subject. Diesel engines require the right oil to extend their working life. Outboard engines are easily replaced. Inboard engines not so much.
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