Oil & Fuel Winter Diesel Motor Oil?

[Anonymous Poster]

I'm getting ready for my first winter with my 4300 with 100 hrs. My manual states 15w40 goes down to 0 degrees. 5w-30 looks like the way to go if it drops below 0.

My first question is, If store the tractor in a heated garage.
and its below 0 outside will 15w40 still be ok, or will it thicken up while outside running (say snow blading for 4 hours)?

I'm thinking they tell you this in case you store your tractor outside, for cold startups.

If everyone suggests 5w-30, is regular Valvoline for gas cars ok, (i use this regularly)

Rotella doesn't have a 5w-30, there website has a 5w-40 Synthetic.

Second question, if I go synthetic, will it hurt my motor with only 100hrs breakin on it??

Any experiences, or more info to clarify this better appreciated.
Thanks!
John

 

[MikePA]

<font color=blue>If store the tractor in a heated garage and its below 0 outside will 15w40 still be ok</font color=blue>
I think it'd be OK.

<font color=blue>or will it thicken up while outside running (say snow blading for 4 hours)?</font color=blue>
Once it gets up to temperature, you're OK.

<font color=blue>If everyone suggests 5w-30, is regular Valvoline for gas cars ok, (i use this regularly)</font color=blue>
You should use oil formulated for diesel engines.

<font color=blue>Rotella doesn't have a 5w-30, there website has a 5w-40 Synthetic.</font color=blue>
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.amsoil.com/products/hdd.html>Amsoil does</A>

<font color=blue>Second question, if I go synthetic, will it hurt my motor with only 100hrs breakin on it??</font color=blue>
Nope. Several TBNers have switched to synthetic after 50 hours.

 

[Bird]

John, I'll just agree with Mike's answers. And I also agree with you that <font color=blue>I'm thinking they tell you this in case you store your tractor outside, for cold startups.</font color=blue> Personally, I wouldn't worry about leaving the 15W-40 in it year round if it isn't going to be outside except when it's running.

 

[Egon]

Up in the frozen north the farmers prefer to keep the tractors they are using in a garage that is just below freezing to avoid condensation. Then they plug in the tractor prior to using it. This is a requirement if the temp is at -30 celcius cause it don't matter what oil you are using it just goes RRRGGGGHHH.
Both my truck and tractor have 15-40 in year around.

Egon

 

[Bird]

Yep, Egon, my brother says he never used anything but Delo 15W-40 in his trucks in Alaska, but he did say something about having to set a smudge pot under the engine and tarp over it on occasion before starting./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I also have a book, Glacier Pilot "The Story of Bob Reeve and the Flyers Who Pushed Back Alaska's Air Frontiers" by Beth Day which has several insteresting stories about draining the oil out of airplane engines when they landed to take it in and keep it sitting by the stove until they were ready to take off again and/or throwing a tarp over the engine with a fire under it./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Hoeman00]

If stored in heated garage like mine,then
15w40 is fine.
After the 200 hr. oil change i'm changing
to Schaeffer's moly-syn 15w40 in my TC35D.

 

[Egon]

Bird:
They also used blowtorches on the cylinders to help along. Nothing like a good block heater and a long power cord.

Some people have even had to resort to building a fire under their propane tank when it gets real cold.
Egon

 

[Trev]

Just curious.. but why wouldn't a "5W-something" be better than a "10W-something" for cold weather? Once the engine gets up to temp, it would make no difference, right? And for starting, the oil would flow quicker, no?

By my own (il)logic, why isn't there a 0W-40 oil available?

I just stick the JD 15W-40 in it year round.. but am willing to reconsider.

 

[MikePA]

You're correct, the 5W would flow better than 10W. However, I think the key in this situation was the heated garage.

 

[Trev]

Okay, my garage isn't heated.. but I do have engine block and hydraulic heaters.

Still, there are inevitably occassions when someone calls and says "Help, I'm stuck!", and I don't want to say "Well, wait for 3 hours while I turn on my heaters and then I'll come rescue you." /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

So, maybe 5% of the time the engine is started in cold weather (10 deg F or so) with no heaters. Think I'd be better off with a 5W-something?