Diesel Engine Oil

[3930dave]

T5 is a blend
Shell Rotellaｮ Products - Shell Rotella

I don't normally get too hung up on this aspect of the marketing, but I'll try and clear up the confusion I've created.

Go back a year or so, and T5 was marketed in Canada as a Semi-Synthetic (ie. blend). The recently released T5 0W40 is a bit of a Canuck red-headed step-child from a marketing standpoint. The jug is labelled as Synthetic, my take on it is when they wanted to push this T5 to span 0W40, they had to upgrade the base-stock. (Got a camera/'puter fight on at the moment, or I'd just post a pic of the jug).

Shell is not pushing the Synth aspect of this 0W40 for a couple of reasons - 1) AFAIK it's only released in Canada, and 2) they don't want to muddy the market waters re. T6 vs. T5.

I'll toss in a BITOG link - note this 0W40 is not suitable for later (Emissions) diesels.

Read label carefully Rotella T5 0W40 - Bob Is The Oil Guy

Looks like this 0W40 has been around in Canada longer than I thought - just not easy to find though.

Rgds, D.

 

[buickanddeere]

T5 is not a sythetic, it's just treated dead dynosors.
T6 is a full synthetic.

 

[buickanddeere]

It is interesting to compare, just for discussion, a straight 40wt that I used on my boat's Detroits for many years vs. today's synthetic 10/40 or whatever. One pours like water, the other like honey.
But both work obviously.

Two stroke Detroits are tempermental about oil additive packages. Anything that leaves ash, gum or deposits is damaging. Scuffed sleeves and plugged ports are the result if oil containing ash or mulit viscosity additive packages is used. The DD operator's manual goes to great lengths in several places to state only the use of straight weight lube oil.
Back when DD's were popular. I'll wager more engines were tore apart for rebuilds due to the wrong high ash oil than due to just wearing out.
The last 2-53 we went through for my JD435 had the exhaust ports plugged tight with ash.
T1 Sheel Rotella is the mineral oil of choice. Amsoil makes a straight 30wt weight low ash SF-2 . Lubrication Engineers makes an excellent DD lube oil too.

 

[3930dave]

I don't want to turn this into a Group III vs. IV vs. V debate, as that discussion belongs over on BITOG, IMO.

What I was trying to clarify/reinforce was:

1) The 0W40 I was talking about is definitely T5, not T6.

2) Shell labels T5 0W40 here in Canada as Synthetic. AFAIK, the other T5 viscosities are labelled "Blend" or "Semi-Synthetic".

One of the reasons I don't like debating these terms is not everybody uses the same definition for "Synthetic". (Ex. since T6 is a Group III, some purists do not consider it to be a true Synthetic at all). Personally, I don't spend a lot of time worrying about the terminology, but rather prefer spending the time reading UOAs over on BITOG to see how a particular product performs, consistently, in a given motor application.

3) If you check the C_/S_ ratings, you can readily see that the T5 0W40 is definitely a different beast, within the T5 family. Use in a late model (Emission) diesel may void your warranty and cause damage to the pollution control hardware.

I think this T5 0W40 is a decent niche product. I have some on the shelf, to go into my old tractor for next winter. It's just not something that you can blindly dump into every diesel - use T6 for that type of approach.

(Just read your last post - interesting about the DD's. Good example of what an innappropriate oil will do, even a high quality one).

Rgds, D.

 

[DeereMann]

LouieJunior,
I used to work in Industrial Lubricants for a major oil company. The other members are spot-on...you MUST use an API certified diesel engine oil. Your owners manual will specify the proper grade. For small Yanmar/Kubota engines it is usually CH4 or higher.

You will not cause engine damage with low hour use of gasoline engine oil - the major difference is the diesel soot-holding capability, which takes some time to accumulate. But - when soot holding capacity runs out, soot is very abrasive & will start polishing cylinder bores & wiping camshafts, so do it soon.

There is debate about low ash additive engine oils per API CI & CJ grades for on-highway diesels with the latest low emission technology (exhaust aftertreatment) by not having sufficient antiwear for small diesels with solid cam lifters, but I can not find any oil that is lower than CI/J.

Here is a link you might find useful for better grades of diesel engine oil to choose from. I don't know who makes Deere's oil for them. Diesel Oil

Hope this helps, the members of TBN are really knowledgable (I've only been here a month).

 

[3930dave]

DeereMann - thanks for posting that, good article.

I don't know how close you are to the border, but Rotella T5 0W40 should be available at Canadian Tire. Last jug I bought (3 months or so back) is CG-4, if you are still looking.

Rgds, D.

 

[DeereMann]

Welcome 3930dave,

I am down in the Twin Cities, so 5-6 hours from the Great White North. Maybe order via internet?

U.S. EPA sure has screwed up the diesel engine market. You would think they would be promoting diesel due to higher thermal efficiency, longevity, & lower CO2 output. The Europeans had it figured out long ago.

 

[3930dave]

Welcome 3930dave,

I am down in the Twin Cities, so 5-6 hours from the Great White North. Maybe order via internet?

U.S. EPA sure has screwed up the diesel engine market. You would think they would be promoting diesel due to higher thermal efficiency, longevity, & lower CO2 output. The Europeans had it figured out long ago.

I didn't see the 0W40 listed on the CTC site. That said, it is not my favourite site for this type of shopping. We do have a lot of stores across the country, and CTC has chosen to not really push their Ecommerce.

Engine Oil, Motor Oil, Marine Engine Oil | Canadian Tire

T6 is regular stock at most CTC stores, at least in the East. T5 is stock at maybe 50-75% of the stores. We do get some interesting 0W_ HDEOs up here, perhaps I need to start a business distributing 'em to gear-heads in the USA ?

I've rambled on in other threads, often at great length, concerning the dearth of diesel choices in Canada/USA. If you have buckets of money at your disposal, you have a few options; many of us are effectively shut out of the new market. I refer to the EPA as Extra Profit Always - fuel economy is usually not really high on the agenda.

Rgds, D.

 

[buickanddeere]

The EPA's mandate is to eventually force all but a few government vehicles off the road by making compliance too expensive for the private sector.
The EPA is a tool for the social planners

 

[buickanddeere]

The EPA's mandate is to eventually force all but a few government vehicles off the road by making compliance too expensive for the private sector.
The EPA is a tool for the social planners