consensus on rotella t

Dargo · Jan 10, 2005

Junkman, Awesome! I put the engine out of one of those into a tube frame buggy back in the late 70's that was turbo charged. Didn't they call it a Spyder or something like that? Anyway, it would fly! I have a completely restored '71 Karmann Ghia that really is my wife's, and I was going to wedge a Corvair engine in there, but it would hurt me on it's value when I was doing a completely stock restoration. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Junkman · Jan 10, 2005

That is a 1964 Chevrolet Corvair Spyder. It was the 3rd Spyder built for the 1964 model year and is actually a 1963 body that was left over on the line when the model year change was made. When I restored it, I found stickers on many of the parts that indicated "show job". Upon doing a lot of investigation, I learned that it is believed to be the car that was being shown at the 1964 New York Worlds Fair. I have my doubts, but it was definitely built as a "show car", but where it was is now lost to history. When I restored it, I made it the way I would have ordered the car back in 1964. It is restored with all NOS parts and everything if factory stock & matching numbers. It is a great running car, but the modern gasoline just doesn't agree with the requirements of the engine when the turbo kicks in. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Dargo · Jan 10, 2005

I hate to hijack the thread, you use Rotella in your car, but I did the '71 Ghia the same way for my wife. I used only OEM German parts and I wanted no bondo used. Man, was that ever a tall order for a Ghia! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I compromised some and used stainless steel inner liners in the rocker panels (they all rusted bad in the Ghias due to the moisture in them from using the rockers for the heating system). Otherwise, I used all German OEM parts inside and out. Where the new body panels were welded to the old body panels there had to be a thin line of bondo to cover the seam, but that's all that is in it. It took 2 years of searching to find some new OEM chrome bumpers for the front and back. I'll pass on disclosing what that cost me! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Needless to say, you know how the Spyder engine would run in a 800 pound tube frame buggy! In the 1/8 mile, I could pull a big block Corvette. He would be catching me in a big way at about that point, but I could kill him off the line and for a short distance. I sometimes had to back off to see; the front end would be so high in the air! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Soundguy · Jan 10, 2005

( Poster: gsxr1100
Subject: Re: consensus on rotella t

all posts above state it. If doing normal intervals it is fine, but then again a group 1 would also be fine if doing short drains. It comes down to pay now or later. It has a high Noack and four ball is higher then I would use but....
)

I pretty much follow the manufactures specs.. 100 hours or 1 year.. whatever comes first.

Soundguy

SkyPup · Jan 11, 2005

The real difference in length of changes is whether or not you store your machine inside in an insulated bldg and how many hours a week you put on it.

If it is being left outside in the open or even in a covered pole barn and only use a couple of hours per month, that is the worst conditions for the rings, pistons, valves, etc. as the condensation and the generation of inorganic acids will be maximized. Then you should use at least a Group 3 synthetic for protection of the bores, rings, valve seats, etc.

If you are storing it insulated indoors and putting 10-20 hours on it each week, you can use the dino instead with your regular change outs, since the constant use drives off the water collected from the crankcase and there is much less condensation formed internally.

Same goes for your hydraulic fluids. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

gsxr1100 · Jan 11, 2005

true but don't forget if you use it only one hour per week then the unit sits for a long duration, the dino will not hold up. Dino's have low TBN and low ZDDP. Downtime and protection comes into play.

The better oils (above grp 3) will neutralize the acids better then dino in non-use times.

cowboydoc · Jan 11, 2005

That's why all of the mfg. state to change at a specific time level. If you do this you are fine. How in the world does a synthetic stop condensation? It doesn't. If you let something sit you're going to get condensation whether you use synthetic or not.

SkyPup · Jan 11, 2005

It does not stop condesation from forming, it only prevents the condesation from contacting raw metal by keeping the metal surfaces covered in oil film to prevent its immediate oxidation. And then it neutralizes the the inorganic and organic acids produced by the contact of water (most of which comes from combustion if the tractor is being operated instead of stored).

gsxr1100 · Jan 11, 2005

I never stated anything about condensation. They state a time to protection themselves, not you. Also this time is based on a dino oil, not a better oil. It is worse case.

Since testing my oils I have never seen anything above 1.3 % fuel in oil. (my oil tested fine even with this level). That was on my motorcycle and works a lot harder then my BX......and gets use 1/10 the time. Water % is ZERO.

Store trying both oils, and I know a dino will loose.

Soundguy · Jan 11, 2005

( couple of hours per month )

( 10-20 hours on it each week )

Hours per week.. though not 10-20.. perhaps 2-3 for the workers, and perhaps 1 for the non-workers, as I like to stat them up and back them out of the barn and simply let them run for a while to charge up and circulate the oil.

Wow.. 10-20 hours week minimu use or all goes to pot?? I think those may be unrealistic numbers. I'm sure there are other weekend warrior tractor types here that only get a few hours here or there with their tractors.. some weeks not at all.. some weeks more.

Seems like the manufacture oil and specs would / should account for this intermittant usage. From the way you post.. if a tractor doesnt run 800 to a thousand hours a year.. and you use regular oil.. that it will simply fall apart. I just don't agree with that.

Look at the big agg tractors from the 60's and 70's Many don't get 100 hours a year.. some probably less.

Look at heavy equipment. All this yellow iron setting in my GC's shop yard. We are using dino oil.. and change based on hours/time interval. Large road jobs take months to complete. Some equipment is only used during certain phases of work. For instance.. asphalt rollers only get used during the last part of the job.. the rest of the time it sets. Even when it is used.. it may only get used a couple days while the asphalt goes down.. etc.

None of our equipment seems to die from attrition and rust to the core year to year?? I'm no oil engineer.. But I've worked at this company since 92.. and we've got a few million in equipment.. some antique.. some brand spankin new. Some beater stuff.. etc. I think I've seen 6 or 7 full engine rebuilds. At least half of them were due to a non oil related failure.. like a supercharger that blew apart and nuked the top of the engine.. etc. Some were simply equipment from the 60's and 70's with 5-8 thousand hours on them, and the plastigauge finally said the bearings were outta spec.. etc.

I'm not specifically arguing with your oil info.. but like we say about the chineese ( millions of people can't be wrong ).. millions of dollars of 'test' equipment seems to go against your opinion of how bad dinor oil is when used in equipment that is intermittantly operated.

Oh and by the way... construction workers are about the most damaging aspect to a piece of equipment.

They don't check oil.. they don't pay attention to gauges. When they do check oil.. they grab whatever is in 'that can' and add it to the oil.. they don't pay attention to fuel.. they don't grease.. they don't stop working a piece of equipment when they notice a problem.. heck.. they don't notice the problem.... If construction equipment survives 'poor' oil, and bad runtime schedules... I imagine just about everything else should too. Every time I see a guy climb up on one of our big pieces of equipment.. I think " There goes a guy.. with an 8th grade education ( cause he was tired of school.. ) .. no drivers license, poor command of the english language, a car that has to have the tires aird before he goes home, and I think he just mixes oil with his gas to save the oil hassle of having to leak out of the crankcase... driving away on one of our 250k$ piece of equipment. He can't read good enough to fill out a job sheet or time card correctly... and he's sopposed to know how to read an engine gauge?

And those are the regulars. The rent-a-drunks make these guys look like corporate CEO's...
/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Soundguy