Oil & Fuel Correct Oil Viscosity

[Northland]

I'll stick with Diesel Power's suggestion (since he is the expert in this field) and what radam echoed.

It's colder here where I live then in most places although I am not far from the OP.

When my mechanic friend came out to do the service on my Kubota last fall he used Case Akcela 10W-30 and put in Case HY-Trans Ultra hydraulic oil. Since he works for a Case and Kubota heavy equipment outfit and suggested that is what they use up here year round in all their equipment I figured that was good enough for my little tractor too

 

[canoetrpr]

Sully: What 5W-40 are you using? I'm picking up 8 liters of oil for my 100 hr change and was going to go with 5W-40 or 0W-40.

I have Rotella 5W-40 and Valvoline Premium Blue Extreme 5W-40 available to me.

The Valvoline is a bit cheaper. Both seem to to be acceptably rated (CI-4). I won't run a 30 wt because I found an improvement with the heavier 15W-40 in terms of operating temperature.

Like you I haven't managed to source a diesel rated 10W-30 at a convenient location.

 

[Sully2]

Sully: What 5W-40 are you using? I'm picking up 8 liters of oil for my 100 hr change and was going to go with 5W-40 or 0W-40.

I have Rotella 5W-40 and Valvoline Premium Blue Extreme 5W-40 available to me.

The Valvoline is a bit cheaper. Both seem to to be acceptably rated (CI-4). I won't run a 30 wt because I found an improvement with the heavier 15W-40 in terms of operating temperature.

Like you I haven't managed to source a diesel rated 10W-30 at a convenient location.

I went with the Rotella( readily available to me) Around here the Valvolene is priced like GOLD!!??

Id have stuck with 10W-30 oil if I could have found something other than Kubota branded stuff ( available only at Kubota)..and if you ever bought any parts from Kubota you know why I changed brands!...lol./ But when I found I could buy FOR LESS $..and product that was SUPERIOR...I asked myself "Why Not??".

 

[ammodram]

Geez -

New tractor owner here. I thought this thread would help me figure out what oil to use in my new "pre-owned" Kubota L245DT. On the contrary, I'm now more confused than ever.

The recommended oils in the operator's manual from my circa 1980 tractor are as follows:

Above 77F: SAE 30
32-77F: SAE 20
Below 32: SAE 10W, 10W-30

What would this translate to in today's oils considering the following facts:

1. I will be running it in all seasons (but mostly spring and fall) in western Pennsylvania.
2. It will spend some cold winter mornings parked at a property where I do not have electric power to warm up with a block heater.
3. I will be using whatever grade of diesel is available at the local gas station. (I've never checked - are all gas station diesels now ultra-low sulfur?)

Any recommendations? Not sure if I understand the API system as it applies to older engines. I guess any of the current C categories would be acceptable? For instance, if you use ultra-low sulfur diesel, do you HAVE to use CJ-4, or is that just the optimal performance grade, while all other current C grades would be okay?

A summary of this thread, perhaps "Oil for Dummies", would be most appreciated.

Thanks
Matt

 

[ampsucker]

you can stilll find straight 30 weight. i would go with that. try a tractor supply store or a good auto parts store.

we use sae 30 in our 1954 ford 800 tractor as originally recommended in the manual. we also have to add lead substitute to the gas to protect the valves. runs like a champ.

amp

 

[ammodram]

you can stilll find straight 30 weight. i would go with that.amp

Amp -

My specs only call for 30 weight at higher than 77 degrees and 20 weight from 32-77. I would guess I will typically be running it in the latter range, so was thinking about using 15w-40, which should also give me better starting in winter than 30 weight, right?

Do you think I need the extra viscosity of 30 weight, even at moderate temps?

-Matt

 

[ampsucker]

i may be way off base here, but i think more important than the classifications used today might be the technology available at the time the engine was manufactured. for example:

- machining tolerances within the engine itself plays a role in oil viscosity selection (oil pump design, journals, rings crank and rod bushings, etc.)
- operating temp once warmed up plays a role (thermostat selection)
- materials used in gaskets and seals plays a role

For example, going to a synthetic often causes major leakage in older engines designed for dino oil due to the smaller and consistant molecular size of the synthetic bases.

I assume your Kubota's engine was made in Japan in 1980. I know very little about diesel engines of that era and location. I had a 1977 japanese gas engine in a Datsun 280z and ran whatever I could find in it that was cheap. But, then again, I was 17 and it had 140,000 miles on it when I bought it. ;-)

I can also tell you that our old Ford 800 turns over every time I need her to in the coldest winter we get around here with straight 30. We keep a good cold cranking battery in it but other than that, nothing special. But, it's also a gasser so not the extra load of glowing. It can get into the single digits here in the Midwest. Takes a while for the hydraulics to warm up, but no problems starting due to the oil.

Help any? Maybe someone with more experience in your particular application and location can chime in?

 

[ammodram]

Thanks Amp.

Anybody else have an L245DT out there? What oil do you use in it? For that matter, how about transmission/hydraulic fluid?

Thanks
Matt

 

[canoetrpr]

Finally did my 100 hr service today and replaced the 15W-40 with Valvoline 5W-40. What a difference in a cold start! The engine purrs with the Valvoline.

Turns out that one of the reasons it was cheaper than the Rotella synthetic is that the Valvoline's were 3.78 L jugs while the Rotella is a 4 L jug. I used about 1.5 jugs.

If it performs as well in the summer as the 15W-40 then I think it is a fantastic setup.

 

[jimainiac]

Matt- Our old tractor is an L245DT, bought well used. I use Rotella 15-40, pretty standard for diesel engines,especially older ones, and available most everywhere. For trans./hydraulic fluid, I got that in 5 gallon pails of generic tractor fluid at Sam's Club.