Getting ready...................

daffyduk · Feb 25, 2007

Getting ready to change the oil on my TC40D. It has 550 hours. The "book" says I should use 15-40 or 10-30. Shell Rotella T synthetic is "approved" for diesel applicaton and it is 5-40. Do you guys think that it woould be ok to use? I want to switch to synthetic and it is available at Wal-Mart..........Thanks for your input....
Gene

dqdave1 · Feb 25, 2007

I switched to 5w 30 synthetic; noticed a big difference on starting in cold weather. I was told 5w was ok to use.

billfires · Feb 27, 2007

I have used the Rotella synthetic since the second oil change on my 1920. I also use it in my F350, wife's Trailblazer and my Kawasaki Concours. Bill C

daffyduk · Feb 28, 2007

Thanks guys, I think I am going to try it.......
Gene

IH3444 · Mar 1, 2007

Copied from a post in a Ferrari forum about Rotella Syn. 5w-40.

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A bit of information directly from a shell engineer. Note that at the end he states that the base stock in Rotella T 5w-40 synthetic (available at walmart for $14 a gallon) ,Shell Helix(Ferrari dealer $16 a quart), and Ferrari's formula 1 oil cocktail is the exact same thing minus different additives. Is the highly rated Rotella T synthetic 5w-40 another credible alternative to overpriced Helix? After all, the Rottela t does meet and far exceed all current testing standards (SL, Sj, etc) not to mention an incredible viscocity index of 178 degrees c (mobil 1 0-40 is 168 c).

"It is true that ROTELLA T Synthetic is Group III (not PAO) based, but you must keep in mind that not all Group III base oils are created equal. ROTELLA T Synthetic is made with Shell's XHVI base oil, which unlike other Group IIIs does not begin as distilled crude oil, hence of all Group III base oils, XHVI is truly the only one that can legitimately be called "synthetic." XHVI is a wax isomerate, meaning that it is made from the slack wax removed from distilled crude in normal solvent dewaxing. This slack wax is catalytically transformed (isomerized) and hydrofinished into a chemically pure base oil which rivals PAO in virtually every category. There are other "synthetic" oils out there based on Group III, but Shell's is unique in that it uses XHVI base oil. Chevron and Petro-Canada produce Group III base oils that come close to XHVI, but even though these oils are all hydroprocessed and utilize the same type of isomerization technology employed in the making of XHVI, they are not the same thing. Only XHVI is made from pure petroleum slack wax and its CAS number is 92026-09-4. The CAS number for the more typical all-hydroprocessed Group III base oils is 64742-54-7. If you want to know what your "synthetic" oil is made from, take a look at the MSDS and look for these numbers. (The CAS number for PAO is 68037-01-4).

In brief, don't be so quick to dismiss Rotella T Synthetic as just another "synthetic pretender." It's made with the same base oil as Shell's Helix Ultra, and everytime you see Ferrari win a Formula 1 race, that's the oil in the engine."