Oil & Fuel Oil question

[lspat]

Thanks for the input guys, based on the manual you supplied it looks like I fit into 10w-30 range, based on temperature.

 

[goeduck]

Well now the million dollar question..... is Rotella T6 5W-40 or T6 5W-30 better for a Diesel listed for 10W-30? I see the T6 5W-30 says it is for gasoline and Diesel engines. Note regular T6 also lists 0W-40

Shell ROTELLA(R) T6 Multi-Vehicle Full Synthetic | Shell ROTELLA(R)

Shell ROTELLA(R) T6 Full Synthetic | Shell ROTELLA(R)

 

[2ndhalf]

Well now the million dollar question..... is Rotella T6 5W-40 or T6 5W-30 better for a Diesel listed for 10W-30? I see the T6 5W-30 says it is for gasoline and Diesel engines. Note regular T6 also lists 0W-40

Shell ROTELLA(R) T6 Multi-Vehicle Full Synthetic | Shell ROTELLA(R)

Shell ROTELLA(R) T6 Full Synthetic | Shell ROTELLA(R)

Very interesting thanks for sharing; they are advertisements but still interesting. Did you catch the oil change interval on the diesel trucks... 50,000 miles. Anyone doing that with a non synthetic.. just curious?

I run T6 in my Gas Kawasaki mower also; does fine. I know oil is a very opinionated subject but for my equipment I'm pouring in Shell Rotella T6 every time. It is inexpensive, works well and they sell it everywhere.

 

[tcreeley]

In central Maine in my NH TC 30. I run Mastergold 10W-30 non synthetic year round and I use a block heater all winter. I try to change it every fall and spring, but if I miss it and do it 3 months later, that is ok.

 

[robertsa]

Actually if that is also from his manual... it seems that 5w 40 is a one size fits solution according to the manual; which is why a lot of guys run it.

This is not rocket science.

I agree, which is exactly why dozens of people throwing out their subjective experience isn't helpful on such a simple subject. This is one of those situations where too much info is just as bad as not enough.

 

[robertsa]

Very interesting thanks for sharing; they are advertisements but still interesting. Did you catch the oil change interval on the diesel trucks... 50,000 miles. Anyone doing that with a non synthetic.. just curious?

I run T6 in my Gas Kawasaki mower also; does fine. I know oil is a very opinionated subject but for my equipment I'm pouring in Shell Rotella T6 every time. It is inexpensive, works well and they sell it everywhere.

Many of the motorcyclists I rode with on and off the track ran the T6 because it was cheap and did the trick. I would run fill ester oils in my supermotos, and Mobil 1 in my sport bikes because it's what I put in everything else. I used T6 in my drag cars and changed it a lot.

I believe the two key takeaways with oil is to use a reputable brand that meets/exceeds the manufacturers specs and change it at least as often as recommended, more often if the operating conditions dictate it. My motards held 1.5 liters and specified a maximum of 300 mile intervals; I would often change it at 50 or less if they were track miles. I hear people say they need to change the oil because they're overdue all the time; that's the real killer. Those are the same people that don't realize everything burns a little oil and with today's engines going longer intervals, end up a quart or two low because they don't check the level often, if ever.

 

[RalphVa]

I'd be willing to bet than the current "10w30" oils are nothing but the old plain 30w oils. On our VW TDI, VW speced a 5w30. This is what I now run in the JD 2025R and in the Isuzu diesel generator. Actually, I bought a bunch of the Castrol speced by VW with VW money that they gave all of us for lying about their emissions. That's what I used. Even in our old 240D, I put 0w30 into it.

If you can get it, get diesel rated 0w30 or 5w30. If you cannot find those, get 0w40 or 5w40 diesel rated stuff. Think Shell markets the latter, in their hydrocracked oil. You're better off getting 0w or lowestwxxxx oil you can get to protect your valve train on startup. A 0wxx oil will get oil up there almost instantly. In cold weather, it'll take a bit longer to many seconds if it's down around -40 F/C; whereas, a 0wxx oil will be there right away even at -40.

A 0w30 oil will be more viscous at operating temperature than a 5w30 oil.

Ralph

 

[robertsa]

I'd be willing to bet than the current "10w30" oils are nothing but the old plain 30w oils.

A 0w30 oil will be more viscous at operating temperature than a 5w30 oil.

Ralph

I don't mean to beat a dead horse here but also don't like knowing someone will read the above and simply believe it.

Multi-grade oils aren't "old plain" 30 grade oils. There are tests performed on oils to measure resistance to flow at standard temperatures. Your 0W40's winter rating was measured to flow through the test equipment in 5 seconds at 0F, same as a 5W oil but with a lower pour point. Pour point is 5F above the temperature at which the oil will show no movement on the surface when inclined. Your 0W40's second number is the same idea as the winter rating; it's the amount of time it takes the oil to flow through the test equipment at 212F.

The reason you want to stay within the range you are most likely to see is increased protection across your normal OA conditions. A 0W40 grade oil does not provide the same level of protection at 0F than a 10W40 grade oil. The oil provides the barrier keeping fragile metal parts from slapping into each other, like a piston into the cylinder wall, pushrod ends seated in the rocker arms, and the rocker on the camshaft.

A 0W30 grade is not more viscous at 212F than a 5W30 grade. Both were tested using standards to achieve the same 30 grade rating.

So to make a long story short, choose your oil based on the environmental conditions you live in. If a 0W protected as well as a 10W at the low end temperature of what a 10W is rated for, 10W wouldn't need to exist. It doesn't though, and that's why we have many different grades of single and multi-grade oils.

Edit: To be clear though, you will probably never notice a difference between a 0W30 and 10W30 when used inside of the recommended operating ranges. Don't sweat it; if you want to run 0W, run 0W unless it's causing oil pressure issues.

 

[mguitas]

I use 5w-40 amsoil.

 

[Kc8ehd]

Generally speaking , a diesel oil (within weight speciation) is just fine in a gas engine.....a oil blended for gas engine shouldn't be used in a diesel... it all in the additive package both base oils may very well be the same..