Questions On Switching To Rotella Synthetic

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

I have 150 hours on the BX and have changed the oil and filter after every 50 hours of service. After going through last winter and some hard starts at 0 F, I am thinking of switching to synthetic oil. Based on what I have read here I see the advantages of having the synthetic oil.

My question is would you then increase the oil change frequency to say 100 or 150, 200 hours? Would you change the filter at 50 hours and then top off with synthetic to that magic number? Or change the oil and filter at 150 or 200 hours. The manual says to change the oil at 100, I just feel better changing it more frequently, like in my van every 3000 miles.
Or should I just stay with regular Rotella and go with the lighter weight for the winter? As you can see I am on the fence on this. The extra $$ for synthetic I feel is a cheap insurance policy for the engine. And if I ever get to installing that block heater it may be a waste of time and $$ switching to synthetic. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Thanks for your help.

 

[shady1701]

If you can still find it you could do eather of what you said. If it was mine i'd go 100hrs vs the 50hrs you specified. My tractor specifies 100hrs. Plus with synthetic you can general go 50% over the drain no problem. The filter should handle the extra time granted it's high quality. I'd go with Mobil 1 delvac at ~$21 a gallon if your not giving less than $14 a gal. for your rotella Synt. Due to the general base product and related product integrity of the products.

 

[RichNJKubota]

I've been using synthetic for 20 yrs and I just follow the regular change intervals for whatever the application is. You could extend the intervals theoretically.
I figure it's cheap insurance and since I've been an auto mechanic most of my life I can see the difference when I take an engine apart.

 

[shady1701]

All engine oils are synthetic. Don't believe me? ask the Supreme court mobil vs castrol.

I can't ain't never seen any differences i've seen alot of engines and can't tell you what oil they've run. I'm a mech. and a tuner for some hefty priced engines. I run both but know running a hefty priced oil won't do anything other than lighten your pocket in the wrong application.

Most oils today are 2-3x better than the engines they were designed to run in. Yestardays synthetics are todays conventionals. To say a 20yr old engine can tell differences is a step out there let's here some examples.

 

[OilMan]

In Mobil v. Castrol, the court ruled that Castrol's Group III hydrocracked petro oil (Syntec) can be called synthetic. Conventional motor oil (group I and II) cannot be called synthetic.
So now you have the conventional oil, group III hydrocracked "synthetic" and the Group IV and V true synthetics.
Lots of people thinking and saying they use "synthetic" oil when in fact it is pure petro oil.
Mobil1, Amsoil, RP are true synthetics.

Dave

 

[frank_f15]

i don't changee my oil by hrs, i change it in the spring and again in the fall, very cheap and a few minuets work= great peace of mindand a well cared for engine. of course if u use your tractor more extensivley then u need to change it more often. don't think it really matters what type or brand of oil u use as long as it is good oil.

 

[TresCrows]

I don't think the Supreme court is a good advisor on tractor operating methods or oil choices.

"don't think it really matters what type or brand of oil u use as long as it is good oil. "

A "good" oil, Well, I mean after all, isn't that what is being asked in all these oil threads--what is a good oil? I don't think anyone uses bad oil on purpose. Thing is some people think (Group IV) synthetics are "good" oil and everything else is "bad" oil and then of course some think differently on that subject and then there are those who say all oil is "good" because they have never seen oil related failures and that therefore "oil is oil" and it does not make any difference---OK.
Ouestion, is Rotella Syn a group III or group IV oil, exactly what is that stuff? J

 

[shady1701]

Any oil is a good oil consider the engines are 20yrs old in 20yrs even the crapy stuff gets better it has to when it meets increased specs. Consider most diesel require only CD or CF due to non-turbo chargers. Most OEMS though go with CH-4 or CI-4 i guess CD is still around as a spec?

I just have never heard a claim where a same spec oil has shown to realy do anything alot of claims out there but not much info to back it up.

The clause in the supreme court ruling was if an oil inhibited "added" benifits it could be considered synthetic regardless of group class.

 

[pruntyc]

I've got an old 77 Chevy pickup that is still running strong. It didn't have the oils we have today, and I just have used regular oil in it. The oils back then wasn't all that bad either, its just that they have gotten better. Synthetic may be really good, but unless you need it to make a engine start better, because of extreme cold. Then I don't think it is that much better, for the price you have to pay for it, as most other oils will do just about the same thing for a lot less money.

 

[shady1701]

Yap exactly my thought..
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif