Suggestions for a good synthetic motor oil for my ck30

[Donnyj]

Dargo, I just wanted to say thanks for the link. Seems like some good reading. Hopefully it will answere some questions I might have.

 

[VictorW]

Dargo,
Thanks for the book link. I will read it fully. Any information helps to make a good decision.
I have seen and used Amsoil before although it was many years ago. It's harder to find where I live. You mention, Redline. I have never seen that brand. Who makes it? Maybe that will help me find it.
I do understand the race engine results. High rpm's, temps., and horsepower with frequent oil changes. Not to totally disagree about the oil protection, but that is different than the engine doing 2000-2500 rpm's for long periods with less frequent oil changes. Maybe the same results would be achieved. Maybe somebody has done diesel farm engine or even truck tractor/heavy equipment oil tests. My new search in my spare time.
Thanks for your opinions and experiences.

 

[Dargo]

Thanks guys. I do apologize for sounding irked, but I felt that I was being misinterpreted and some thought that I was pushing a particular agenda. I was only wanting to relay my experiences and let it be known that I have no vested interest in what oil anyone uses.

VictorW does make a good point in that is could be a different story in slow moving, but hard pulling, diesel engines. I am not aware of any non-biased study or real life comparison on rebuilds under similar circumstances for them. Maybe someone may find something on them. Until then, hammer down, drive it like you stole it!

 

[kentrodngun]

Dargo,
I have seen and used Amsoil before although it was many years ago. It's harder to find where I live. You mention, Redline. I have never seen that brand. Who makes it? Maybe that will help me find it.

Victor, I find both at my local High Performance Machine Shop. A lot of people in the racing game like to use either brand.

 

[IH3444]

Dargo, thanks also for the link. I've read quite a bit, and the oil charts at the end do show by numbers that Rotella T looks to be good, but comming from a lab background, I would not question your results. If Walmart Synthetic test as good as Rotella T synthetic, then that's good enough for me. I've been using the NH 10-30 Gold Premium oil for my TC48, and changing it every 50 hours. Just because I don't like it's numbers on paper. It's weak on the TBN number, an 8 I believe. Was going to dump it at 25 hours, but it was still clean as a whistle, so I left it in for the first 50 hours. I have some Mobil 1 5-40 diesel motor oil I bought, and think I'm going to use that. Thanks for doing a lot of "wet benching", and posting your results.

 

[DK35vince]

I have looked several times at our local Wal-Mart at the Super Tech synthetic motor oil. Certified for gasoline engines is all I have seen. Don't seem to carry any for diesel engines ..

 

[IH3444]

DK35,I thought that's what Dargo's results were based on, gasoline engines. I have read also the Super Tech Synthetic labels, and never saw that they were for diesels either. The Rotella T numbers look good on paper, and the guys over at Bobistheoilguy.com talk up the Rotella T synthetic like it's the golden, lower priced group III alterntive to M1 5-40 truck diesel oil. I'm sure you could run the synthetic super tech in a diesel, just not for extended drains. Cheaper that the Rotella, but evidently without any benifiets. I'm sure Dargo is right about Shell being great a marketing the Rotella.

 

[NewToy]

I'd say! They are marketing the heck out of an average oil and making billions by doing so.

I seriously doubt that Shell Oil makes "Billions" from the Rotella line.

 

[hsdfcu]

Dargo- Thanks for the old link. Welcome to 1997!

 

[IslandTractor]

Now that I have had a chance to look at the "Motor Oil Bible" I must comment that in my opinion it is a good example of the WORST pseudo scientific garbage that gets promulgated on the internet by self declared "experts".

First, the guy who writes it gives us no idea at all of his credentials or what he bases his "bible" on. Second, while he does a relatively nice job of defining certain common terms used in measuring oil qualities, he just plain makes up stuff (like his ranking score) and the whole bible is essentially a bunch of his unsubstantiated opinions. As best I can tell, he has no real expertise and has simply collected some reasonable definitions (undoubtedly available in any real textbook on the matter) and then lept off into unsubstantiated territory with his own opinions.

A book like this would be useful if written by a petrochemical engineer/chemist or by someone with real world lubrication testing experience. The author gives no suggestion at all of professional or even amateur experience doing anything except collecting definitions and collating manufacturers motor oil specifications.

There is nothing wrong with collecting the data and presenting it in a nice table. I think that is useful. However, he then develops, from zero empirical data and without a hint of validation studies, a "rank order score" that purports to show why some oils are better than others. That is completely bogus.

His score looks impressive until you look at it carefully:

VI + Flash + (20 x HT/HS) + (2 x TBN) - (Pour Point) - (3 x NOACK)= Ranking Score
​

For any "rank order score" to be valid it must be based on some empiric testing or at the very least be based on expert review and assessment with appropriate weighting of any "score" components. He doesn't do anything like that, he just arbitrarily makes up a formula and applies it. His formula grossly overrates some elements and underrates others. For example, the flash point score is typically a large number 400-500 with quite a bit of variation between oils while the Total Base Number is a small number with small variations (5-13). His rank score over emphasizes the flash point and minimizes the other components. He also just plain makes up some of the data when the manufacturer does not provide it. Read his methods section which is on pages 141-143 (and kudos to the author for at least providing an explanation of his baloney scoring system). A simplistic rank score does not take into account whether some of the components represent oil qualities were "more is better" versus "a minimum level is necessary but more is not critical". There are many examples in engineering and the real world where "more" is not better and is either irrelevant or a waste.

The author bizarrely concludes his "motor oil bible" with a diatribe about Jesus (pages 145-150) which is actually longer than his explanation of his vaunted rank scoring system. I believe this is truly "faith based" engineering. I am rather stunned that experienced TBN users rely on this resource.

Are there really no scientifically valid, experienced based real world data on motor oils and tractor diesels??? John Deere and other long term major manufacturers absolutely must have such data, have they not published it? Does the US Military not have publications on oils in diesels? Somebody, please, where is the real data?