Quote:
Originally Posted by sjh
Thanks. I guess I will this time. Any labs you'd recommend?
If I recall from an earlier post you had some questions on the Rotella formulation. I don't recall if it was it's additive package or what.
Rotella OK or is there something else in that price range that you'd prefer?
Don't worry if others spew over what you say, I'm clearly (and comfortably) asking your counsel.
Thanks.
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I have historically used wear check, though have used texaco oil analysis services recently. Honestly, the easiest way for you to go is to get a kit from NAPA. If you're a AAA member, you'll likely get a discount and it is a decent price. State in the instructions to the lab that you want TBN and soot.
Rotella was once a very ordinary oil (15w-40 HD diesel oil) because its add pack didnt show anything special. Keep in mind though that this was a time when ILSAC GF-4 was coming about, ZDDP levels in standard oils started getting dropped, and API SM was getting phased in. We were seeing all kinds of Moly, Boron, and other good adds showing up in run of the mill oils, and nothing here. HDEOs were still running grp I basestock for not only additive solubility but solubilizing dirt. The advances hadn't come. Enter chevron, pitching delo with hydroprocessed grp II stocks and a great package that flowed better and by all looks was superior. Then it got friction modified with Mo, a dream!
At the time, 5w-40 was a relatively unknown oil viscosity (remember, euro cars were running 15w-40 and 20w-50 oils until the flex service systems hit, good alternate 40wt oils were just in infancy). Delvac 1, 5w-40 was known in the diesel community, but was rarer than hen's teeth. I used to haveto stock up on tripsto Canada.
Two other things were happening... Marshall booth (rip) was finding that syn (M1) was reducing timing chain stretch rates by half, and shell was pushing rotella products heavy at wal mart ( their rotella dfa is still the best fuel add I've used). Rotella 5w-40 hits the scene and availabity of syn HDEOs opens up. NO longer must folks wanting syn be stuck with obsolete (for diesel) add packs in Mobil 1 passenger car oils. Mobil 1 brings out M1 turbo diesel truck, which initially looked to be delvac 1 which was the standard. However due to Katrina, Chinese pressures, wal-mart pricing pressure, etc., m1 formulations get cheapened. GC analysis seems to indicate group III presence in M1 formulations. TDT starts to look different spec wise from D1.
Meanwhile remember that rotella is on the scene at a better price point and with a high VI XVHI basestock which is used in other great oils like the Ferrari spec helix ultra. Fast forward, shell reformulates. We still have the same, potentially not D1 M1 TDT, the same old delvac 1300, and new high performance rotella conventional, blend and syn oils. Good reports start coming in. People are happy.
The reality is that all the oils, syn and conventional are quite good, and you'll have great success with any. Syn vs conventional is mainly for peace of mind because unless you need the crankin benefit, both are very robust.
At this point, group III lubes have more than proven themselves, and the additive pack has become such an integral part of the oil's performance that it sort of puts basestock on the back burner a bit. Basestock is more of a questionable "value proposition" aspect anymore given the performance of quality grp III lubes formulated well to the latest specs. Meanwhile, grp III feedstock can be had and processed at a better price point, while full pao lubes are prohibitively expensive.
In general, the best lube is the one that provides the best protection at minimum viscosity for your application. Enough data is usually impossible to get for non-fleet applications, so it is a tough call to make. What we see as an overall trend is that the higher end major manufacturer lubes all perform about the same, and it is more metallurgy dependent than anything it seems. We've seen good luck with all, some questionable rests with some high end stuff like redline and M1, but it is too spotty to verify a trend or cause.
Rotella 5w-40 is good stuff, and I'd use it or M1 with confidence. Much of peoples' favor is geography dependent. Chevron is popular out west while rotella is popular back east. Texaco is king in the Caribbean, though it has no appreciable market presence in the diesel market in much of NA. It is a funny thing.
My disclosure: historically have run delvac / turbodiesel truck. Have had great success with rotella syn in my BMW. Have been running schaeffer's 5w-40 in both 123s, but rarity/shipping is causing me to only run it in my 240d. My 300cd is getting taken over to rotella.
I look forward to your results. Let me know if you have any questions!