Another Rotella foam thread

[KEVINK0000]

And more than half a century after their demise, people still think the Beatles are an amazing band. They suck, except for Harrison’s contributions, which have flashes of brilliance. Their entire catalog has one album worth of great songs. The rest suck. When they all went solo you could see who was good and who sucked.

Rotella is the same thing. Incomprehensible fanboi power with zero justification. But, it’s the greatest! Few actually look at its quality with clear eyes.

In 50 years BITOG old timers will be taking about Rotella the same way as the most overrated band in history.

You made a great analogy !

The most overrated band.

The most overrated oil.

Just another Day in The Life…

 

[johnmyster]

I have a box full of trashed bearings and wiped lifters from Rotella.

from people using the wrong oil for the application.

Haven't we covered this already?

Post in thread 'HDEO with a GTL base oil?'

Aug 25, 2025

The last time I suggested Rotella on this forum, I felt like everyone was chasing me with spears and knives. So I appreciate your braveness typing that taboo word, even though that is a great suggestion here

Rotella buyer crossing the BITOG swamp:

• 4wd

• 
• 

 

[pman9003]

Maybe not the best example, but redline is 6400 and it sees the limiter frequently.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...-881mi-24hours-of-lemons.404157/#post-7504619

 

[Bwalker]

I have a box full of trashed bearings and wiped lifters from Rotella. People have issues with it all the time, but because they put it on a pedestal, they never blame the oil. "Well I got good oil in it so that couldn't have been the problem." I've watched engine builders flush 5 figures down the toilet, bashing multiple parts brands for the failures, before finally trying something other than BROtella. (and the failures stop)

Rotella is probably the most popular diesel engine oil in the country. If it were causing failures as you suggest it would be well known.
I've wprked at two mines that used it in their fleets and no widespread engine failures.

 

[OVERKILL]

Rotella is probably the most popular diesel engine oil in the country. If it were causing failures as you suggest it would be well known.
I've wprked at two mines that used it in their fleets and no widespread engine failures.

It's not causing failures in diesel engines, it's causing failures in HP gasoline builds (often FT ones) because it has garnered a following as the ATE and elevated onto a pedestal that it was never intended to occupy.

Shell does not formulate Rotella to be a high performance race oil, nor is it marketed that way (unlike Mobil's marketing of FS 0W-40 for example), this is entirely an organic development that came out of the hotrodder and builder circles because it was cheap, heavy and available. HDEO's had more ZDDP (Mo' ZINC YO!) and were seen as an answer to the reduction in phosphorous (THEY ELIMINATED THE ZINC BRO!) mandated by the API in PCMO lubricants. People made the mental link that if it was good enough for a turbocharged 15L I6, and "had the ZINC!" that it was obviously good enough for their 350 double bump with an RV cam.

This evolved into it having almost a cult-like following in certain circles, like the Jeep 4.0L crowd, and many hot rodders started to swear by it in applications it was never designed for. So, it shouldn't be surprising that it may not perform as well as oils that ARE designed for those applications.

There's nothing "wrong" with Rotella. It's a perfectly suitable and serviceable oil for the applications for which it is intended. The problem is people.

 

[edyvw]

Chill out my friends. Toyota will recommend any day T6 for their vehicles due to crisis and you will all be resurrected.

 

[edyvw]

Rotella is probably the most popular diesel engine oil in the country. If it were causing failures as you suggest it would be well known.
I've wprked at two mines that used it in their fleets and no widespread engine failures.

He is implying to race engines and gas engines.
It is oil for commercial vehicles and it should stay there. We have been talking this subject like 56 times so far.

 

[4wd]

Chill out my friends. Toyota will recommend any day T6 for their vehicles due to crisis and you will all be resurrected.

 

[4wd]

He is implying to race engines and gas engines.
It is oil for commercial vehicles and it should stay there. We have been talking this subject like 56 times so far.

I had previously mentioned twin outboard testing at WOT.
The NMMA oil did not foam - Bro did Bro …

 

[walterjay]

I have used it before in my lawnmower with great results

 

[Deplorable]

I just ran T6 5-40 for 264 hours straight in a single cylinder generator and it didn’t explode. Didn’t use any either. If it was foaming that bad the oil dipper engine would be dead. It’s not.

 

[GW.]

Millions of Brotella’s have been served. Tilt the funnel and pour slowly to prevent excessive head.

 

[OVERKILL]

I just ran T6 5-40 for 264 hours straight in a single cylinder generator and it didn’t explode. Didn’t use any either. If it was foaming that bad the oil dipper engine would be dead. It’s not.

3,600RPM? The foaming issue is more relevant to engines operating at twice that, and with MUCH higher power density. These anecdotes of "well, it didn't 'splode my Honda GV160 and I cut lots of grass, so this means the problem doesn't exist" obliterate the necessary nuance that one needs to be aware of to properly understand and qualify the criticisms.

 

[4wd]

3,600RPM? The foaming issue is more relevant to engines operating at twice that, and with MUCH higher power density. These anecdotes of "well, it didn't 'splode my Honda GV160 and I cut lots of grass, so this means the problem doesn't exist" obliterate the necessary nuance that one needs to be aware of to properly understand and qualify the criticisms.

Even Shell has complained about the use it in everything crowd. Obviously they offer an outstanding product portfolio and make good recommendations …

 

[johnmyster]

I just ran T6 5-40 for 264 hours straight in a single cylinder generator and it didn’t explode. Didn’t use any either. If it was foaming that bad the oil dipper engine would be dead. It’s not.

Yeah, but there was this one time in an outboard motor.

 

[4wd]

Yeah, but there was this one time in an outboard motor.

It’s actually used allot in outboards by crab trappers and other slow pokes which is why Yamaha mechanics have pointed this out bcs people started to use it going offshore …
Way different conditions …

 

[edyvw]

Even Shell has complained about the use it in everything crowd. Obviously they offer an outstanding product portfolio and make good recommendations …

Pennzoil Platinum Euro 5W40 with HTHS of 3.88cP and Noack below 6%, but yeah, let’s go Brotella.
Darwin needs to return and study these times.

 

[Japanese]

The Rotella forcast

 

[skippermatt]

It's not causing failures in diesel engines, it's causing failures in HP gasoline builds (often FT ones) because it has garnered a following as the ATE and elevated onto a pedestal that it was never intended to occupy.

Shell does not formulate Rotella to be a high performance race oil, nor is it marketed that way (unlike Mobil's marketing of FS 0W-40 for example), this is entirely an organic development that came out of the hotrodder and builder circles because it was cheap, heavy and available. HDEO's had more ZDDP (Mo' ZINC YO!) and were seen as an answer to the reduction in phosphorous (THEY ELIMINATED THE ZINC BRO!) mandated by the API in PCMO lubricants. People made the mental link that if it was good enough for a turbocharged 15L I6, and "had the ZINC!" that it was obviously good enough for their 350 double bump with an RV cam.

This evolved into it having almost a cult-like following in certain circles, like the Jeep 4.0L crowd, and many hot rodders started to swear by it in applications it was never designed for. So, it shouldn't be surprising that it may not perform as well as oils that ARE designed for those applications.

There's nothing "wrong" with Rotella. It's a perfectly suitable and serviceable oil for the applications for which it is intended. The problem is people.

I sent an email to Pennzoil and asked if they had any oils for a flat tappet sbc race engine, they recommended Rotella t4 15w40 lol. not saying it's right but its kinda funny that they recommended that.

 

[Japanese]

I sent an email to Pennzoil and asked if they had any oils for a flat tappet sbc race engine, they recommended Rotella t4 15w40 lol. not saying it's right but its kinda funny that they recommended that.

They don't have any other oil for that purpose like high ZDDO 10W40 or 20W-50, that's why.