Anyone think I can use Rotella Synthetic 5W-40 in my cars?

[Alex D]

This would be for my winter beater, a 1991 Ford Thunderbird with the 5.0HO engine.

I also would try it in my 2002 Suburban, my 1996 Corvette and my 2001 LS1 TransAm.
What do you guys think??

 

[The_Oz]

quote:

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Originally posted by Alex D:
This would be for my winter beater, a 1991 Ford Thunderbird with the 5.0HO engine.

I also would try it in my 2002 Suburban, my 1996 Corvette and my 2001 LS1 TransAm.
What do you guys think??

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IMHO, I would use it on the above vehicles.

Regards,

Oz

 

[G-MAN]

quote:

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Originally posted by Alex D:
This would be for my winter beater, a 1991 Ford Thunderbird with the 5.0HO engine.

I also would try it in my 2002 Suburban, my 1996 Corvette and my 2001 LS1 TransAm.
What do you guys think??

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I'm using it in my Olds mini van. So far it's doing just fine. I used to use Mobil 1 and I've never had to add oil between changes (5000 to 6000 miles intervals). I've got about 2000 miles on the Rotella Synthetic and it's still on the full mark on the dipstick.

I think it would do well in the vehicles you've got.

 

[Alex D]

Is the Rotella Synthetic true PAO/ester synthetic or just hydrocracked dino oil like the Castrol Syntec??

 

[TooSlick]

Alex,

I'd run the Rotella 5w-40 just in the old Ford and run Mobil 1, 5w-30 in everything else ....You are going to get better performance in a modern gas engine with a friction modified gas engine synthetic than with a significantly thicker diesel oil.

 

[Alex D]

TooSlick,
Your right......I checked the data sheets for the Rotella Synthetic and that stuff is a lot thicker than dino 10W-30..nothing to use in the winter here, especially with my 180F thermostat on the 5.0HO Thunderblunder.

Won't even consider this stuff in the newer cars.......

 

[The_Oz]

quote:

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Originally posted by Alex D:
Is the Rotella Synthetic true PAO/ester synthetic or just hydrocracked dino oil like the Castrol Syntec??

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To my understanding, the Rotella is Group III.

Regards,

Oz

 

[G-MAN]

quote:

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Originally posted by Alex D:
TooSlick,
Your right......I checked the data sheets for the Rotella Synthetic and that stuff is a lot thicker than dino 10W-30..nothing to use in the winter here, especially with my 180F thermostat on the 5.0HO Thunderblunder.

Won't even consider this stuff in the newer cars.......

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What "dino 10w30" are you referring to? Any 5w40 oil is going to "thicker" than a 10w30 at 40*C and 100*C, but Rotella T Synthetic still meets the SAE J-300 specs for a 5w oil at -30*C.

 

[G-MAN]

quote:

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Originally posted by The_Oz:

quote:

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Originally posted by Alex D:
Is the Rotella Synthetic true PAO/ester synthetic or just hydrocracked dino oil like the Castrol Syntec??

---

To my understanding, the Rotella is Group III.

Regards,

Oz

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It is Group III, but not your "typical" Group III. The primary base oil used is Shell's XHVI. See my post here for my reasoning as to why XHVI can claim to be a true synthetic even though it is not PAO.

 

[Alex D]

Shell Rotella Synthetic 5W-40 is a very reasonable synthetic motor oil. It is rate CH-4 , SL.....do you guys think this is an oil that can be sed in a car that has 10W-30 as requirement??

 

[The_Oz]

quote:

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Originally posted by Alex D:
Shell Rotella Synthetic 5W-40 is a very reasonable synthetic motor oil. It is rate CH-4 , SL.....do you guys think this is an oil that can be sed in a car that has 10W-30 as requirement??

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What engine/car specifically are you referring to?

Regards,

Oz

 

[ben walker]

I run pc 5w40 in my wifes Cavalier at 5k drains.

 

[Alex D]

Man XHVI you must really like that base stock.........you even named you handle after it.....anyways after looking at the characteristics of the Rotella Synthetic and Delvac 1, I decided that they are very, very good oils for gasoline engines with probably the best detergent and additive package you can get, but they have too high of a viscosity for winter operation in the Midwest on gasoline engines that require 10W-30 oils. Well, i guess that should be no surprise.....it's a 40 weight oil....M1 0W-40 is better suited for winter operations. It's viscosity is dead smack in the middle between M1 10W-30 and M1 15W-50. I am in Iowa and we get very cold here. Now, in the summer that is an entirely different picture and I am probably going to use the Rotella Synthetic. Especially because it is only $3.35 at Wal-Mart here.......

[ November 30, 2002, 11:09 AM: Message edited by: Alex D ]

 

[G-MAN]

quote:

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Originally posted by Alex D:
Man XHVI you must really like that base stock.........you even named you handle after it.....anyways after looking at the characteristics of the Rotella Synthetic and Delvac 1, I decided that they are very, very good oils for gasoline engines with probably the best detergent and additive package you can get, but they have too high of a viscosity for winter operation in the Midwest on gasoline engines that require 10W-30 oils. I am in Iowa and we get very cold here. Now, in the summer that is an entirely different picture and I am probably going to use the Rotella Synthetic. Especially because it is only $3.35 at Wal-Mart here.......

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I'm still confused. Rotella Syn has the low temp properties of a 5w oil, hence it will flow better at cold temperatures than any "dino" 10w30. Once the engine is at operating temp, the outside "winter conditions" are essentially irrelevant as far as the high temp viscosity of the oil is concerned. In other words, the fact that the Rotella is 5w40 and your car calls for 10w30 is a non issue at operating temp, no matter what the outside temp is. All things being equal, a 5w40 will flow better at low temp than a 10w30. (Of course, this would not apply to comparing Rotella Syn to a fully PAO 10w30 like Mobil 1.)

 

[Alex D]

XHVI..
I have looked at the cold viscosities (hot doesn't interest me in our winter conditions since my motor oil doesn't get any hotter than 190F anyway) and the Rotella Synthetic is of significant(!) higher viscosity (cranking and pumping) than a conventional dino 10W-30 (I looked at Mobil Drive Clean). Even though it has the 5W rating, it is still a 40 weight oil, so I would expect these results. Check some of the spec sheets out !! Even 0W-40 is of substantially higher viscosity than a 10W-30. What me concerns most in our winter here is cold cranking and pumping viscosity when I have to start the Thunderblunder at 7am in the morning with temps around 0F

quote:

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Originally posted by XHVI:

quote:

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Originally posted by Alex D:
Man XHVI you must really like that base stock.........you even named you handle after it.....anyways after looking at the characteristics of the Rotella Synthetic and Delvac 1, I decided that they are very, very good oils for gasoline engines with probably the best detergent and additive package you can get, but they have too high of a viscosity for winter operation in the Midwest on gasoline engines that require 10W-30 oils. I am in Iowa and we get very cold here. Now, in the summer that is an entirely different picture and I am probably going to use the Rotella Synthetic. Especially because it is only $3.35 at Wal-Mart here.......

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I'm still confused. Rotella Syn has the low temp properties of a 5w oil, hence it will flow better at cold temperatures than any "dino" 10w30. Once the engine is at operating temp, the outside "winter conditions" are essentially irrelevant as far as the high temp viscosity of the oil is concerned. In other words, the fact that the Rotella is 5w40 and your car calls for 10w30 is a non issue at operating temp, no matter what the outside temp is. All things being equal, a 5w40 will flow better at low temp than a 10w30. (Of course, this would not apply to comparing Rotella Syn to a fully PAO 10w30 like Mobil 1.)

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[ November 30, 2002, 11:31 AM: Message edited by: Alex D ]

 

[G-MAN]

quote:

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Originally posted by Alex D:
XHVI..
I have looked at the cold viscosities (hot doesn't interest me in our winter conditions since my motor oil doesn't get any hotter than 190F anyway) and the Rotella Synthetic is of significant(!) higher viscosity (cranking and pumping) than a conventional dino 10W-30 (I looked at Mobil Drive Clean). Even though it has the 5W rating, it is still a 40 weight oil, so I would expect these results.

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You better look again:

Mobil Drive Clean 10w30 is 6200 @ -25°C
Rotella Synthetic 5w40 is 6400 @ -30°C

The Rotella Syn's CCV is higher, but it's measured at a lower temperature. SAE J-300 measures a 5wXX oils' CCV at a lower temp than a 10wXX---30°C vs -25°C Those specs require a CCV of
Also, Rotella Synthetic is not a "40 weight oil" any more than Mobil Drive Clean 10w30 is a "30 weight oil." Rotella Synthetic has the low temp properties of a 5w oil and the high temp properties of a 40. Hence its multi-weight designation.

Edit: The 5500 @ -25°C spec I originally posted was for Mobil Drive Clean Synthetic Blend.

[ December 01, 2002, 01:01 AM: Message edited by: XHVI ]

 

[Alex D]

Sorry XHVI........I disagree.......the "W" rating is what was achieved with additives. The number after the dash is the base oil that was used for the formulation. That is why M1 0W-40 has much higher viscosity values than M1 10W-30......go check it out........

[ November 30, 2002, 12:05 PM: Message edited by: Alex D ]

 

[dkcase]

quote:

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the "W" rating is what was achieved with additives. The number after the dash is the base oil that was used for the formulation.

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h-m-m-m-m-m.... I wonder then...
what does 20W-20 indicate ??

 

[Patman]

A 20w20 oil would indicate that it doesn't perform very well as a cold weather oil, since it can only pass the cold cranking specs to be a number 20, and that it's viscosity at 100c is between 5.6 and 9.3, so in that respect it's a 20 weight.

Contrary to popular belief, a 20w20 oil doesn't mean it's a straight 20 weight.

 

[SteveD2]

The 20W indicates that this oil meets the spec of not more than 4500 centipoise viscosity @ -10°C in the cold cranking simulator.

The 20 indicates that this oil meets the spec of 5.6 to 9.3 centistoke viscosity @ 100°C.
http://www.lubrizol.com/ReadyReference/EngineOils/6-OilClasses/lzphysicals.htm

Ken