Anyone with Subaru Outback XT/Legacy GT?

[arlokvtec]

Hey guys just bought the Subaru Outback XT with 134k miles and for what i have researched im going towards 5w40 Rotella T6 Synthetic oil, i see a lot of subaru guys using it because of the turbo.

And for the transdiff oil ill do the complete 10qts flush with redline 75w90.

anyone that has a subaru approve this?

I live in Massachusets near boston.

Warm up time between 7 to 10 minutes.

Car does not have any problems so far.

Drive mostly in the city, i work 2 miles away so.

Thanks

 

[GearheadTool]

2.5 or 3.6L? (4 or 6?)

(engine)

 

[surfstar]

"Drive mostly in the city, i work 2 miles away so."

Ouch - that's a horrible commute [for your engine]. I'd go with 0w30 or 0w40 for winter. Will it see any longer drives during the cold months?

GHT - it should be the 2.5T and one that is unaffected by head gaskets!

 

[arlokvtec]

sorry, its the 2.5L turbo.

What ill do in the winter is: 5 minutes warm up and go to the gym then work, 10 miles the most.

Weekends in the winter time i usually go snowboard, 1:20h from home so its a long drive..

so ill probably use the 0w40 right? which brand? shell rotella t6? i really like mobil 1 but looks like the subaru ppl doesn't like it.

Thanks

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Forget the Redline.

http://www.amazon.com/Subaru-75W90-Extra-S-Transmission-Fluid/dp/B007L6Q1EK

 

[cutlassvillager]

I think the whole Mobil 1 hate from the Subaru crowd was with the 5w30 M1 variety (spun bearings).

I've used Mobil 1 0w-40 in my father's 02 WRX wagon (2.0L turbo) with good results. I've seen a lot of good UOAs with various turbo Subaru motors using Rotella T6.

If the Mobil 1 0w-40 meets all sorts of specs to run in direct injection turbo motors it should be fine with the Subaru motors.

 

[gpshumway]

Surfstar's right, that commute is brutal. I'd suggest you get the block heater, it will dramatically speed warm-up. I'd also recommend doing what I did, use two 75w "patch" heaters in addition to the block heater, one on the oil pan and one on the transmission. The shift from reverse to first after backing out of the driveway in the morning is smooth as silk. Well worth it.

Rotella T6 only comes in 5w40 and it would work fine, but for short trips I think the higher viscosity index of Mobil 1 0w40 is better. Subaru guys hate the API SM version of Mobil 1 5w30 because it becomes 5w20 in 1,000 miles in a turbo Subie. The API SN version appears to be better.

If you're willing to change oil seasonally I'd try M1 0w30 in the winter, and M1 0w40 or 5w40 TDT in the summer. My father has used M1 0w30 in his Outback 3.6R and it seems to hold up very well, there's also a UOA from a Forester XT around here someplace where M1 0w30 did well. The 0w30 will do well for short trips in the cold.

The general consensus on trans oil is as Bottom Feeder suggests, use Subaru's own "Extra-S", fluid it works the best.

 

[bluesubie]

Further to cutlassvillager's Mobil1 comments, I'll just quote myself from a recent post since Garak enjoyed it so much.

Quote:
M1 being a no-no in turbo Subaru's is from knuckleheads that modify their cars, don't check their oil regularly, and think that the only Mobil1 available is Resource Conserving 5w30.

I would go with M1 0W-40 or German Castrol 0w30 in Mass. Both would be fine in summer with M1 0W-40 having slightly higher ZDDP levels. If you still have your turbo and AVCS banjo bolt screens, don't go much farther than 5k miles on any oil.

If the front diff/transmission Extra-S took too long to warm up for me and I run Mobil Delvac 75W-90 picked up from Lufteknic. Motul Gear 300 is a popular choice as well. RL 75W-90NS is hit or miss for most people.

-Dennis

 

[arlokvtec]

Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
Forget the Redline.

http://www.amazon.com/Subaru-75W90-Extra-S-Transmission-Fluid/dp/B007L6Q1EK


Thanks, ill buy those. Do you recommend doing the whole flush in the subaru dealer on just drain the oil and fill it up with the new one?

Do you know how many qts i need to buy?

Thanks

 

[arlokvtec]

Originally Posted By: cutlassvillager
I've seen a lot of good UOAs with various turbo Subaru motors using Rotella T6.




+1 for rotella

 

[arlokvtec]

Originally Posted By: gpshumway
Surfstar's right, that commute is brutal. I'd suggest you get the block heater, it will dramatically speed warm-up. I'd also recommend doing what I did, use two 75w "patch" heaters in addition to the block heater, one on the oil pan and one on the transmission. The shift from reverse to first after backing out of the driveway in the morning is smooth as silk. Well worth it.

Rotella T6 only comes in 5w40 and it would work fine, but for short trips I think the higher viscosity index of Mobil 1 0w40 is better. Subaru guys hate the API SM version of Mobil 1 5w30 because it becomes 5w20 in 1,000 miles in a turbo Subie. The API SN version appears to be better.

If you're willing to change oil seasonally I'd try M1 0w30 in the winter, and M1 0w40 or 5w40 TDT in the summer. My father has used M1 0w30 in his Outback 3.6R and it seems to hold up very well, there's also a UOA from a Forester XT around here someplace where M1 0w30 did well. The 0w30 will do well for short trips in the cold.

The general consensus on trans oil is as Bottom Feeder suggests, use Subaru's own "Extra-S", fluid it works the best.


good to know that, thanks.. so because of the short trips all go with the full synthetic mobil1 0w30 in the winter and mobil1 0w40 on summer.

Yea ill def buy the oem extra-s gear oil.

About the block heater i never heard such a thing like this, ill try to find it.

Thanks

 

[arlokvtec]

Originally Posted By: bluesubie
Further to cutlassvillager's Mobil1 comments, I'll just quote myself from a recent post since Garak enjoyed it so much.

Quote:
M1 being a no-no in turbo Subaru's is from knuckleheads that modify their cars, don't check their oil regularly, and think that the only Mobil1 available is Resource Conserving 5w30.

I would go with M1 0W-40 or German Castrol 0w30 in Mass. Both would be fine in summer with M1 0W-40 having slightly higher ZDDP levels. If you still have your turbo and AVCS banjo bolt screens, don't go much farther than 5k miles on any oil.

If the front diff/transmission Extra-S took too long to warm up for me and I run Mobil Delvac 75W-90 picked up from Lufteknic. Motul Gear 300 is a popular choice as well. RL 75W-90NS is hit or miss for most people.

-Dennis


What about the winter time? synthetic m1 0w30 right? and 0w40 on summer..

I use the turbo and AVCS banjo bolt screens and ill keep the manual recommendation which the OCI is 3750k

Thanks =]

 

[bluesubie]

Well I typically don't run any Resource Conserving oil although I've seen one uoa here on the M1 0w30 from a Cobb Stage I Forester XT and it was fine. Just one uoa though. My weekday trips are only five miles but I do have longer trips one day a week and drive farther on the weekends and have used 0W-40 with temps in the low teens.

I like a more robust oil for the times I put my foot into it. If I ran M1 0w30 I would probably add a couple of quarts of M1 0w30 Racing.

-Dennis

 

[arlokvtec]

Originally Posted By: bluesubie
Well I typically don't run any Resource Conserving oil although I've seen one uoa here on the M1 0w30 from a Cobb Stage I Forester XT and it was fine. Just one uoa though. My weekday trips are only five miles but I do have longer trips one day a week and drive farther on the weekends and have used 0W-40 with temps in the low teens.

I like a more robust oil for the times I put my foot into it. If I ran M1 0w30 I would probably add a couple of quarts of M1 0w30 Racing.

-Dennis


Thanks dennis, so ill run m1 0w40 then because i like to race too lol..

 

[gpshumway]

Originally Posted By: arlokvtec
good to know that, thanks.. so because of the short trips all go with the full synthetic mobil1 0w30 in the winter and mobil1 0w40 on summer.

Yea ill def buy the oem extra-s gear oil.

About the block heater i never heard such a thing like this, ill try to find it.

Thanks


Your Subaru dealer should have the block heater, though I'd be looking for a new one if they're recommending flushing the manual trans. Trans flushes are of very limited value in an automatic, no value in a manual.

The patch heaters are not an OEM accessory, several companies make them, I've got Proheat brand heaters. I got them from Amazon. Anything bigger than 75w won't fit on the transmission or the oil pan. I connected them to a short 3 outlet extension cord on which I replaced the plug end with a Marinco 150bbi marine "inlet" which I mounted in the front bumper next to the lower air intake. The 3 outlet plug gets mounted under the front bumper.

I think Dennis is a bit too afraid of M1 0w30 in winter, you never see the kinds of oil temps which would be a problem, "racing" or not. I assume you're not taking your OBXT to the track in the winter. Regardless, M1 0w40 will serve you well. If you're willing to spend the big bucks you could go for Redline 0w30. I did a UOA with it which I posted on NASIOC, it worked well.

 

[arlokvtec]

Thanks gpshumway

Im looking forward to put the heater block. And ill check the redline oil price too.

 

[gpshumway]

Oh, and another thing I forgot to mention. In the winter a "winter front" is probably a good idea. AFAIK nobody makes a commercial one for the Outback, but you can make one from textured ABS or do it the cheezy way by putting a frozen pizza box between the A/C condenser and the radiator.