ATV oil....

[BigJohn]

So I assume, ATV's can pile in here... with the motorcycles.

Ok.. So I have a new CForce 1000, v-twin, ATV. It is a beast and a wonderful, 2-up touring machine.

It has separate engine and transmission sumps and the clutch is external.

So, it gets a diet of 75w90 in the tranny and it calls for 15w40 in the engine.

I ride some nasty stuff on it...... super steep and very rocky terrain. It normally cruises at 3 bars on the engine heat, but when I ride the high and nasty, it has gone up to 6 bars (8 being max). Yes, it is water cooled.

Anyway, I suggested on the ATV forum that I would opt for Mobil 1, 15w40 in the engine sump and a main dude objected. He said.....

"The 15W50 oil have been causing the pressure relief springs to weaken sooner as they are forced open farther. Then they start having low enough oil pressure to start blinking the light at idle. Not good."

I just can't buy in to this opinion... only for the difference between a 40 and a 50 wt oil....

What do you say?

 

[Chris142]

Millions of air cooled ATVs live long lives on 10w-40. Those ran much hotter than your water cooled one will ever see . Stick with the robust 15w-40 as it's good enough for a turbo diesel it's definitely good enough for your toy.

 

[BigCahuna]

What does the MFGR recommend ?.,,,

 

[joekingcorvette]

I use the Honda GN4 10W-40SJ and it should work ok in your ATV. I had a few ATV's and it worked just fine.

 

[Ursatdx]

T6 5w40.

 

[alarmguy]

I would use any 15/40 and call it a day.
I dont agree with using a 5/40, the manual doesnt call for it and 5/40 oils shear greatly in some uses. Just no reason to.

Some manuals used to give leeway to use a 20/50 (or your case 15/50) in hot weather but if you ride in temps at below 90 degrees I wouldnt give the 15/50 a thought. Will it matter? No way do I agree with what you were told. So those are my thoughts, 15/40 or above average temperatures 15/50 either way you will not hurt anything. I tend to stick to recommended BUT there is a big difference if you operate above average temperatures....as oil weights are based on suspected average riding temperatures that will be good for all.

 

[repairman54]

As said the recommended good 15-40w oil. I would add some water wetter into the coolant to help improve heat transfer. It has helped me in snowmobiles with marginal cooling systems in some older sleds and in newer ones in low snow conditions.

 

[Jesse_NE]

A lot of people on forums have no idea what they're talking about. I'm sure the same 15W-40 that runs in semi trucks for hundreds of thousands of miles will work just fine in your new ATV.

 

[BigJohn]

So, I love Rotella as much as the next guy, but I am asking if a 15w50, in your opinion, would be detrimental?

I run Rotella is many of my applications.

Ironically, Mobil 1, 15w50 can be purchased for less than either of the T6's at WalMart. Because of this, M1 15w50 will be finding itself in many more of my applications.


.............

 

[Alain2]

So, I love Rotella as much as the next guy, but I am asking if a 15w50, in your opinion, would be detrimental?

I run Rotella is many of my applications.

Ironically, Mobil 1, 15w50 can be purchased for less than either of the T6's at WalMart. Because of this, M1 15w50 will be finding itself in many more of my applications.


.............

Many people run M1 15w50 in motorcycle/ATV applications without any oil issue.

 

[Overfill]

"The 15W50 oil have been causing the pressure relief springs to weaken sooner as they are forced open farther. Then they start having low enough oil pressure to start blinking the light at idle. Not good."

They are inappreciably different vis at cold startup temps, so it would be a shared attribute.

"Pressure relief valve springs" of the oil pump are there to limit oil pressure by limiting oil coming into the circuit from the sump. Usually this is actuating when you start the engine up close to the oil's winter rating, which you can look up on a SAE J300 chart. It can also happen when the engine is started up on cold (=thick) oil and subsequently the motor revved up.

low oil pressure would come from viscosity dropping too low for the oiling circuit. This is either due to strikingly high heat/oil temperatures, high fuel dilution, high permanent shear thinning, or more general oil misapplication (putting in too low a grade than manufacturer recommended for the service conditions.)

 

[userfriendly]

With no wet clutch to worry about, M-1 5W50 Super Car looks good.
40C 112
100C 18
P .110
Zn .120
API SP
Dexos R

 

[Rygrego]

So I assume, ATV's can pile in here... with the motorcycles.

Ok.. So I have a new CForce 1000, v-twin, ATV. It is a beast and a wonderful, 2-up touring machine.

It has separate engine and transmission sumps and the clutch is external.

So, it gets a diet of 75w90 in the tranny and it calls for 15w40 in the engine.

I ride some nasty stuff on it...... super steep and very rocky terrain. It normally cruises at 3 bars on the engine heat, but when I ride the high and nasty, it has gone up to 6 bars (8 being max). Yes, it is water cooled.

Anyway, I suggested on the ATV forum that I would opt for Mobil 1, 15w40 in the engine sump and a main dude objected. He said.....

"The 15W50 oil have been causing the pressure relief springs to weaken sooner as they are forced open farther. Then they start having low enough oil pressure to start blinking the light at idle. Not good."

I just can't buy in to this opinion... only for the difference between a 40 and a 50 wt oil....

What do you say?

I totally agree with you. I've been running Mobil 1 15w50 in all my on and off road bikes and side x sides for years with zero issues.

 

[Bob in Utah]

JASO-MA rated oil for ATV/UTV's with wet clutches

I've always used Kawi 10-40 semi syn in my Kawi Teryx SxS since new in '18

Holds 4 qts as opposed to the usual 2 qts

Usually priced at $28-30 a 4 qt jug shipped