i was another site lots of guys run rotella in there bikes (Harleys) I am on the fence rotella or delvac..
Delvac or Rotella
- Thread starter live_to_hunt
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Whichever is on sale.
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Whichever is on sale.
Originally Posted By: TucsonDon
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Whichever is on sale.
Rotella: -15 Pour Point, 415 Flash Point, 3.7 HT/HS, 10.0 TBN
Delvac: -27 Pour Point, 446 Flash Point, 4.3 HT/HS, 12.0 TBN
Both oils are awesome and outstanding in shared sumps and good for water or air cooled (except in extreme temps where you would need a 20w50), but based on the data I found above....I have moved from Rotella to Delvac. Both my Honda XL600's love Delvac.
dnewton3
Staff member
BigJohn - you're referencing some old data, perhaps? The two are much closer in TBN as I recall; TBN is closer at 10.5 for the Delvac 1300 in 15w-40.
Not that it really matters. These two, along with Delo and a few others, perform so admirably that the oil itself is not the issue, but rather price.
I suggest the OP purchase whatever the "best" bargin is, because there will be little to no difference in a series of consistent UOAs.
Thanks fellas.
Originally Posted By: dnewton3
Not that it really matters. These two, along with Delo and a few others, perform so admirably that the oil itself is not the issue, but rather price.
I suggest the OP purchase whatever the "best" bargin is, because there will be little to no difference in a series of consistent UOAs.
Is Delvac 1300 15w-40 JASO MA approved? i'm thinking no? also grp II,+,III???
dnewton3
Staff member
I suspect the Delvac is like the Rotella; they are not licensed or certified for JASO. But that is because they don't seek out the certification. They likely meet those criteria and specs with the new CJ-4 formulations (lower ash content, etc). And all the dino HDEOs are group II or II+ that I'm aware of.
Those of us that use HDEOs (myself included) are likely to continue using them, regardless if they are "approved" JASO or not. So why go to the expense of JASO certs when they'll not likely sell much if any more lubricant? They just don't forsee the gain in market share worth the added expense, probably.
I will continue to buy and use the HDEOs I find on sale for my motorcycle, Dmax, Kubota, and air cooled 4 stroke equipment, whether they are "approved" or not. Awesome performance + bargin prices = good decision. At least for me.
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: dnewton3
I suspect the Delvac is like the Rotella; they are not licensed or certified for JASO. But that is because they don't seek out the certification. They likely meet those criteria and specs with the new CJ-4 formulations (lower ash content, etc). And all the dino HDEOs are group II or II+ that I'm aware of.
Those of us that use HDEOs (myself included) are likely to continue using them, regardless if they are "approved" JASO or not. So why go to the expense of JASO certs when they'll not likely sell much if any more lubricant? They just don't forsee the gain in market share worth the added expense, probably.
I will continue to buy and use the HDEOs I find on sale for my motorcycle, Dmax, Kubota, and air cooled 4 stroke equipment, whether they are "approved" or not. Awesome performance + bargin prices = good decision. At least for me.
Rotella IS JASO-A approved.
That's the white jug. The synthetic blue jug is close; it's just over the line on/in one test.
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
Rotella IS JASO-A approved.
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
That's the white jug. The synthetic blue jug is close; it's just over the line on/in one test.
Some one asked and got an e-mail from Shell stating that the conventional Rotella has passed JASO-A.
The synthetic Rotella apparently passed all those tests as well except for the soot (?) specs. It was just a tad high on that.
Whether that makes much difference in day to day use, I can't say.
I was one of the people who asked and got an e-mail back from Shell ... I posted that somewhere else on this site.
What I got back at that time was that they'd set up and tested the JASO MA friction test and it passed that. The other criteria they must have known already met the criteria, once the sulfated ash level was reduced.
It's possible they've gone further with this, and have run all the tests "officially" and may put the little logo on the jug. But that I don't know.
If I was the brand manager for Rotella I'd do that -- quietly. I'd get the certification and I'd quietly print the logo on the jug. Then I'd let the power of word-of-mouth sell the stuff to bikers by the boatload.
Multiple certification is good for putting uninitiated or inexperienced motorcycle enthusiasts at ease I suppose. However, those "in the know" are usually aware of what's good and what's not. These forums are a godsend for those wise enough to seek the knowledge of the well informed. Often the problem for the uninformed is wading through all of the Hollywood oil hype to get to the facts. Fortunately, a number of the wiser participants have posted their oil analysis results to prove the quality of reasonably priced and very effective oils. Novices would benefit from reading the "facts" versus hearsay.
Delvac has been superior to Rotella in my bike. Shifts better and I don't have the crazy consumption with it like I did with Rotella.
Originally Posted By: brian12
Delvac has been superior to Rotella in my bike. Shifts better and I don't have the crazy consumption with it like I did with Rotella.
I'd use either one as both are excellent oils...I've run Rotella 15W40 in my Bandit 1250 for over 9,000 miles now and it works very well....I may try the Delvac next OCI.
I run a 50/50 blend of Delvac 15-40 and M1 red cap 15-50 in a Suzuki SV650 twin. Perfect in my book for shifting, protection, and OCI length. YMMV.
