I used T5 Rotella exclusively in a 2012 Equinox 2.4L motor for 5 years and around 70K miles. I didn't experience any of the oil consumption and other issues related to the inherent design and service schedule of this particular GM motor.
Shell Rotella T6 10w30... thoughts???
- Thread starter BigJohn
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How much better is Rotella T6 vs the T4 version and is it worth the additional cost? What kind of use will your machine need to endure in order to exploit the superior attributes of T6?
Used a lot of T6 5w40 over the years but have abandoned it. It just sheared too quickly for my taste, especially in my motorcycles.
In regard to the foaming issue, the only time I have seen that with my own eyes was when I used T6 5w40 in my Ram EcoDiesel. In 160,000 miles, that is the only oil that drained some foam. T5 10w30 nor T6 15w40 ever showed evidence of foaming when I drained the oil.
By the way, T6 10w30 has some interesting graphics on the box..... Sure looks like a multi-fleet application.
It's my opinion, but T4 15w40 is one of the best motorcycle oils on the shelf. I have used it in my EcoDiesel and loved it with one complaint..... It's thick on super cold, winter mornings. If I lived in Florida, T4 might be all I used in nearly everything I own. The full Synthetic T6's flow a lot better in cold temps.
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I’ve tried T6 Multi vehicle 5w30 (dual rated for gas and diesel) in my 4.3 vortec couple months back. The oil did fine, the engine didn’t blow up, I took it on road trips, and everything was normal.
I believe the 5w30 MV was on the thicker side of a 30 weight. I had great oil pressure. Compared to 5w30 gas oils, the T6 5w30 did bump up my hot idle oil pressure by a couple PSI’s, which was kind of nice.
Lots of people complain about valvetrain noise with the 5w30 T6, but one thing I noticed and heard was louder balance shaft gear lash rattle. The rattle was slightly louder and much more noticeable in the truck. Very common on these balance shaft 4.3 vortec engines. If you know, you know.
T6 is good oil, but the reason why I just used it for one oil change was because T6 comes in a 3 gallon jug, but costed the same if not more than most other oils that are in 5 quart jugs.
I don’t think T6 is a “sleeper or exceptional” in any way. It’s just good oil that works and does it job for normal OCI’s. One thing is the T6 5w30 has absolutely no moly in it based on what I’ve seen, or maybe they use a different type of moly (that I can’t remember the name of) that does not show in oil analysis.
No need to use T6 in a gas engine. It isn’t cheaper or does it offer better protection, and there are better oils for the same money.
I believe the 5w30 MV was on the thicker side of a 30 weight. I had great oil pressure. Compared to 5w30 gas oils, the T6 5w30 did bump up my hot idle oil pressure by a couple PSI’s, which was kind of nice.
Lots of people complain about valvetrain noise with the 5w30 T6, but one thing I noticed and heard was louder balance shaft gear lash rattle. The rattle was slightly louder and much more noticeable in the truck. Very common on these balance shaft 4.3 vortec engines. If you know, you know.
T6 is good oil, but the reason why I just used it for one oil change was because T6 comes in a 3 gallon jug, but costed the same if not more than most other oils that are in 5 quart jugs.
I don’t think T6 is a “sleeper or exceptional” in any way. It’s just good oil that works and does it job for normal OCI’s. One thing is the T6 5w30 has absolutely no moly in it based on what I’ve seen, or maybe they use a different type of moly (that I can’t remember the name of) that does not show in oil analysis.
No need to use T6 in a gas engine. It isn’t cheaper or does it offer better protection, and there are better oils for the same money.
That’s not possible in a UOA analysis. Since the spectrograph decomposes every compound into the elements, any compound with molybdenum will register. What you cannot determine is the compound it came from.
This is the same as any other synthetic vs conventional debate.
You can apply the talking points here too
It is JASO and CK, but not SN for gasoline automobiles. The picture is accurate.
I've thought about this comment all day and it just doesn't pass the sniff test, no offense.
If Rotella foamed and was horrible in higher rev'ing gas engines, then why is it the most popular motorcycle oil and the flippin planet? Very few oils can stand up to the shared sump of shearing veracity and 14,000 RPM engines, but several of the Rotella varieties do!
My Yamaha 450 Enduro race bike has had nothing but a diet of T6 15w40 for the last four years and I have had to do ZERO work to that engine, except adjust the valves twice. Some racers have to do a new top end every year or two... mine is thrashed, trashed and abused and still running great.
And my wife's Kawasaki Versys 300x, which is regularly pressed to its 12,000 red line has only had Rotella since I dumped the factory fill at 100 miles. The engine is just superb at 9-12k, screaming through the canyons of western Colorado. We've owned that bike now since purchased off the dealer floor in 2017.... 8 years ago.
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Here's the other thing about what Rotella has to lube and protect... Commercial diesel engines have a lot of stress and pressure and heat and they have big turbos that run super hot..... And how many of those engines far exceed a million miles.... on this oil some of you claim is just an average soup.
How many of those riders know anything about oil beyond the fact that it's oil? Many people still think "oil is oil" and thus give no consideration for anything better because they don't believe there's anything better. They have clutch slip issues? "Must be a bad clutch." They have valvetrain noise? "Oh, they all do that." Any issue they have, the oil will never remotely be a consideration for the fault. Then when asked about the oil, they'll say "It's never let me down" because the thought of "I wonder if the oil could be the fault." has never once crossed their mind. I've dealt with too many of these kind of people.
I run it in my Jeep. I am pleased with it.
I don’t see the problem, too bad it’s not dual rated. My work truck gets filled with Delo 5w40 synthetic all fleet in the arctic. (6.6 Chevy gasser, doesn’t use oil between changes…could be fuel in it from idling.
Is that a Diesel motorcycle on the label?
Not sure on that one.
My truck runs at above 3200 all the time cruising, and no foaming that I know of, currently I am using 5w40 Delo.
Kubotas run at 2900-3200 all day long in some cases, for weeks at a time. I think that qualifies as fast.....but maybe not.
Not...
Good diesel oil, suitable for most gas ICE out there. The proverbial "your car will rust, before engine failure" will happen.
I use the T6 10w30 in my lawn mower and my generator works great.
3$ is not a bad price but IMO: doesnt approach "killer deal" such as the old rotella gas truck for 8$/5qt type deals.
or walmart oops on m1 deals etc.
I got valvoline R&P for 4$/qt and m1 esp for 3.75/qt I wouldnt call that a killer deal.. but a deal certainly.
Rotella t6 10w30 is a decent oil but dont sip too hard on the brotella marketing esp in gas engines.
also do you have a source on the HTHS greater than 3.5?
being a fuel economy oil for big rigs I'd question if its really that high if they are using it to improve fuel economy.
or walmart oops on m1 deals etc.
I got valvoline R&P for 4$/qt and m1 esp for 3.75/qt I wouldnt call that a killer deal.. but a deal certainly.
Rotella t6 10w30 is a decent oil but dont sip too hard on the brotella marketing esp in gas engines.
also do you have a source on the HTHS greater than 3.5?
being a fuel economy oil for big rigs I'd question if its really that high if they are using it to improve fuel economy.
I just ran across this deal online. Walmart
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