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Shell Rotella oils

jhornsby3

jhornsby3

Active Member
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Location
Boise, Idaho
Well it's time for the oil change again. So off to Wallie's to pick up some of the Shell Rotella T full synthetic and found that they have stopped carrying it. Well the 5w-40 anyways. So without getting into the whole oil debate, I was wanting to know if anyone has experiance with the Shell Rottela T 10w-30 Heavy Duty synthetic oil? What is the bennifits to useing this over the 5w-40 other than the 5 bucks cheaper price?

I live in the Pacific Northwest so the temps don't get too cold or too hot. I tow a 28 foot fifth wheel in the summer loaded with kids and critters and all the crap they need to live.

Thanks,

John
 
Did you put 5w40 in a 6.5 ? Our Wally World has 15w40 Rotella T, but I don't know that is synthetic.
 
40 vs. 30 weight is 10 lbs of oil pressure at idle in a Duramax. Yes, the difference between 9 psi “low oil pressure stop engine” alarm and not. This is under towing conditions where oil temperatures become extreme.

You do not want a thinner oil in a diesel. Gas can get away with it.
 
I got the last of the 5w-40 Rotella syn they had. The 10w-30 is a Rotella T diesel oil. Another syn. oil that is replacing the 5w-40 on the shelf.

Oh and it does read 40lbs on the gauge now at 65mph and it did read 50 or 60 with the 15w-40 Rotella regular. Is that why it reads low, the syntetic?

John
 
I just ran into the same thing at Wallies. Went in for a change and no more Rotella Synthetic. I was bummed...so I went to look on the shelf and the only full synthetic they had was 15-40 Mobil One...it went in.
Summer is around the corner here and I tow daily so I figure I'm good until winter.
I heard that's what GM recommends for the Vette so it can't be too bad of a choice.

I'd like an oil guy to chime in about synthetic weights...
 
Yeah I went to Auto Zone to get my filter(mobil 1 M1-302) and seen that they had it on the shelf for 24.99 a gallon.:eek: If I don't hear other wise in the next month and a half, I guess I'll have to pony up the cash for the higher price.:mad2: I did read somewhere that someone was running the 10w-30 in Cali for towing in the desert.

John
 
I like Amsoil...

Honestly, Mobil 1 is one of the WORST Synthetics on the market. It's better than some conventionals and blends, but compared to other synthetics, it's become crap in the past few years. Instead of raising the price, like everyone else has, they've cheapened up the formula.

I currently have 100% amsoil in our duramax, our Gator, and our lawnmower's engines. Change the oil once a year, and other than checking the level, forgeddabout it.
 
Crap! Well thanks for that one...now I feel like crap spending all that dough for a change. I'd heard many thought it was really good and I was already there...I thought I made a good choice.
 
Ozzie, it's not that bad, and it won't hurt your engine, but it's not up to par with the rest of the synthetic market. Simple as that.
 
Dad's 05 LLY said:
Ozzie, it's not that bad, and it won't hurt your engine, but it's not up to par with the rest of the synthetic market. Simple as that.
Click to expand...

See I here that about amsoil... This is like the first site I've been on where people say good things about.....
 
An excerpt from some Amsoil literature:

Hard-working diesel engines present a serious challenge to the lubricants Tight clearances and intense pressures can generate enough force to tear apart the molecular structure of the oil, causing permanent viscosity loss. Permanent viscosity loss is termed “shear” and leads to accelerated equipment wear, oil consumption and deposit formation.

Shear stability measures a lubricant’s ability to withstand shearing forces without degrading to a lower viscosity.
To meet CJ-4 requirements for shear stability, the American Petroleum Institute (API) requires diesel oils to pass the Kurt Orbahn 90-Cycle Shear Stability Test.

Resisting shear and maintaining protective viscosity in the harsh operating conditions of diesel engines is challenge enough for many diesel oils, but maintaining viscosity in the face of fuel dilution is another challenge
altogether. Factors such as frequent starts, excessive engine idling, short trips and cold weather have contributed to moderate levels of fuel dilution in diesel applications for years, while recent issues with emission systems
have brought the fuel dilution problem to a whole new level.

For example, AMSOIL has documented increasing fuel dilution levels in 2007-2009 Caterpillar C13 and C15 onhighway engines. There are many possible causes, including problems with a unit injector or leaking seals. Another cause of fuel dilution is new emission systems using incylinder post-fuel injection, a process most 2007-2010 light-duty GM, Ford and Dodge diesel pickups use to regenerate the diesel particulate filter.
Because diesel fuel is a natural solvent, it causes a multitude of problems when it contaminates the oil, including reduced oil viscosity, reduced oil film strength, increased engine wear (particularly in the cylinder/ring area), increased volatility, weakened lubricant detergency, accelerated lubricant oxidation, varnish formation, acid formation/corrosion and low oil pressure.

The most notable problem associated with increased fuel contamination is reduced viscosity and the corresponding effect it has on oil performance. When combined with shearing conditions, as little as 4 percent fuel dilution is
generally enough to reduce an oil’s viscosity to less than the specified viscosity grade.

AMSOIL sent five competitive synthetic CJ-4 5W-40 diesel oils to an independent laboratory for shear stability testing. Knowing the tough environment that diesels present to lubricating oils, AMSOIL doubled the standard Kurt Orbahn 90-cycle test and had the oils tested for 180 cycles. Samples were then contaminated with 2 and 4 percent ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel.

As the graph shows, even after being shear tested for twice the industry standard and contaminated with 4 percent fuel dilution, AMSOIL maintained viscosity and was the only oil to stay within an SAE 40 viscosity rating. As other oils lost viscosity due to shearing forces and fuel dilution, their ability to protect against wear was jeopardized.


Link to a PDF Look at the chart on page 3.
 
I chose my oil after reading a independant report from a testing company. The testing was done at the most a few years ago and Shell Rotella synthetic was rated as one of the best. Not the best, but in the top two. And it was something I didn't have to order ahead of time to use. I'm a cash and carry type of guy. I have no experiance useing Amsoil and after looking at the cost involved I chose not to use it. And I even have a family member that sells it.

So anybody have any advise to the original question about the Rotella HD synthetic 10w-30?

John
 
I know my local WALLY WORLD carries the 15W40 dino, 10W30 blend, and the 5W40 full synthetic still. They tend to be sold out of the 5W40 alot though, but they had it the last time I was in.
 
New price point. The price went up from the distributor and was too high for Wallie's to keep it on the shelf so they dropped it. At least that was what I was told. They made that choice in Febuary.

John
 
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