Shell Rotella 6T Question...

[Fakker]

Says on Quart that it is a "Heavy Duty Diesel" synthetic? Can I still use it?

Thanks,
Fakker

[alex.s]

yes

[nickjpass]

yes

it has the jaso? rating. good for your clutch. you can use your service manual to check what oils are compatible in the future.

21.36 at Walmart and amazon...Just bought some for myself!

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by nickjpass

yes

it has the jaso? rating. good for your clutch. you can use your service manual to check what oils are compatible in the future.

21.36 at Walmart and amazon...Just bought some for myself!

Note that the 10W-30 conventional oil does not list JASO-MA. The newer fully synthetic T6 5W-40 oil lists JASO-MA compliance on its packaging and on the Rotella website.

[EsrTek]

Just changed mine oil to T6 this past weekend.
Used it on my old 250 and my FZ6R

[nickjpass]

Woops

[M42]

Stuff's great, cheap at walmart. Use that and don't look back.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by Fakker

Says on Quart that it is a "Heavy Duty Diesel" synthetic? Can I still use it?

The fact that it can be used in Diesel engines is good, because Diesel engines tend to deteriorate oil really quick.

Copied from:
http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Oils1.html

"Most passenger car oils today use inexpensive VII molecules that break apart relatively easily. Conversely, most Diesel engine oil VIIs are chosen from more expensive chemicals that are more shear stable, since an oil change in a large Diesel is expected to last for 15,000 to 150,000 miles.

The additive packages for C (commercial) certification are designed to promote engine life. The additive packages for C rated oils contain extra buffers and detergents to keep the engine clean and free of acids. C rated oils are far better than S oils at holding and dispersing combustion byproducts and other contaminants, and at not becoming acidic. Traditionally these oils are primarily used in diesel motors, which are very expensive and are expected to last a million miles or more. When an engine rebuild costs $10,000 - $15,000 and puts you out of work for a week or three, you don't mind paying a bit more for your oil. The C certification tests have been largely developed by Mack, Caterpillar, Detroit and Cummins to provide the additives necessary to keep these engines running a long time. The latest commercial certification is CI-4 Plus, which includes extra protection for high temperature high revving motors. Since it's designed for Diesel motors, they don't care about no stinkin' catalytic thingies, and CAFE is a place where you get a cup of joe and a donut. CI-4 Plus differs from CI-4 with higher detergent requirements and better sheer stability. The shear stability is exactly what motorcycles need due to running the engine oil through the transmission.

When used with the correct filters, these oils are certified for 50,000 mile oil change intervals, and are frequently used for 100,000 to 150,000 miles in diesel long-haul trucks. Now, before you get all excited about the possibilities, you must also keep in mind that the Diesel engines don't run their oil through their transmission, and the large Diesels all have two oil filters, one a normal paper filter, and the other a 1 or 2 micron filter that catches pretty much everything. We don't have these secondary ultra-fine oil filters on our bikes. Also, the large Diesel engines hold eleven gallons of oil - a oil and filter change costs these guys $350 if they use synthetics, $150 if they don't."

Please, take a look at this:
http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Preferred_Brands

[Fakker]

Thank everyone. Missed that one on your link Motofool. That was the reason I bought it for this oil change. Brain fart on the diesel part.

[curiousrat]

I put this info out for another member several months ago. https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=172716 Maybe it'll help you too. I had to confirm the info... because it's my bike and my engine. If I messed it up, then it's my fault.

[gantt]

so 5w40 is ok to use? i was leary because it would be slightly thinner at start up.

[curiousrat]

According the the threads from https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=172716, the shear stability should not be a problem for the 5W-40.

Here is the answer you're looking for from:
http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Oils1.html
Choosing an Oil for Your Motorcycle

Synthetics typically don't contain much of a VII package, so shear is not as big an issue with them.

These are the only 2 oils I would recommend:
Shell Rotella T6 Full Synthetic Heavy Duty Engine Oil (5W-40)
Shell Rotella T Triple Protection Heavy Duty Engine Oil (15W-40)

[jkv45]

Originally Posted by curiousrat

These are the only 2 oils I would recommend:
Shell Rotella T6 Full Synthetic Heavy Duty Engine Oil (5W-40)
Shell Rotella T Triple Protection Heavy Duty Engine Oil (15W-40)

As far as easily available safe oils to use - I concur.

T6 is JASO-MA rated, T is not, but, according to a Shell Tech Rep all Rotella multigrade oils have the same additive package - so T is safe to use though it didn't go through the certification process (for cost reasons I would assume).

Synthetic T6 will shear down somewhat in cycle use from what I've seen, but it's not significant or a problem.

Running a 5W instead of a 10W can be a good thing, especially in cold temps. 5W flows better at start-up, which is where a significant amount of wear occurs.

Rotella T 15W-40 is a good oil as well, but because it's a conventional 15W doesn't flow well in cold temps. If you are starting below 50F I would use at least a 10W, if not a 5W. For the same grade, synthetic oils flow better at lower temps than conventional oils.

[InvisiBill]

Originally Posted by gantt

so 5w40 is ok to use? i was leary because it would be slightly thinner at start up.

Originally Posted by jkv45

Running a 5W instead of a 10W can be a good thing, especially in cold temps. 5W flows better at start-up, which is where a significant amount of wear occurs.

Like jkv said, this is a good thing in colder weather. Also, the cold weight is irrelevant above about 80°F (i.e. most areas' ambient summer temps).

[gantt]

OK. That's what I thought about temperature vs. viscosity.