Shell Rotella T synthetic 5w-40

[TurboLuver]

Originally Posted By: HM12460
i'd really like to use rotella t 5W-40 in my truck (below in my sig) with the 4.3 engine. owners manual says to use 5w-30, or if not available, 10w-30 is acceptable. specifically states not to use 10w-40, so i'm a little hesitant to use the rotella t. i'd like to be able to use 1 oil in all my stuff. makes things a lot easier. aside from this issue, i'd be ok with rotella or the mobil 1 tdt. anybody know why the general says not to use a 10w-40 oil in there silverado's?? will it flow satisfactorily on a cold winter morning start here in michigan??


I had a 2000 Silverado with the 4.3 I ran Rotella T 5W-40 in it for one OCI and the engine seemed, for lack of a better word, sluggish. It just wouldn't turn up as quick as with the 5W-30. I'm sure it was only a matter of fractions of a sec, but it was noticeable to me.

 

[esteve]

I read a post in which someone described RTS as "cushioning" the motor and thought that was so accurate, in an odd way!

When I switced to it, my motor seemed to run smoother and quieter, like RTS had a "cushioning" effect on it.

 

[Drivebelt]

Originally Posted By: HM12460
anybody know why the general says not to use a 10w-40 oil in there silverado's??


I believe there were some problems (sludging?) with 10W-40's in the 1980's (and early 1990's). The problem was that a huge amount of VII's (viscosity index improvers) had to be added to a Group I conventional oil back then to make that type of wide viscosity spread. Not only were some of the Group I oils back then not really that good (poor oxidative/thermal stability and a low viscosity index), adding a ton of not so good VII's (not very thermal stable) to a lousy Group I base oil didn't exactly make for a very good oil. Under high heat situations some of these old 10W-40 Group I based oils would break down quickly and form sludge.

This is not really an issue with the higher viscosity index Group II, III base oils used today. Sometimes these warnings get carried over in the manuals when they are not really relevant today.

A 5W-40 synthetic like RTS would work fine in your Silverado. You might see a slight gas mileage decrease compared to a 5W-30 because of the higher viscosity oil, but you would get increased viscosity protection.

 

[BrianWC]

I recommend RTS all the time for fellow SAAB 9-5 owners. Good oil at a decent price.

 

[OMCWankel]

From what I have read here on BITOG, the Shell engineer’s response is truthful.

As to running the RTS 5W40 in your BMW and Mazda, double vanos, do so with confidence. I have been running 10W30 or heavier oil in my gen 1 Miata’s from the time of purchase, due to their less than good heat management. The ’91 had 240,000 miles on it when I sold it with no engine work of any kind. I have RTS 5W40 in my ’97 now and it loves it

 

[double vanos]

Ha,ha,ha! I like that "less than good heat management".

The engines in Miatas are often referred to as "the little volcano" and rightfully so.

As a result of all replys here I am going to give the RTS a shot in my BMW. If I like it, next up will be the Mazdaspeed 3. No need to worry about warranty on the BMW - that was gone long, long ago.

I'll post how the engine does with it in there.
Cheers all!

 

[Cmarti]

I have used it in everything air cooled, generators, mowers, lawn tractor, snowblower, ATV's. I use it in my tractor and Gold Wing.....but have never tried it in a gas passenger car engine due to weight and the CAT concern. I love the oil..... come to think of it, my tractor and bike are worth alot more than my F150......

 

[MNgopher]

RTS is good oil and will provide great engine protection. Beware the potential fuel economy drawbacks. I had over a 5% fuel mileage reduction in year around use versus a 5w30 oil in my '99 F150 with the 4.6l V8, and as others reported, it just felt slightly sluggish at times. My Jeep Cherokee, on the other hand, didn't care. You mileage may vary...

 

[kd5byb]

Originally Posted By: ksJoe
Isn't this the oil recommended for the small chinese honda clones?

I use it in my two Chinese Honda clones. Seems to work fine.