Rotella T6 5w-40 in a Gas engine

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
6
Location
Southern NH
i have a 2004 ford explorer 4.0. been looking for a synthetic 5w-40 and saw shell has it at a great price. but it is diesel oil. will this oil harm my vehicle in any way? ex. cats, emissions, plug fouling etc. it is a "SM" rated oil and i use "SM" rated oil so is it safe of not. i know there is a weight difference but thats not my concern.
 
You are fine. As long as the oil holds the spec that your vehicle requires, you are golden.

The T6 is a commonly used oil by a lot of people in both gas and diesel applications. It is a bargin when you can find it at WM for 19.50.
 
reason i am asking is because i emailed shell techs and they said it could harm my cats because of the extra additives that diesels require
 
if i understand the api rating thing. i would think in order for it to meet a api rating"SM" the product shouldnt exceed the levels of additives that rating requires, correct? it has to fit within certain tolerances.
 
my truck with 114,000 doesnt burn any oil at all. im currently using pennzoil ultra. wanted to try some thing a little heavier. heard alot of people say the engines run very smooth after using T6
 
Rotella T6 is API-SM rated, which means it's fine for use in gas engines.

The amount of ZDDP in T6 is a lot less than it used to be; it's still in there though-about 1200ppm. Compared to an old box of [censored] n span, that's not much, but still more than the 300ppm of some newer oils.

If you're worried about it, there's always motorcraft syn blend, and it's probably cheaper. Another decent 40 grade would be Mobil 1 0w-40.
 
I know three people that have used 15w40 in there ford 4.0s exclusively and the lowest mileage one is at 125k and the highest mileage one is over 200k miles. our weather is mild here in nc but we do get days when it is 15 deg F. I also know many that have used HDEO in chevy 350s and even small over head cam engines in PA year around. I dont know one that had oil related issues or cat problems. My old pickup has run on old CI rated HDEO at least 75 percent of its life and still runs fine after 229k miles. It has had leaky valve seals since about 100k miles and always blew a litte puff of smoke upon startup. The cat is still fine. Maybe some cars are very sensitive to this kind of thing but most are not. Im not saying 15w40 is the best or anything but if you wanted to run a 5w40 CJ oil, it will not hurt your truck at all. For your winter temps i would suggest something a little lighter in the winter but you will be fine either way. Remember oil choices are based largely upon your driving habits. If you take your vehicle in NH and start it up and drive ten mins thru town and shut it off, then a lighter oil would be more advantageous for you. If you take that same truck and start it up and run 30 miles before shutting it off, tow with it, and generally run it hard, then the 5w40 may be the better oil for you. They will both make your engine most likely out last your truck but you can choose your oil to best fit your situation. One final note, im not a ford expert or anything but i thought i remember some of the ford engines have a very high oil pressure that was more sensitive to the heavier oils. Still a 5w40 in the summer will be fine, it just may not be optimum.
 
I think you should stay with an oil that is primarily formulated for gasoline engines. Rotella is rated CJ4/SM, which means it is primarily a diesel oil that can also be used in a gasoline engine. Shell markets it primarily as a heavy-duty diesel oil and says it is good for mixed fleet applications. Rotella's additive package contains a lot of magnesium-based detergents which are typically not recommended for gasoline engines.

Why do you want to go to a 5w40 oil? I think that a 5w30 synthetic would be more applicable to your engine.
 
I have been wondering the same think for my F-150, as long as it's API-SM certified I guess it would be ok. I may try it as well, good price.
 
An 04 vehicle is made for API SL spec which would have had the same amount of ZDDP as Rotella does currently. It wasn't until SM was released in late 2004 that it was reduced (and even then only for energy conserving grades).

Really, it would probably be a great summer oil. Not sure I'd want a 40 weight in the winter in NH.
 
Last edited:
I have a jug of that stuff left over from when I had a VW TDI. Great oil for my '03 ALH. I've often wondered if it would be okay in the summer in my Toyota's 3MZ-FE, or if I should just give it to my F-I-L who now has an older Dodge Ram with a Cummins he bought off his dad.

I agree, a great oil in a diesel application, but I wonder how suitable it is in a gasoline application.
 
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
I think you should stay with an oil that is primarily formulated for gasoline engines. Rotella is rated CJ4/SM, which means it is primarily a diesel oil that can also be used in a gasoline engine. Shell markets it primarily as a heavy-duty diesel oil and says it is good for mixed fleet applications. Rotella's additive package contains a lot of magnesium-based detergents which are typically not recommended for gasoline engines.

The way I see it, it either meets API SM or it doesn't. Since it does and if your car calls for it, then I don't see a problem.
 
If your vehicle has an oil consumption issue, you stand to kill your cats, but if you don't have that to deal with, you'll be ok. I've been using the stuff for years in gas engines (especially to clean out sludgers) and never killed my cats.
 
I don't see a problem with it. The basic design of the 4.0 V6 dates back to the 60s, so it should have no issue with a 40 weight. With no oil burning, I wouldn't worry about it poisoning the cat or anything. My Jeep is just under 115k miles, and has been happily running T6 since just past 100k.
 
The Rotella believe it or not is not a diesel oil it is a H.D.E.O." heavy duty engine oil". It is suitable for use in the most demanding operation of diesel and gasoline engines considering the proper viscosity for your application.
 
Making the "search" button bigger might help.

But yeah, Rotella is great. And still fairly cheap.
 
Hate to rain on everyones parade but Rotella T6 is not recommended by Shell for gas engines with catalytic converters. I e-mailed their tech dept today and here is their quote:

"Dear Sir,

You should always follow the viscosity recommendations in your owner's manual. Please note that Rotella oils are not recommended for gasoline vehicles with catalytic converters.

Best Regards,

Shell Technical"

I then asked them how this can be since T6 is API SM rated for gas engines. Here's what they said:

"The API SM specification does not address the use of catalytic converters. The ILSAC GF-4 / GF-5 specifications restrict the use of certain anti-wear additive systems. These can shorten the life of the converter as the car ages and begins to use oil. Because of the higher levels of the ZDDP additives in Rotella oils, they do not meet the ILSAC specifications and cannot be recommended for use in vehicles with catalytic converters.

Regards,

Shell Technical"


My put on all this: that while T6 meets SM requirements, it does so with no reference to also being cat safe. To improve cat life, some ILSAC ratings required manufacturers to lower Phosphorus levels to about 800 ppm or lower because high Phosphorus levels kill cat converters. Since the Phosphorus is contained in ZDDP, meeting this requirement would necessitate Rotella lowering their Phosphorus levels from current levels of about 1100 ppm to 800 ppm or less. Rotella chose not to lower Phosphorous to the required 800 ppm level because higher levels have other benefits to diesel engines, and diesel owners are their main customers. This means T6 does not meet these lower Phosphorus levels and that there are other oils out there that do and these are better for cat longevity.

So...there ya go....it is a great oil but NOT for gas engines with cat converters.

There is one saving grace I can think of: the Phosphorus has to get by the rings to get into the cat converter. If you are not burning oil it MIGHT be ok but I wouldn't risk it. Then again, if you are burning oil of any kind that too can kill a catalytic converter and it doesn't have to be a high Phosphorus level to do it......

So...what are all you gas engine folks who use Rotella T6 going to do? Thoughts??

PS. I rained on my own parade too....the BMW I bought has T6 in it right now.....
frown.gif
so I too have to decide what to do.......
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top