Has Rotella changed???

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OAS

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Sorry if this is an old topic.
Couldnt find anything on it straight off.
Yesterday i was told by an aquatance that Rotella had changed its formula.
He said they have reduced the amount of zinc to 1/10th of the old formula.

Soooooo. is this [censored]? Or is he speaking truth?
Word is its even bad on older engines now. (diesels and such.)

Ive used Rotella 15-40 in our Ford powerstroke, our 4 wheelers, and motorcycles for years.
Is it still safe?
Any zinc additives out there if it is indeed deficient now???

Not trying to start rumors, just trying to get the facts.
Thanks!!
 
Supposedly this happened VERY recently.
I'll ask him what his source was.
 
When Rotella turned to "Triple Protection" years back it was reformulated.
 
It's usually the case that when some guy uses the word "zinc" in combination with a sad tale about motor oil, he is wrong. That is the case here too. If a guy says "ZDDP" instead of "zinc", there is a much better chance that he is speaking the truth, but that's still no guarantee.
 
Originally Posted By: OAS
He said they have reduced the amount of zinc to 1/10th of the old formula.

It's absolute hogwash. Look at the math - it's not even realistically feasible. If the zinc concentration is currently 1100 ppm, that would mean it was 11000 ppm before? That concentration is extremely corrosive. Dedicated race oils don't even have anywhere near that much.

If it was 1100, that would mean it's now 110 ppm. I highly doubt that the product could meet its certifications with 110 ppm. So, that's not feasible either.

Even if it were feasible and within the specifications, what would be the reason behind it? CJ-4 has been around for a while. So, there's no new rule requiring a reformulation. That particular AW compound isn't expensive, so there's no reason to eliminate it, particularly since it would have to be replaced with something much more exotic (and expensive).
 
Well, yes, Shell's Rotella oil has changed...it changes every time the industry specs change. The latest change is the API Service Category CJ-4. It is not the oil you used years ago--it's better. The oil has been that way for a few years now. It'll change again when the next update is produced. The new plan is currently called PC-11, and may be CK-4 when introduced to the public. And, yes, it is still safe and will be safe regardless of how many updates the spec gets.

http://www.infineuminsight.com/insight/mar-2014/specification-update-march-2014

By the way, Rotella is very good, and equally very good are all the usual suspects---Delo, Delvac, Premium Blue, Fleet Supreme, etc.
 
Actually PC-11 calls for a decrease in HTHS to 2.9-3.0 and at that point oil mfgs will "branch" the products and continue to make "legacy" >3.5 HTHS oils for "legacy" engines and make the thinner oils for newer engines whose tolerances will be designed for it. I don't believe that they will claim that the newer thin oils are "back-compatible".

Charlie
 
Originally Posted By: OAS
I'll ask him what his source was.

Be sure to let us know when you find out.
smile.gif
 
Op was talking about Rotella T5, the CJ4 version is the T6 version, a 5w40 weight
Originally Posted By: Ken2
Well, yes, Shell's Rotella oil has changed...it changes every time the industry specs change. The latest change is the API Service Category CJ-4. It is not the oil you used years ago--it's better. The oil has been that way for a few years now. It'll change again when the next update is produced. The new plan is currently called PC-11, and may be CK-4 when introduced to the public. And, yes, it is still safe and will be safe regardless of how many updates the spec gets.

http://www.infineuminsight.com/insight/mar-2014/specification-update-march-2014

By the way, Rotella is very good, and equally very good are all the usual suspects---Delo, Delvac, Premium Blue, Fleet Supreme, etc.
 
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