Alternative to 0w40 for Arctic Cat ATV?

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04SE

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I picked up a 2012 Arctic Cat 450GT with the Kymco 443 motor. AC calls for their own synthetic 0w40 with 1,000 mile intervals (but only if using their oil). Transmission is CVT and I don't know 100% if it has an internal wet clutch for the CVT system. The machine is liquid cooled as well, if that matters. Also, the machine is fuel injected so I don' know how much gas is getting into the oil.

I am not paying for the AC oil so I have one, maybe two options for 0w40. I could run M1 or Advance allegedly carries T6 0w40 but I haven't verified it is actually in store yet. A local farm store carried Mystik for years including 0w40 but they recently discontinued Mystik and now carry a full line of Amsoil. I had really wanted to run Mystik 0w40. I can also order JD 0w40 from the local JD dealer but don't know about price yet, but we have a commercial/farm account so it shouldn't be too bad.

I could run T6 5w40 as well.

My hang up here is that the 0w40 oils will probably shear with 1,000 miles of use/abuse. I was wondering about running a 5w30 synthetic or 10w30 HDEO since the 0w40 will probably be whipped into a 30 weight anyway.

Current fill is JD Plus 50-II 15w40 and it fired right up in the shop (68*) but after sitting out for a few hours between rides yesterday it was grumpy and needed to idle for a few minutes. Granted it was only like 20* yesterday.

I am tempted to just keep it stupid simple and run the Plus 50-II during the summer and Rotella 10w30 in the winter. Just do spring/winter oil changes.

Thoughts?
 
Illinois, I'd say you could go 5W-xx synthetic if you had to; if you do go 0W-40 (and I would, but just because I like that oil in general) I would say any synthetic is good to go.

Liquid cooled does matter, but in a good way, as in the oil temperature will rise quickly and stabilize at a good operating temperature.

Buy on price and don't worry about the brand much, just use one any BITOG'er would be OK with.
 
If it sits outside frequently, I would use a 0 or 5W for starting. If it is inside, I would use any Xw-40, since a 40 is specced by Arctic Cat.
 
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Mobil 1 Racing 4T 10w-40 is on the shelf of your local Walmart @ $9.97/quart. Your 450 takes three quarts.

Pour Point, -45 °C
Cold Cranking, 4,640 cP @ -25°C
Pumping, 11,700 cP @ -30°C

That's superb cold weather performance, while also offering excellent high-temperature/load protection as well.

Easy decision as I see it.
 
T6, M1 TDT, Delo or M1/ Castrol 0w40?

If it calls for synthetic, I personally wouldn't add anything different.
 
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Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Rotella T6 5w40 would be my first try since it's for JASO: DH2, MA, MA2
+1 - and it works really well for me in my Kawasaki Brute Force 750.
 
Called the JD dealer and got a deer in the headlights response when asking for JD 0w40, the parts guy didn't know anything about it, and this is a LARGE JD dealer group. I will check Advance for T6 0w40 and if I strike out I will hit China-Mart for T6 5w40.

A Wix filter is $9.99 at O'Reilly's. Ouch.
 
Advance employees were clueless on an oil that their website shows they have in stock but not on the shelf. They wouldn't look in the back for me and wouldn't even look up the item # from the website. I left after muttering to myself.

I ended up with a Wix 51359 from O'Reilly's and T6 5w40 from China-Mart.

I will try another Advance in my hunt for T6 0w40.
 
Is there a Farm 'N Fleet near you? They the Citgo/Mystik 0W40 for Atv's. Some Walmarts carry the German Castrol 0W40 (real synthetic,) or can order online from Walmart. Otherwise as stated above, M1 0W40. I wouldn't worry about it shearing as a CVT transmission doesn't use a wet clutch.
 
Interesting development from AC...

Apparently, just in the past 1-2 months they have put out a 'new' oil, synthetic 15w50. They used to have an oil change kit consisting of their 0w40 and a filter for my machine but now that kit is gone from the main AC site but is still listed on the AC lubricant site. They are now peddling the 15w50 oil change kit for my machine and they have verbiage saying to use the 0w40 in the 'cold'.

EDIT:

From the AC lubricant website:

Oil is a critical component to making an Arctic Cat ATV, Prowler or Widlcat survive and Arctic Cat offers two choices, ACX 0W-40 Synthetic Oil and ACX 15W-50 Synthetic Oil. Which one should you use? Here’s the difference:

ACX 0W-40 Synthetic – This is an all-season full-synthetic formula recommended for use in temperatures -40F – 100F. ACX 0W-40 Synthetic is a multi-viscosity oil that features excellent cold flow characteristics so it protects engines on startup in colder climates or during cooler seasons such as fall and winter. ACX 0W-40 Synthetic protects engines being used in ambient temperatures up to 100F and is recommended for heavy-duty use in cold temperatures or recreational use and light-duty work applications in warm weather.

ACX 15W-50 Synthetic Oil – If you run your Arctic Cat hard, ACX 15W-50 is the best oil choice. Formulated for use in temperatures between 0F and 130F, ACX 15W-50 Synthetic features long molecule chains that won’t shear or break down under heavy use in hot climates. Use this oil for heavy duty applications or hard trail use in warm weather or in racing applications.
 
Be American and Use 0w20
smile.gif


SarcasmMode OFF
 
Our Thundercat 1000 H2 is due for an oil change. I am reading that people are getting good results with T6. Arctic Cat has an optional 15w50 synthetic that is recommended for warm weather conditions. I'm in Florida, and the quad frequently gets ridden in the hot sandy forest in 95° heat. Is the 40 rating on the T6 going to be enough, or is it worth the extra $10 to get the AC 15w50? Thanks in advance.
 
Originally Posted By: Agent
Our Thundercat 1000 H2 is due for an oil change. I am reading that people are getting good results with T6. Arctic Cat has an optional 15w50 synthetic that is recommended for warm weather conditions. I'm in Florida, and the quad frequently gets ridden in the hot sandy forest in 95° heat. Is the 40 rating on the T6 going to be enough, or is it worth the extra $10 to get the AC 15w50? Thanks in advance.


If I lived in Florida, I'd only run 15w50 or 20w50 no matter what. Year round.
 
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