Rotella T6 in Generator

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I have a b&s 5500 generator that I usually run conventional 10w40. Can I run Rotella T6 5w40 or will lower zinc levels affect air cooling? Thanks
 
Originally Posted By: shurguywutt
Can I run Rotella T6 5w40 or will lower zinc levels affect air cooling? Thanks


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Rotella kicks Pennzoil 10W40 around the ring and knocks it out in the first round.

Yes the Rotella is fine.

Or get a jug of SuperTech 15W40 and call it a day.

I just bought Carquest SAE40 from Advance Auto for my generator a few days ago.

Remember, it needs an oil change every 50 hours, or every 100 hours if it has an oil filter. So the synthetic is really not needed.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Rotella kicks Pennzoil 10W40 around the ring and knocks it out in the first round.

Yes the Rotella is fine.

Or get a jug of SuperTech 15W40 and call it a day.

I just bought Carquest SAE40 from Advance Auto for my generator a few days ago.

Remember, it needs an oil change every 50 hours, or every 100 hours if it has an oil filter. So the synthetic is really not needed.


An oil change every 2 days of run time?

Glad you mentioned that.

I don't know anyone here along SW Florida practicing that while they await FPL.
 
Zinc levels are for valve spring pressures on radical cams. You're likely good, there.

Cooling depends on how hard you run it. The RPMs are the same but the load would be higher. Consider your needs and how gasoline is approx 15x as expensive as grid power. The rotella IS a superior product in general and I want something like it in my backup set, too.
 
I'd personally run the arguably superior D1 and call it a day.
This engine won't have high enough cam loads that a few PPM of ZDDP would matter, air cooled or not.
A better basestock would likely be of more benefit in any event, and that would be D1.
 
Originally Posted By: shurguywutt
I have a b&s 5500 generator that I usually run conventional 10w40. Can I run Rotella T6 5w40 or will lower zinc levels affect air cooling? Thanks


Yes.

The manual call for a 40 weight?
 
Oils with higher spreads between the low and higher number are more prone to shearing, especially in hot applications like air cooled engines running in hot ambient temperatures. A 5W 40 would be more apt to shear than a 15W 40.
 
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
For Florida you do not need any 5W anything. With the warm to hot temperatures in Florida you would be better off with 15W 40, or better yet 15W 50.

+1 I run T6 5W40 in alot of things but only for the cold weather performance. If it rarely got to freezing I'd just use 15W40 in all the same stuff.
 
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
Oils with higher spreads between the low and higher number are more prone to shearing, especially in hot applications like air cooled engines running in hot ambient temperatures. A 5W 40 would be more apt to shear than a 15W 40.


Wouldn't this be dependent on the HT/HS ?

If a full synthetic 5w40 were a cP 3.9 and a semi-synthetic 15w40 were also a cP of 3.9 then doesn't that mean equal shear stability?

I thought full synthetics had an advantage of being more shear stable?

Not arguing...just trying to better understand.
 
The answer is... It depends. In general you want a narrower spread with less VII for higher heat, but depending on how it is blended the 5w40 syn may outperform the conventional 15w40. I don't have a data sheet for the oil so I can't say.

For OPE. Particularly generators, I would go with a quality syn 40 or 50. The better base stocks resist heat better than conventional. The important thing is to make sure you have an oil that will have adequate viscosity at 280-290F. The generators are a special case in that they run wide open under high load for extended periods. The oil gets hot.
 
My Delvac 1300 15w40 is 4.3 HTHS - 10.8 NOACK - 1300 calcium - 850 mag - 1017 phos - 1140 zinc and I need T6 why?
 
Originally Posted By: SilverFusion2010
The answer is... It depends. In general you want a narrower spread with less VII for higher heat, but depending on how it is blended the 5w40 syn may outperform the conventional 15w40. I don't have a data sheet for the oil so I can't say.

For OPE. Particularly generators, I would go with a quality syn 40 or 50. The better base stocks resist heat better than conventional. The important thing is to make sure you have an oil that will have adequate viscosity at 280-290F. The generators are a special case in that they run wide open under high load for extended periods. The oil gets hot.


I hear that.

As Bubba pointed out earlier, the OCI is very short on gennies. Is this also the result of the high operating temps?

They are powering large areas of FL right now and I don!t think 1% of their homeowners are aware of the short OCI.
I know I will be informing friends & family today but I am wondering how easy it will be to source mono-grade.
 
After I got 3 jugs Delvac 1 from word here - tipped off a friend who grabbed 20 jugs - instant stash 😜
 
Originally Posted By: ArcticDriver
Originally Posted By: SilverFusion2010
The answer is... It depends. In general you want a narrower spread with less VII for higher heat, but depending on how it is blended the 5w40 syn may outperform the conventional 15w40. I don't have a data sheet for the oil so I can't say.

For OPE. Particularly generators, I would go with a quality syn 40 or 50. The better base stocks resist heat better than conventional. The important thing is to make sure you have an oil that will have adequate viscosity at 280-290F. The generators are a special case in that they run wide open under high load for extended periods. The oil gets hot.


I hear that.

As Bubba pointed out earlier, the OCI is very short on gennies. Is this also the result of the high operating temps?

They are powering large areas of FL right now and I don!t think 1% of their homeowners are aware of the short OCI.
I know I will be informing friends & family today but I am wondering how easy it will be to source mono-grade.


It can be multi-grade. 5w-40 or 15w-50. 20W50 conventional will do fine if it is changed.

The short OCI isn't really that short. With the syn you can push it longer but there is no filtration on these small engines. Changing the oil is the only way to get the crud out.

Fuel dilution is the other problem. You really need to check and top off oil every time you fuel. Under max load they will start burning oil. They only have about a quart to begin with so it doesn't take long to get into trouble.

Break-in also matters. My brother has the 7kW predator generator. 420cc Chonda. Filled it with some M1 EP 10w-30 he had and proceeded to work the snot out of it. Changed the oil at 10 hours to get the sparkles out. That was some black nasty oil that came out. He has another 20hr on it now and the oil is a nice dark amber. That engine will run a long time because a little care was taken.

It can be any oil really as long as it is topped off. The heavier syn are going to burn off less and offer a bit more insurance.
 
Originally Posted By: webfors
The manual call for a 40 weight?


Likely calls for a 30 weight, which based on experience, is an improper recommendation for a generator ran for days on end in a Florida summer. The simple fact is, less than 10% of folks are actually checking their oil level at every fuel fillup, and changing their oil every 50 hours.

30 weight is marginal, and acceptable in a best case maintenance scenario.

People are ingrained that they change their oil every 6 months or so in their car, and perhaps once a year in their lawn mower, so they think the generator is the same.
 
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