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Rotella Diesel Oil

O

oldbill

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Michigan
Do any of you use Rotella Diesel Oil in your 4.0L engines? I've heard its good for the flat lifter cams and lifters. What's you opinion? If you use it what weight do you use.
Thanks,
Bill
 
People run that for a Band-Aid fix cause they have chronic low oil pressure. If you have normal oil pressure (~13 psi + @ hot idle) you wont need it. I tried some in my high mileage renix 4.0 and I had opposite effect, I had less pressure @ hot idle. Possibly cavitation or low flow/ volume. 10w30 works best for me.
 
Depends on where you live and what else you own. For many years I used synthetic diesel 5w-40 in just about everything I owned - Cummins, Kubotas, VW/MB diesels, Subarus, Rovers, and the Jeep 4.0. I think conventional 15w-40 is to thick for anything outside the Sunbelt or desert for year use. Shell Rotella 10w-30 synblend may be a good choice for Michigan if you wanted to go that route.
 
I actually did an oil change with Rotella T6 5w-40 last night.

Granted I've only driven about 50 miles since the oil change, but I can tell you that my oil pressure is a little higher at idle, and at speed. I don't think I had a pressure issue, but it seems in some ways to be more stabile than when I was running 10w-30 Dino. The engine actually idles better, and it most certainly has silenced the lifters.

So far, all positives in my mind.

I figured "what the heck" worst case is I do an oil change again if its not running well. Wix filter as well (though I always use a WIX, Napa Gold, or the Mopar)

just my .02 cents.

Edit: not that this should be a complete factor, but you can't really beat the price either.
 
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Ive run rotella for a long time in mine, its pushing 280k now, wix filters and changed every 3k. There is additional zddp which is good for flat tappet cams, tho ive heard its a wash with the added detergents. Ill take what I can get!
 
mtbxj87 said:
People run that for a Band-Aid fix cause they have chronic low oil pressure. If you have normal oil pressure (~13 psi + @ hot idle) you wont need it. I tried some in my high mileage renix 4.0 and I had opposite effect, I had less pressure @ hot idle. Possibly cavitation or low flow/ volume. 10w30 works best for me.
Click to expand...


Were you replying to robs post or the OP? Rotella isn't a band aid, it's a good oil as it has less restrictions than conventional gas motor oils, it's allowed a higher zinc content than gas oils are allowed
 
mtbxj87 said:
Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt feelings.
Click to expand...


I didn't know there was feeling to be hurt? Lol I'm just correcting wrong info. There's a guy on cherokeeforum that has a list/compilation of all different oils from high mileage oils, older vehicle oils, diesel oils, and other kinda, both rotella t6 and the delo 400 diesel oils had what our engine need. Many of the high miles and meant for older vehicles still didn't have the necessary things like detergent and lubricants like the diesel oils had. Many gas oils are meant to have a low zinc content as with most engines nowadays have small catalytic converters which the zinc can plug.
 
I run Rotella T5 10w-30 flavor in my 208k rig here in SC, changed every 5k with a Purolator Gold/Bosch filter. Steady 15psi at idle and 45psi cruise; nice and consistent. Runs me about $25 an oil change with filter (stock up on sale!)

I even put it in my '87 Ranger's old 2.9L with 280k once and it shut those clacking lifters up some!
 
Not to hi-jack the thread, but I notice people are running around ~15psi, I thought anything below ~20 was not good? I'm running more like 30psi at idle, and ~50psi at highway speeds.

I'm sure the gauge is probably not the most accurate either.
 
I run Rotella 15-40 in all the 4 XJ's we have in the family and also in my 94 V8 ZJ without issue. But I live in California were its always hot and the winters never get to cold, If you live in a climate where it gets really cold than the added thickness of Rotella may not treat your motor as well on cold start ups.
 
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I run T6 full synthetic in my jeeps, motorcycles, and race car. In the jeeps its the best- 480k in the 89 xj, 176k in the other 89 xj, and 100050 miles on the 01 xj. All running the same T6, all running strong.

Oil is like baseball teams- everyone has a favorite and thinks its the best...
 
In all actuality, unless you are running heavy valve springs for performance mods, (where you should be using racing oils like Joe Gibbs) after initial break-in, there is no reason to use a high ZDDP oil or additives. It's simply a waste. Today's API approved oils have the additives needed to lubricate stock parts properly while reducing the contamination to the catalysts that ZDDP can cause.
 
Digger87xj said:
In all actuality, unless you are running heavy valve springs for performance mods, (where you should be using racing oils like Joe Gibbs) after initial break-in, there is no reason to use a high ZDDP oil or additives. It's simply a waste. Today's API approved oils have the additives needed to lubricate stock parts properly while reducing the contamination to the catalysts that ZDDP can cause.
Click to expand...

May not be totally necessary to use a high ZDDP oil but why not when you can buy diesel oil cheaper than conventional, plus its a little added piece of mind.
 
Because it shortens the life of catalysts. If you don't live in a testing area I suppose that it isn't an issue.
 
Digger87xj said:
In all actuality, unless you are running heavy valve springs for performance mods, (where you should be using racing oils like Joe Gibbs) after initial break-in, there is no reason to use a high ZDDP oil or additives. It's simply a waste. Today's API approved oils have the additives needed to lubricate stock parts properly while reducing the contamination to the catalysts that ZDDP can cause.
Click to expand...


The issue I see in your statement is the zinc in diesel isn't high for break in processes but at the level that gas oils were back in the 80's-90's. When our type of engines needed a bit more of the zinc. Gas engine oils nowadays don't have the proper amount of additives for our older engines, they do for newer engines but not ours.
 
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