I checked the archives and the gates to the graveyard and both told me that I should start a new thread on this topic. The last opinion was offered in October of 2010 and I think I was still alive then...but we'll see.
I contacted a friend who is the Manager of a Shell Pipeline station in IL inquiring as to whether he could find me some 40W Totella T. Guess you can't go any closer to the horses mouth than that.....
And was told that 40W Rotella T is no longer offered in the US, only Canada. Now that's not to say that there might not be a Shell Distributor here in the US who might have a few cases stuck in the back of his warehouse somewhere...but I'm not really that inclined to go off on a search like that at my age...hell...I don't even buy green bananas!
He has sent me the appropriate MSDS's (Material Service Data Sheets) for both the 40W and the 10W-40 oils. I know that Detroit Diesel has been death on multi-grade oils for our 2 cycles since Hector was a pup. So we'll have to see.
Now I expect to get more than enough well meant information from those of you who use the Delo 200 (?) oil...but if my memory serves me correctly that is the old Texaco URSA oil (in 40W) and was approved for our engines many years ago. I have no problem with that since I've used the Tx URSA in a few through the years. It's just that after using the same brand of condom for many years I'm a bit reluctant (my personal apologies to the powers that be) to change if the product has, for me, been as advertised.
So there is the topic, reopened again for your input, resurrected once again in the hope that you more learned ones can add some knowledge to the void.
It's great to be back in NC!
NCbob
These days it's getting harder to find your preferred brand of CF-2 oil. Sometimes you have to use whatever you can get. As long as it's straight 40W, CF-2 rated (even though that rating is now obsolete), and with no more than 1% ash, you should be OK. Last year I had ABC Bus put in 76 T5X when they changed my oil - it's not my first choice, because its ash is at exactly 1%, but I had no real choice. Otherwise I could buy Delo 100 elsewhere, but at well over $80 per 5-gallon pail - ouch! For the little I'm driving my bus these days, I hope that 1% ash won't hasten my engine's demise.
John
i think, quite soon, we are going to be using the commonly available 15W-40 in whatever brand and changing a little bit sooner than otherwise. I strongly believe the viscosity breakdown issue is fixed as long as you don't run the oil for 15K or 20K miles, the ash content issue is fixed, the oil will work fine. I'll change it a little sooner, and the biggest issue will be a tad lower oil pressure in worn engines. Cold starting will, on the other hand, be a lot less of an issue with the 15 cold weight rating. Welcome to the future...
Brian (I hate change)
Exxon took their XD 40 w off the market also but the Mobil Delvac 1200-40w is still available
good luck
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=8423 (http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=8423)
two years ago I bought 10 gals of Napa s new renamed cf2 oil 40wt cf2 rating oil met all requirements I haven't been able to use bus last two years until last 2.5 months bought it to Avondale AZ for my cancer treatment have 7 more treatment to go 1 treatment a day for 7 days then taking bus backl to Quartzsite then driving pu to BC for next 3 months stay may be last trip for me then start on the long sleep.
So I wish all my bus nuts the best and remember live each day as it might be your last as there is no guarantee about tomorrow.
Larry,
I'm in total agreement! I sent you a personal note.
Dennis
John
$80 for five gallons is actually not a bad price now. It is quickly approaching double what it was a couple of years ago.
I run 15w-40 all the time in the 2-srokes. Bus nuts are the only people in the world that are worried about not running straight CF-2 40 weight. And they probably don't put enough miles on their engines to worry about it.
My 2 cents worth....When I purchased my bus a year and a half ago the PO was running 15W40 in the 6v. I ran it on the trip home (1200 miles) and for about two months. My bus smoked more on startup and had a little lower oil pressure. Since I switched to delo 40w it is smoking much less, oil pressure is a little higher and I am having to add less oil between changes. I just went to Miami 526 miles one way. I drove down parked in a level spot and it sat there for a week. When I checked the oil it was full. I had dripped a little but not enough to drop below full. On startup it barely smoked. Drove it home and checked the oil the next day after sitting for about 12 hours. Still full. Also, when I started it up to move in the yard....NO smoke. That was a first. Seems to me the more I drive it .... the better it runs. WISH I could afford to drive it everyday a few hundred miles.
Anyway....15w40 does work....but I live where it is hot and the 40w seems to be much better for my engine. Will buy it as long as I can. BTW Oreilly's will order it for you without any problem
Take care. Sorry for the long post.
James
We just got a price of $122.00 per five gallon from Napa. We are going to look for somebody else to buy from. That is insane.
Don and Cary
1973 05 Eagle
GMC4107
Neoplan AN340
I can buy a 55 gal drum of Delo 100 for 395.00 plus drum deposit if I don't have a clean drum at Napa's price at would be over 1200 bucks WOW Valvoline Fleet Plus is easy to find it is 0.8 ash content and good oil
good luck
Luckily I have the Long Beach harbor near by-that runs many 2 strokers still. I buy sae40 Delo 100 straight from the oil distributor. Always carry 12 gallons on the bus for at least one oil change. Good Luck, TomC
Bob,
I purchased Rotella T 40w from Maason Oil in Arcadia back in March to do the oil change before we left on our trip. The labelwas different but it was still Rotella T 40W. I think I paid about 12/gallon. They did not mention anything about it being no longer availalble? Jack
I still get my Rotella 40wt from NAPA at about $16 a gallon. (last purchase about 3 weeks ago)
It is usually in stock, but the store I go to is the main distribution for Memphis area. Open 7 days a week. The local stores do not stock it, but can get it next day from the distribution store that I go to.
.
You guys get played like drum when it comes to the ash in the engine oil none of the stuff can have more than 1% ash content check out the lasted and greatest oil from Chevron the Delo 400 LE 1 % ash in the 15/40
good luck
I hear you on the ash content, it's been like that for a while now. Where I get my "I don't understand" look on is the viscosity stability of the various modern 15W40 diesel oils in a two-stroke piston/ring heat environment and what that may do to the rings. With my "I don't have a clue so I'm gonna guess" hat on, I bet the modern synthetics are just fine, and if you change them regularly the dino oils are too, unless you are running max power/max load for hours on end. But I have no idea how to find engineering (as opposed to anecdotal) proof of that.
In my race cars, when I was running very high compression, high output engines in the old original Mini Coopers, which had about the orneriest oil destruction system I've ever encountered (the gearbox and differential shared the same sump, hence same oil, as the engine) I would see a distinct drop in oil pressure at hot idle after about 10 hours, and that was the viscosity of the oil going down to the 20 number instead of the 50 weight of the multigrade split.
Brian
Although there are many that say a good multi-weight will work just fine, as long as I can get the original stuff I will continue to use it. I recently got Delo 100, 40wt through O'Reilly's. I do not remember the exact price but think it was in the range of $13/gallon. Their part number is 100-40-1.
Lin, ask Don what he uses in his 8v92 goes against everything you read here on the board and he loves the stuff LOL
good luck
Clifford, I already did. If that company would give me their oil free, I would go for it too.
All the years I have known Cole he has never own a 2 stroke 71 series or 92 series that he did not use a synthetic oil and he never had a engine that would use 1 gal between oil changes and he wrote the book on DD 2 strokes lol
good
I also buy mine from a marine distributor in LA but they give me no price break that I can tell, I paid $13 a year ago and assume it has gone up a bunch since then.
Never even thought about O'Reilly, there is even a store in my small town!
Holy Moley Batman! I never expected to get as many responses to my question as I did. Many thanks to all of you..there certainly is plenty of info to research.
The general consensus is that the Delo 40W is the way to go...but if it is strictly based on the ash content (and I suppose the non-foaming as well) the Aeroshell 40W minght be a place to look into...but hang onto your hat for the prices.
The best news today is that the price of crude oil is down (naturally, I filled the fuel tank just before I got home to NC @ $3.99 gal.) but since I own it now I guess I won't complain.
Again guys, thanks for the replies.
Bob
If it's in your tank it's an asset - it's only if it's gonna be in your tank that it's a cost... ;D
I purchased three cases of Shell rotella t 40W from advance auto parts. It is not normal store stock but can be ordered.
Brice
Brice...there used to be 6 gallons to the case. would you be kind enough to share the per case price with us?
Bob
Bob,
Last time I purchased Rotella T in Arcadia, the girl said "I I have good news & bad news, The good news is that the price per case dropped, the bad news is that now there are only 3 gallons in a case instead of 6". Jack
Jack,
That change happened two years ago as I remember and a funny thing happened to me the first time I bought the 3 gal cases. Shell said the change was so it would be easier to carry! Ha, sure it was! It was just a coincidence that the gal price went up a bunch at the same time.
The guy I bought the oil from i LA charged me the gallon price for a case! It was pretty funny so when I got home to AR I called him and told him to send me a bill for the remainder. He was so flabbergasted that he told me just to keep the oil at that bargain price.
Delo 100 also comes in a 3 gallon case now.
Yup! When I went to pick up my case of Delo 100, thye told me that they had 2 cases delivered. I told them I would take one, so they handed me a 3 gallon case. I therefore took both.
Sku for Rotella 40W is 8120023 I got it using a commercial account on sale $10.99 a gal. I don't know what present cost is. This was back on Mar,28,2011
Brice
Isn't it a joy to realize that we, the consumers, are being treated like lemmings...not knowing which way to run and always keeping out a watchful eye for the predators?
Something, I guess, ought to tell us that we don't really have much to say about how we live or treat our machinery (in this case) let alone attempt to plan for the future.
Guess I won't worry much about that next oil change or the green banannas.
Thanks to all who responded.
Bob
Just checked with Web sight and is listing for $14.99 gal
Brice
To much is made of the oil deal if you guys would look past Rotella and Delo 100 hundreds of oil's that will work without problems,the 2 stroke was around 30+ years before those 2 oil's ever hit the market I never liked or used either one lol
good luck
Hmmm! Has anyone done a taste comparison yet?lol ;)
Van, a taste test might be the answer on this ongoing debate, as a long time drinker of Canadian whiskey , there is a big difference in brands
Matt
As any one who has ever twirled heavy iron for a living will testify, there is a significant difference in the taste ;D