Single grade oil vs. synthetic

Mike in GA · November 25, 2013, 08:50:08 AM

In my Powertech 10 kW gen-set, that is...
I have a 2002 10 kW in a quiet box has the typical 4 cylinder Kubota diesel. Nice unit, and hasn't given me much trouble at all. For the first 10 years I used straight 40 wgt oil at the recommended service interval, which is 100 hours for oil and filter.
Now that I am using Rotella 5W-50 synthetic I have the feeling I ought to be moving the service interval to, say, 200 hours.

Mike in GA · November 25, 2013, 08:55:25 AM

Oops! I meant to say, Shell Rotella 5w-40 T-6 synthetic.
Can I go from 100 hours to 200 hours before service?
Mike in GA

bevans6 · November 25, 2013, 08:56:27 AM

100 hours is about the equivalent of around 5000 miles of highway service, so 200 hours is around 10,000 miles equivalent usage. What matters as much is the pattern of use - if you are like me, 200 hours is about 5 years use, and a bit too long to leave oil in. If you use the engine and get it fully hot under some load regularly I don't see a problem with 200 hours on synthetic oil.

Brian

Utahclaimjumper · November 25, 2013, 09:24:38 AM

Most generators use such a small amount of oil, why give up the protection you say your getting?? A " no problem" situation is hard to beat.>>>Dan

harleyman_1000 · November 25, 2013, 09:45:30 AM

I have a powertech genset with 250 hours, and it has the Cat engine. It says to change the oil at 250 hours?

luvrbus · November 25, 2013, 10:23:09 AM

PowerTech is the only one that calls for the 100 hr oil change I have asked more than once about it, most all the others generator people and even the Kubota tractors are 200 hrs with regular oil

harleyman_1000 · November 25, 2013, 10:41:57 AM

Mine says right on the maintenance plate to change the oil at 250 hours? It has a plate that says when to change oil, air filter, and a few other things right on it. When I bought my bus it had only 250 hours on it. I used it during my 2 week trip back home and have a total of 340 hours on it now. It is the quietest genset I have ever heard. So far so good.

Mike in GA · November 25, 2013, 12:07:14 PM

Thanks for the input so far.
Brian, I rack up about 100 hours every 16-18 months - mostly WalMarts and dry rallies.
When I run her, it's not for lunch, but more commonly 3-4 hrs at night and in the a.m. to heat hot water and charge house batteries, so it does bear a load and get warmed up.
Mike in GA

TomC · November 25, 2013, 12:13:11 PM

Generator engines, especially the small 3 and 4 cylinder Kubota, Yanmar, Caterpillar, Perkins, etc are operating so slowly at 1800rpm, that engine hours convert to 40mph.

The bottom line on running any engine, if you want to know the exact time to change your oil, take an oil sample every 100 hours until you find where it is at the dirty point to change. I did that on my big truck with it's Cat 3406B using just regular 15w-40. I went to 13,000mi, then to 14,000mi where it was truly dirty. I decided for ease of interval, I change the oil every 12,000mi. Then I don't have to think about it-just do it at every division of 12 on the odometer. Good Luck, TomC

Utahclaimjumper · November 25, 2013, 12:41:31 PM

Why would you want to "heat HOT water"?>>>Dan

bevans6 · November 25, 2013, 03:13:32 PM

Because cold hot water sucks?

Brian

twostick · November 25, 2013, 06:44:04 PM

How much oil does it hold? Doing an oil sample at 100 hrs will tell you if you should go to 200. If you spun on a new filter at 100 hrs plus the make up oil, I would guess that an oil sample will look good at the 200 hr interval.

Oh and those Cat generator engines are just Perkins with yellow paint.

Kevin

wg4t50 · November 25, 2013, 11:04:33 PM

Think Cat bought part of Perkins, maybe 100% of it, I do not know.
I put 6,000Hrs+ on a 1.5L 3 cylinder Perkins (Prior to Cat), no issues using 15W-40 Rotella, now have the Power Tech 12kw Kubota 4 cylinder with only 2,100 hrs, same luck, just a perfect runner, Oh yes, I change about every 150-200 hrs 5 qts also to the 10 gal in the ISM500 about 5,000 miles. We purchase oil by the pallet, usually 4 at a time, so not a major issue to change oil in the babe.
Not a cutesie operator, see zero reason to buy snythetic, must be a feel good thing ?

TomC · November 25, 2013, 11:54:40 PM

I also love people that use hot water heaters. You either have a water heater, or the proper way of saying it would be a cold water heater. Just saying....Good Luck, TomC

belfert · November 26, 2013, 05:19:26 AM

I choose to use a full synthetic oil in my Cat powered generator when I changed the oil this past summer. I was going to a place where it was almost 110 degrees so I felt the synthetic might provide an extra measure of protection. Normally I just use any old dino oil that is 15W-40.