Switching to Rotella T6 5w40

Is the T6 a recommended oil on the 06 BRM engines? Considering their cam issue's, I'm just trying to make an informed decision.

Drivbiwire said:

Neither oils is suitable in any DPF TDI/CDI/Bluetec/Bluemotion/AdBlue diesel.

The oil you would want to use is the Mobil 1 5w40 ESP Formula M.

This is DESIGNED (formulated) for ALL DPF, SCR, Sox, NOx, Urea injected catalyst equipped Clean engines for all makes and models.

This oil may not have the VW 507.00 but only because it is formulated with a higher viscosity than the 507.00 calls for. This is a good thing, especially if you are intending to keep your car and want the maximum protection.

FWIW, the Mobil 1 5w40 ESP Formula M is designed for use in all 4 cylinder, 6 cylinder, 8 cylinder Diesels using the latest generation emissions systems.

I would NOT use a VW507.00 in any diesel, but that's my opinion and chose to only run the Mobil 1 5w40 ESP Formula M in all my motors with Clean diesel technology.

I also recommend its use in all PD motors since it uses the original 5w40 Basestock oil but with the latest generation of wear protection additives which provide better protection than the older zinc based types.

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Bob Fout....No low viscosity oils (xw20s and some xw30s) being discussed here. Both T6 and TDT are the same viscosity when hot, in the 14 cSt range. T6 thickens up less at cold temps and starts to thin out faster to its eventual thickness. Those are both good things. The ideal oil would be the same thickness cold as hot. That so far hasn't happened yet.

0w40 oils are not thin oils, they just flow better in the cold.

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Response to Bob. It is my understanding Zddp only works above 140 F and below this you rely on viscosity.

Now Drivebiwire has brought up some interesting information. If formula M does not use zinc for anti-ware.

Then is it possible the new anti-ware additives work below 140F. If an oil had a wear additive( formula M hopefully) that worked equal to Zddp but below 140 F I would buy it in a heartbeat.

Drivbiwire said:

M1 TDT is safe for use down to -46F since it is a true Group IV "Synthetic" oil unlike the T6 which is a Group III hydro-processed type.

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I'm going to say what most of us are thinking right now: Drivbiwire has not used TDT at -46 deg.

Pete, you help this community immensely with your vast knowledge of engineering specs, but we've got to find a reasonable compromise between these utopian spec sheets and the real world. In the real world, my car clicks, clacks, taps, and complains miserably when I repeatedly start it near 0 deg F with TDT. That 'click-clack-tappitty-shlwack' lasts longer with TDT than it lasts with a good 0-40 like M1 0-40 or Redline 0-40. It even lasts longer than when 5-40 Rotella is used.

Drivbiwire said:

T6 is a good oil, it's just not an oil I would want to push too far as in longer drain intervals in motors like a TDI.

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Can I ask why you came to that conclusion? Because, I know a guy who has run and tested this exact oil to the interval you were talking about, and it was more than acceptable.

I used TDT during a cold winter with a lot of miles (about 18K on oil with bypass filter) and cold starts; towards the end of that winter my car started burning oil. There could be other causes, but TDT was the only changed variable.

Drivbiwire said:

Also the TDT and T6 are both 5W rated oils, meaning they have approximately the same cold flow properties.

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They should have approximately the same cold flow properties, but TDT should be called a 7-40 and Rotella should be called a 3-40. Rotella is a better oil when it gets cold.

Some of us have sent in UOAs and VOAs of these exact oils in an attempt to capture the necessary data and provide ourselves and the public with the "best" answer. Have you?

striker said:

Is the T6 a recommended oil on the 06 BRM engines? Considering their cam issue's, I'm just trying to make an informed decision.

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Yes. You'll want to use a CJ-4 oil for greater protection.

I'll just leave this here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW3w0bKurbg

EDIT: At -35C (-31F), 0wXX is mentioned.

velociT said:

Yes. You'll want to use a CJ-4 oil for greater protection.

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For the entire engine in fact. T6 is my favorite oil.

As far as cam wear goes, CJ-4 is no guarantee striker, as oil is the least of the problem for cam wear; again, T6 (currently) and TDT (previously) both are what I use (read my signature on how many cams I have done).

Doesn't having done more cams speak to oiling failure?
How many miles per cam is the question?

I never said oiling, that's a different matter all together. All im saying is I get about 60k per camshaft regardless of 505.01 or a good CJ-4. Use an oil which is good for the whole engine, deal with the cam seperately.

...and having done more cams speaks to the oiling mods I have done not working, so I have springs to change out on both cars.

Jnitrofish said:

I never said oiling, that's a different matter all together. All im saying is I get about 60k per camshaft regardless of 505.01 or a good CJ-4. Use an oil which is good for the whole engine, deal with the cam seperately.

...and having done more cams speaks to the oiling mods I have done not working, so I have springs to change out on both cars.

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Have you tried a BEW cam? Plenty of people get 150-200K+ miles on them.

It think the BRM cams were pure junk.

I had a BEW colt cam and now have a BEW franko6 cam. With that said, I don't think the stock BRM cams are junk at all. In fact I just got a stock BRM cam for one of the cars.

I have a thread over a lot of this in the MKV forum, so let's not hijack Bob's thread.

Drivbiwire said:

T6 is a good oil, it's just not an oil I would want to push too far as in longer drain intervals in motors like a TDI.

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Does this mean my using it for a 10,000 mile OCI in our BEW is a bad idea? Wasn't the original Castrol TXT 5W40 505.01 oil also a Group III hydro isomerized base oil? Pretty sure the Castrol SLX Professional OE 5W30 505.01 is a Group III also.

Within the next month should be switching out Redline 0w40 for T6 5w40.

Need I say more?

AndyBees said:

Need I say more?

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Posting TDI porn I see

Did oil (all 5 quarts down the hatch) and filter change (Mann) today.

Hey guys I see the pics of the Rotella oil here, but it doesn't note "T6"....I saw this in the store and was wondering if it was the T6, how do you know it is the correct oil? I saw some bottles marked T5, but not T6. I'm not buying any for my car but just curious.

DonL said:

That ought to get the 10K oci police going. I go 6K most times with a Wix filter, sometimes I think of going back to 5K. Thanks for the encouragement. Seriously.

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+1 on that comment.

If the 10k oil changers are getting 400k miles from there cars then I should be getting 800k miles plus on my 5000 mile oil change interval.

I don't care what the oil change analysis says, 10k miles makes me nervous.

Notice any difference? It's been almost 12 hours so I figure you should have put at least 600 miles on it.

gergg said:

Hey guys I see the pics of the Rotella oil here, but it doesn't note "T6"....I saw this in the store and was wondering if it was the T6, how do you know it is the correct oil? I saw some bottles marked T5, but not T6. I'm not buying any for my car but just curious.

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At the stores here, Shell Rotella T is in WHITE bottles, and Shell Rotella T6 is in dark BLUE bottles. The former just has "Rotella T" on the label while the latter has "Rotella T6" on the label. I don't know what BOB actually has because the bottle is color-coded as T6, but labeled as just "T".

Here is the page from Shell showing the different products and their bottle color. Looks like plain Rotella T is in a light blue bottle; I'll have to see if what I saw in white bottles is actually T1.

http://www.shell.com/home/content/rotella/products/

For many years here the blue bottle jsut said Rotella T full synthetic 5w40.

A year or so ago a fancier bottle shower up that also says T6.

I've run this oil (regardless of bottle design or T6) for 200k in my ALH and am told my engine is very clean by the techs that did my turbo replacement and other minor work. Intake is even clean.

5k OCI with OEM filters. Usually done with the pella but I do have a Metarnerd magnetic oil plug and do occasionally check it as well.

Bob_Fout said:

Did oil (all 5 quarts down the hatch) and filter change (Mann) today.

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That's what I'm doing today. Guess what's going in?

....same thing that always has since day 1

T6

Ya, I did write T 5w40 instead of T6 5w40 in the post and have the older photo, old habit. The title is correct though

romad said:

At the stores here, Shell Rotella T is in WHITE bottles, and Shell Rotella T6 is in dark BLUE bottles. The former just has "Rotella T" on the label while the latter has "Rotella T6" on the label. I don't know what BOB actually has because the bottle is color-coded as T6, but labeled as just "T".

Here is the page from Shell showing the different products and their bottle color. Looks like plain Rotella T is in a light blue bottle; I'll have to see if what I saw in white bottles is actually T1.

http://www.shell.com/home/content/rotella/products/

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I went and checked the "Rotella T" bottles here and they are white, without any mention of being synthetic, or marked as "T1". So from that I have determined that 1) Shell needs to update their web page and, 2) Rotella T is conventional dino oil.

romad said:

I went and checked the Rotella T bottles here and they are white, without any mention of being synthetic. So from that I have determined that 1) Shell needs to update their web page and, 2) Rotella T is conventional dino oil.

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They make a white bottle - IT'S JUST NOT FOR YOU!!!

Its 15w40 IIR. ANd works fine in older diesel cars and trucks.

You simply need the blue bottle synthetic 5w40 whether it says T6 on it or not (the older bottles don't).

I carry a qt of T6 (DARK BLUE bottle) in the back. I was referring to my previous post where the Shell web page had "Rotella T" in LIGHT BLUE bottles and "ROTELLA T1" in WHITE bottles. I'd seen the former in WHITE bottles at my local stores and said I'd go back and check to see if they were really "T" or actually "T1".

I will edit the post.

I was going to get some T5 0W-40 when I went to Canada not too long ago, but at $50 a bottle, I decided to pass.

They get crazy money for stuff in Canada! And that doesn't include all the taxes.

Abacus said:

I was going to get some T5 0W-40 when I went to Canada not too long ago, but at $50 a bottle, I decided to pass.

They get crazy money for stuff in Canada! And that doesn't include all the taxes.

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For us, Mobil 1 0w40 is super-duper-top-notch (especially there where you see below 0F temps for much of the winter).

Abacus said:

I was going to get some T5 0W-40 when I went to Canada not too long ago, but at $50 a bottle, I decided to pass.

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Why get a blend of synthetic and dino rather than full synthetic?

T5 0w40 is full synthetic despite the name.