Shell Rotella T-6 5w40 full syn CJ4 vs. PD

Okay oil guru's, how do the specs of this stack up for PD usage?
http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=rotella-en&FC2=/rotella-en/html/iwgen/products/zzz_lhn.html&FC3=/rotella-en/html/iwgen/products/t6_detail.html

Being a CJ-4 HDEO (and being an improvement over the previous CJ-4 RTS), it should perform similar to others, but it's just not as popular in PDs as TDT. People have used the CI-4+ and CJ-4 versions of RTS in PDs without apparent issue.

I'll be posting a VOA of this soon.

What caught my attention was this graph that shows much better performance than Mobile TDT.

It's just marketing. A VOA will give more useful info. I expect the VOA for the T6 to be very similar to the previous generation Rotella CJ-4 (identical?). I've had good UOA's from the pre-T6 and it was considered a very good oil so I'm sure the T6 will be as well.

Shell is being very sneaky, not providing any actual data on a PDS, like the oil's HTHS, that would show shear stability. Or any other actual data too.

I found this PDS, it provides some info.... http://www-static.shell.com/static/can-en/downloads/shell_for_businesses/oils_lubricants/1-52.pdf

2footbraker said:

I'll be posting a VOA of this soon.

Click to expand...

I look forward to it. How soon?

It's on it's way to the lab as we speak.

I got my VOA for Rotella T6 back. Very strange results. So strange, the lab actually called me to verify this was new oil from a sealed bottle. I don't know what to think. The tech told me not to use this oil due to the unusually high silicates and oddly low viscosity. Could this be some contaminated batch? The Zn levels are great but the silicon is just plain weird. The tech said some anti-foaming agents contain silicates, but usually just registers around 5 ppm in a VOA. He said this looks more like plain old dirt contamination.

Lab is Ramatek out of Calgary AB and has done all my previous oil analysis stuff. Here's the results:

Ag 0
Cu 0
Pb 0
Fe 0
Cr 0
Na 0
B 65
Al 0
Si 57
Zn 1994
Sn 0
Ni 0
P 1589
Ca 1086

Visc cST 100C 13.8
Fuel 0%
Insolubles 0%
Water 0%
TBN 12.3
Oxidation 0

Here's the pre-T6 Rotella 5w40 CJ-4 VOA for comparison:

Wear metals 0 so I'll leave them out
B 66
Si 0
Zn 1436
P 1362
Ca 1052

Visc cSt 100C 15.6
TBN 12.5

The T6 visco at 100C isn't very far from the spec'd 14.2 cSt.

I have to question the lab you use (?)- they also keep coming up with Aluminum levels in your used oil samples that look much too high.

There's no way this oil has ~2000 ppm of zinc and P in the API/CJ-4 oils is limited to 1200 ppm....

TS

I think I'm going to send some to Blackstone as well and compare VOA's.

After doing some reading on BITOG, I think I would be better off sending a sample to Polaris. Blackstone seems to be getting a poor reputation, especially for VOA's.

Really a poor rep???

Why?

This is the first I have heard and I use blackstone.

Read the threads on Bob is the oil guy about sending multiple samples of the same unused oil to the same labs. Kind of makes you question the validity of UOA's at all. At least Polaris is ISO certified. Blackstone is not.

Awsome!!!!

Good thing I take time and spend money on that...Sounds RAD!

Okay, so as the OP who has about 1000 miles before my next oil change on my PD, with very few local sources for quality oil, is this oil for me or not?
Also, should I be adding zddp to any 5w-40 that I do end up using?
My usual source now only has 5w-30 505.01

Give it a shot and sample at 10K miles. No ZDDP needed that I see.

Guys... First wanted to say Hello. I'm a Noob to the boards...

I too am getting close to needing to change my oil... I have been focused on finding a 505.01 but have been unable to find it locally. I have a Amsoil rep ready to send me some if I need but I really want to find a alternative. Also all the talk about the Oil but... What about the filters also?

Welcome aboard.

Alternative oil would be: Mobil1 ESP 5W30 MB229.51/VW507.00 or Mobil1 ESP FM 5W40 MB229.51

You can get either oil at PB

Here's the best OEM OF cartridge

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=248091