I mistakenly used oil designed for gas engines when I did my oil change. Do I need to drain it and add the proper oil or could I get through the summer with thie oil? Also does anyone know if there are oil additives that would help this situation?
Gas Engine Oil
- Thread starter quazz
- Start date
Oil is cheap compared engine repair!!!
Put the right stuff in it & use the old oil in the mower.
The virgin oil tests I have seen on gas and diesel motor oils in the US these days there is minimal difference between the oil additive packages.
The best thing to use in a diesel tractor with no emissions controls would be something like 10w-40 SH rated motor cycle oil.
The best thing to use in a diesel tractor with no emissions controls would be something like 10w-40 SH rated motor cycle oil.
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I would drain it and use the correct diesel rated oil.
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Drain and use a diesel engine oil.
Diesel engine oil contains additives to handle to soot, a byproduct of combustion...
I suggest Shell Rotella T6 in 5W-40
Diesel engine oil contains additives to handle to soot, a byproduct of combustion...
I suggest Shell Rotella T6 in 5W-40
The difference between gasoline and diesel engine oils is primarily the additiives used in them. Gasoline automobiles often use catalytic converters that become contaminated with the higher concentrations of certain extreme pressure additives used in diesel oils such as zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP).
The base stocks are otherwise the same. If you wish to continue to use the gasoline-engine oil you can add a can of STP Oil Treatment (Or WalMart’s copy “supertech” oil treatment) ....the “secret” ingredient in both being ZDDP. But if your tractor is still under warranty it’d be best to drain it out an replace it.
Yeah I researched this quite a bit after my frustrating screw up. I will change out the oil and consider my mistake an engine flush. For an extra few bucks and a little time at least I will have peace of mind.
I try to live by the code that when I make a mistake it is best to deal with it right away and get it behind me so I don't have to look at it or think about it. I have a lot of practice at fixing my mistakes. lol
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
If it was me and my tractor, I would Buy a new oil filter as well, and a little extra oil than what I needed. I would drain the oil thoroughly. I would then put a little diesel oil in , still leaving the old filter on, and let it set a minute then drain that oil as well, just to help further flush out the old oil. Then I would pull the filter, clean around the mount good, and go forward with new filter and proper oil. This is overkill, but it is what I would personally do if I was in this situation. When I change fluids in anything, I always like to pout just a little fluid in while the drain plug is still out and let it run all the way through and out into the pan. I do it just to sorta flush any little contaniments that may have settled at the bottom and didnt make it out the drain. Its a bit OCD, but It makes me feel better about it. I took this same approach recently when doing my front axle, and actually saw a few extra little paint chips or debri come out when, after letting it drip for 40 minutes, I poured a little hydraulic fluid in and let it run down and out the drain plugs. It helps give another rush of fluid down the the full length of reservoir, and hopefully picks up any little contaminants still clinging on - at least thats how I visualize it.
As others have said all my reading is that the difference is mostly just additives. Diesel oil will trap soot and turn black very quickly. The oil has to be able to suspend this soot and still do its job. Gas engine oil doesnt suspend soot in this way, and is why it often, or should, stay nice and brown. You definitely want the proper oil - ignoring such a mistake at worst could damage the engine. Its just too cheap and too easy to fix such an error.
As others have said all my reading is that the difference is mostly just additives. Diesel oil will trap soot and turn black very quickly. The oil has to be able to suspend this soot and still do its job. Gas engine oil doesnt suspend soot in this way, and is why it often, or should, stay nice and brown. You definitely want the proper oil - ignoring such a mistake at worst could damage the engine. Its just too cheap and too easy to fix such an error.
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If you think you may flush out some misc. particles by adding some oil and letting it drip, indicates you do not think the oil filter is doing it's job. The amount of oil in a small engine will not effect the remaining volume of oil.
Now, flushing a housing that has no filter can be effective in removing misc laying on the bottom.
Now, flushing a housing that has no filter can be effective in removing misc laying on the bottom.
I did say It was bit OCD
Its something Ive just always done, while the drain pan is there and its all opened up, Pour a little fresh oil in and watch it come out. I'm not talking a gallon or anything, just a half a quart or so. I've done this with all my lawn mowers, my 4 wheeler, now tractor. I Just imagine it helping push out any little remnants of the old oil. If you had a bucket full of black oil and drilled a hole in the bottom of the bucket and let it run out, once it stopped dripping you would be left with little remnants of black oil along the bottom of the bucket. Pour a little fresh oil in the bucket and the flow of that new oil rushing toward and out of the hole would help pull more of that old oil out. Once it stopped dripping this 2nd time you would likely be left with mostly brown fresh oil in the bottom instead of black old oil. This is how I think about it. Again, its a little OCD. Typically, the oil I end up using for this OCD move is oil that would end up being excess from the oil change and not used anyways. I always buy 1 quart more than manuals call for just so I have extra. I find that I rarely am able to put exactly what a manual calls for in an engine. If it calls for 4 quarts, Its rare to put exactly 4 quarts in and be at the perfect fill level. Always a tad more or tad less or something, so I get left with a bottle of opened oil that has a little in it and sits on a shelf and gets old. Many times I have taken these half full bottles of oil left over from previous changes and used it as my "OCD flush" oil. It may be a year old, but still nice and brown, and serves the purpose to flush.
I am defitely cahnging the oil but not the filter. The engine has run for about a minute with the gas engine oil in it. The amount of oil in the filter is insignificant to the 7L of oil I am putting in. that and since the only difference is that diesel has additives there seems to me to be no reason to change the filter too.
That made me think of something I have wondered about. Why is it that some engines such as my Kubota ZT with a Kawasaki gas engine do not have an oil filter? The same goes for my Ariens snow blower. It just doesn't seem right.
That made me think of something I have wondered about. Why is it that some engines such as my Kubota ZT with a Kawasaki gas engine do not have an oil filter? The same goes for my Ariens snow blower. It just doesn't seem right.
I am doing this by mistake. I get a complete engine flush. lolI did say It was bit OCD
Quazz, it is not evident from your original post what kind of tractor you have. If you have one of the newer ones with a dpf filter, your level of ocd should go up, and you should check manual for correct oil types. Contaminating the dpf could get expensive.
Oh I though my L3800 was on my avatar but obviously it is not (it is now). I got probably the last L3800 in my area before they went to the newer models with all of the emissions stuff. The new ones were already out but there was one L3800 somewhere at another dealership and they shipped it to my dealership. This was in 2014.
I put the Rotella in today but not a new filter. The other one had about 2 minutes of run time.
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