Synthetic or Conventional motor oil in Kubota diesels

[jimh406]

My discount stores were out of Rotella, and I’m right at 50 hrs. So, I’m doing Kubota oil for the next 50. I’ll try to plan ahead more next time.

 

[mcmxi]

Here's a question for all you pilot types and I know there are some on this forum. What oils do you run in your planes? Are synthetics popular in that application?

 

[BruceP]

It always makes me wonder why people talk about the cost of synthetic oil compared to conventional oil but will spend $5 on a cup of coffee every day or buy lunch for $15 three times a week, or spend $50 at the movies, or buy a $600 cell phone every year, or buy a new car or truck every three years ... and on and on. There are so many ways to spend (waste) money in this life but hopefully we get to choose how and when we do it.

Not unlike the folks who buy an expensive tractor.... then dont want to use the Kubota SUDT2 synthetic hydraulic fluid. (they go cheep with dino-based hydro fluid then wonder why their tractor is broken)

 

[JerryMT]

Letting a turbo stabilize/cool-down before shut-down has documented history in aircraft turbonormalized engines. Passengers anxious to deplane were accepting of a 3-minute cool-down at the chocks after I explained it to them. ( After landing….Taxying slowly at idle would eat-up part of the time and allow them to deplane sooner.)

The cool down period for gas turbines and turbochargers is mostly predicated on allowing the internal rotating machinery to cool down to prevent rubs on the external stationary casing. The outer casing cools down faster than the rotating components.

Rubs cause excessive tip clearance which reduces performance. It's a good thing to do if you have a turbocharged engine particularly if you have done a lot of full power operation. My New Holland owners manual suggests that also.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Here's a question for all you pilot types and I know there are some on this forum. What oils do you run in your planes? Are synthetics popular in that application?

Here's a question for all you pilot types and I know there are some on this forum. What oils do you run in your planes? Are synthetics popular in that application?

Aircraft lubricants are subject to very specific and stringent certifications as are the fasteners and materials used in their construction.

In general turbine and turbo prop engine oils are all synthetic

Light aircraft gasoline engine oils are all mineral based.

That said tractors don't normally leave the ground and are not subject to the regulatory certification restraints of aviation lubricants so the question is really pretty meaningless.

Dan

 

[85Hokie]

Aircraft lubricants are subject to very specific and stringent certifications as are the fasteners and materials used in their construction.


That said tractors don't normally leave the ground

Dan

Aint that the truth - but there have been those that have!!!


Funny how the first commercial SYNTHETIC oil was developed FOR the flying machines - JETS

A M S O I L

 

[dlsmith]

Here's a question for all you pilot types and I know there are some on this forum. What oils do you run in your planes? Are synthetics popular in that application?

Been running Exxon Elite 20W-50 in the IO-520 in my Debonair for the last 15 years. Sent in samples every other oil change, and the reports were always excellent. But then I usuallt changed it every 25 hours or so. At 550 hrs after I put on new cylinders they looked great with the borescope at annual inspection.

 

[RCW]

Funny - - - hedgerow started this thread 48 hours ago.

I was the second response.

At the time, I was thinking here's another Oil or Fluid thread.

Guessed at the time it would generate 50 responses..... this is #48....

Trust me hedgerow, this is not derogatory to you at all. Like I said, this question comes up often, and usually generates the same amount of attention!

 

[eserv]

Funny - - - hedgerow started this thread 48 hours ago.

I was the second response.

At the time, I was thinking here's another Oil or Fluid thread.

Guessed at the time it would generate 50 responses..... this is #48....

Trust me hedgerow, this is not derogatory to you at all. Like I said, this question comes up often, and usually generates the same amount of attention!

Well, I'll make it 49 and just write that if you use decent oil and change it at least reasonably often it is very unlikely that you will have a lubrication related problem with any Kubota engine.

 

[85Hokie]

I'll make 50 and agree with eserv above!

 

[jimh406]

Why does it matter if it’s 50 posts or not? I’ll say it again Rotella Synthetic is awesome oil.

 

[GeoHorn]

$21 for a gallon of Rotella does not compare to a gallon of Chevron Delo 400 for $12.97…. or 2.5 gallons for less than $30.

Robot or human?

 

[nbryan]

Full synth 5W-20 (various brands) and OEM filter every 8000 km like clockwork for my 2006 Tacoma gasser I bought new. 375,000 km on the clock now. No oil use (a little weeps at the valve cover) at all, engine starts and runs as well as ever, feels like it has the same power as always. Never even have had the valve rockers adjusted yet - they're always quiet!
The Taco also gets synth diff and xfer case oils too.

We had a VW Golf TDI and the 5w-40 T-6 was the best I used.

So I like the synth effect, thank you. All my vehicles and equipment use it now.

The B2650 gets Kubota 10W-30 diesel engine oil, except I've substituted MotoMaster 10W30 Semi-Synthetic Diesel Engine Oil for a couple changes. I believe the OEM engine oil is the same stuff- Semi Synth 10W-30. Just a different label.

 

[Pau7220]

$21 for a gallon of Rotella does not compare to a gallon of Chevron Delo 400 for $12.97

The only comparison between these two is that they're both in a blue jug.
One is synthetic, one is conventional.
One is highly refined, one has viscosity improvers to compensate.
................. Done................

Now let's compare pure maple syrup vs Mrs. Butterworths artificially flavored high fructose corn syrup.

 

[ManBitesDog]

Synthetic got its start as Aircraft Oil. In fact, Amsoil got its start when Albert J. Amatuzio started re-packaging Air Force-Issue Syn Oil and selling it on the open market.

Like I said, the world isn't going to end for those that choose not to use syn and today's Dino Oils are very good oils.

Just that Synthetic is better. But not as a solvent. The lead accumulation mentioned in Boxer-style aircraft engines using leaded fuel was because Synthetic is too pure. So pure that it doesn't dissolve lead deposits and carry them away like dino oil does.

So if any of you have a VW Bug or a Porsche with a boxer engine and are running leaded gasoline (where do you get that these days?). Use dino oil. It's more gooder.

For the rest of the world, I recommend Syn.

As to OCI's getting longer, I don't see that as a bad thing. New oil out of the bottle has a lot of detergents and other additives in it and they can annoy gaskets, seals, etc. Plus, I don't enjoy crawling around on the ground to do an oil change.

 

[Nicfin36]

Heck, I want to get in on this too. I see no problem with those that use synthetic oil, but with routine oil changes in your Kubota, would you ever see a difference.? I say that because I turned 50 last month and was computing how many years it would take to reach 2 or 3 thousand hours on my tractor and realize it will be a while. (Humbling in a few ways) Like Nbryan, Toyotas have always been what I have driven. I have used dino oil in all them and never had a problem and I have only owned 4 vehicles in my life and still possess 2.

Now to contradict my point above, I have finally switched over to synthetic in my car. I also replaced the hydraulic fluid with in my tractor with Super UDT2 at 50 hours, I will also go synthetic for engine oil on the next tractor oil change. I will also go full synthetic when I change oils on my zero turn mower.

I used to shy away from synthetics because of the price. But, now, they are much cheaper than they used to be, and I see no reason not to use them now.

 

[DDCD]

Any one here ever have their oil tested by someone like Blackstone laboratories? If so, what oil do you run and what was the conclusion?

I had my Yamaha FJR1300 oil tested just out of curiosity. I have been running Dino oil in mine for 40,000 miles. A friend bought the same bike and couldn’t believe I didn’t run synthetic, wanted to argue or convince me that he was 100% right about what to run. I told him I just run what Yamaha says to run and I’ve had no problems at all. I go further between changes than what Yamaha recommends though, I do 5,000ish miles. So the report came back with flying colors and they suggested I go to 8,000 miles before changes from what their analysis shows. I plan to stick with 5,000 miles or depending on how I’ve been riding I’ll go by my shifter feel and change it sooner.

Sorry, super thread drift. I meant to collect some of the oil out of my L3800 and have it analyzed but it slipped my mind when I changed it. Maybe next time I’ll have it done and post up the results.

I test my Honda cars. Mobil 0w-20 for both. I run them to 10K miles and there's still life left in the oil. I change it at 10K though because the test shows lots of fuel from the direct injection even when brand new.

I don't test every time though since its about $35 each test. I would be interested to see what a tractor oil test shows.

 

[GeoHorn]

Synthetic got its start as Aircraft Oil. …
….

Most people have no idea what “synthetic” means as it applies to engine oils.
Synthesis is used to alter ordinary oil to achieve certain desireable properties. Conventional base stocks are used in the process. Conventional oils are given similar characteristics with additives.
The additives sublime and dissipate during useage…while synthetic oils maintain the desireable characteristics longer…but it also degrades with time and use.. There’s not as much ”magic” as some might suppose.

Synthetic oils (and fuels) got it’s start synthesized from coal.

The GERMANS developed “synthetic” oils during WW2 because they had huge need for oil, few sources, …but lots and lots of coal. (Much of the slave labor at Auschwitz was leased by the SS to I.G. Farben the giant chemical processor to dig coal.)

It did not start specifically as “Aircraft Oil”. It got its start in tanks, artillery, and military vehicles and certainly was used in aircraft engines as well.
Because it can be engineered to particular demands it was eventually introduced to turbines… Steam turbines. It was then found to be useful in jet-propulsion turbines because…. Again related to its low—capability to carry-away dirt…. jet engines do not contaminate the oil sump with combustion products. Jet engine oil systems are not directly exposed to the combustion process or its by-products…. not expected to deal with dirt… so since it did not get ”dirty” in jet engines it remained in-service longer… I.E. longer oil change periods.

(Tidbit: Early jet engines did not recirculate oil at all…they were total-loss oil systems…the oil was used to lubricate/cool bearings of the spinning shaft then exited the bearings into the combustion-cans, consumed and went out the exhaust.)

If you keep it clean then synthetic oil can continue in-service longer than conventional oils (which dissolve and absorb and carry those nasties around.)

Modern engines… due to EPA requirements and modern designs…. are not as “dirty” as older designs….and therefore can benefit from longer oil change intervals if synthetic oil is used.

Modern “diesel qualified” synthetic oils have additives in them (just like conventional oils) to help deal with the increased level of contaminates diesel engines produce. Opinion> Those additives dissipate just like they do in conventional oils.

If you have an engine, especially an older engine, that HAS BEEN running on conventional oil…. you might want to think twice before switching to synthetic oils. That engine may have years of undrained contaminates still in it that engine. (Are you one of the people who feel the need to use only distilled water in your cooling system and that you should “flush” the system with distilled water before putting in new anti-freeze? Hmmmn…. )
Also, if an older engine is switched to synthetic oil don’t be surprised when you discover new leaks where previously none occurred. It’s a common effect.

Personally I like conventional oils in my dirty diesels…and I like changing it periodically/frequently….and I don’t want to pay for oil that cannot keep the dirt dissolved and carried to the filter and drained-out of the engine.

YMMV

 

[Pau7220]

Also, if an older engine is switched to synthetic oil don’t be surprised when you discover new leaks where previously none occurred. It’s a common effect.

Another tall tale...... 45 years of auto repair and I still have never seen one single case.

And a test.....

 

[thirdroc17]

(Aviation piston engines still use real gasoline with TEL ...)

So your saying subpar gasoline which had lead added to it so it didn't knock is 'real' gasoline? Interesting....