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Thu Aug 10, 2006 9:29 am

:-& is anyone using this oil on the car? how does it run? is the oil temp. cooler and does it drive better? is the oil still clean after oil change??
CAN YOU USE LUCAS OIL WITH SHELL ROTELLA? i personally use pennzoil HD30 and i have been getting great MPG compared to thicker oils like 20/50 and HD40.

Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:51 am

I use 15/40 Rotella in my single port 1600 daily driver. Seems to handle the Fla. heat well and is better in the winter than the thick 20/50 Castrol that I used to use.

Can't tell you about Lucas as I don't have any experience with it.

Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:02 am

There was just another thread about this:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=187716

Thu Aug 10, 2006 2:40 pm

I like the Chevron Delo400. Similar to the Rotella. I don't know which is cheaper though.

Thu Aug 10, 2006 2:47 pm

Shell Rotella T 15W-40 is all I use in my aircooled engines.

Thu Aug 10, 2006 2:58 pm

I believe Rotella has a higher zinc content than most oils, so that is a BIG plus...

Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:21 pm

Glenn wrote: Shell Rotella T 15W-40 is all I use in my aircooled engines.

Oh jeez. I am changing oils.

LOL jk Glenn.. are you going to give the crowd the post mortem on what happened to cause your blow?

Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:31 pm

RIS wrote: I believe Rotella has a higher zinc content than most oils, so that is a BIG plus...

It's in the upper-end of the "average"...

...oils like Valvoline Race (dino), Mobil 1 Synth, Royal Purple and Amsoil synthetic all contain more zinc than Rotella.

Even oils that are in the lower end of the "average" are not too far off. We've been talking about zinc in oil for too long, possibly propagating more myth than fact, and ultimately trying to place blame on the composition of oil rather than the quality of the parts that are failing (e.g. cams and lifters). Nothing wrong with Rotella (I've run it in my VW)...

Thu Aug 10, 2006 6:22 pm

i use lucas with rotella myself on a turbo 2017. i havent had to use the external cooler yet while running around town with 100 degree heat. it's approved for gas engines as well. i think delo is pretty much the same thing, but didn't have gas engine certifications on the labels. it's very cheap and a more "old school" type of oil that VW would have recomended over the new crap for modern overhead cam engines.

if it's good enough for 1,000,000 mile diesel engines it's good enough for my expensive stroker. :wink:

Thu Aug 10, 2006 6:47 pm

roachdub58 wrote:
if it's good enough for 1,000,000 mile diesel engines it's good enough for my expensive stroker. :wink:

My thoughts exactly!

Thu Aug 10, 2006 7:33 pm

Comp Cams likes Rotella T for their flat tappets

read!!

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/engine/flat_tappet_cam_tech/

I've used Rotella T and Petro Canada Duron which is another diesel oil.

I put GM EOS in my oils too so I probably have triple the amount zinc.

Use whatever you like.

Thu Aug 10, 2006 8:19 pm

Thats all I use in my 2275 turbo efi/chargecooled squish street strip motor. I use the 20/50W flavor. Fully closed decklid .. oil temps 190F street driving.

Thu Aug 10, 2006 9:26 pm

sounds like the oil is worth the try.

Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:51 pm

I've been running the Shell Rotella-T for about 3 years now and I recommend it people I meet.

Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:10 am

Rotella T apparently has a good additive package. Besides a high dose of zinc and phosphorus it has other compliments to it.

The total base number TBN on the 15w40 is 11.6% so thats excellent for combating acid buildup in oil. .151% zinc is extremely high for an oil. That high even if you compare it to alot of synthetics.

A bottle of GM EOS has 1300 ppm!!!!!!!!!! of zinc. 1/3 the bottle will surpass all engine oils out there.

Rotella uses a good oil base but its probably a group 2 oil which is still dino oil (unless you buy the synthetic version)

We can all talk about how good an oil is but unless you do an oil analysis your just speculating. If your using a synthetic with PAO or Ester your more than likely gonna have good results.

If Comp Cams likes Rotella T thats good to know. I'll put blind faith just knowing a cam/lifter company uses it and recommends it.

Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:15 am

Is the GM EOS an additive that you would put in at every oil change, or is it only for when you finish a motor build? The ladder is what seems to be what I'm getting from an article I read

Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:21 am

I use EOS only when first breaking in an engine and add it until there's 500 miles on the motor.

Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:42 am

i run royal purple 5-30. the delo and rotella 15-40 are good oil, to heavy for cold weather running imo. when i switched to the royal puprple engine temps were noticeably cooler at freeway speeds

Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:08 am

Yeah, that thinner oil will not bypass the cooler so much. I'd bet it is cooler. The RP that I used was 15-40, and it was cooler than 20-50 by about 20 degrees.

Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:56 pm

I rebuid diesel engines profesionaly for a living most running rotela T and dello I have rebuit this with as many as 1,470,000 miles before needing rebuit and have seen no carbon buildup not even on the valves in the intake runners i dont think twice about running it in my 1776 diesel's are the best 600hp 2800ft pounds of torque and live this long pulling 80,000 lbs of cargo this is why i'm adidcted to torque