What other 15w40 oils are people using in Volvo engines?

Ian MacAulay

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What do you all use in your Volvo penta diesels? Going to change the oil in my ad41's and can get a lot of oiles at a very good rate but wondered what recommend ones are out there?

Thanks

Ian
 
Use any oil that meets the API specification recommended for your engine.

In my case, CD is recommended, which is NLA for all intents and purposes (unless I hunt down a tractor supplier somewhere in Gloucester) so I bought quite a lot of CG recently at a good price from a local motor factors.

For me, as long as it meets the right spec the make (badge) is irrelevant. It's changed every 100 hours anyway, and comes out only marginally black but nowhere near gritty.
 
I researched and then bought Taurus SHPD E5 via Lubricant Technology Shop.

Higher specs than Volvo oil and a LOT cheaper.

Perfectly decent lube oil to ACEA E5 with Volvo VDS 3 approval, probably by 'read across' however 'Higher specs than Volvo oil' I am no tribologist but do not get this comment.........
 
I researched and then bought Taurus SHPD E5 via Lubricant Technology Shop.

Higher specs than Volvo oil and a LOT cheaper.

As a matter of interest, why use this one rather than the E7 version that appears cheaper?
 
As a matter of interest, why use this one rather than the E7 version that appears cheaper?

Good point. E7 is VDS-3 so good enough for my KAD43
I've just contacted them (at 10 o'clock tonight) re if delivery is free (to Birmingham) and got an immediate reply saying yes.
I'll order some tomorrow to take out to Spain (driving) where I pay over twice that much for some unknown VDS-3 brand
 
Perfectly decent lube oil to ACEA E5 with Volvo VDS 3 approval, probably by 'read across' however 'Higher specs than Volvo oil' I am no tribologist but do not get this comment.........

Ok, maybe my statement was a little poorly written / hasty.

What I meant, was that the tech specs for my D4 is for VDS-2 and E7 (or E5). The oil I purchased is VDS-3 and E5, thus I have exceeded the certification requirements for the oil (as to how much better it is I can't comment, as like you I'm no tribologist).

And of course I can now buy it as a VDS-3 / E7 certification (I don't recall seeing the E7 certified oil as being available when I bought my drum some time ago).
 
Out of warranty I use shell rimula R4x

Interested in comment 'Out out of warranty' Rimula RTx 4 has full Caterpillar ECF-2 approval with fully paid up licence, not one obtained by 'read across'.

On our previous boat (Sealine with D12s) I used the Volvo oil for the first season.
We seemed to get a small amount of oil dripping from the breathers.
The next season, I switched to the Shell Rimula and the dripping from the breathers stopped.
Nothing else was changed.
I assumed that the Volvo oil was a poor grade (sold expensively) and was foaming.
Since then, I always use the Shell Rimula - even on our current MTUs - since new.
I buy it in the UK and take it out to Spain - a significant saving with the amount that I buy - almost pays for the ferry fare.
 
Interested in comment 'Out out of warranty' Rimula RTx 4 has full Caterpillar ECF-2 approval with fully paid up licence, not one obtained by 'read across'.
Thanks Latestarter. I hadn't realised that. My comment was a bit "quick". In a bit more detail, I used local Cat agent (whom I rate very highly) to do my in-warranty annual servicing and they bring Cat branded oil (at a huge mark up) but I don't have any choice. I'm now just out of warranty so could switch to rimula rtx4 but actually I like the cat dealer so much that I'm letting them carry on doing the servicing, and of course they continue to bring their cat branded 15-40, so at this point in time I haven't switched to rimula. It's good to hear from you that if I ever did switch, the rimula is fully blessed by cat, but for as long as I stick with the local cat dealer I'm stuck with cat branded oils supplied by them (I could ask them to use rimula but can't see a big point)

Incidentally they put mobil delvac in the ZF gearboxes, so Cat clearly don't insist they use Cat branded oil in anything other than the engines, which makes sense I guess

I had a full annual service last week, 505 hours, and they took oil samples from engines and g'boxes. When I get the reports back from the lab i'll report back

I've never cared about Onan Cummins wty for my gensets and serviced them myself from new. Easier than calling a dealer when all you need is an oil/filter change or pump impeller (and I have oil pump system to make oil changes ultra simple). for those, I have used Rimula 15-40 rtx4 from the first oil change, and as I say not cared about warranty. They're Kubota normally aspirated 4 pot 3.3 litre engines, making something like 40hp each at 1500rpm so they have a relaxed life and I want 10k hours from each of them! 700 hours each, so far.
 
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