Which engine oil?

Nostrodamus said:
Just met a nice man who services engines here.
He used something called Faulk oil or something similar which comes in 20L containers.
Said it is the same spec as the Volvo stuff for less than half the price.
API is CL-4 which seems ok.
wants 100 ero for 20L which also seems pretty reasonable
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I would be very careful about using such a modern, high performance oil in a normally aspirated auxiliary engine. The specification is intended for very high power output engines with exhaust gas recirculation systems, may well be synthetic although I don't know for certain, will definitely be high-tech. Beware Volvo oil specifications as in my earlier post.
 
jdc said:
I couldn't begin to add to the technical expertise of Vyv Cox or Latestarter among others in selecting the spec of the oil you need, but am struck by what seems to be a general assumption that our oils have to be sourced from either a yacht service place - which is probably expensive and/or 1000 miles away - or from an outlet selling to road vehicles (supermarket or garage).

But wherever we cruise there are always two canny and tight fisted groups who need engines which are 100% reliable every day of their lives: inshore fishermen and small farmers! Whatever oil they use will be in plentiful supply, low cost and well adapted to our kind of relatively low revving, cool running and low stress yacht engines (NB: the farmers I refer to are the small-holder types with small old-fashioned tractors, not grain barons with giant Deutz turbo-charged machines).

So find a farmer or inshore fisherman and ask where the local farmer's or fisherman's cooperative is: I bet there will be CF or CC/CD oil for sale at reasonable prices, and certainly there will be a source of STOU. They may even fill a 'jug' for you from a 40 gal drum. Personally I use Castol Agri MP or MP+ which I buy it in bulk for my tractors (which are old Kubotas plus a David Brown and a venerable Fordson Dexta).

Talking to small-holders or farmers is also a good way to meet real locals not just those dedicated to serving tourists!
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Absolutely right. In UK there is another group of low grade luboil users - canal boats. Morris Lubricants make API CC oil specifically for them. With older lightly used engines using CC would not do very much harm if CD was not available.
 
I am only interested in small Japanese motors and I am totally happy with any CH-4 lube. And so are the guys who make them.

Lift from Komatsu (Yanmar engine) small machinery lubrication guide 'or operation in temperatures above +50F, the best choice of oil would be SAE15W-40. As a minimum, this oil must meet API specification CD, CD/SF. The currently effective CF-4 is better, the 1998 CH-4 specification is best'.

In my dealings with bus companies and use of fully synthetic low SAPS lubes leaves me distraught. http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=326884&page=2.

In the context of Japanese engines WITH indirect cooling I have no hang ups with CH-4 lubes with a TBN of 10.8. Have searched the OATS database and can find no white papers regarding benifits of earlier sequence lubes in older diesel engines i.e CC/CD.

I do however do agree with comments regarding Volvo VDS 3 and struggle with how applicable this is to their little Shibura Perkins based engines when this lube is intended for diesel engines with EGR??
 
Troubadour said:
Fuchs?
Big supplier of industrial and agricultural oils on the continuing, less common in UK. Excellent oils as far as I know.
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It is Fuchs and is apparently used in agricultural machinery and Volvo powered lorries.
Just when I think I have got this oil thing worked out up pops another doubt raised by someone.
All I want is a 15/40 oil suitable for my engine. (Volvo MD22 circa 1996).I am having trouble sourcing anything earlier than API CF which Shell Helix is or Fuchs which is CL4.
I want to treat my engine right and don't mind spending the money to do so but I don't want to by the Volvo stuff which seems totally overpriced.
 
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Latestarter1 said:
In the context of Japanese engines WITH indirect cooling I have no hang ups with CH-4 lubes with a TBN of 10.8. Have searched the OATS database and can find no white papers regarding benifits of earlier sequence lubes in older diesel engines i.e CC/CD.
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I'm not surprised you don't find anything, it's a particularly obscure problem. I was originally alerted to it a long time ago by a boatyard with a large mechanical workshop, Dickies of Bangor. They had seen bore wear which they saw as a consequence of using 'high spec' oils. I spoke to colleagues in the formulation departments at Shell, who confirmed that it was known, and had been investigated. It seems that when cold running engines operate permanently in a basic chemistry, certain deposits are laid down on the piston crown and rings, which become very hard on continued operation. These deposits are responsible for the wear.

All this was some years ago, but I checked around two years ago with an ex-colleague lubricants specialist, very experienced in the industrial sector. He confirmed that it still occurs, although probably not with all lubricants. He had no specific info as to which lubs did and which did not.
 
Tomahawk said:
Hi

I have always used Shell rimula 15/30.. good for turbo and normally aspirated engines.. My old montego with a Perkins Prima 2litre turbo ran beautifully to about 170 000 miles.. the body gave up whilst the engine started on the touch of the button.. and no oil leaks from damaged seals
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That is the MD22 base engine
Stu
 
Nostrodamus said:
It is Fuchs and is apparently used in agricultural machinery and Volvo powered lorries.
Just when I think I have got this oil thing worked out up pops another doubt raised by someone.
All I want is a 15/40 oil suitable for my engine. (Volvo MD22 circa 1996).I am having trouble sourcing anything earlier than API CF which Shell Helix is or Fuchs which is CL4.
I want to treat my engine right and don't mind spending the money to do so but I don't want to by the Volvo stuff which seems totally overpriced.
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I repeat, Tesco or Asda 15/40, I ise it in mine, CF spec.
Stu
 
Halo said:
OK you oil gurus - is the answer - Asda own brand as shown on the link below ? This is mineral oil to SAE CF and is both cheap and locally available

http://direct.asda.com/ASDA-15W40-Mineral-Oil---5L/001021140,default,pd.html?cm_vc=PPCXSLTP
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Nothing wrong with this stuff at all but cheap I am not sure?? £3.20 a liter.....

I purchase Shell Rimula X 15W40 ACEA E5 CH-4, CAT ECF1a, Cummins CES 2076 and Volvo VDS 2 from local agricultural and home heating supplier delivered to my door in 20 liter tubs for a tad under £3 a liter all in. Cannot get much more local than that and I still complain about the price.
 
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So, although this thread has been fascinating all I basically want to know is, as I can no longer get CD specification mineral oil am I liable to damage my engine in any way by using the latest API classifications of mineral oil or are there any classifications I shouldn't use?
I am in Portugal where the oils are not known to me so all I can go on are the API's.
Thank you
 
Nostrodamus said:
So, although this thread has been fascinating all I basically want to know is, as I can no longer get CD specification mineral oil am I liable to damage my engine in any way by using the latest API classifications of mineral oil or are there any classifications I shouldn't use?
I am in Portugal where the oils are not known to me so all I can go on are the API's.
Thank you
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Did you miss Nigel's link above, explains all, your MD22 will be fine.
 
Have done your checks LIDL does exist in Portugal, SO, go to LIDL buy their oil put in it your engine - job done.

Its a low spec 15/40 Mineral oil with synthetic additives perfect for your engine.

edit

rated API SJ/CF-4/CF
 
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I did real Nigel's post and looked at the specifications. From my basic knowledge what it is saying is that the newer mineral oils do what the older ones did and more. It is the more bit I am worried about as Vyv mentioned some of these later additives can cause problems.

I have also been to the local Lidel here and they do not sell engine oil.
Most of the engine oil I have come across here is unknown to me as I say so I am going on the API but they all seem to be the more modern mineral oils ie CL-4
 
Nostrodamus said:
I did real Nigel's post and looked at the specifications. From my basic knowledge what it is saying is that the newer mineral oils do what the older ones did and more. It is the more bit I am worried about as Vyv mentioned some of these later additives can cause problems.

I have also been to the local Lidel here and they do not sell engine oil.
Most of the engine oil I have come across here is unknown to me as I say so I am going on the API but they all seem to be the more modern mineral oils ie CL-4
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I managed to find CF4 in Portugal in a car spares shop. At risk of being flamed if I could not get it I would use the higher spec and change it when I am able, doubt it would be catastrophic.
 
Nostrodamus said:
I did real Nigel's post and looked at the specifications. From my basic knowledge what it is saying is that the newer mineral oils do what the older ones did and more. It is the more bit I am worried about as Vyv mentioned some of these later additives can cause problems.

I have also been to the local Lidel here and they do not sell engine oil.
Most of the engine oil I have come across here is unknown to me as I say so I am going on the API but they all seem to be the more modern mineral oils ie CL-4
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buy the lowest "C" rating you can.
The first "C" = Compression the second letter is the grade
http://www.api.org/certification-pr...ublications/Engine-Oil-Guide-2010-120210.ashx

CH-4 CURRENT Introduced in 1998. For high-speed, four-stroke engines designed to meet 1998 exhaust emission standards.
CH-4 oils are specifically compounded for use with diesel fuels ranging in sulfur content up to 0.5% weight.
Can be used in place of CD, CE, CF-4, and CG-4 oils.
 
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