Oil, engines and magic

Newsgroups Archive Prior to 2025
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Many of our engine are, well, ancient. They work hard and failure can be expensive and a few other adjectives.

I have been using Rotella T6 for about plus years. Take a look at the latest report from the Doctor.

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83 WESTERBEKE-231107.pdf (17.4 KB)

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I’m with you, Thor. I’ve been using T6 for about 4 or 5 years in my W-27.

Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

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Joe,
Is using T4 acceptable?
Pete DePascale
Irish Mist
33’ #006
Branford Ct

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I looked up the difference online. It says T4 is natural oil, T6 is synthetic. And there are vague words about how T4 is appropriate for older engines and T6 is appropriate for newer engines. But I’m skeptical about that. Especially in light of Joe and Thor using the T6. They seem pretty competent to me. I wonder if those “appropriateness” statements are just empty verbiage assuming that people with older engines are cheapskates* or if there is some actual reasoning behind it. I ask because I’m about to change my oil and was intending to use a synthetic.

  • I drive a 21 year old pickup that is functionally better than new because I have maintained and upgraded it with the best options available. I will probably be driving it until I cannot drive anymore. And every time I try to do something more than the bare minimum I find my sanity being questioned by “service advisors”. I’m starting to see the same trend in boats, since buying one down here in the wealthier climate of southern CA. (I’m from Oregon.) If it’s old, people wonder why bother with upkeep. It’s when they start getting old that they need more upkeep.
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The reason to use T-6 Rotella is that it’s synthetic. I don’t believe that T-4 is.

Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

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Oil can provoke some passion with gear heads. My oil analysis shows that synthetic lasts longer and does a better job in my Westerbeke 21 It cuts the wear numbers down materially. It is also acceptable in my 2 hp outboard so I need to have one type on board vs 2. I found that Rotella T4 lasted 40 hours and that occasionally meant a mid season oil change. I suspect I could go 100 hours on synthetic which has never happened yet, it’s a messy job even when I do a good job!

The discussion often centers around synthetic oil leaking from old engines and I have seen none of that. I have a 1972 MG and was thinking of using it in it, but it leaks now with 20/50 dino oil. Apparently these cars were built to leak and it is a sign they are still alive. I have 4 qts of 20/50 so it will be a while before I try the T6 .

One thing recommended to me by an ex Ferrari mechanic, stick to one brand. In my case I use Shell in the engines and Mobile 1 transmission oil.

i am curious what the e-boat owners do with all the rags and rubber gloves now they no longer change oil…what do they do with all this spare time? Do they have to change electrons and are you using post or pre quantum theory electrons?

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Quick answers to your e-boat questions, Thor:

  1. Can’t get rid of the rags and rubber gloves until I’ve finished all my projects involving paint, varnish, or epoxy. And until I’ve found winches that don’t need maintenance ever. And until I face up to cleaning the two inches of water that leaked into my dockbox full of spare coolant, oil and oil change pumps that I no longer need. In other words, like selling the boat itself, I’m regarding dealing with it as a problem for my estate executor rather than for me.
  2. What I mainly do with the spare time freed up from no engine maintenance is dream about all the projects I’d do if I had any money left after converting to electric.
  3. The dockside power and the onboard battery charger take care of changing the electrons.
  4. Can’t answer the post or pre quantum theory question. As Einstein said, it’s all relative.
    It’s good we have some knowledgeable diesel folks like you and Joe. Electric is nice, but not ready for everyone’s needs, and so keeping them diesels going is important for a lotta Nonsuchers. (Nonsuchites? Nonsuchphiliacs? Nonsuchistas?)

– Bob

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How does one determine so exactly when it’s time to change the oil? I put 10W30 (from owners manual) oil in my W27 this and will probably change to Rotella T6 mid 2024 by what I’ve read here. I actually found a quart of it onboard after the change. The oil was thick as molasses and black as coal.
Here the report from Under My Hood

Brian Cayer
Spirit~Wind
N30U 419
Deep River, Ct

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Does the synthetic oil require a different type of filter?

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Brian C. -

I question whether I’d use “Under my Hood” again. They’ve failed to report cholesterol (HDL, LDL), white count and, most important, platelets. These are the VERY factors that will inform as to when to change oil. Then again, maybe these factors only count if one uses synthetic oil …

Ernie A. in Toronto

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Ernest
I can not believe you are Ernest right now, you sound more like Ernie.
Brian

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OK, I am going to be serious (and cheap) here. Rotella T4 is certified at the CJ4 level (introduced in 2006) and the CK4 level (introduced in 2017). My engine was built when the diesel certification was CC and there have been 10 new, more sophisticated standards along the way. If the engine has been happy for 46 years on CC et al, I see no reason to go away from a much, much improved oil today. I nave a Kia Sportage turbo and Kia recommends non-synthetic oil. I asked my son who has been a mechanic at Kia and elsewhere whether I should go synthetic and he said go with the what the manufacturer recommends. In spite of what we think, we do not use our engines very hard and change the oil very regularly. Most summers I use it for much less 100 hours but change the oil and filter. This past summer I did 1500+ nm and changed the oil twice, again before the recommended change interval.

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Bruce
Once a year works for me going forward.
If that is too much it is only better for the engine so no waste.
Brian

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I once purchased a somewhat high mileage used car with a gas engine. I had been using synthetic in my vehicles and decided to do the same with the used car. Several months later it was leaking oil like a sieve. I later learned that was a mistake as older engines that were maintained with non synthetic oil form a seal from the buildup caused by the non synthetic oil. Synthetic oil is a much stronger detergent and dissolved the former oil’s buildup. The oil I was using was Amzoil which is one of two true synthetic oils - the purple stuff is the other. So if there are any petro chemical engineers present it would be a big relief to hear an educated explanation. P.S. upon dissembling my W10-2 with 640 hrs. IO found it to be very clean, and it has been maintained with Rotel 10/30 since new.

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I have no problems with cheap. Perhaps more importantly, synthetic may not be the way to go with an old engine.