I recently switched oils and am running shell rotella t6 5w40. switched from 5w30 mobile 1. I can tell a difference running the t6, almost can feel it being thicker than 5w30 the way it runs. my question is, is it okay to run rotella t6 5w40 In a turbo h22 @ 20lb boost?

 

the weight of your oil is determined by the temperature environment you live in and the clearances on your bearings. You need to put those things together to make a correct decision. I use 10s-30 during fall and winter and swap to 15-40 for the summer. Central US

 

T6 gets my vote. Has the required zinc and phosphorus for the solid lifters found in the older Honda's. SN and SP don't have any zinc or phosphorus and eat the lifters. These engines were designed around SL and SM oils.

 

I've been using Rotella in my turbo stuff for many years. It's great.

 

I use vr1
Its cheaper than t6 and has more zinc

 

I've also always been big on Valvoline VR1. Good quality, weight options, and easy to find in local shops.

Amsoil Signature is my alternative, a good friend of mine is/used to be a distributor for them.

 

I agree. In addition, I've found that for those running E85, using the Rotella "Diesel" oils is a better option as the exhaust gas / oil mix in your engine tends to not become as "sludgy" over time as your traditional petrol-engineered oils. Now, I know that Shell has now made their full synthetic oils work well with all engine types (Rotary excluded), but I've found that if you're running E85, Rotella is a great way to go. If not, well, I tend to stick to the petrol-engineered oils with high ZDDP content than other companies.

I can't say whether or not The Shell Rotella series has high Zinc (ZDDP) content in their oils, but I would hope that it is, as these engines need that Zinc additive that the new synthetics no longer have.

 

I would be careful with VR1 on a daily. Has nearly no detergents to suspend and hold contaminants so they will drop out and adhere to surfaces inside the engine. AKA sludge. Oil change intervals would need to be considerably shorter without the detergents.

 

^^ This. I wouldn't recommend it with a catalytic converter though.
Stick to the standard oil change intervals (3mo/3kmiles) and it'll be fine. If it isn't a daily and not seeing many miles, just stick to the timeframe. I ran VR1 in the Z6 for a good while, never any sludge buildup after 3 changes.

 

Just noticed Amsoil has a blend that specifically cites a higher ZDDP content in the oil. May be worth checking out, I'm not sure how it would compare to their Signature series - https://www.amsoil.com/p/z-rod-10w-3...motor-oil-zrt/

 

I'ce used it and Brad penn for over a decade. 4300 mile changes mainly. never a buildup issue

Plenty of peolle use Amsoil in turbo cars no problem

 

thanks for all the replies everyone. so call me crazy but the rotella t6 almost felt too thick, I don't know how to explain it but the way it idled and moved through the rpm range..not running bad but I could tell a difference..so today, by the advice of my good buddy, I switched yet again to penzoil ultra platinum 5w30. it isn't as water like compared to the mobile 1 I was using and not as thick as the T6..I just want the best protection possible.

 

Gee who would have thought a 15w oil would be thicker than a 5w .
BTW only T6 Rotella has zinc additive. T5 and below do not.

 

20-50 VR1 back in the day...

 

I did this at one point as well and although I never had issues in my hot Texas climate, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

I feel like we have better weight options now as well than we used to - like 10w40 or 15w40 are what I would go for now in summer months.

 

I run VR1 Synthetic - tried 20W-50 and 10W-30. I like the 10W-30 better.

 

I just based it on my oil pressure. Ran it for years like that, because I didnt like how much it would drop when the oil temp got above 210-240 with thinner oils. In the winter I would switch to 15-40 but I never drove the car in that so it wasnt a big deal either.

 

I see only one mention of oil weights needing to be selected based on bearing clearances and oil temps. If your engine is truly “built” then you need to talk to your engine builder about where you main and rod bearing clearances fell and select your oil weight accordingly. I’m pretty sure these engines are usually put together pretty tight so you really probably neeed to be more in the 10-30 range. Oils should not be selected based on what you “feel” like it needs. Also, like there stated zddp is crucial with tappet style valvetrain. All diesel oils will have higher zddp content than new formulations of gas engine oils. If whatever oil you prefer does not have Desired zinc/phosphorus content, additives are available at any auto parts stores. Also, a lot of your”high mileage” oils also have elevated zddp content. Go to bobistheoilguy.com for more oil/lubrication discussion than you can handle

 

T6 has 1200 PPM zinc according to their website. https://www.mymilesmatter.com/articles/ask-the-expert-1

 

Depends on use too. Daily driver, weekend warrier, or track queen is going to affect what you pick