Rotella Trials

[JHarris1385]

Just made the switch. I am burning even more oil than before. Ridiculous amounts now.

Been reading a lot on the planet and other forums about using Rotella and decided it was time today. Gallon T6 and a quart of Mystery Oil.

[tom4bren]

Looking forward to reading of your feedback on this. It's the next thing to try out on the Amigo before copying over to the VXs.

Thanks for standing up to do the beta test for us.

[ABDragonVX]

I've ran it for the last 20,000 miles I top up once between oil changes and spend a lot of time on highways.

[ABDragonVX]

I'm not sure if I'm on the t6 I'll check which one when I get home.

[tom4bren]

I've ran it for the last 20,000 miles I top up once between oil changes and spend a lot of time on highways.

Did you start using Rotella because of oil consumption?

[VXobsession]

I use Rotella full synthetic and it uses less oil than in the past for sure.

[vt_maverick]

So save me a read and tell me what makes Rotella special vs. other synthetics?

[tom4bren]

Detergents.

It's what the big rigs use that put upwards of 5 mil mi on them.

[vt_maverick]

I'm going to assume that means big $$$$ too?

[Mile High VX]

I'm going to assume that means big $$$$ too?

$27.99 for a gallon and then an additional $6.79 for the last quart. About $10 more than Mobil 1.

[Marlin]

I ran rotella in my F250, 5 gallons each oil change. Costs me couple hundred bucks to change oil, filter and small fuel filter every oil change. Cool thing, the harder you work the diesel, the less often you need to change oil. Working the old girl keeps the soot from building up. I may switch to rotella on my next VX oil change, in like 8 months! only put a few hundred miles a month on the VX:)

[JHarris1385]

T6 which is the synthetic was $20 for me and should be near that price at WalMarts... I got mine at Advanced Auto. This was for the gallon jug.

Over time, and not in the first couple or few oil changes, you should notice improved consumption. The detergents should clean the drain holes over time. Most, if not all trial reports that were neutral were because they expected a miracle in the first change. I know to give it time. It makes sense, the lubrication is there, just now with more detergents and that can only help our feeding issues. Or should....

My increased oil consumption is due to my commute. I'm driving 20miles one way a day and 12miles of it is a 75mph zone. From my reads, increased speed tends to burn more oil.

[Gussie2000]

I use rotella for a entore year before trading the VX and is a excelent oil.

Just do a google's customer review search over the oil

[nfpgasmask]

I've been running the Rotella T6 for a while now. IMO, it burns just as much oil. I wouldn't say more than before, but definitely about the same.

Bart

[tom4bren]

I've been running the Rotella T6 for a while now. IMO, it burns just as much oil. I wouldn't say more than before, but definitely about the same.

Bart

Dang. There you go pissing on my charcoal again ... & I had such high hopes for the magic elixer.

[JHarris1385]

Maybe, just maybe, the secret equation is 1 gallon T6 and 1 Quart Mystery Marvel

[JAMAS]

Maybe, just maybe, the secret equation is 1 gallon T6 and 1 Quart Mystery Marvel

Or its just the 1 quart marvel mystery oil.

[vt_maverick]

So how is Marvel different from Seafoam? I seem to remember a recommendation from someone (or maybe it's even on the Seamfoam package) to only add the detergent in the last X many miles before an oil change. Agree that you're cleaning the gunk if you put it in at the oil change, but where is that gunk going over the 3-5K miles between changes? Is it just clogging your oil filter that much faster?

[JHarris1385]

Im changing the next couple at 1.5k.

[ABDragonVX]

Did you start using Rotella because of oil consumption?

I didn't start because of extreme oil consumption but I had to check at every gas up. My friend has a rodeo and he recommended it. After the switch I definitely burn less. Another little trick I've started doing is about 100miles before an oil change I dump seafoam in and let it do it's thing.

[ABDragonVX]

So how is Marvel different from Seafoam? I seem to remember a recommendation from someone (or maybe it's even on the Seamfoam package) to only add the detergent in the last X many miles before an oil change. Agree that you're cleaning the gunk if you put it in at the oil change, but where is that gunk going over the 3-5K miles between changes? Is it just clogging your oil filter that much faster?

If I recall you add the seafoam before an oil change because it slowly deteriorates your oils ability to lubricate parts. It helps lossen up deposits that would otherwise not move between your 3-5k mile oil change.

[blacksambo]

We use Marvel and Mobil1 continuously to curb oil use. Please make sure your EGR system is clean, also. It affects oil use if plugged.

[BigSwede]

Seafoam is basically a solvent...you don't want to run it very long with that in there.

[Y33TREKker]

So how is Marvel different from Seafoam? I seem to remember a recommendation from someone (or maybe it's even on the Seamfoam package) to only add the detergent in the last X many miles before an oil change. Agree that you're cleaning the gunk if you put it in at the oil change, but where is that gunk going over the 3-5K miles between changes? Is it just clogging your oil filter that much faster?
I've read the same thing about using fuel system cleaners like the stuff from Chevron with Techron. You run something like that in the last tankful of gas before oil change time for the exact reason you stated.

[JAMAS]

I've read the same thing about using fuel system cleaners like the stuff from Chevron with Techron. You run something like that in the last tankful of gas before oil change time for the exact reason you stated.

....am I crazy...or just missing somthing. What does it matter if you add the fuel additive before or after an oil change? They dont mix.

[evillecutter]

im willing to try anything - quarts of marvel, cans of seafoam, nothing works on mine so far - and ive stuck with them for months

id say i use a gallon inbetween oil changes - disgusting.

[JAMAS]

im willing to try anything - quarts of marvel, cans of seafoam, nothing works on mine so far - and ive stuck with them for months

id say i use a gallon inbetween oil changes - disgusting.

Just out of curiosity, have you cleaned the EGR or replaced the pcv

[evillecutter]

Just out of curiosity, have you cleaned the EGR or replaced the pcv

i clean my pcv with carb cleaner every week or so - never took the egr off to look at it closely - how would i know if it was messed up and how might one go about cleaning that sucker?

[Y33TREKker]

....am I crazy...or just missing somthing. What does it matter if you add the fuel additive before or after an oil change? They dont mix.
Because particles from deposits that get broken up or dissolved in your intake passages when using a fuel system cleaner can end up in your crankcase via blowby since that mixture ends up in the combustion chamber/engine cylinder.

You can obviously add a fuel additive whenever you want, it just makes more sense to do so in your last tank full of gas before an oil change so that any deposits that get broken up get later removed when the oil filter is changed, and better to remove those deposits at that time rather than leave them in the filter to contaminate new oil.

[Y33TREKker]

im willing to try anything - quarts of marvel, cans of seafoam, nothing works on mine so far - and ive stuck with them for months

id say i use a gallon inbetween oil changes - disgusting.
Almost sounds like it'd be worth trying a method similar to an overnight soak in a parts bath. If Seafoam is basically kerosene, I wonder what would happen if a person drained the oil, removed all the spark plugs, and just filled the cylinders with kerosene to give the rings a chance to actually soak rather than just be subjected to a mixture of oil and Seafoam?

Or to take that even a step further, I have no idea how much kerosene would be necessary to achieve a fill level from the oil pan up high enough that all the rings in all the cylinders would actually be able to soak, or if that would even be enough since some parts still need to be scrubbed after an overnight soak, but if you're using a gallon of oil between changes, could it really make things any worse?

I'd add a disclaimer though that I've never looked at a VX motor straight on to even eyeball how high a piston at TDC in a cylinder would be in relation to the rest of the motor, to get an idea where that high a level of kerosene would take kerosene in the rest of the motor when the fluid leveled out, so that kind of soak might take kerosene to parts of an engine where it shouldn't be.

[evillecutter]

just for giggles i got a new egr and pcv valve - no change - whats weird is that it doesnt really smoke... - im assuming that the rings are burnt but i would think i would get a lot of smoke from this

[nfpgasmask]

just for giggles i got a new egr and pcv valve - no change - whats weird is that it doesnt really smoke... - im assuming that the rings are burnt but i would think i would get a lot of smoke from this

I don't get smoke from mine either, but I get a lot of black soot from the tail pipe. Every time I start my VX is belches out a bunch of soot onto the ground behind the tailpipe.

Bart

[evillecutter]

I don't get smoke from mine either, but I get a lot of black soot from the tail pipe. Every time I start my VX is belches out a bunch of soot onto the ground behind the tailpipe.

Bart

we are in the same boat gasmask - i guess as long as i dont look like uncle buck driving down the road its not that bad - just costs me a lot in oil

[vt_maverick]

+2 on the soot fart. :)

[Mile High VX]

I get the same. In fact where I back out of the garage I have rocks along the edge of the driveway. The area directly behind where I back out is noticeably darker that the other areas of rock...:(

[Scott Larson]

Yous guyz really oughtta try the Marvel Mystery Oil soak! When your VX has some down-time, (couple-o-days) remove the spark plugs and pour a couple of ounces of MMO down each cylinder and rotate the crank a few times and then let it soak for a few days. Replace your plugs and fire it up and let 'er smoke! Replace your plugs with a fresh set and see if that clears your plugged oil return holes. It absolutely frees sticky rings so I can't see how it wouldn't help unplug those pesky oil return holes...:_confused

[eternal21]

Yous guyz really oughtta try the Marvel Mystery Oil soak! When your VX has some down-time, (couple-o-days) remove the spark plugs and pour a couple of ounces of MMO down each cylinder and rotate the crank a few times and then let it soak for a few days. Replace your plugs and fire it up and let 'er smoke! Replace your plugs with a fresh set and see if that clears your plugged oil return holes. It absolutely frees sticky rings so I can't see how it wouldn't help unplug those pesky oil return holes...:_confused


Doing this over the next couple days. Just put the MMO in a few minutes ago, and the truck'll be sitting for 72 hrs. We'll see what happens. Currently going through about a quart every 3K miles.

[JAMAS]

Doing this over the next couple days. Just put the MMO in a few minutes ago, and the truck'll be sitting for 72 hrs. We'll see what happens. Currently going through about a quart every 3K miles.

Keep us posted.

[JHarris1385]

Yeah let me know.

[eternal21]

Yeah let me know.


Keep us posted.

Roger, however, reading this thread http://vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?p=264550 I doubt it will work. Reason being, the MMO is supposed to help loosen baked/dried up oil in those 2 oil passages/holes in the bottom ringland.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Isuzu_Piston_Drill_Points.jpg

When I pulled my spark plugs, there was no oil on them which means there's no blow by (i.e., no oil is getting past the rings). Given that, I'm doubting the MMO will make it past the rings to the oil holes. The MMO needs to be applied *under* the rings, not on top.

I went the Rotella route, and burned 1 qt during the oil change window. Then I noticed that it's 5W-40. From now on I'm going to run:
a) 50% Rotella 5W-40 w/
b) 50% Mobil/Royal Purple 5W-20

This way I can
a) get a detergent in there on a consistent basis and
b) make sure it shears down to a 30W when it is up to temp. I'm afraid that 40W is making the engine work that much harder.

For oil top offs between oil changes, I'm going to use MMO. Hopefully, with the Rotella/MMO mixture, at some point this thing'll stop burning oil w/out me having to rebuild it w/the newer-style, 4 oil passage pistons.

[eternal21]

Well, this is done. I let it soak until yesterday afternoon, for a total of 108hrs. I also changed the fuel filter and oil w/the new mix outlined in my post above, but with a slight mod:

-2 qts Rotella 5W-40 synthetic
-2 qts Mobil 1 0W-20 synthetic
-1 qt MMO

Initially when cranking the engine manually and looking through the spark plug holes, I could see the level of MMO go up or down as the stroke of the pistons would rise and fall. When I did it yesterday, I didn't see the level rise @ any time, which would mean that it was in fact making it past the rings.

I put the old plugs in and it smoked for about 30 mins and didn't seem like it was going to let up, so I waited until LATE last night to drive it on some open road to clear it out. It was smoking so much, it was like a dense fog that wouldn't lift. Literally like a smoke screen. After about 20 miles, it was all done. I got up this morning and changed the spark plugs before work (got it down to 30 mins now) and it rides appreciably smoother. That could be a combination of the new plugs and oil change, though.

It'll be interesting to see if the maintenance will cause the gas mileage to increase. I'm looking forward to seeing if the oil consumption decreases over the next 3k miles.

[vt_maverick]

FWIW I use Pennzoil Ultra class synthetic because of its detergents. Price is about $25 per 5 qt jug at Wal-Mart, so less than Seafoam but maybe on par with Rotella. They appear to be more than just marketing smoke; from their website and the bottle itself:


Pennzoil Ultra™ 0W-40 is the only motor oil trusted to be factory fill in every Chrysler® SRT8® HEMI® engine, and the new 2013 SRT® Viper®. And it's the exact same oil that Team Penske uses right-out-of-the-bottle in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

[Pennzoil Ultra Euro is] the only motor oil exclusively recommended by Ferrari North America.

[RodL]

Isn't it kind of dangerous putting liquid into cylinders? I don't know how much clearance there is between the top of the piston and the cylinder head, but if you have too much incompressible liquid, something has to give.

I have been running non synthetic Rotella in all my vehicles for over 10 years now. Honda Goldwing, Volvo VNL 770 with the Volvo 465 D12, my 1999 VX and my 2013 Yamaha FJR 1300. The VX might use a quart in 3000 miles.

Rod

[PK]

It is dangerous if you put too much in and crank it over with the spark plugs installed.

Couple of squirts in each cylinder, wait and then first crank over with the spark plugs still out, and you are fine.

PK

[eternal21]

It is dangerous if you put too much in and crank it over with the spark plugs installed.

Couple of squirts in each cylinder, wait and then first crank over with the spark plugs still out, and you are fine.

PK

+1. I stuck shop towels over the holes for a few cranks to get out anything that might still be sitting. Afterwards, I stuck the old plugs back to smoke everything out.

[GAMEON]

So its been more than 6 months since the last post. Where is everyone at now with their oil consumption after making a change to Rotella? Or after the MMO trick?

I'm just curious as I seem to have to add anywhere from a 1/4 to 1/2 a qt everyday. I drive highway to/from work for a round drop of 50 miles and the speeds are average around 65-70, I do my best to keep the rpms under 2500, but sometimes you have to pass people lol. It's rather annoying as everyone knows. I love the VX, but I'm getting to the point of do I put $20 in the gas tank or $10 in the tank and $10 in oil? lol.

[circmand]

Haven't done the Rotella but I do use Lucas motor treatment it is thicker and slows usage. However I am more around a quart every 1000 miles you definatley have an issue above and beyond the heavy oil use.

[tom4bren]

You can also try to replace your PCV with an oil catch can. Opinions are varied on it's effectiveness but I've been running one on the Amigo for a year now and seem to burn less oil.

[GAMEON]

It's weird. When I first bought mine i only had to add about a 1/4 every fill up so... 250 miles. I've owned it for a just a little over a year and has progressively gotten worse. To the point of I almost want to get rid of it. randomly though it won't use any. Such as I checked it monday and had to add a 1/2qt. Then it went down about a 1/4 from the full like on the dip stick (didn't add any oil) and it stayed there the next two days, then thursday I had to add a 1/3 of a qt and then 1/4qt this morning. My driving distance or style didn't change at all though. I'd love to take a road trip in it, but scared to lol. Now if I could put in an oil level sensor in the pan and then a fill tube in the glove box so I can fill it while driving... I'd be okay lol.

[circmand]

It's weird. When I first bought mine i only had to add about a 1/4 every fill up so... 250 miles. I've owned it for a just a little over a year and has progressively gotten worse. To the point of I almost want to get rid of it. randomly though it won't use any. Such as I checked it monday and had to add a 1/2qt. Then it went down about a 1/4 from the full like on the dip stick (didn't add any oil) and it stayed there the next two days, then thursday I had to add a 1/3 of a qt and then 1/4qt this morning. My driving distance or style didn't change at all though. I'd love to take a road trip in it, but scared to lol. Now if I could put in an oil level sensor in the pan and then a fill tube in the glove box so I can fill it while driving... I'd be okay lol.

Find and fix the leak this is way more than the typical oil burning.

[GAMEON]

There is no leak. I have checked under the vehicle, valve covers, oil pan and everywhere else for any signs of leakage. there is none.

[circmand]

There is no leak. I have checked under the vehicle, valve covers, oil pan and everywhere else for any signs of leakage. there is none.


But there are places it could leak that you can't see. A pressure test is the only way to be sure. That oil has to be going some where I do not think it could even burn off that quick. But hey just giving my opinion.

[GAMEON]

It's not in the coolant. I would think by now that if it's hiding somewhere in the engine it would be leaking out somewhere by now or there would be a hole in my block lol. The undercarriage is clean from any and all oils also. I just purchased some products from BG Products to put in the oil. Gonna try it next week and see what happens.

[ipd]

Just saw this thread. I'll chime in that I swear by Rotella-T full synthetic. I use it on my Mitsubishi GTO & I'll be using it on my Vehicross. If you have oil burning problems that seem to get WORSE with Rotella, that's probably because your engine needs major work. Rotella has SUBSTANTIALLY more cleaning agents than conventional "gasoline engine" oil--because of federal regulations that limit the detergents in "gasoline engine" oil. In reality, a 10w30 is a 10w30 regardless of what engine it goes in. Those higher amounts of detergents in Rotella-T full synthetic are going to clean out a lot more gunk between changes than other non-diesel oils.

Part of the problem is that on older engines, there is already more gunk inside the engine, and the detergents may be entirely used up in the first 1,000 miles of an oil change interval--meaning that for the remainder of the time, you're just adding MORE gunk back into the engine. This is even worse when you use conventional oil instead of FULL synthetic...because full synthetic is much more homogenous & much less prone to sheering forces, etc (and complex engine physics that would probably bore you to tears). I change my oil usually every 3-5,000 miles with Rotella-T and I never seem to have any problems as a result. Same reason why I completely flush my transmission fluid every 15,000 miles--also with full synthetic. (My trans fluid looks nearly new when it's being purged).

Not even the best oil filter in the world will save you from the negative effects of using a crappy motor oil.

/ my $.02