Motor Oils and Additives 4.6 V8
 

I used Rotella 15-40 and a quart of Lucas stabilizer about 3500 miles ago. This quieted the motor, stopped the little leaks and I was pretty happy with the combination and performance. I am a little disappointed in the longevity though. I know a lot of you use Shell Rotella and you can't beat the price; what are some other options comparable to this and better in quality?

I could also do something other than Lucas. Bardahls brand was suggested to me by somebody that seems to know Discoverys well. Oreillys has something on the shelf that is fortified with zinc and phosphates blah blah, I can't remeber verbatim but i do remember that it's a designer label for "flat tappet cams"

What will last well into 3K-4K miles?

Feel free to respond with whatever is tried and tested in your Disco V8s. I would really like to get plenty of feedback

I think the stabilizer is a bad idea. All that is is a viscosity modifier, it makes the oil thicker, and that 15w-40 is already a heavier weight than the engine was designed to use. You'll prematurely wear the oil pump with the stabilizer.

As for the Rotella, it will last 3-4k miles. It looks dark before that, but it's still doing its job just fine as long as you're using a quality filter (NOT Fram or K&N, I prefer Mobil 1). If you want something that will last 8-9k miles, look at Royal Purple 15w-40. You'll pay a pretty penny for it, but it will last and it will protect your engine.

I don't know about your opinion on the stabilizer. There is a guy here that has been rebuilding engines in Land Rovers for years and he claims that you need a stabilizer in these 03-04s as a preventative for pump failure. He specified Bardahls. After 3500K the oil is darker of course, but it's losing its viscosity. The engine isn't running as smooth. Like I was saying, that Rotella was good for a little over 3K, but leaks and noises slowly started coming back. I suppose I got my $20 worth, but I don't trust it going any farther forward!

I need to ask him what kind of oil he runs with that Bardahls but I understand where you are coming from, and I haven't owned one for very long. I have it in my mind now and I will remeber your point of view going forward. I would actually like to see if a lot of others believe the same.

I run Rotella as well as 1/2 bottle of the zinc additive at each oil change and have been for the past 5 years.

I don't see in your sig where you have had any type of mechanical failures. This is what I would call "tried and true."
Thanks for commenting.i like it.

How often do you find yourself changing the Rotella? Surely you aren't getting more than 4 grand out of it

Nothing oil related whatsoever. I work at O'Reilly and when I saw the zinc additive on the shelf, I knew I wanted to use it since Rotella dropped most of their zinc years ago. 144k on this engine, and just a slight external cylinder head weep. Eventually I will change the head gaskets, and oil pump, gears and chain too. I am anxious to see how everything looks behind the covers.

I have more free time than sense. Too many posts on this. Can I just delete, and how?

Yes that's good. I'm going to read about Zinc and get a grip on what there is to know about that. Why do people treat these motors like Diesel engines, exactly?