Good point on the cold starts - I've noticed that cold starts are a little easier with the T5...

 

I have Rotella Dino 15/40 in several gas and diesel vehicles.

Rotella turns black almost instantly in a diesel engine, especially an older one. In a gas engine it turns darker slower but still turns dark and at regular intervals will usually look like very dark honey.

I have a few rover engines and the ones that had just standard motor oil (parts rovers) are sludged badly. I put Rotella in them and next head gasket or major work they are clean, with no sludge, but stained like tobacco teeth. The stain comes off easily. If you switch to Rotella you want to shorten the filter change interval for the first couple of changes because you will see very dark oil and a super heavy filter.

I prefer the stains over the sludge.

 

FWIW - if you are an amazon-er, which I am, they have a subscribe and save special on rotella T6 right now. Yes, the full syn sticky icky good stuff.

I get 1 gallon a month delivered to my door for $18.35. I use them for a lot of other household consumables, but that is by far the best deal I have ever found. You get a 15% discount after a few subscriptions.

I run it in my rover, my diesels, and even my race-built Ducati. They all love it.

 

I'm about to do an oil change and I have been using Rotella T 15-40 Tripple Protection for about 3 oil changes and 6k miles. My vehicle is only used for going on wheeling trips. So does this mean I need to add a zinc additive to this oil now? I even wonder if I'm using the correct Rotella as I only hear talks about T4-T6 but never the one I use. Thanks guys.

 

Most everyone uses the Rotella T 15-40 Triple protection. The synthetic guys are the outliers. You are using the correct version for old school flat tappet push rod application.

The jury is still out about whether the new formula of 15-40 dino still has the same amount of zinc. I wouldn't add more zinc unless it is found that the new version does not have any. I suspect it will be found to be about the same.

 

I'd be careful about adding zinc additive. I looked at the back of a bottle of the stuff at O'Reilly and it said specifically not to use it in modern vehicles made after a certain year, something about damaging the catalytic converters. I could be wrong though.

 

Good thing our engines are from the 1960s! Yes, excessive zinc is not good for the cats. Personally I will take a blown cat over a blown engine.

Though I agree on not adding zinc additive - at least until we find out whats in the new shell T4. Like Dave said, I have a feeling it will be roughly the same and we can all carry on happily with the new Shell T4/T5/T6.

 

Any updates on the analysis of the new T4 formula? Im about ready to do another 3k oil change. Ive been eyeballing the T6 5w-40 but thinking Ill continue using T4.

 

I'm still waiting also. I've been checking bob is the oil guy but haven't seen anything. I think I'm gonna use so standard Dino t4 to clean everything out and then go with the Lucas until I see some results on the t4

 

Dang, no news here eh? I checked Bobistheoilguy... no dice on a VOA yet.

Getting reaaal close to booting this engine up for the first time since May!