Thread: TD5 Oil recommendations

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

I used to use nulon synthetic of the appropriate grade for the location in the engine

DEX III in the box and tcase

and

nulon 80/90 in the diffs.

Ewww, it's not chain drive

Originally Posted by catch-22

Engine - Mobil Delvac 1

As recommended from the sites best known oil man

Same, except I just use Mobil 1

Originally Posted by rick130

Ewww, it's not chain drive

no, its not, if it was Id have used 80/90, 85/140 or grease...

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

no, its not, if it was Id have used 80/90, 85/140 or grease...

Most all chain drive t/cases the world over spec ATF, although ours is running 75W-90

Go Mobil 1 0W40.... you won't regret...... it's a HUUUUGGGGGEEEE difference with Castrol Syn....... specially at morning with temps under 10 C

Originally Posted by rick130

Most all chain drive t/cases the world over spec ATF, although ours is running 75W-90

ahhhh, not a real chain drive then..... (brain fart, I've been working plant all this week.....)

I still use ATF in the lt230 for vehicles that predominantly do highway work.

Originally Posted by carlosbeldia

Go Mobil 1 0W40.... you won't regret...... it's a HUUUUGGGGGEEEE difference with Castrol Syn....... specially at morning with temps under 10 C

Hmm, depending on viscosity index I'd be surprised there's eff all difference between a 10W and 0W at 0*C.

Now at -30*C......

anyway most here know my preference, I'd plump for a full diesel spec oil, ie. API CI-4+, CJ-4, ACEA E4/6/7, just more robust than a dual spec API CF/ACEA A3/B3/4 rated oil, but that's just me

Originally Posted by carlosbeldia

Go Mobil 1 0W40.... you won't regret...... it's a HUUUUGGGGGEEEE difference with Castrol Syn....... specially at morning with temps under 10 C

Now here are some numbers for both M1 0W-40 and Edge 0W-40.

Edge 0W-40 kinematic viscosities
100*C = 13.5 cSt
40*C = 79.3 cSt
Viscosity Index = 150
calculated viscosity @ 0*C = 651 cSt

M1 0W-40 kinematic viscosities
100*C = 14 cSt
40*C = 78.3 cSt
Viscosity Index = 186
calculated viscosity @ 0*C = 590 cSt

Generally speaking, to get a higher viscosity index in any oil you use a thinner base oil and 'boost' it with polymeric thickeners known as 'viscosity index improvers'.
These VII's reduce the thinning of a thin base oil as it gets hotter, but, most (but not all) lead to shear in use, ie. they break done with time and abuse and the oil becomes thinner with age.
M1 0W-40 was known in the past to do this to a degree, more so than competitive 'premium' oils, in the end basically becoming a thick 0W-30.
Whether the new formulations do this I don't know, but it always was an excellent oil with probably more manufacturer approvals than any other syn oil on the market.

and just to add to the mix

Penrite SIN Diesel 5W-4
100*C = 14.2 cSt
40*C = 86 cSt
Viscosity index = 171
calculated viscosity at 0*C = 734 cSt
NOACK volatility 12.5% (the other two don't publish this number, but with M1's high viscosity index, at a guess it's NOACK # will be higher than this.
the NOACK # is important in terms of the amount of oil you consume, ie the amount that flashes off in the ring land area, etc. in other words how often you'll be topping your oil off

Penrite Diesel SP 10W-40 (old spec that I'm currently running)

100*c = 15.1 cSt
40*C = 100 cSt
Viscosity index = 159 (Penrite list 155)
calculated viscosity @ 0*C = 975 cSt
NOACK Volatility = 9.5%

This is an ultra high performance heavy duty diesel oil meeting ACEA E4/E6/E7 and API CJ-4 and not to be used in petrol engines.

It's recently been revised to these specs....

100*C = 14.3
40*C = 90
Viscosity Index = 165
calculated viscosity @ 0*C = 816 cSt


Not a lot in it, and if it was my TD5 I'd probably pick the SIN Diesel or Diesel SP (or Mobil Delvac 1 or Caltex Delo 400 or Castrol Enduron, etc ) as I've destroyed big ends in a Tdi from overloading yet never spun a bearing and I put that down to the premium HD diesel lubes I used, Delvac 1 and Diesel SP, but any of them will work well in a sensibly driven TD5 and give a long service life.

Choose whichever is easiest to find and you can get the best deal on.