Mobil1 0w40?

[DimitriT]

I finally got around to changing the oil and decided to try synthetic. I went for a short ride and I noticed a big difference.. smoother, more precise, shifting and even what felt like a little boost in power. I was running Pennzoil 10w40 before. Has anyone run with this flavor of Mobil1? What are your long term impressions?

[Roadwarrior]

I've been using "red cap" automotive mobile 1 20W50 in all my bikes for several years now. I found the bike shifted much better then with 10W40 non synthetic motorcycle oil when the motor was hot. Just this last oil change I tried mobile 1 10W40 motorcycle synthetic oil. It seems to shift just as well, but my clutch now feel a bit less slippy. I figured the 20W50 was a little thick for the cold. I am going to stick with the 10W40 mobil 1 motorcycle oil for now, for the little more it costs, I think its worth it.

I never tried 0W40. Seems to thin to be running in an air cooled bike, but that's just my opinion. Make sure it doesn't say "Energy Conserving" in the little circle on the back of the bottle (I'm pretty sure 0W40 automotive is Energy Conserving) because energy conserving oils are bad for wet clutches.

[DimitriT]

It doesn't say Energy Conserving. It says SuperSyn Fully Synthetic Suitable for API SM,SL/CF.

[Boondocks]

Mobil 1 automotive grade 10W-40 has been discontinued and was replaced by 0W-40. Looking at the published specs and the evaluation in "The Motor Oil Bible", the Mobil 1 0W-40 oil is very high quality.

Mobil 1 MX4T 10W-40 motorcycle oil is still being made.

I am using Shell Rotella T 5W-40 synthetic oil in my bike. It's about $14 per gallon at Walmart.

[Joe Nardy]

I am using Shell Rotella T 5W-40 synthetic oil in my bike. It's about $14 per gallon at Walmart.

Ditto on the Shell Rotella 5W-40 synthetic. It is a very highly rated oil at a good price. I use it in all my motor vehicles.

Joe

[hungryman]

Ditto on the Shell Rotella 5W-40 synthetic. It is a very highly rated oil at a good price. I use it in all my motor vehicles.

Joe

Is that specially formulated for diesels? I use Rotella, 3.5 gallons in my 7.3.

[Boondocks]

Is that specially formulated for diesels? I use Rotella, 3.5 gallons in my 7.3.

Yes, it is certified for all of the most stringent diesel requirements and contains the heavy duty additives which allow the oil to be used for extended periods without degrading. It also is certified for automotive use and rated for API service SL, SJ, SH. It has become popular with motorcyclists wanting a high quality synthetic oil at a more reasonable price.

[focus frenzy]

contains the heavy duty additives which allow the oil to be used for extended periods without degrading.

we use mobil oils exclusivly at work (Penske truck leasing)
we put mobil delo 15w-40 (organic)in tractors, and the change interval is 30,000 miles or 90 days, the team Penske haulers run mobil 1 5w-40 syn same intervals.

we use the mobil 1 in the engines on refrigerated trailers and the change interval is 4000 hours :shock: or 720 days (yep two years!):shock: :shock:
we do oil testing every 90 days on the trailers and failed test are very rare.
tough stuff!!

to put it in perspective, if you drove non stop at 50 mph for 4000 hrs you would cover 200,000 miles!!!

[Stephen]

Syn Oil in older Bikes

I assume that once you put syn oil in an older bike (821100GK) that you must continue to use syn oil after that, you can not go back to regular oil. Am I correct on this point?

[Billy Ricks]

I assume that once you put syn oil in an older bike (821100GK) that you must continue to use syn oil after that, you can not go back to regular oil. Am I correct on this point?

You can go back and forth anytime you want to.

[shortlid]

5W-40 Syn. Fleet oil

I used the 5W-40 Full Syn. Fleet oil in my 300 hp SAAB 9000 Aero, turbo. Liked it a lot, but was not sure if it would mess with my wet clutch. You guys have not seen that as a issue?? Also my '80 GS850G with 37k on the clock has a SLIGHT oil burn at high rpm under load. I heard that if you burn ANY oil you don't want syn. in there casue it leaves deposits more than dino juice??

[Cassius086]

I have used Mobil 1 (15w50, 5w40)and Castrol Syntech (10/40, 5w50)in my bike, with no slippage issues until the bike hit about 55/60K on the odo. with the original clutch. When I replaced the clutch pack, the springs were simply worn out; I think it had more to do with weak springs than the synthetic oil. New clutch pack and springs solved the slippage....

[duaneage]

I went to 0W40 Mobile 1 last year and like it alot. Cold shifting is better and oils burn is nil. You can run that stuff for 5000 miles easily, 7500 if on the highway.

[Billy Ricks]

I used the 5W-40 Full Syn. Fleet oil in my 300 hp SAAB 9000 Aero, turbo. Liked it a lot, but was not sure if it would mess with my wet clutch. You guys have not seen that as a issue?? Also my '80 GS850G with 37k on the clock has a SLIGHT oil burn at high rpm under load. I heard that if you burn ANY oil you don't want syn. in there casue it leaves deposits more than dino juice??

My clutch is slipping and has for quite a few years. I've just been too lazy to do anything about it. I even have a new basket waiting for the day I finally do the Cosworths, cams, etc. The clutch started slipping right after I installed RS flatslides. At the same time I did an oil change using full synth and attributed the slippage to that when in reality it was just too many miles on the clutch and the extra power and acceleration associated with the flatslides.

[Boondocks]

I used the 5W-40 Full Syn. Fleet oil in my 300 hp SAAB 9000 Aero, turbo. Liked it a lot, but was not sure if it would mess with my wet clutch. You guys have not seen that as a issue?? Also my '80 GS850G with 37k on the clock has a SLIGHT oil burn at high rpm under load. I heard that if you burn ANY oil you don't want syn. in there casue it leaves deposits more than dino juice??

There is no issue with synthetic oil and wet clutches as long as the oil is not marked "Energy Conserving". This mark is usually only found on 30W and lower viscosities which may contain a molybdenum compound as a friction modifier. Theoretically at least, the molybdenum may contribute to wet clutch slippagae. This is mostly a bogus issue, as motorcycle oil viscosity recommendations are usually 10W-40 or 20W-50, neither of which is "Energy Conserving". It makes no difference whether you use latest API grade automotive or expensive older formulation "motorcycle" oil in this range, neither will cause clutch slippage.

Most current "synthetic" motor oil is made from petroleum base stocks, but chemically altered and refined with advanced technology to such a degree that its characteristics are much the same as synthetic oil not made with petroleum. There are just a few companies making non-petroleum synthetics, which is more expensive to produce. It has been legally adjudged that the "synthetic" term is mostly about marketing, and that it can be used by products derived from petroleum that meet the same standards.

Since most "synthetic" is petroleum based, why is it better than common grades of oil? Common grades contain a residual amount of paraffin wax which would be traditionally very expensive to remove. This wax is the reason why the oil thickens excessively at low temperature. Synthetics don't have the wax, and can start with a higher viscosity since they will still flow freely at low temperatures. Synthetics behave more naturally as multigrade oils without the need for additives such as pour point depressants and polymer viscosity improvers used in common oil grades.

Since synthetics have higher base stock viscosity to begin with, they have higher flash point and burn point temperatures. This generally means that the synthetics are less volatile, and less oil will vaporize or burn off at high operating temperatures. Since they contain more lubricant and less additives like polymers that don't lubricate, they are more efficient at reducing friction. This can reduce the operating temperature of an air cooled engine by as much as 20-30 degrees.

If your engine is burning oil, a synthetic won't leave any more deposits than a lower grade, per se. It depends on the additives. Some synthetics and heavy-duty lower grades have a higher ash content to prevent the oil from becoming acidic. If the oil is continuosly burned, the ash could leave some deposits. In an engine which is in good condition, this is not a consideration. I would try the synthetic and see how it works for you. You might find that it reduces oil consumption.

If you still have concerns about burning oil, you might try using a 20W-50 grade (synthetic or not) in warmer weather. The higher viscosity may lower mileage and increase friction slightly, but it should reduce the burning.