[Vwdiesel] Re: Rotella Synthetic oil, my opinions.

[Lee Hillsgrove]

  My take on the whole oil thing:


 I have an '85 Jetta 1.6 NA, a '78 Ford 550 backhoe with a 200 cubic inch
NA, and a '98 Jetta TDI. The '85 and the Ford get regular Shell Rotella or
Delvac 1300, both 15W40 dino-based oils. I consider them relatively
low-stress applications and change the oil and filter at 5K in the car and
seasonally in the Ford, since they produce plenty of soot. The TDI, however,
is another story. The turbocharger, with it's heat loading of the oil and
the possibility of coking in the bearings and lines, is the reason I chose
to run Delvac 1 in it, with drain intervals of 10K. I feel better running
the best stuff I can easily get my hands on for a reasonable price. Delvac 1
goes for $20 a gallon at a distributor near me, and I consider it cheap
insurance compared with the 5W40 Rotella. The reason the Rotella is so cheap
is that it is comprised of a group III oil, where the Delvac is a group IV
oil. Big difference.

 Oil analysis will show that running 10K drain intervals is no problem in
the TDI, IF proper synthetic oil is used. Enough people on Fred's forum with
cars like mine have had their oil checked at 10K with no problems that I
have confidence in running the same intervals. Hey, even the owner's manual
says it's OK. Draining it earlier won't hurt, but it's really not necessary.

 The TDI is more picky in what you run in it for oil, without a doubt. There
is the issue of EGR and the problems that it causes the oil, as well as the
problem of blowby mixing with the soot from the EGR and clogging the intake.
The use of an oil with low volatility will help decrease the amount of oil
finding it's way into the intake, a good thing. It tends to pool in the
intercooler and thus opens the possibility of the engine ingesting a slug of
liquid oil, not a good thing. Delvac 1 is up to the task in such an
application.

 The oil's good qualities, and the severe service that a 1.6 or 1.9 TD
pushing a Vanagon along would see, would lead me to use Delvac 1 exclusively
were I to own one, as well. I would also do oil analysis at increasing 5K
intervals to see how the oil was handling the soot loading until I found the
point where the oil was approaching a state of diminished capability, and
use that info to know when to change it before it got used up. But, that's
me.

 That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. I've formed these views from my
research of the different oils available, and my own unique circumstances.
Your mileage may vary, and probably will. I'm not out to convert anyone, I
know better than that.

  Lee
  Oo-v-oO
  PP-ASEL
  KB1GNI