I am going to be changing my oil in the 02 Rubicon for the first time

I was planning on puting in Mobil 10w40

But is there any other oil u guys here would recommend instead?

Thanks

 

i am glad i can contribute to your de-virginization of changing your oil on the rubicon. I should think that the mobil stuff is ok. To be even safer...go with the honda oil. If you can afford it...why not...also...I will let you know ahead of time that changing the oil on those things is a pain in my a$$. []oeace

 

I use Valvoline 10w40 ATV oil. I also replace the two aluminum drain plug gaskets, two filter o-rings, and use only Honda brand oil filters.

 

You can read my opinions here-- http://forums.atvconnection.com/mess...did/457258.cfm

After a lot of study on the subject, I am an real advocate of ESTER SYNTHETIC oils!

 

I know its going to be a big pain

But the really sad part is I just bought this Rubicon at the end of May and already have 520 miles on it

Me thinks me am going to be changing the oil alot

 

By "Mobil 10W40" do you mean synthetic MX4T??? If so, this is the most expensive oil out there. I think they are just trading on their name! Mobil 1 is a PAO synthetic which isn't all that expensive to produce, and there is no reason at all this stuff should cost $10 per quart.

If you don't mean Mobil 1, at least be sure you use a motorcycle specific oil that is API SG/JASO MA. Absolutely do not use any "energy conserving" car oils.

 

I'd use the Mobil 1 MX4T. Whats $10 anymore these days. I use it in my yamahas and Honda and never have had a problem.
What ever you do dont use regular car Mobil oil. It has friction Modifiers and you dont want that.

 

I have used mobil 1 motor oil in my four stroke Yamaha outboard, and my Honda atv for over
15 years now, still not one single problem with either motor. Brakes on the Honda for sure, but
not the engine.

 

I agree with reconranger to a point, but...

My opinion is to keep it simple and run the Honda oil, they don't recommend it only because they sell it. It only costs .25 cents/QT more than the valvoline at my dealer. Just change it regularly.

I would not recommend using just any ester based oil. For example - some synthetic esters contain additives that will severely swell normal viton seals to the point where they'll extrude from the groove. Does anyone but a Materials Engineer at Honda really know everything that's in that Hondamatic that may be damaged by what you put in there? I've seen synthetics do some unusual damage to some materials.

I may be wrong about possible damage, but I know I'm safe using the Honda stuff.

 

Honda synthetic blend HP4 without moly (as well as petroleum GN4) is one of the recommended oils in the owners manual. I know HP4 isn't in your 02 owners manual, but as of 05 it is included in all the Honda autoclutch bike manuals, including the Rubicon. The reason? Years ago HP4 had moly in it. There are now two HP4's, one without moly and HP4M with moly.

If you smell it, you will find that the "synthetic" in the HP4 blend is an ester synthetic (a PAO synthetic has no smell at all), and no doubt why it is relatively expensive. So, you are going to get a hefty dose of an ester synthetic if you run Honda's own oil! Doesn't sound like the engineers are predicting any problems with SWOLLEN SEALS. The problems with esters synthetics swelling seals is from the early days when esters first came out. (Did you know that POA synthetics like Mobil 1 and Amsoil have the opposite reputation??? They are supposd to SHRINK YOUR SEALS!) This is all stuff from the old days. Todays seal material is way different than it was in your grandpa's day. I have been running ester synthetic Maxima Extra in my autoclutch bikes and Ultra in my manual clutch bikes for quite a while now, with no problems.

I use to run Honda oils in everything. GN4 in the autoclutch bikes and HP4 in the manual clutch bikes. For some reason, Honda oils have quietly gone from being API SG to SJ. If you read this article (http://www.thumperfaq.com/oil.htm), you will see that SG is the last of the descent petroleum oils to be produced. That is what prompted me to go searching for other oils, and why I eventually settled on Maxima's synthetics.