I'm new to this forum and I really enjoy it.....lots of good info.

What oil do you guys use? My dealer recommends synthetic but I'm not so sure he isn't just trying to sell me something "new" and more expensive.

I would like to hear some opinions.

Thanks

 

Synthetic won't give you more power, but it will give your engine more protection. Plus, it resists the effects of water many times better than regular oil if happen to ride in water and mud a lot.

 

Hi, I am using that new synthetic oil 0-40w. I had a shutter in 2ed gear going very slow (hunting) before using the synthetic oil.
It's been 2 month using synthetic oil, no more shutter and the engine runs real smooth.
Synthetic oil is the only way to go. It's worth the extra buck.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Not sure if the manufacturer or the dealer puts the oil in the crankcase but my guess is the manufacturer. It's synthetic and you should stay with it. Buy it at the local auto store and save yourself some bucks. Just make sure you get fully synthetic as oppossed to BLENDED. I think AC recommends 10W40 synthetic. Check your owners manual to be sure.
Chuck

 

Hi ecorman1,
The synthetic oil must be wet clutch approved, the synthetic oil you put in cars is not wet clutch approved and it will cause the clutch to slip.
Amsoil makes an atv oil 0-40w and so does Moble1 which are wet clutch approved, I do not know who make the synthetic oil for Arctic cat.?????????? I heard maybe <u>Castrol</u>, They Castrol make a synthetic oil for Bombardier atv's but they do not make one for their regular line of products, soon I hope.

 

In my manual it recommends regular old SAE 10w40. Minumum ratting of SJ or SF i think....

There are reasons you may want to run synthetic, but regular dino oil should be fine for most. It is what the manual recommends.

-jeff b.

 

AC sells the stuff so it must be safe/good for the machines or they wouldnt sell it. My next change will be the 0w40. I just changed the oil and the dealer didnt have any left, said they sell it fast. So this one was the 10w40 stuff.

 

When one refers to wet clutch approved, what really should be said is does the oil in question contain "Friction Modifiers" if it does it is not for use with a wet clutch. 5W30 and 10W30 usually contain friction modifiers, this can be found out by reading the label, if it says "Energy Conserving" it has friction modifiers don't use it. To be really certain, call the manufacturer. The oil that I believe that AC use is Shell Lubricants. Shell make OW40 Rotella "T" for diesel engine service, and this is what I think they are using. I have talked on the phone for more hours than I care to admit about the subject of oil with Mobil, Castrol and Shell. I have also done a fair bit of reading on the subject. One thing I can tell you that is for certain, oil is improving by leaps and bounds due to chemical engineering [synthetic]. When doing research on oil make sure you are not reading an article that says something like don't use a multi-grade as its not as good a strait weight oil due to the addtion of polymers to the oil. These statements were once some what true but todays synthetics don'y have these issues. The most important property of oil, is its ability to flow quickly to moving parts on a ccold start up. 0W40 is awesome in this regard. Most engine wear takes place during start up not during driving, in fact some people will tell you that if you could let it continue running and never shut it down it will last longer. Diesel truck engines as an example rarely get shut off in fleet service and will usually go for about a million miles before a rebuild if well maintained.

Cheers jim

 

The new A/C synthetic 0w 40 oil is safe for the wet clutches(obviously) and also extends your oil changes out to 1000 miles instead of only 300 according to Cat. I would think it would be worth the extra money since you'll go through less filters and oil.

 

I'm not going to look for an answer in the book JBK. Your response is good enough for me. But I think when you talk about "Wet Clutch" and lubricants, you have to know a little bit about transmissions too. So, while I'm sure synthetics are improving the mechanics of the internal combution engine & transmission, I'm also as sure that we should pay close attention to the package, that it states the product is manufactured to SAE Standards. I didn't see the spec on changing the oil at something more than 300 miles. But I do change oil in the AC about every 300 to 500 miles. I think it's best if you decide when to change the oil. Maybe you only use your machine to go from the house to the polebarn and back. Plow snow during the winter or ride around the backyard on the weekend. Changing the oil every 500 to 1,000 miles might be appropriate. The rest of you guys that do farming, trail maintenance, park maintenance, year 'round riding, etc., should at least consider changing oil every 300 to 500 miles even if you use the synthetics (IMO). Somebody here is going to tell me that, "as far as the drivetrain is concerned, short drives to the polebarn is worse than all day, 60 mile drives, on the trail." You're right! Why waste the money?
Chuck