It's real simple......your Ford truck doesn't share the same oil between the engine and transmission. This fact is precisely what everyone forgets!

It's not so much the engine that needs those additives (that a car oil can't contain), but the TRANSMISSION! Remember, unless you have a 450R (God bless Honda!), YOUR ENGINE AND TRANS SHARE THE SAME OIL! Those high pressure additives are meant to cushion the crush between those meshing gears. The oil can get squeezed out, and those additives are your last ditch insurance policy if that ever happens.

Actually, the cam is also another high pressure area, so it's a great thing to have those additives in your motorcycle engine as well. Believe me, if car manufacturers could get away with running SG oils, they darn well would spec them! But, they can't because of catalytic converters...........

 

I understand that most quads engines and trans share oil, but that doesn't mean it needs the additives unless maybe the clutch material requires them. I believe in the end, that the best oil to use is what the manufacture tells you. They do want it to last beyond any extended warranty that they may sell. As far as most auto manual trans, most use ATF, some use a synthetic, and I even seen 30w motor oil recommended. ATF is used mainly because of the sycro material, not the gears.

 

"but that doesn't mean it needs the additives unless maybe the clutch material requires them"......sounds like you are a little confused........

Those high pressure additives (we are NOT talking about moly here, ok) have absolutely nothing to do with the clutch, and everything to do with protecting meshing gears in the transmission.

As far as the clutch itself goes, you don't want slick stuff like moly in there because it might make the clutch slip. That is why JASO has the MA oil designation for engines that have integrated transmissions (and the MB designation for the engine only side of the 450R). I don't know about you, but I have never seen a bottle of Rotella that said "motorcycle specific API SG/JASO MA" on it! (The SG insures that it has a good add pack, and the MA insures that it is wet clutch compatible. It's pretty simple, if you just look for that in whatever oil you choose to purchase.)

So, what I am saying is the engine part of your quad motor (you should list what you ride!) may do fine with Rotella, but your transmission part isn't getting the best possible protection available.........

 

reconranger knows what he's saying.

You CANNOT use car oil in an ATV that shares the engine oil with the transmission. Car oils contain additives for fuel economy that will damage the wet clutch (yes, a rubicon has a wet clutch). Car oils also DO NOT contain additives to protect the viscosity of the oil from meshing gears (again, rubicon has some, not as many as a manual shift ute, but still has some) Car oils are designg to lubricate the engine only, Moving metal parts. ATV oils are designed for the engine moving parts, meshing gears, and clutch compatibility. In conclusion, car oil is far inferior to the proper atv oil.

you dont have to go and buy the most expensive atv oil out there. Honda's GN4 will work fine as well as the regular petroleum oils offered by the competition, just make sure it's API SG or higher and meets JASO MA certification, and the proper viscosity for your quad listed in the owners manual, it's that simple. If you can afford the synthetic oils, go for it, they offer many benefits over petroleum grade.

 

Interesting info here...

I run 30w oil in my Honda ATV, it is $.99 at Fleet Farm. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

In my cars, I run Amsoil 5w-30 and change my oil every 25,000 miles. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

I also have a buddy that drives a mid 90's Dodge mini-van with over 200,000 miles on it and he changes the oil ever 3k (with dyno oil) and add's 1 quart of ATF to the crankcase at that time. He swares by it [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]

 

What your friend is getting from the ATF, is lots of high pressure additives...........

 

i was wanting to start a thred on oil for a 400 rancher at.

but i figured i would just hyjack this one.

i have cases and cases and buckets literaly 100's of gallons of chevron delo 15/40. i have always used it in every engine and bike i have had. every car, truck ,lawnmower,dirt bike ,3 wheeler, 4 wheeler, gocart, moped,boat, gas or diesel engine , most hydrolic and mechanical marine transmissions twindisc, ZF, and borgwarner............ you name it i put it in it ,,,,,,you get the picture. except dietroit diesels they get strait 40. no muti for them.

i have never ever ever had any oil caused failure on any engine ever.besides busted hoses and stuff like that you just cant help. oil leak rusted out oil pan,bad oil pump,stuff like that aint the oils fault.

my car and truck engines go for a long time the car usualy falls apart around the engine. my last truck went for over 500,000 and is still going strong today. it still runs everyday atleast 50 miles a day.its a 1993 mazda b2600i.___ but anyway,,, sory about the rant... what i wanted to talk about was my rancher.

i have a 2006 rancher 400..one of the ones with the auto tranny and push buttons for shifting.i am sure there is some complicated stuff inside of there. i put delo 15/40 in it when i changed it
a have put another 100 miles on that oil and all seems well. no smoke out the tail pipe and no oil consuption. i wunder though if this oil is ok for the transmission. it is a heavy duty diesel engine oil, good for gas or diesel engines.i like rotela , ursala, premum blue valvoline. we just get the DELO cheap. there all good diesel oils.

anyone else using these heavyduty oils in there honda bikes with the funny transmissions?

anyone have some very bad news for me from using this oil?


i will post a link down here to the exact oil i use. chevron DELO 15/40

http://www.chevrondelo.com/en/delowo...asp#multigrade

 

Honda has been making motors for years. Good dependable motors. I use what they recommend. Don't be so cheap guys, you get what you pay for.

 

"Confused" HUUHH, no. I been an auto tech at Ford dealerships for the past 20 years. I a bumper to bumper tech and the only one that does tran work. Just got off the wire from Valvoline. The main difference in ATV and car oil is the additives for the "WET CLUTCH SYSTEM", not gears meshing. Next ATF has much more detergents in it than normal car oil. Last I am confuse about "SG" oil and catalytic convertors. Any oil, regardless of type, will meltdown the convertors, but if there is oil in your exhaust, you have other problems to deal with first.

 

Who did you talk to at Valvoline, probably not a engineer, huh. I am not aware of any "additives" anybody adds for the clutch.......it is rather what you LEAVE OUT that is improtant (slick stuff like moly). Whoever you talked to, is probably confusting the high pressure additives for the trans gears with something for the clutch.