I've heard of some who have had no problems using automobile oil in a wet clutch system. I have seen one that did and the clutch did indeed slip. Can I say it was the oil? Don't know, can't say.

Just another thing to add to the list of decisions you make when you choose an oil.

 

Some automobile oils have friction modifiers some dont, synthetic or not.

 

Again, you are not comprehending everything that is at stake here.....

I am talking about automotive oils with specific friction modifiers, that have been put in in recent years to reduce emissions and improve gas mileage. And no one mentioned anything about a 1986 Suzuki street bike, I have no idea what kind of clutch plates are used in those things.

The original post was about an LTZ450 Quad Racer. And I do not believe for one second that putting automotive oil (with PTFE friction modifiers) in that system would not cause clutch slippage. Why would they even bother making oil, specific for ATVs with clutches and purposely leave out the friction modifiers if there was no reason to? Why does every manufacturer and technician say to use non-auto oils if it does not matter?

 

I run regular 10-40 in my 400ex and I haven't had any problems at all but if anybody has a recommendation on what I should run in it I'd like to know and maybe I'll switch to some better stuff.

 

I don't think I'm the one that doesn't understand here. If you're going to say things like that before you actually know what they use in modern oils, you're running the risk of sounding foolish. Go do some research, key word 'moly'.

Molybdenum disulfide is a far cry from polytetrafluoroethene.

 

Bottomline, if you run the the car oil with friction modifiers in it, you are going to cause your clutch in that LT-R450 to fail prematurely. Is it going to slip the first few rides? Probably not. You might even get years of service from it before it dies if you don't abuse it. The manual clutch in a bike or atv will last LONGER using a wet clutch specific oil, be it synthetic or not. The last time I shopped for oil to use in my quad at Pep Boys, ALL the car oils had the friction modifiers. The only engine oils they carried that didn't have them were specifically for wet clutch/motorcycle type engines. Now replacing the clutch plates on these new 450s isn't a big deal, and auto oils are better for the engine itself. Thumper Talk has some good oil info on it, do a little research and figure out the better choice for yourself. Personally, my YFZ only sees motorcycle approved synthetics

 

Dude, you are playing semantics now and grasping at straws to sustain and argument that does not exist at this stage......

Go put some Castrol in an LTZ450 and let me know how it works out...... Lest you seemingly have not grasped that this was the original question....

 

Here ....READ and LEARN

 

The fact that you think that because you were so ignorant to think that PTFE is what is in engine oils, I'M the one that's grasping at straws is more than enough to tell me you're not interested in a rational discussion. I don't need to go read and learn anything else to know talking to you is a waste of time.

I hate it when a discussion breaks down into such meaningless jabber.

ILOVELAMP, whatever your name means, I hope in all this your questions have been answered.

 

You're kidding me right?

I admit I made a mistake with the PTFE, it was not the modifier element I was thinking of at the time ..... I

HOWEVER ..... PTFE is very popular in oil additives ......

Do you know what PTFE is? It is the base component in teflon, a very popular thing in oil additives.

It seems to be you who cannot grasp a rational discussion because you cannot admit that you still have not taken hold of the original topic of discussion..... all you have done is draw attention away from that fact by attacking minutia within my posts to mask that reality......