Shell Rotella T is a line of heavy duty engine lubrication products produced by Shell Oil Company. The line includes engine oils, gear oils and coolants. The oil carries both the American Petroleum Institute (API) diesel "C" rating as well as the API gasoline engine "S" rating. Ratings differ based on the oil.
Product lineup
The Rotella product family is categorized by Shell into the following product families:
- Engine oils
- Coolants
- Tractor fluid (a universal transmission, gear, hydraulic, and wet brake fluid)
- Gear oil
In the engine oil family, there are four basic oil sub-families:
- Multigrade conventional oil -- in SAE 10W-30 and 15W-40 viscosity ranges
- Multigrade synthetic oil -- in SAE 5W-40
- Single grade conventional oil -- in SAE 20, 30, 40 and 50
- Synthetic blend oil
Both the multigrade conventional oil (10W-30 and 15W-40) and the synthetic SAE 5W-40 meet the newest API certification of CJ-4/SM.
Shell is marketing their new CJ-4/SM oil as "Triple Protection," meaning it provides enhanced qualities for engine wear, soot control and engine cleanliness. Shell's Rotella website indicates that on-road testing confirms the new Triple Protection technology produces better anti-wear characteristics than their existing CI-4+ rated Rotella oil. This is achieved despite a lower zinc and phosphorus additive level as called for by the API CJ-4 specification. (The 15W-40 Rotella T with Triple Protection oil has approximately 1200 ppm of zinc and 1100 ppm phosphorus at the time of manufacture.)
Competitors
Rotella competes with similar lubrication products from other oil manufacturers. Some notable competitive products are:
- Mobil Delvac
- Chevron Delo
- Petro-Canada Duron
Motorcycle usage
Though marketed as an engine oil for diesel trucks, Rotella oil has found popularity with motorcyclists as well. The properties of heavy duty engine oils nearly map to the similar requirements of motorcycle oils, except for those whose engine and transmission share the same oil. (This is called a "shared sump" design, which is unlike automobiles which maintain separate oil reservoirs - one for the engine and one for the transmission). The chemical additives found in heavy duty engine oils may work well with motorcycles. In addition, the lack of "friction modifiers" in truck oils such as Rotella means they do may not interfere with proper wet clutch operations, but are not tested in motorcycles.
Motorcycle specific oils tend to cost between $3 and $10 per quart. Shell Rotella T 15W-40 costs about $19 per gallon (or about $4.75/quart). The price economy of Shell Rotella T will allow a motorcycle owner to change oil more frequently, thus matching the "recommended change interval" value of motorcycle specific synthetics.
JASO-MA
JASO is an acronym that stands for "The Japanese Automotive Standards Organization." Among other things, they set standards for oil to be used in motorcycles.
One standard, JASO-MA, specifies a set of characteristics an oil must meet to be certified by JASO. It includes such things as the amount of sulfated ash, the foaming tendency, and the degree of friction provided by the oil.
The friction test is what is of particular interest to motorcycles. An oil that provides too little friction has a tendency to allow wet clutches -- those bathed in the engine oil -- to slip. An oil that demonstrates too much friction does not provide the lubricity needed. The JASO-MA test specifies a range of friction the oil must fall within to meet the specification. JASO MA also looks at foaming, viscosity protection, corrosion and wear of motorcycle gears, and does not seem to be tested for these parameters. As motorcycle transmissions cost much more than wet clutches, the transmission could have excessive wear as seen in some photos of motorcycle transmissions using Rotella. A Shell manufacturing rep has said they don't recommend Rotella for motorcycles, and a Shell Rotella engineer warns of the possiblity of voided motorcycle warranty
The new Rotella T CJ-4 15W-40 and 5W-40 packaging does not officially state compliance with JASO-MA.
However, posts in various motorcycle-related forums cite e-mail confirmation from Shell that Rotella 15W-40 and 5W-40 CJ-4 has been tested and shown to meet the JASO-MA friction test . Some speculate that the new CJ-4 oil may meet JASO-MA, but the packaging does not carry the certification, nor does Shell advertise it as complying with JASO-MA.
However, quoted from Shell's Rotella FAQ,"One negative might be where the engine manufacturer recommends oil meeting JASO requirements. One of the many JASO requirement limits ash content to 1.2%. Ash content of ROTELLA T exceeds this limit. Oil ash contributes to combustion chamber and spark plug deposits."
Testimonies from many motorcyclists on different forums confirm the applicability of Shell Rotella T as effective for motorcycles. A few "Used Oil Analysis" (UOA) on bobistheoilguy.com show acceptable wear metal numbers for Rotella T in motorcycles for oil change intervals from 1000 miles all the way to 8000 miles, but also shows viscosity breakdown.
Speculation is that Shell focuses on Rotella's primary market of heavy duty trucking. Emphasizing a motorcycle certification might detract from the primary marketing. No confirmation or denial of that speculation has been offered by Shell.
The Shell Rotella website does have a category in the "Ask the Expert" section with four articles on Rotella usage in motorcycles, but does not cover motorcycle transmissions.
External links
- http://www.dieselfuelengines.com (Rotella T information)
- http://rotella.com
- http: