best oil to use

[BARRY]

what is the best oil to use in my 400. for a while now i have been using castrol gtx and have not had any problems with clutch.whats the best you can buy from kmart or walmart. should i go to synthetic.

[yamaha1470]

if your quad is broken in already go to a synthetic. it will last longer. A popular choice here is mobil 1 15w50.

[ridefastrgetoff]

you will want to go to the synthetic oil; look at the long-term and not just the cost of the synthetics -vs- petroleum. If you plan to tear it down once a year just to refresh the motor, that may not be an issue for you; however, you will get increased H.P. also with the synthetics since you will be reducing drag internally, if you race this is a major issue because you want every ounce of H.P. you can get. If you want the longest possible life from your engine, use synthetics.

www.SyntheticsExcel.com

[bakerboyz]

I had always used GN4. After reading about shell rotella at http://www.yft.org/tex_vfr/tech/oil.htm I will be trying that next.

It cost about $1.50/qt

Also, from the shell tech regarding motorcycle use I read...

"ROTELLA T SAE 15W-40 is a universal oil, meeting needs of both 4-stroke gasoline and diesel engines. It has credentials (API Service Categories SL and CI-4) for lubricating both kinds of engines.

It’s best to consult your owner’s manual for recommended oil quality. If your engine manufacturer recommends oil meeting any of these API Service Categories, CF-4, CG-4, CH-4, CI-4, and/or SH, SJ, and SL, or any earlier but obsolete category, then ROTELLA T will lubricate and protect your engine and wet clutch.

ROTELLA T Multigrade does not contain friction modifiers, and it does not comply with all requirements of ILSAC GF-2 and GF-3 – and that’s good for motorcycle use. Friction modifiers can upset wet clutch operation. And the ILSAC requirements limit phosphorus content. Diesel engines and other engines with highly loaded valve trains need extra (compared to passenger car engines) extreme pressure wear protection, which is provided by an additive that contains phosphorus.

Other reasons to use ROTELLA T Multigrade are its ability to stay in viscosity grade, owing to a unique shear-stable viscosity index improver additive. And there’s no better oil for wear and deposit control in internal combustion engines. Last, you can purchase ROTELLA T just about anywhere heavy-duty oil is sold"

[ridefastrgetoff]

Well, not discrediting you, just stating facts and here they are:

Rotella T, 15w-40, has a Volatility Rate of 13.01%

when compared to Mobil Delvac & Mack Bulldog oils that pretty good because they have ratings of 13.38% / 13.96% respectively. Other oils tested are Chevron Delo 400 at 11.70%, Valvoline Premium Blue at 11.00% & Amsoil at 6.00%. Volatility is an oil's ability to withstand heat, longevity and stress without breaking down and losing it's natural weight; in other words,you pour it in and in the same period of time, it drops on the dipstick, the higher the volatility the worse the oil performs. These tests were performed under the ASTM D-5800 guidelines in March of 2000; the same test in 1996 showed Rotella at 17.6%, so they have improved over the years. Bottom line for the end-user, if an oil has a stabile base, oil stock, less Viscosity Improvers are needed and thus a much more stabile oil; afterall, you want to be relying on the base oil for protection and not on the additive package -- the additive package is what breaks down, not the base oil. The lower the volatility the more reduction in oil consumption but also the more power you have because of increased efficiency.

www.SyntheticsExcel.com

[loganB]

I like to use golden spectro 15w-50

[00Red400EX]

When people are talking about Mobile 1 Sythetic. Are they talking about just regular Mobile 1 car oil. I mean Its not a special quad Mobile 1 oil is it?

--Josh

[ridefastrgetoff]

I believe your assumption is correct but with oil companies coming out with different formulations on such a frequent basis nowadays, it's possible Mobil has a product specifically formulated for wet-clutches. From what I read here, most folks use the 15w-50 Mobil 1; I recommend 0w-40 for quads, 10w-40 for 4-stroke motorcycles and 2-stroke lower units and 20w-50 specifically formulated for v-twins.

www.SyntheticsExcel.com

[300exryder]

I feel a lil embarassed........i use whatever is on sale at autozone when i think it is time for an oil change -- used to use mobil 1 15-50 synthetic but changed back over to the cheap stuff. I cant spend 5 bucks a quart when i can get it for 99 cents. Im waiting for someone to say that im really stupid for not dishing out the extra couple bucks and getting the good stuff cause it will make your engine last longer ... yada yada yada

[ridefastrgetoff]

No reason to feel embarrassed or for anyone to point fingers ! We all do what we feel we can and sometimes due to economics, we have go with what we can afford. Stay Cool !

www.SyntheticsExcel.com

[skemp]

I use Amsoil in all my motors 2 stroke or 4, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Eliminated smoking on startup, no more clutch slip, and it holds up a lot longer than any other oil I have used. Take it for what its worth, but it pays for itself in the long run.

[Stevo]

Mobil 1 15W-50 :)

[dingo]

I'm trying 10w40w Silkolene in my 400ex it is also a pretty blue. seems to work o.k.

[Houser Cannondale]

i only use oil in my 300ex that says right on the bottle that it is designed for a motorcycle or atv. because i got curious and called castrol tech line a while back and asked them if it was ok to use castrol gtx automotive oil in my quad. and to my surprise they told me not to use castrol gtx or any other automotive oil for that matter. so i figured i was talking to the company that was telling me not to use their own oil so it must be true. then they told me it doesent have the same viscosity breakdown additives designed for use in a gearbox and with a clutch. so basically they told me to use only oil designed for a motorcycle in a motorcycle and use oil designed for a automotible in an automotible. so from now on i use honda 20w-50w.

[ridefastrgetoff]

Did the techs at Castrol tell you to use 20w-50 ? There are several 10w-40 oils that are formulated for motorcycle engines and wet-clutches.

www.SyntheticsExcel.com

[Houser Cannondale]

they didnt say anything about oil weights. but personally in the winter time i use honda 10w40w since its colder and summer 20w50w for the hot weather... but depending on your engine modifications.. and other things you may use other weights too but those two are the most common.

[OutlawEX]

Klotz is great use what ever synthetic ur weather permits

[spincr4hire]

Has anyone tried the new Valvoline ATV oil ?