Now don't go and telling me I'm wrong here, I just want to pass on some info I was told.

This weekend we had a quick oil clinic at work for our guys. I work for a ag/construction dealership. My boss had a guy from the company that makes the oil for the brand of equipment we sell (New Holland) come in and explain to us why our oil was not the same as any other oil at the auto store. He was telling us that the when an engine builder CAT, Cummins, NH, JD....... says that they want an oil to meet there specs for their engine. The oil companys then blend a oil and send it to them and they test it to see if it meets there specs. The engine builders will then test and approve and oil. then can work on purchase and package.......

He also said that oil for cars, over-the-road trucks, and ag/construstion is made different. Cars use apporx 30% of available hp most of the time, OTR trucks use about 60% available hp, ag/construction use about 90% availble hp. So that the specific blend is different for each one since each one has a specific use.

Also said that not every bottle of Rotella T has the same base oils in it. Due to the fact that every 6 months Shell puts out bids on base oils to see who is cheaper, cheaper wins and then they just adjust the additives to get the chemical compostion they want. << That really made me wonder about it, since I just switched to it from NH oil. I plan to switch back. Also Rotella is made for the emission systems (DPF) so has less of zinc(IIRC) which is a anti-wear for start-up, But the NH has more because ag/const. don't have DPF.

I'll post back more info when I get some more time.

 

I love salesmen. I don't know anything about oil. But salesmen will tell you everything you need to know. . And usually Salesmen happen to carry the good stuff...

Sorry.. I get sales calls all the time. They drive me nuts. Especially the floor epoxy paint guys..

What i find funny sometimes. Your guy will get laid off then work for Shell. Then he will come in and his data will change. See that also.

I know don't know squat about oil. But I know i don't like salesmen telling me what is best.

I am switching to Rotella. It is proven here that it is a good oil.

 

I'm not surprised about the comment on different base oils. In reality, the oil lab should test each batch of crude that comes in the plant to determine what amount of additives are required to bring it into spec.

As Dan mentioned, this is kind of a sales pitch. Even if using the same baseline oil, each batch needs to be tested to tweak the recipe. I'm sure New Holland does this too, unless of course they're just private labeling somone else's oil to begin with.

 

Like I said I was just passing on the info I got.

He is not selling oil to us. We buy it from NH. He is just a rep. for Viscosity Oil Co.
NH tells them what they need in a oil and they make it for them. NH dosen't make the oil. They will test the oil to see if it passes their tests.

I'm not trying to say that Rotella was a bad oil, He was comparing Rotella which is a OTR truck oil to NH which is a ag/construction grade oil. Shell does make a ag/construction grade oil which is called Rimula, which most have never heard of.

Rotella was designed for engines using 60% of their hp most of the time. OTR truck cruising down the highway.......Also was designed for emissions requiments. Plugging DPF.

Rimula, NH were designed for engines using 90% hp most of the time. Tractor with a set of plows rolling dirt.......Dozer pushing everything in sight. They don't have as strict emissions level yet, no DPF to plug (not yet anyways).

Just figuring a oil that is designed for more demanding enviroments might be a good alternative. Since for me it is easy to get and cost is close to Rotella. Thats all, not trying to get anyone to switch, just passing on the info.

 

You're right, I've never heard of Rimula. I guess my question, if you happen to run into the oil guy again, would be how the high pressure shear affects his oil. All the tractors I've been around use a mechanical injection pump, so the NH oil probably wasn't designed with a HEUI system in mind.

Have you considered getting a UOA on the NH oil you drain out of your truck to see what a lab has to say about it?

 

Here is a Question to ask the NH guy. Do you sell parts? His answer should be a good indication on how good his oil is. So my advise is to never trust a company that sells parts and oil. I wish I had the time to answer this properly, it is late. Also ask him what percentage of saturates are in his base stock.

 

F350-6 Not sure when I'll see him again. But if I do I will get more info. Yes I plan to send in a UOA to Blackstone this week. Have the sample bottle just have to finish fill out the slip and send it in.

jrciii56 He work for Viscosity Oil Co, not NH. He ahs nothing to do with parts, just oil. Again if I see him again I'll get more info.

 

Salesman = Engineer



Be nice it isn't his fault he doesn't know about the molelcular shearing and loads on oil.

But you might ask him how much load was put on for the bearing test?

 

Not sure where you guys are getting he was a salesman. It would be like preaching to the choir. He was just here explaining to us that the NH oil is designed specifically to meet NH requirments. Not the same as generic oils(shell, quacker state, pennzoil, mobil, TSC...... etc. Also the fact about car oil, OTR truck oil, and Ag/construction oil all are designed different.

 

According to the Shell brocure, Rimula is recommended only for non-turbocharged engines. Also limited to light/medium duty engines.

If he is recommending an equivilent oil, it might be OK for small/medium non-turbocharged farm equipment, but not anything highly loaded or turbocharged.

I would be more interested in an oil that still had the zinc and other additives that they have taken out because of the DPF requirements of the new smog-limited engines.

 

Shell Lubricants - Shell Rimula, Heavy Duty Engine Oil

Correction some Rimula is for non-turbocharged diesel engines. You can look for yourself there is several versions of it. I really don't know much about Rimula, he just said it was designed for the ag/const equipment.

JockD, thats what I'm saying about the ag/constuction oil, has more zinc and other stuff that they had to take out because of the DPFs.

I guess the original reason I posted this was to tell you about some of the differences in diesel oils that I found interesting. Oil being desinged for demand on the engine, and for emissions.

F350-6, you made a valid point about the HEUI system, I know that they have electronic engines, injectors, but not sure if they similar to the HEUI or not.