Topic: Engine Oil

[mickeyboy]

Do you guys use semi synthetic 10w40 in your bikes? it's more readily available in the uk than the mineral stuff.

Thanks,

Mick.

[flybox1]

Choose a MC oil compatible with wet clutches, low in detergents, and high in zinc.

[b52bombardier1]

Look for the "JASO MA " rating in the fine print on the back of the jug somewhere.  This is the certification as an oil suitable for wet clutches.

Rick

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

[dennco2]

I just looked at the gallon jug of Rotella T6 I use on my Honda Blackbird and I see the Jaso MA rating. I don't see that rating on a 5 qt jug of Castrol GTX 10-40 oil I bought and WAS going to put in the CB550.

Thanks for that good bit of info!

[Garage_guy_chris]

the Rotella Diesel oils are one of the few widely available oils with the JASO MA rating. Also the Rotella works quite good as a motorcycle oil and is a proven thing over many years and many different bikes. I have run it in my bikes without fault and I would consider it a bare minimum.

Regular automotive oils like the Castrol GTX you mentioned will not have the JASO MA rating and at a minimum *may* cause problems with the wet clutch. Generally speaking because of emissions equipment and other standards, automotive oils are not as stout in terms of additive packages and zinc content as motorcycle specific oils.  The end result of using automotive oils in a bike can be absolutely nothing to a slipping clutch and on the extreme end all kinds of lubrication related catastophic failures like wiped cam shafts.

[BomberMann650]

I just looked at the gallon jug of Rotella T6 I use on my Honda Blackbird and I see the Jaso MA rating. I don't see that rating on a 5 qt jug of Castrol GTX 10-40 oil I bought and WAS going to put in the CB550.

Thanks for that good bit of info!

Fwiw,

Castrol 4t is the preferable blend if you're a diehard castrol fan.

Oreillys keeps it on a shelf seperate from the other castrol oils.

[TomsK8resto]

I just looked at the gallon jug of Rotella T6 I use on my Honda Blackbird and I see the Jaso MA rating. I don't see that rating on a 5 qt jug of Castrol GTX 10-40 oil I bought and WAS going to put in the CB550.

Thanks for that good bit of info!

Fwiw,

Castrol 4t is the preferable blend if you're a diehard castrol fan.

Oreillys keeps it on a shelf seperate from the other castrol oils.

+1  Castrol 4t 20w50 at Oreillys.

I live and ride in southern Arizona.  It gets hot here.

[dennco2]

No,  I am not a fan of Castrol oil but was at Walmart and saw a good bargain for oil for my Caravan and pressure washer. 

20-50 weight oil for the CB550? My poor old bike has 58,000 miles on it.  It was last licensed in 2001 but ran briefly in 2011.  I have put all of 1 mile on it since buying it 2 months ago. I guess it will NEED thicker oil with that kind of mileage.

[Bankerdanny]

No,  I am not a fan of Castrol oil but was at Walmart and saw a good bargain for oil for my Caravan and pressure washer. 

20-50 weight oil for the CB550? My poor old bike has 58,000 miles on it.  It was last licensed in 2001 but ran briefly in 2011.  I have put all of 1 mile on it since buying it 2 months ago. I guess it will NEED thicker oil with that kind of mileage.

Not necessarily. Start out with regular 10-40 and watch the oil pressure light. if you see flickers at idle when the engine is fully up to temp maybe you switch to 20-50.

Now if you are in the desert or Florida or someplace that gets really hot, then it might be worth the change to 20-50.

[rocket johnny]

in my 1976 cb 750 k6 i run phillips x/c  25-60    it is a mineral based oil for radial aircraft engines . in western colorado's high desert we deal with high heat and this has worked very well for me . a little more $ than wal mart oil , but feel it is worth the price.

[Deltarider]

No,  I am not a fan of Castrol oil

Honda was. I have good results with Castrol High Mileage 15W-40, not a typical motorcycle oil (whatever that may be), but it helps keeping the seals tight and that's what really matters with our types of old bikes. Moreover, it does a great job keeping the engine clean. Have a look at my oilscreen I inspected last autumn. It had not been inspected  in 75.000 kms! I didn't even bother to clean it. Cleaning it from what?

[BomberMann650]

I am intrigued by the zddp zinc additive.

But when and how much to use is a question I have.

[alacrity]

Do you guys use semi synthetic 10w40 in your bikes? it's more readily available in the uk than the mineral stuff.

Thanks,

Mick.

I want to build a time machine and fly into the future 1000 years.  I am absolutely certain that regardless what human beings are like (if we still exist) and regardless what manner of conveyances we use (if any), there will STILL BE OIL THREADS....

[DaveBarbier]

I am intrigued by the zddp zinc additive.

But when and how much to use is a question I have.

I use one of the small bottles per 4 quarts. It says how much to use on the label. I remember Hondaman saying he has used a lot...like too much, and after however many seasons or years he noticed an actual build up of zinc but it wasn't an issue.

[Deltarider]

Unless you have a 100% knowledge of the formula (additive blend) of your oil, abstain from any additive whatsoever 'cause basically you don't know what you're doing. BTW, this is widely recommended.

[DaveBarbier]

Unless you have a 100% knowledge of the formula (additive blend) of your oil, abstain from any additive whatsoever 'cause basically you don't know what you're doing. BTW, this is widely recommended.

I have much less experience and knowledge regarding SOHC4's than you Delta but I've read about adding zinc and many old timers recommend it for these bikes since it was removed from oil years ago to not destroy catalytic converters. I agree with other additives but I do add zinc.

[BomberMann650]

So the zinc actually bonds to engine internals and creates a wearable liner?

Is this purely preventative?  Would it ease the suffering of already worn parts?

[bwaller]

Zn is a worthwhile additive for our older rocker engines, some oils possibly contain enough. I've mentioned this before, but for those who really would like to know how their oil stacks up, send a used oil sample to Blackstone for analysis. They help the customer with valuable info. It's worth the few bucks it costs. There is so much (mis)information sometimes it is confusing. Most people never know for certain whether or not their oil choice is the right one. It's too bad we cannot have good discussion on oils but it's such a personal deal.

[HondaMan]

So the zinc actually bonds to engine internals and creates a wearable liner?

Is this purely preventative?  Would it ease the suffering of already worn parts?

Yes. Yes. And yes! The zinc both prevents wear in the beginning, and plates the wear marks over time, making an oil-holding surface that is very slippery, and can be downright hard to remove from the parts if built up thickly.

The AMSOIL-laced engines (AMSOIL has lots of zinc in many of their oils) I have seen (in the 750) have this buildup: the last one like this that I rebuilt had 62k miles on it, but the entire bottom end looked and measured brand-new, even the primary chain. It took a week of soaking in xylol to get the parts clean enough to be sure my measurements were true, and I have to say I am impressed! Even the clutch plates were only 20% worn at that mileage, and this engine was virgin when I got it. The engine is a K2.

[flybox1]

Yeah....what hondaman said.
I use zddp in my oil.

[Lostboy Steve]

How much zddp do you usually add?

[BomberMann650]

I am intrigued by the zddp zinc additive.

But when and how much to use is a question I have.

I use one of the small bottles per 4 quarts. It says how much to use on the label. I remember Hondaman saying he has used a lot...like too much, and after however many seasons or years he noticed an actual build up of zinc but it wasn't an issue.

Eh lostboy ☝

[Lostboy Steve]

Lol sorry, idk how I missed that.