CF2 oils for DD

[MikeP]

A few days ago when I was buying oil for an eng oil change and after ordering two pails of Castrol 40 wt CF2 since I couldn't find CF2 Rotella which I normally use, I happened by an auto parts store and discovered that almost EVERY diesel oil was CF2/CF4. Previously, it seemed to me that they were EITHER CF2 OR CF4. That made it a bit harder to get CF2, which is what the 2 stroke DDs require. When the Castrol was delivered (yesterday) I found that it is also rated CF2/CF4. I also found regular name-brand oils in the auto parts store that were rated for everything - gas as well as CF2 and CF4.

This seems to me to be a good thing since it makes oil purchase easier, and perhaps cheaper although I didn't check prices comparing "straight" CF2 oils, like the Rotella I used to buy, with the CF2/4 oils. In any case, it makes the oil a LOT easier to find.

Perhaps it's been this way for a while but I know that it wasn't 5 years ago when we bought the Hatt and I learned about CF2 and started using Rotella because it was the most commonly available CF2 in our area of Long Island.

 

[REBrueckner]

I've lost track of the exact current specs for two cycle DD. Some years ago I would only use oils with "MIL SPEC 2104B", currently I think they are up to "F" or "G" . In any case, the containers have always specifically mentioned "Detroit Diesel". I think I have some oil spec listings aboard in my files but I won't be there for several weeks.

 

[Genesis]

The key spec is less than 1% sulfated ash. LOWER IS BETTER.

CHECK THIS AS IT IS VERY IMPORTANT.

Note that high TBNs are incompatable with this specification. However, ULSD removes some of the need for high TBNs (the acid comes from the sulfer, which turns into sulfuric acid when it and water get together) to some degree.

My favorite for a long time was Delo 100, but that got hard to find in 5 gallon pails and I switched to Exxon XD40HD.

Note that under no circumstances should you ever run anything other than straight 40 in a DD 2-stroke marine engine. There are some manuals out there that state that under certain conditions multigrades are acceptable - Detroit found out the hard way via camshaft failures that this was bullshit and rescinded it. The argument for them was to make cranking possible in a no-preheat environment in freezing and below temperatures.

For a boat, of course, if its THAT cold out the water isn't liquid and you have other problems.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

This has been discussed before. There are several oils that are better than the Rotella. I use the Exxon XD3 since I have an account with the Mobil/Exxon distributor, but I think the Texaco Ursa was actually determined to be the oil with the lowest sulfated ash content.

 

[MikeP]

The CF2 oil I used is Castrol Assuron and comes in various straight weights. It shows a sulfated ash content of .7% as opposed to the Rotella content of 1%. I never heard of this particular Castrol product until I went searching for 5 gal pails of oil in the local area (Kent Island, MD). But, as I said, it's now easy to find CF2/4 anywhere though usually stocked in 1 gal containers; 5 gal pails have to be ordered but are in by the next day.

 

[Nick]

The Exxon is tough to find in the NY area. The local truck parts distributor carries Valvoline ALL Fleet Plus CF-2 40W. The specs are listed at:
http://www.valvoline.com/products/All-Climate.pdf

Price in mid November 2007 was a reasonable $45/5gallon pail; much less than the Mobil's Delvac 1240 from DD. The ash content of Delvac and Valvoline is the same 0.8%.

 

[Boatsb]

The CF2 oil I used is Castrol Assuron and comes in various straight weights. It shows a sulfated ash content of .7% as opposed to the Rotella content of 1%. I never heard of this particular Castrol product until I went searching for 5 gal pails of oil in the local area (Kent Island, MD). But, as I said, it's now easy to find CF2/4 anywhere though usually stocked in 1 gal containers; 5 gal pails have to be ordered but are in by the next day.

I have been using the assuron and my distributor gets me 5 gal pails. 1 gal bottles and quarts so I have plenty of oil handy and no excuses. I run it in everything on the boat so I only have one oil on board. I don't believe it will hurt the generator. Its an old 1977 onan and nothing will hurt that beast.

 

[Nick]

I posted the wrong link to Valvoline above.

All Fleet Plus: http://www.valvoline.com/products/afpud.pdf

 

[MikeP]

I'd like to have only one oil on board as well and I suspect that the 40wt would be OK in the NL genny but they don't list 40 as a suitable oil under any temp conditions though they do show 15-40 as a suitable multiweight. 30 is the highest wt straight grade that they recommend. But since I have never had to add oil to the genny between changes it doesn't really matter that much, I guess. I keep one 5 gal pail of 40 wt on board but don't have to add more than a few quarts of oil to the engines per season so I've been thinking of reducing my on-board oil supply to maybe two one-gallon containers.

 

[Boatsb]

I have a basic rule of thumb.

The qty of oil on board is enough to refill and engine and tranny in an emergency. If I loose an oil line and pump and engine almost dry I still get home. Same with a tranny. The real fun is if I were to loose one of each I bet they would be on different engines.

I lost the transmission pressure line and was able to repair it temporarily and then refilled it. Luckily I watch the gages and had no damage just a gal of oil in the bilge.

 

[MikeP]

I have to admit that's a good plan. I never really looked at it that way but anything's possible.

Then again, airliners don't carry extra oil on board!

 

[Boatsb]

yes they do. It's already installed in the redundant systems.

 

[Nonchalant1]

I keep it simple. I jusy buy Detroit Diesel brand oil and filters. I overpay some, but I always know that I have the right thing and that nobody changed the spec on some other "brand" I might have been using. I changed oil 3 times during the 10 month cruise and always founf a DD service center or dealer near enough to drive within an hour with a rental car, even in some podunk river towns, although I didn't need oil while we were in Canada.

Sam's Marine still has the spec for the correct oil for dDs in their tips and tricks web section.

Doug

 

[DCMY #92]

I have used Kendall Super D3 40W since I bought the Hat in 81. I've never had a problem getting it in 5 gal pails from a variety of bulk dealers in Florida. As a bonus, Kendall performs oil analysis for free if you use their product.

 

[luckydave215]

Why don't ALL boats have a built in lube oil tank?
Mine (plumbed into the oil change system manifold) is handy beyond measure. It holds 30 gallons.
My previous power boat, an Ocean Alexander, had one that held 55 gallons.
When it's time to change the main/genny/trans oil(s) I pour the new oil into the tank, which is easy to do without gymnastics or spilling, (or Hurcules to hold up the pails!!) then put the discharge hose into the same buckets. Clean, simple, no spills.
I have to deal with a drain pan for the filters of course, but there's no way around that.
Keeping the fresh oil tank full (for topping off or fixing OH $HITS at sea) requires having enough extra pails (empty) to contain one change cycle worth of drain oil, but that's no problem, I keep them at my shop in the storage room until oil change time.

 

[Genesis]

Gigabite had an oil tank at one time.

One of the POs removed it. It apparently was a factory option. The deck fill was still there, but the tank itself was gone.

If it had been there, you bet your ass I would have used it.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Those tanks sound like a great idea. I don't understand how all DD engines MUST use 40W oil. I can't believe that a shrimper can do that on a 35 degree day. What about a trucker in Minnesota when it is 30 below? Any of you guys that can get by with distilled water for cooling should never have a problem with 40W, but I have a hard time believing that they use that in cold areas also

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Those tanks sound like a great idea. I don't understand how all DD engines MUST use 40W oil. I can't believe that a shrimper can do that on a 35 degree day. What about a trucker in Minnesota when it is 30 below? Any of you guys that can get by with distilled water for cooling should never have a problem with 40W, but I have a hard time believing that they use that in cold areas also

30w is specified for cold weather, but none of us recreational guys would ever need it. So, for us, it's always 40w.

 

[Genesis]

Maynard - block heaters dude.

They "just work."

 

[J.N.Moll]

Maynard - block heaters dude.

They "just work."

Happy Days,

The best for already 30 years :

Castrol DD 40

Hans Moll / Hat 48 / 1983