Rotella T6 Out of stock everywhere - Now What?
 

I've used nothing but Rotella T6 5w40 in my MSM for the last 10 years (like many others here), but it's out of stock everywhere around me. The Ford truck people say it's due to supply chain issues with additives. What are all the T6 diehards using right now that you can actually buy locally?

This car has only been driven about 4000 miles in the last 3 years--it's not getting Amsoil/RP/RL or any other mail order exotic oil.

If you're beating on it at the track then it's worth mail ordering stuff. If you're not, then it doesn't really matter, pretty much any brand-name synthetic of the right viscosity will be fine. Mobil 1 is probably the easy button.

--Ian

I'd use Mobil1 0w-40 European car formula

Mobil 1 FS European Car Formula Full Synthetic Motor Oil 0W-40, 5 Quart - Walmart.com

It's got more ZDDP than normal formula, it's close to the same weight, and it's cheaper than the Rotella.

Have you checked grocery stores?
it sounds odd, but i've yet to not find a full shelf of t6 at a meijer and its always cheaper than parts stores.

Why not use something that is better for the time being until it is back in stock? The T6 is inexpensive which makes it attractive but there are much better products for your application. My suggestion would be Redline 5-40, 10-30 or the M1 0-40.

If you barely drive the car, then how can you justify NOT treating it to great oil? The cost is spread across multiple years.

I have a spare jug of this magical unicorn juice. I'll sell it to you for only 3x what I paid for it because I like you and I'm a good guy. You pay shipping.

In all seriousness, I think T6 is the choice of MT.net not because it's got some magical properties, but because it hit the sweet spot of price, availability, and features.

I agree with @codrus : any name-brand full-synthetic will do for your use case, especially if you're doing changes based on the calendar instead of miles.

You do realize its not the same oil it was a few years ago?
Last I checked it was being reformulated again, which could be the disruption.
Note any time an oil is "reformulated" it gets worse, complements of the EPA.
Try an actual good oil.

https://www.amsoil.com/p/premium-pro...?code=AMOQT-EA

T6 was appealing at one point because the diesel oils kept the high ZDDP levels longer than the gas-engine oils did. That's no longer the case, so it's no longer special. That said, there's nothing wrong with T6 -- I run it in my diesel truck (the intended application) and it works fine.

But again, for street driving it really doesn't matter. Change it regularly and you'll be fine with pretty much any brand-name synthetic.

...I generally stay away from the ones that are sold via Ponzi schemes though. :)

--Ian

Check with a local Dodge dealer. Some of the Cummins engines use T6 so they most likely keep it in stock. I am unsure if any other manufacturers use it but its worth a shot if you cant find it anywhere else.

Plus they may have it in single quart bottles.

This is what I run since I got the car, for the exact same reasons (plus no Rotella in EU AFAIK)

Because I generally don't spread it across multiple years; I still change it once a year or so. It's cheap insurance.

I wish we had Meijer down south! That was great when The Company sent me up north for months on end.

This is very interesting to me, and likely what I'll go with. Thank you!

Because for <1500 non-track miles per year, there's no point to anything more expensive than a local full synthetic.

I remember people complaining about lifter tick after M1 was reformulated, but that was years ago and not the Euro version. I use "normal" M1 in other cars that like it just fine.

Castrol makes a 5-40 edge which I have had good results with, but its also hard to find. Any full synthetic gas engine oil will be a better option for your application then the T6. If you want higher amounts of phosphorus you can buy zddp additives.

Just saw all the T6 one would want on the shelves at Sams Club.

I switched to Mobil1 0W-40 Euro Formula a couple years ago after seeing it in action. It'll hold up in a GT3 car for the 24 hours of Daytona with ~150C oil temp. And I can buy it at any Autozone. Good enough for me.

I've been using pennzoil platinum 0w-40 euro. Walmart is always out of stock, BUT my local Oreilly's price matches! I don't think autozone price matches walmart however

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pennzoil-...uart/245761151

Good timing on this thread. I haven't changed my oil in...a long time. But only 430 miles ago.

This. These ZDDP bottles are cheap.

Valvoline VR1 high zinc

I use that in the Jeep, not the turbo miata. I'm not sure why. Not synthetic I guess.

That's what I'm using on low boost racecar, hasn't blown up yet so seems a-ok in my book.

They make a VR1 full synthetic. Thinking about running it in my track car this year, I always just ran t6 and changed it every 2-3 events before. VR1 is more expensive but maybe I'll run it a bit longer.

I doubt it matters much but I've been using this.https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants/...l-truck-5w-40/

The euro blends gave me lifter tick pretty quickly but this stuff the car stays as quiet as T6

Your running hydraulic lifters?

Yep factory.

I know they were standard on the first 1.8's, but most replace them with the later SOB units. I would rather listen to the ticking then run diesel oil.

That's stupid. You'd rather your engine makes noise than use a oil that is a favorite of practically every group of car enthusiasts?

[CITATION NEEDED]

assuming you mean SUBs. I’m not sure anyone actually bothers to put those in a NA8 head. NB heads are better all-around and are a far easier upgrade.

I guess the engineers at the oil manufactures don't know what their talking about when they say don't run diesel oil in a gas engine, but the enthusiasts know better. Its more then just potential cat damage. Weird how they like the product developed by the same people that don't recommend it for their application. Ticking lifters will not cause a failure, but the reduced lubricity of the diesel oil will. Two entirely different applications with different limiting factors.

The reason is the high availability of SOB's and the ease of installation. They are an inexpensive performance mod. The hydraulic lifters were phased out because they were problematic and reduced performance. NB heads have gotten expensive and relatively hard to find.

Dude you are dumb as fucking hell. Literally nothing in your little statement here is factual.

Why are you running a synthetic 0-40? The Mazda engineers definitely didn't recommend that, go use 10/30 dino oil they recommend dork

Maybe I wasn't clear I meant the oil manufactures don't recommend these products especially for performance applications. I have had several conversations about using diesel oils in gas engines for access to higher levels of phosphorous with engineers at Mobil and Cheveron. I guess I am dumb and uninformed.

You know that rotella would meet the sn spec if it didn't have the excessive phosphorus? It did meet the sn rating until the last revision.

You know as well as I do that the oil people care about more than how well the oil lubricates, emissions and efficiency is something they care about.

Its more like an obsession to find the magic lubricant. Reality is that there are better oils for this application. Every additive decreases the lubricity of the base ester and PAO. The OP was concerned that he couldn't find the magical T6. The recommendations were to use something else in the meantime and that many of the other options are actually better.

You have misunderstanding one of the biggest draws of T6, it was $21 a gallon at Walmart. A very good oil that keeps our cars quiet for $30 oil changes is amazing. Why buy $40 a gallon M1 when T6 keeps the car quieter for half the price. We all know there's better oils but you'll be extremely hard pressed to beat t6 once price is factored in.

I have seen M1 and Penzoil platinum on sale for $25/5qts and both are better options.

Both let my lifters tick at a lower mileage. The turbo diesel truck oil is specifically points out high performance cars. Rotella used to as well.
https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants/...el-truck-5w-40
it also meets the sm certification. Just because the label says Diesel doesn't mean it's bad.

Since the newer diesel's are now equipped with cats they have change the formulations. This is not the same as the original formulations that started the following. It was stated early in this thread. The current diesel oil still has too much additive to contend with limiting factors in diesel's, as in carbon saturation and TBN declination. You should run what you want. There are other options and a few dollars more is a non-issue.