What oil should I use?

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mongo
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 1:51 am

What oil should I use?

Postby mongo » Sat Jun 05, 2010 5:00 pm

Brand? Weight?

I put Castrol 20W50 to fire it up, that's what I run in my Triumph, but really want to know what's best.

DewCatTea-Bob
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Location: Near SE side of Lake Michigan

Re: What oil should I use?

Postby DewCatTea-Bob » Sat Jun 05, 2010 6:50 pm

" I put Castrol 20W50 to fire it up, "

____ I believe Ducati required straight-40W in their owner's-manuals but, I'm sure they would've preferred 20W50 if it existed back then.
I've ever since used 1 quart of 40W (mixed with a few ounces of a thin penetrating-oil) and the rest 20W50 Valvoline Racing Oil.
__ I suggest you stick with that which you already have, and be sure to change it often. _ (I'd much rather do that than use a synthetic-type oil which doesn't need to be changed as often !)
Cuz unless there's been some great improvement in such motor-lube for at least the past decade, anything else can be a bit risky. _ So I wouldn't be too quick to try-out some newer oil-product that somebody might recommend, in any motor which I really care about.
____ Make sure to keep your petcocks turned-off, so that your new oil doesn't get contaminated while parked ! _ That way when you drain your oil, it should then smell merely like oil only, and not of fuel as well.


DUKE-Cheers,
-Bob
PLEASE NOTE... If this-post is not-yet signed-off with '-Bob', then I'm still in the process of completing it,, and if not also included with 'DCT' near bottom as well, then I may edit this post's wording at a later time. - Dct.Bob

mongo
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 1:51 am

Re: What oil should I use?

Postby mongo » Sun Jun 06, 2010 2:19 am

Thanks! While I've often said "wrong oil is better than NO oil" (My Sportster used to leak bad) now that I've brought the Duc to life I wany it to live as long as possible.... 8-)

ccambern
Posts: 53
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 5:18 pm

Re: What oil should I use?

Postby ccambern » Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:23 pm

My engine builder (Boretech) suggested 20-50 Mobil 1 Synthetic.

DewCatTea-Bob
Posts: 2897
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 10:53 am
Location: Near SE side of Lake Michigan

Re: What oil should I use?

Postby DewCatTea-Bob » Wed Jun 09, 2010 5:06 pm

" (Boretech) suggested 20-50 Mobil 1 Synthetic. "

____ That's been one of the best motor oils for at least 20-years but, I don't think it's the very best motor-oil any more !
__The only reason I don't recommend that or any other pure synthetic is because it's said to prevent good 'break-in' of new bearings and rings, etc., and also because that type of oil is too-expensive-to-waste by changing-the-oil as often as it really should be done in DUKEs, (cuz old DUCATIs don't have a good/ normal oil-filter!).
Even regular motor-oil doesn't get time to break-down within a DUKE-motor which get's it's oil changed as often as it should be done. _ So why bother with any higher-priced "synthetic"? _ I really just don't see any practical advantage with preferring it (in a DUKE) !


Practical-Cheers,
-Bob
PLEASE NOTE... If this-post is not-yet signed-off with '-Bob', then I'm still in the process of completing it,, and if not also included with 'DCT' near bottom as well, then I may edit this post's wording at a later time. - Dct.Bob

ccambern
Posts: 53
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 5:18 pm

Re: What oil should I use?

Postby ccambern » Wed Jun 09, 2010 10:31 pm

Right. For break-in, it should be standard oil. I usually use Rotella T to break in race engines because it doesn't have any detergents. I've heard that Mobil 1 isn't as good as it used to be because the EPA no longer allows them to put zinc in the oil, so it's probably true that there are better "track use only" synthetics out there. However, I've had good results with Mobil 1 on a lot of different engines and transmissions, and most builders I talk to still like it, so I think it's still quite good.

As for synthetic vs standard, the best info I've seen has come from gearbox oil. Racing gearboxes get their oil changed all the time (every 100-200 miles). I've run dino oil back to back against a variety of synthetics, and even with very little mileage, synthetic oil returns the box in much better shape than standard. Granted, it's gear oil instead of motor oil, but that's enough reason to run synthetic for me!

-Clark

DewCatTea-Bob
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Location: Near SE side of Lake Michigan

Re: What oil should I use?

Postby DewCatTea-Bob » Thu Jun 10, 2010 1:46 am

" As for synthetic vs standard, "

____ I sure didn't at all mean to imply that any synthetic motor-oil is not better than the older regular-type motor-oils ! _ In fact from what I've known about the synthetic-type, it's indeed quite a superior lubricant, (which is why it's not so very good for use during new-motor break-in) !
Those advanced oils were created mainly to increase the distance/time-periods between oil-changes, (to the point of out-lasting modern oil-filters), thus becoming a good-value in that regard.
__ I'm just saying that it's not the BEST choice for use in DUKE-motors, mainly due to being a poor-value for this particular job ! - (It's much like some 'joe-6-pack' choosing an expensive bottle of fine-wine instead of a cheap common-beer, just to achieve his desired temporary alcoholic-buzz, prior to his next trip to the urinal.)
__ Certainly if ya actually have the spare-cash to go the expensive-route, then ya might as well go-ahead & waste the higher-priced synth.oil, for the job of lubing & flushing your DUKE !


Rich-Cheers,
-Bob
PLEASE NOTE... If this-post is not-yet signed-off with '-Bob', then I'm still in the process of completing it,, and if not also included with 'DCT' near bottom as well, then I may edit this post's wording at a later time. - Dct.Bob

ccambern
Posts: 53
Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2010 5:18 pm

Re: What oil should I use?

Postby ccambern » Thu Jun 10, 2010 1:22 pm

DewCatTea-Bob wrote:" As for synthetic vs standard, "
__ Certainly if ya actually have the spare-cash to go the expensive-route, then ya might as well go-ahead & waste the higher-priced synth.oil, for the job of lubing & flushing your DUKE !


But I don't think it actually is wasted, because I've seen better results from synthetics even in very low mileage applications. You're saving maybe $8 per oil change... I spend more than that if I go our for lunch! OK, that's it. Rant ended. ;)

DewCatTea-Bob
Posts: 2897
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 10:53 am
Location: Near SE side of Lake Michigan

Re: What oil should I use?

Postby DewCatTea-Bob » Thu Jun 10, 2010 5:46 pm

" But I don't think it actually is wasted, "

____ WHILE it's still within the motor, it's indeed NOT being wasted ! _ I justify using the term "wasted" only because the synth-oil is expected to be used for the equivalent of 3 to 5 normal oil-changes, so if ya still dump/flush your DUKE-motor at the same old standard intervals (as should still be done!), then in that respect it's certainly WASTED.
(I guess ya have to think 'GREEN', as I always have.)
__ To cut such waste, ya should take the drained synth-oil and filter it, so it could then be reused (providing that it didn't get contaminated with fuel) ! _ If it were to be reused that way for it's expected life-time, THEN it would NOT be wasted. _ But who's really going to bother doing that, (other than us very few 'GREEN'-thinkers)?
__ So MY point has been that std.regular-oil so much closer 'fills-the-bill' !


GREEN-Cheers,
-Bob
PLEASE NOTE... If this-post is not-yet signed-off with '-Bob', then I'm still in the process of completing it,, and if not also included with 'DCT' near bottom as well, then I may edit this post's wording at a later time. - Dct.Bob

Bevel bob
Posts: 1043
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2010 8:01 am
Location: Bromley Kent UK.

Re: What oil should I use?

Postby Bevel bob » Thu Jun 10, 2010 9:11 pm

I tip my barely used 40 into my old van which neatly converts it into blue-white fog.(much better for the planet than dumping it down the storm drain!


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