Oil for T133S - Engine, Hydraulic, Final [chain] Drive

[AlphaBob]

Manual calls for 10W30 API CD SE. If I understand correctly, API CD (diesel) and SE (automotive) are both obsolete codes. I spoke to Thomas yesterday and the tech on the phone (Brian) suggested that I use the best API grade diesel in the engine and the best API automotive for the hydraulic and final drive boxes. From what I understand, the best API diesel for this Kubota (4 stroke?) V1903B is CG-4 and current API rating for automotive is SH. In the best of all worlds, I've find something reasonably priced that was both CG-4 and SH, but I haven't had any luck yet. In round numbers this machine takes 13 gallons of oil - (engine 2 gallons, final drives 3 gallons and hydraulic 8 gallons). Questions: 1) Does it sound reasonable to use 10W30 SH only in the hydraulic and final drives - i.e. the oil will not have any diesel rating? 2) I'm thinking about a high quality synthetic for the Kubota V1903 engine (1719 hours). This oil will most likely be CG-4 and SH, but sadly unaffordable for the 11 gallons necessary for the final drives and hydraulic system. Any reason I wouldn't want to switch to synthetic for the engine? 3) Any hope of finding a high quality (most likely non-synthetic) oil for a reasonable cost that is both CG-4 and SH? Thanks!

 

[Thomastech]

When we talked on the phone the other day, I was specifying the API rating on the oil for you so that you would know how to distinguish between the different types of oil. When you have a diesel engine, you need to be sure to use an oil with a API rating of "C" example CG and when you have a spark ignition engine you need to use an oil with an API rating of "S" example SH. All the oil we use in our hydraulics is the same as we use in the engine with the difference being in the fact that we pre filter the oil to a cleanliness level of ISO 17/12 to prevent damage to the tight tolerences in the hydraulic componants. All oil which is added during daily checks, and services should also be prefiltered to reduce the risk of component failure due to contaminants. The -4 oil is for the newer tier engines which are designed to meet certain standards set by the EPA for emission levels. Here is a link to read up more on API classifications, http://www.finalube.com/reference_material/API_Engine_Oil_Classifications.htm

 

[AlphaBob]

When we talked on the phone the other day, I was specifying the API rating on the oil for you so that you would know how to distinguish between the different types of oil. When you have a diesel engine, you need to be sure to use an oil with a API rating of "C" example CG and when you have a spark ignition engine you need to use an oil with an API rating of "S" example SH. All the oil we use in our hydraulics is the same as we use in the engine with the difference being in the fact that we pre filter the oil to a cleanliness level of ISO 17/12 to prevent damage to the tight tolerences in the hydraulic componants. All oil which is added during daily checks, and services should also be prefiltered to reduce the risk of component failure due to contaminants. The -4 oil is for the newer tier engines which are designed to meet certain standards set by the EPA for emission levels. Here is a link to read up more on API classifications, http://www.finalube.com/reference_material/API_Engine_Oil_Classifications.htm

Thomastech - sorry to be running you all over the forum (I noticed that you posted this reponse in two places because I asked the same question in two spots - sorry). At any rate, I'll keep the discussion here in the Thomas section because I know that there are other Thomas people facing the same problem: it is very difficult to locate 10W30 diesel oil here in the Southern United States. Here's what I plan to do unless you think its a bad idea: MOTOR - Rotella T 15W40 which is rated API CJ-4, CI-4 PLUS, CI-4, CH-4, CG-4, CF-4, and SM, SL, SJ, SH. EVERYTHING ELSE: Castrol GTX 10W30 which is rated SM/SL/SJ/SH. Does this sound good to you? Ideally I'd find Rotella T 10W30, but it is not available in the South - most likely because of the warm climate. I'm doing this because I have heard that the hydraulics REALLY like 10W30 because that is how they are designed. The 10W30 for the hydraulics, if I understand things correctly, requires an API rating of SM. Thomastech, am I on track with this decision?