I have heard a pile of good things about this oil, and it seems pretty reasonable, is there only one form of it? I have heard there are 2 versions, one for an engine with spark plugs and one for engines that fire on compression [diesel] which one do you guys recommend for a marine application?

Thanks!
Michael

I run Rotella in commercial diesels and love it, run it in my Cummins powered truck too. I am sure it would be decent for a boat engine, but with so many good synthetics out there they are tough to beat.

If you run the Rotella use the gas engine version, the diesel version has different additives to deal with that particular type of engine

You actually want to run the diesel oil, it contains zinc, which is what makes it excellent for marine applications.

How do you tell the difference between the gas and diesel oil?

Michael

Do a search on previous oil threads, there is a fella on here that does extensive oil testing and he monitors what the current ratings are and current additives. He really knows his stuff but I can't remember his name at the moment

Ditto we run Rotella in the heavy equipt & semi , & 6 wheeler and Brad Penn in the boat motors ... and if your worried about Zinc pick up a bottle of ZPD

Micheal, Rotella is "goof proof". The oil has both diesel "C" and gas "S" ratingings on the bottle.

Ken

If its certified for gas use by the American Petroleum Institute (API) then it will have the Sx certification, like SL, SM etc. If its certified for diesel use, it will have Cx where x = D, etc. For gas, the certification level is now at SN (at least). I do not follow diesel so I cannot comment there.

If the oil has both the Sx and Cx approvals then its rated for use in both, which is actually somewhat common. Its possible to have a very recent Sx rating and an older Cx rating, and the reverse can also be true. Keep in mind that the most recent Sx ratings are not always better for older engines, as they tend to reduce levels of zinc and other additives that are better for older engines but possibly bad for catalytic converters. Much of the push for these newer standards is an attempt to get cat converters and other emissions equipment to last longer. The push for lighter weight (like 0w-20, 5w20) oils is mostly for fuel economy reasons.

I would recommend using an oil optimized for your application (gas vs. diesel) - if it meets the other certification then thats a bonus. I think Rotella comes in a full synthetic version now. I personally do not use Rotella but I have heard lots of good things about it, and no complaints.

And just to make things more confusing their are several different types of rotella,,walmart being grade 1 and being worse of many.

Wow! A lot to digest, i run a 454 EFI, its a 1995 which I think is hydraulic roller, but, not sure. bone stock except Stainless marine exhaust. I put MAYBE 50 hours a summer on the boat.

If anyone can tell me if the motor has a hydraulic roller set up or not, I would appreciate it. I had the entire top end of the motor done 2 years ago.

Thanks!
Michael