3126 CAT oil

D

DagoBy

New Member
Sep 20, 2010
22
Osage Beach, MO
Boat Info
1996 450 Sundancer
Engines
3126 CAT
After much research, I have concluded that DEO 30 is the correct oil for my 1996 3126's. I keep the boat in MO so the temps are correct for the SAE30.........will someone please confirm that I am correct on this matter. Last year the CAT dealer told me to use 15-40????????????
 
Rotella 30 is what I'm using. The 15/40 will clog up your after coolers.
 
Caterpillar specifies either SAEO 30 or 40 or a single viscosity or a single viscosity CF-4 commercial oil. SAEO is "special application engine oil" which is a synthetic developed by Caterpillar and is formulated to minimize oil deposits in the aftercoolers on 3116/3126 engines. SAEO is very expensive and is only available from Cat dealers near the water since the oil isn't recommended for applications other than 3116/3126 marine engines.

Select your viscosity based on this table:


Lubricant Viscosities for Ambient Temperatures
Ambient Temperature
Cat SAEO
Viscosity Grade
Minimum Maximum
SAE 30 0 °C (32 °F) 40 °C (104 °F)
SAE 40 5 °C (41 °F) 50 °C (122 °F)

Cat DEO SAE 30 /40 has limited application and can be hard to find. Most Cat owners use either Rotella T SAE 30 or 40 or DELO 400 SAE 30/40 because they are commonly available.

The key is to use a single viscosity SAE oil with a CF-4 API rating with no viscosity enhancers.

Its long, but you might find Caterpillar publication SEBU6251-12 interesting if you want to wade thru it.
 
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I've posted this elsehwere, but wanted it to be seen here as well.

I was about to change my oil -- only to find Rotella T has been changed to Rotella T1, and now only has a CF2 rating not the CF4 needed (thanks Frank!). I called Shell and a technician said that it has changed, and the old (blue label bottle) formula is still in the market place, but being phased out. A second technician called today in response to an email, and said he was calling because he wanted to be CERTAIN to convey that they oil does not meet CAT specs, and that he did not have a product he recommended in the current line-up.

As a side note, I was informed by the auto parts store that they were the same, and Franks information was what steered me to returning the wrong formula -- and saving me a world of grief!!!! Thanks.
 
You will not find the CF-4 Rating on the Shell Rotella T-30 jugs anymore...or any manufacturer's 30 wt oil for that matter.

I had an email conversation with a Shell representative last season after I noticed that the CF-4 rating was missing off of the Shell Rotella T-30 jugs.


Here's a sniblet from the chain of emails:


----- Original Message -----
From: shell
To: dom
Sent: Monday, November 2, 2009 10:08:42 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Re: Shell Rotella T-30

On Mon, 2 Nov 2009 15:01:00 +0000 you wrote:

Dominic, API recently made the CF-4 category obsolete:

http://www.api.org/certifications/engineoil/categories/upload/2009_ENGINE_OIL_GUIDE.pdf


Rotella T 30 did not change, only the CF-4 category went away. It is
still the same great oil that you have been using in your Caterpillar
engine.

Thanks, Richard Moore




The link in the email is apparently no longer valid, but you can read about the API rating change in this link.

http://www.api.org/certifications/engineoil/new/index.cfm

Or here:

http://www.sinwal.com/data/LUBE%20REPORT_%20API_%20CF-4%20Diesel%20Oil%20Now%20Obsolete.pdf
 
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CF-4 oils were scheduled to be phased out a few years ago because the test rig for CF-4 oils was no longer available. See here - http://www.sinwal.com/data/LUBE%20REPORT_%20API_%20CF-4%20Diesel%20Oil%20Now%20Obsolete.pdf

I don't know specifically if CAT approves this, but according to American Petroleum Institute (API), the CH-4 oil is the current oil for 4 stroke diesels that supersedes CF-4.

http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/API.html

Doug

Edit: If you do choose to go by the API rating, the new Rotella T1 isn't CH-4 rated either. For CH-4 rating you need to step up to Rotella T3. Unfortunately, I do not see T3 oil in straight 30W. See here -

http://www.shell.com/home/Framework...rotella-en/html/iwgen/products/t3_detail.html
 
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According to spec that Frank posted, Cat calls for a 10w-30 for 0 degrees F up to 104 degrees F ambient temperature. If that's the case, the Rotella T3 rated CH-4 in 10w-30 should work.

Do you agree Frank?

Doug


Edit: Scratch that... that was only for direct injection 3116 or 3126 fleet/agricultural engines, NOT mechanical injection marine engines.
 
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CF-4AP not withstanding, what is the downside to using the newly formulated Rotela T1? What will break/wear/fail and does it really make a difference in an engine that is no longer under warranty?
 
The Shell technician I spoke to this week said that there was nothing in the current Shell assortment that he would steer me to for this application.
 
ImpulseIII said:
CF-4AP not withstanding, what is the downside to using the newly formulated Rotela T1?.....
Click to expand...

Frank:

I used the CF-2 Rotella T-30 at the end of last season. I used that oil only after the Shell representative sent me the email that I posted above. He stated that Shell did not the change the oil.....they only changed the letters on the back of the jug because the CF-4 spec went 'bye-bye'.

I just bought my oil sample kits yesterday. I plan to take the samples and send them out this weekend. These samples will be from using the Shell CF-2 oil. I'll let you know more when I get the results back.

If the results are more than a little off from the previous years of sampling....I'm buying the CAT SAEO. At Toms River Ransome CAT, the SAEO is $23.98/gal compared to the Rotella T-30 (CF-2) at $14.99/gal. ~14 gallons at the $8.99 difference is ~$125 EXTRA for the oil change....small potatoes in the grand scheme of things.


On a side note, I also purchased my oil filters in anticipation of changing my oil in a few weeks. I had been using the CAT filter part # 116-9924. That part number has been discontinued. The new filter number is part # 324-2598. I don't know what, if any, the differences are.
 
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Dom, Been using T-30 myself and I just wonder what potential harm can be done with what appears to be the same formula. Maybe I should replace the Cat's with gassers so I can be like Rick.
 
Four Suns said:
At least he doesn't have to change the oil.
Click to expand...

Here we are......A bunch of serious CAT guys talking serious stuff about CAT motors....and then bammm.....Who let the Cummins guys in?

catparking.jpg


Salvage3.jpg
 
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