Engine oil check shows that oil viscosity is breaking down even when oil is changed at 4000 miles. Time to shorten intervals and go with full synthetic oil.:banghead:
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Engine oil check shows that oil viscosity is breaking down even when oil is changed at 4000 miles. Time to shorten intervals and go with full synthetic oil.:banghead:
BRP oil wont make it fully to 4,600 miles based on testing I have seen.
Amsoil gets there "almost" again based on testing.
Go 100% synth... I did and won't look back.
FYI, rumors are flying all over the place that the 1330 engine does not do well on Amsoil.... I sure wish someone would substantiate that rumor!
Bob
I am about to change my oil in the next day or two and 4400 miles on a crankcase of XPS Synthetic Blend. I am having it analyzed and will report. Am also changing to Mobil 1 10W-40 that I will change at same interval and will also have analyzed. Why? Curiosity and to gather data on different types and brands.
There are posts here on SL where people took oil from the Spyder and had it tested.... I am an anal person and have read almost every freakin post here about this subject. So as I said in my post "based on what I read here". As always you take anything like that with a grain of salt...
Alas I can tell you when I switched to Amsoil, my top end is quiet and stays that way till about 4K.
Bob
Thanks what would you use synthetic now or wait for moore miles?
I plan to use Castrol 100% synthetic... motorcycle racing 4T oil with a SL rating .. I order it from Amazon .. change oil & filter --- once a year
osm
Always like Castrol, thanks
Can you get the kit with full sythetic or can you buy the filter and o rings seperately? Other wise I wind up with 7 quarts of oil that I cannot use each time I buy the kit if change to full sythetic.
Thanks
Mine will be going in for its initial service at 2500. Will be switching to Rotella T6 full synthetic 5W40 which meets all the specs and I already use in many other things including my GT. After the first service, I will do my own oil changes. Will provide the dealer the oil for the first service.
Guys and girls, honestly after reading and commenting in several of the oil topics, I learned one thing. Run a proper spec oil and smile. Yes there is oil breakdown with use, some worse than others.
The reality check though is that there is a post on this site, and the owners did make comment that they rode their Spyder 100,000 miles and always used BRP oil. I am not insinuating or saying BRP has oil sorted out or BRP oil is best, simply, that a quality oil has been proven to meet the demands over time for one machine.
All the best in your choice, you may need to work harder to find a bad oil than to find a good oil. Some just last longer than others.
PK
Think I am going to the Mobil 1 4t oil on my next change. I would not go over 5,000 miles on on the BRP oil. Last oil change on mine at 4400 miles, lab said that it had sheared down to just below 20 weight.
Doc, I am not claiming the M1 is a magic potion nor witches brew. Simply I use M1 in the wifes Corolla, my 2010 Tacoma in the engine, automatic transmission, rear end and power steering, The KTM 250 has it in the gearbox, forks, and hydro clutch. I even use it in some of the bicycle forks.
So M1 does well for me.
As for the Spyder, I decided on M1 Racing 4t 10/40 a while back. Could have been Rottella but went M1. Simply here's why. I know the M1 is a 10/40 as opposed to the manual specified 5/40. (Cold weather flow is a non issue where I live). If the oil starts life slightly more viscous, it should run longer until the viscosity diminishes. I have no plans to go 9300 miles. Calender wise that would be too long for our machine. Plan is around 5k on the oil, unless the calender gets long from lack of use for the Spyder.
Along with this, I will replace the $15 oil filter each oil change.
Wil Amsoil work, will Rottella work, BRP oil works also. Even other oils like Castrol, Royal Purple, Valvoline any of them, provided the viscosity is proper or close AND THE BOTTLE IS NOT LABELED ENERGY CONSERVING OR SIMILAR WHICH CONTAINS MOLY IN ENOUGH CONTENT TO TAKE OUT THE CLUTCH. After reading about the machine that went 100k on BRP oil, it is pretty reasonable to consider the engine stress is fairly low, while the gearbox will destroy the oil. In the end, neither the gearbox nor engine is non for mechanical failures. As for wear, at our current rate, 100k will be 20 years from now. By then we may be tired of the color.
The above is in regards to the 2014 / 2015 1330 powered machines. I learned a while back during an oil topic that the earlier machines require an oil that meets less of a spec or the clutch will fail. Do some research and ensure the oil you choose is proper for your machine.
PK
I read some time ago the 998 se requires oil that is rated JASO MA-2
I get Castrol 4T semi synthetic 10/40 for less than $7 a qt. At the Wally World
If I'm correctly reading sources here on SL, BRP Care was interested enough in owner questions to clarify the correct amount and proper oil level checking on the 1330 engine. It would be great if they would chime in on this issue of the durability of the XPS semi-synthetic blend and its long term successful lubrication of the engine. Doc found his sheared down to 20 weight in 4K; what has BRP found in longer mileage analysis? If my analysis replicates Doc's I sure as hell am not going to stretch it because I don't have the hard data to be sure that it's OK to do so. That's why I'm also going to have the Mobil 1 4T analyzed. I want my Spyder to last as long as it possibly can or until I'm no longer able to safely ride it.
BRP Care: how about giving us some long term data on this issue!
From what I was reading on Motor Oil Evaluator website, and others, it's the viscosity improvers that shear, not the base oil molecules. Many so-called synthetic oils are actually blends including petroleum based oil and viscosity improvers and are in Group 3 oil classification. I believe the BRP oil is one. Full synthetic oils, which it looks like all the ones mentioned above are, are in Group 4, and have no viscosity improvers in them. They're not needed. So how does shearing affect full synthetic oils? Is it really an issue with Group 4 oils?
BRP engineers must know how their oil changes with time and mileage, and that knowledge surely is factored into the design. The BRP rep at Spyderfest would not discuss anything at all in that regard. His response was on the order of, "Use our oil and change per our specs and you'll be OK. I can't talk about any other oil except what we know works. Ours." It's all close hold information. So if BRP oil will keep a Rotax engine healthy when changed according to their specs, what viscosity oil is really necessary to keep a Rotax running? I'm thinking that one could possibly run straight 20 weight, or maybe even only 10 weight, oil that doesn't doesn't lose viscosity the entire life of the engine and not have a problem. Just because their 10W40 oil shears down to 20 it may not be a problem at all.
If that's the case then we should be able to run a full synthetic far longer than 9300 miles.
Wanted to add a bit more to this topic. I recently did our oil change at 4 k miles. The machine is the 14 RTs with a 1330. I ran break in oil as what came in it until 2500 miles and the gearbox was clunky and notchy plus the engine was a bit noisy / rattley. AT 2500, I did an oil and filter change, used BRP kit with the blended oil. Almost immediately the engine quieted down and the gearbox became smoother.
The most recent change earlier this month had me again do an oil and filter change. Used the BRP filter and this time the Mobil 1 motorcycle oil in 10/40. Initially I expected awesome results. Well the engine was better, and the gearbox was better also. Similar to the first oil change.
However, now with about 100 miles on the M1, I do notice with the engine warmed up, the gearbox is much nicer and the clutch is smooth. The shift into reverse so far has been soft without a major "Clunk". While difficult to really feel or tell, even the engine noise seems less.
What does it mean, absolutely nothing. Merely I seem to believe that when warmed up, this oil is smoother than the BRP blended. In defense of the BRP oil, I have no idea what spec or viscosity it is. The M1 is 10/40.
When the test are in and M1 shows crazy amounts of breakdown, I'll accept that and go forward if it happens.
PK