Mobil1 full synthetic automotive oil..will my clutch be okay?

[Kevcules]

Agreed about the JASO MA wet clutch test. But the mark is missed about SN and SP rated oils because oil in those API rating will have massive amounts of additives that make them resource conserving. I am running into this problem now trying to find conventional oil for my car and lawn mower and I can't find it. 225 K miles on my Toyota using Pennzoil yellow bottle conventional oil now they don't make it any more. According to an oil forum in order to meet the governments new fuel mileage goals oil had to change so that's why only GF 6A and API SP will be sold. A synthetic with a ton of addtives in them. Like I posted earlier I've been following the development of this new rated oil and I promise you a motorcycle wet clutch was not given a thought. These new oils were developed especially for cars.

They still sell it locally here.(Canada) Are you saying they don't manufacture regular petroleum Pennzoil anymore?
I haven't used regular petroleum oil in the last 15 years or so. The synthetic Pennzoil and Mobil 1 come on sale routinely and I can get between a 4.75L and 5L jug for $29.99. (That's about $10 US. )

No ones engine is going to notice a difference between 10W30 VS 10W40. The 40W oil will just protect the engine at a higher temperature in the rare case of an overheating situation. Some people I know use 20W50 with no issues when their bikes call for 10W40. The Jason MA rating is important for out wet clutch situation.

I own three Toyotas and have always used synthetic oil. I know many people who run regular oil and their Toyota engines last an amazingly long time. Those engines seem bulletproof!

Kevin

 

[red one]

They still sell it locally here.(Canada) Are you saying they don't manufacture regular petroleum Pennzoil anymore?
I haven't used regular petroleum oil in the last 15 years or so. The synthetic Pennzoil and Mobil 1 come on sale routinely and I can get between a 4.75L and 5L jug for $29.99. (That's about $10 US. )

No ones engine is going to notice a difference between 10W30 VS 10W40. The 40W oil will just protect the engine at a higher temperature in the rare case of an overheating situation. Some people I know use 20W50 with no issues when their bikes call for 10W40. The Jason MA rating is important for out wet clutch situation.

I own three Toyotas and have always used synthetic oil. I know many people who run regular oil and their Toyota engines last an amazingly long time. Those engines seem bulletproof!

Kevin

Most all conventional oils will be a thing of the past. Pennzoil and most major and not so major oil companies are switching to a synthetic blend to replace conventional. Seems that conventional can't meet the new standards anymore. I don't know I will probably use Pennzoils synthetic blend and see what happens.

 

[Igofar]

I wouldn't use an oil that didn't have "meets or exceeds JASO MA" on the labeling. The viscosity of this particular 10w40 is fine. The ST1300 service manual lists 10w40 as acceptable but it's the compatibility of wet clutch use that's in question.

That is what label icon certifies the oil is compatible and safe to use with a wet clutch:

Funny you mention API certifications in the next post....you mean the little round API emblem that your Honda (re-branded oil) does not have?
Honda only has their silly little square stating that it conforms to Honda's Requirements for Motorcycle lubricants.
As far as the OP's question, No, I wouldn't trust it for the reasons Dave pointed out here.

 

[Igofar]

Most all conventional oils will be a thing of the past. Pennzoil and most major and not so major oil companies are switching to a synthetic blend to replace conventional. Seems that conventional can't meet the new standards anymore. I don't know I will probably use Pennzoils synthetic blend and see what happens.

Or is it just a marketing ploy, that they can put a cap full of synthetic oil in the gallon jug and call it blended, and charge you more money for it?
Ever notice that NONE of the oil companies will list what their blends are?

 

[rwthomas1]

All the oil BS is hyperbole. Make sure you use an oil that meets the specifications required, period. I use what I use because its readily available, almost anywhere. And I've never heard of, or seen an engine fail from an oil related problem provided the above criteria have been met and the oil changed at the recommended intervals. Do I think that a name brand full synthetic is better? Yes, I do. But only if I'm planning on pushing the OCI past recommended. RT

 

[Al st1100]

Agreed about the JASO MA wet clutch test. But the mark is missed about SN and SP rated oils because oil in those API rating will have massive amounts of additives that make them resource conserving. I am running into this problem now trying to find conventional oil for my car and lawn mower and I can't find it. 225 K miles on my Toyota using Pennzoil yellow bottle conventional oil now they don't make it any more. According to an oil forum in order to meet the governments new fuel mileage goals oil had to change so that's why only GF 6A and API SP will be sold. A synthetic with a ton of addtives in them. Like I posted earlier I've been following the development of this new rated oil and I promise you a motorcycle wet clutch was not given a thought. These new oils were developed especially for cars.

oil additives have been changed for various reasons but much of that is due to the fact that many of the additives were harmful to the catalytic converters, mostly zinc. Diesel oils have hi amounts of zinc see https://www.hyperlube.com/blog/engine/the-effects-of-zinc-oil-additives-on-older-engines/

 

[Al st1100]

Or is it just a marketing ploy, that they can put a cap full of synthetic oil in the gallon jug and call it blended, and charge you more money for it?
Ever notice that NONE of the oil companies will list what their blends are?

everyone knows its 2 caps

 

[ad.hom]

It's Spring... so, my answer is... "about another 9 pages."

 

[st11ray]

Most all conventional oils will be a thing of the past. Pennzoil and most major and not so major oil companies are switching to a synthetic blend to replace conventional. Seems that conventional can't meet the new standards anymore. I don't know I will probably use Pennzoils synthetic blend and see what happens.

Pennzoil is Shell. I use the Pennzoil Pure Plus in all of my cars. The base is made from natural gas so it starts out cleaner to begin with. I used to use Shell Rotella T6 in the ST but have switched to the Shell Advance Ultra.

 

[Upt' North]

It's Spring... so, my answer is... "about another 9 pages."

It's only funny because you are so right. Although I've just got some beers in so I'm good to go.
Now I'd use................ .
Upt'North.
As an aside gentleman I think it was the well known Mr. Heath of this parish that has previously stated in a very categorical way that the the 30 and 40 numbers of the oil make a heck of a difference. But does anyone really care.
I need more beer.....

 

[MaxPete]

I would rather have my head stapled to the floor than participate in an oil thread.

...but, I will wade-in if only to once again, try to contribute to the spread of correct information. In my opinion, the 10W30 "full synthetic" pictured in the original post is NOT suitable for an ST1300 - for just one reason - which has been cited by several other people:

• the Honda owner's manual calls for 10W40 engine oil not 10W30.

Thus, the oil in the photo has too low a viscosity or in layman's terms, it is too "thin". The fact that the oil is synthetic is completely irrelevant. You can purchase synthetic engine oil for motorcycles from many manufacturers including bike OEMs (including for example, Harley-Davidson).

The issue is the viscosity of the oil - not the origin of it - plus other characteristics which are similarly not related to the origin or viscosity of the oil. As far as I am aware, virtually all motorcycles require 10W40 viscosity oil except some larger v-twins which use 20W50 oil and some bikes which can also use 20W50 oil at higher ambient temperatures (such as occur in the summer). My old 1970s Yamaha XS650s can use the "thicker" 20W50 during the hot summer months for example.

The real concern for bikes are engine oils that are marked with an API service label that reads "Energy Conserving" or "Resource Conserving" (or any variation on those terms). By the way API stands for American Petroleum Institute - which is a widely respected industry body that studies the performance of engine fuels and oils and certifies them based on proper and rigorous testing not urban legends and old wives tales.

Oils that carry that energy conserving label (see the example in the photo below) have earned it by virtue of inclusion of a special friction-reducing additive package that interferes with the operation of wet multiplate clutches, which nearly all modern motorcycles use, and it normally makes them slip.



NOTE: an energy conserving oil will not hurt your engine - but your clutch will not work properly and disassembly and cleaning or replacement of the clutch plates may be required to get it going again.

Unfortunately, while replacing the clutch plates is not a huge job on most bikes, on an ST1300, it is not a roadside repair - but it will not do permanent harm to the engine or transmission of the bike.

 

[dwalby]

The real concern for bikes are engine oils that are marked with an API service label that reads "Energy Conserving" or "Resource Conserving" (or any variation on those terms).

NOTE: an energy conserving oil will not hurt your engine - but your clutch will not work properly and disassembly and cleaning or replacement of the clutch plates may be required to get it going again.

yeah, that's what I thought, but when I asked confirmation on that earlier I got a 1-word answer "no" from Al st1100, with no further explanation. the reason I asked is I don't see either of those wordings on the oil in question that the OP was asking about.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

I agree its not something I'd use in a motorcycle, because of the 10W-30 weight range being too narrow, but I noticed that it doesn't have the "energy conserving" part on the API label. That was typically the determining factor on whether an oil was acceptable for wet clutches, wasn't it?

Due to changes made several years ago regarding approved oil container labeling, oil containers are no longer required to state that the contents are energy/resource conserving formulas even if the oil in the container meets those requirements. The lack of that statement no longer indicates that the oil is safe for use with a wet clutch. The only labeling that provides any assurance at all in that regard now is the JASO MA certification. If an oil states that it meets JASO MA requirements but does not have the JASO MA approval is a leap of faith up to the purchaser and their confidence in the honesty of that particular oil company.

the Honda owner's manual calls for 10W40 engine oil not 10W30.

As far as I am aware, virtually all motorcycles require 10W40 oil except some larger v-twins which use 20W50 oil and some bikes which can also use 20W50 oil at higher ambient temperatures (such as occur in the summer).

I think that it might depend on what year manual you are looking at.
The owner's manual for the 2010 ST1300 specifically lists 10W30 as the primary weight oil recommended.
"API Service Classification SG or higher except oils labeled as energy conserving on the circular API service label, SAE 10W-30, JASO T 903 standard MA, Pro Honda GN4 4-stroke oil or equivalent".

Earler year ST1300 manuals called for 10W40 but that changed. Going by memory only, so definitely not to be taken as gospel, I believe it was around 2007 that Honda started switching to recommending 10W30 for most of their motorcycles.

 

[caldercay]

The way I read that chart (in the manual) is,
"At about 12-13°C / 57-58°F ambient and above, use10w-40; otherwise 10w30 at lower ambient temps".

 

[Andrew Shadow]

The way I read that chart (in the manual) is,
"At about 12-13°C / 57-58°F ambient and above, use10w-40; otherwise 10w30 at lower ambient temps".

An excellent example of why I dislike it when technical information is listed like this. Years ago there would have been two arrows, one for the 10W30 and one for the 10W40 so that there was no room for interpretation even if the temperature ranges overlapped.

When I read my manual it clearly lists 10W30 as the primary recommendation. In conjunction with that, I read that chart to say that 10W30 or 10W40 is acceptable at any temperature from -10 deg. C and above because there is no delineation between the two.

 

[minhtri2002]

Wait a minite guys. The oil that owner said was for cars only. Motor oil on the bottle it doesn't mean for motorcycle. You have to buy mobil 1 motorcycle 10W-40 full synthetic (picture below). Be careful!

 

[rwthomas1]

If an oil states that it meets JASO MA requirements but does not have the JASO MA approval is a leap of faith up to the purchaser and their confidence in the honesty of that particular oil company.

I can guarantee that if the oil manufacturer states that it meets the JASO standards that it does. There is no leap of faith. There is no way, zip, zilch and nada, that the oil manufacturer legal dept. would ever allow otherwise.

RT

 

[MaxPete]

....and this is why I normally avoid these threads.......

 

[dduelin]

I would rather have my head stapled to the floor than participate in an oil thread.

...but, I will wade-in if only to once again, try to contribute to the spread of correct information. In my opinion, the 10W30 "full synthetic" pictured in the original post is NOT suitable for an ST1300 - for just one reason - which has been cited by several other people:

• the Honda owner's manual calls for 10W40 engine oil not 10W30.

Thus, the oil in the photo has too low a viscosity or in layman's terms, it is too "thin". The fact that the oil is synthetic is completely irrelevant. You can purchase synthetic engine oil for motorcycles from many manufacturers including bike OEMs (including for example, Harley-Davidson).

The issue is the viscosity of the oil - not the origin of it - plus other characteristics which are similarly not related to the origin or viscosity of the oil. As far as I am aware, virtually all motorcycles require 10W40 viscosity oil except some larger v-twins which use 20W50 oil and some bikes which can also use 20W50 oil at higher ambient temperatures (such as occur in the summer). My old 1970s Yamaha XS650s can use the "thicker" 20W50 during the hot summer months for example.

The real concern for bikes are engine oils that are marked with an API service label that reads "Energy Conserving" or "Resource Conserving" (or any variation on those terms). By the way API stands for American Petroleum Institute - which is a widely respected industry body that studies the performance of engine fuels and oils and certifies them based on proper and rigorous testing not urban legends and old wives tales.

Oils that carry that energy conserving label (see the example in the photo below) have earned it by virtue of inclusion of a special friction-reducing additive package that interferes with the operation of wet multiplate clutches, which nearly all modern motorcycles use, and it normally makes them slip.



NOTE: an energy conserving oil will not hurt your engine - but your clutch will not work properly and disassembly and cleaning or replacement of the clutch plates may be required to get it going again.

Unfortunately, while replacing the clutch plates is not a huge job on most bikes, on an ST1300, it is not a roadside repair - but it will not do permanent harm to the engine or transmission of the bike.

Short reply. Honda has recommended 10w30 as primary viscosity recommendation for all liquid cooled street bikes since model year 2007. ALL as in ALL.

Longer reply. Honda engines were not made any different pre 2007 and after but Honda came to the conclusion after intensive study that liquid cooled engines running 10w40 ran higher oil temperatures in bearings and wear surfaces compared to 10w30. 10W40 is also acceptable in service manual recommendations but 10w30 runs cooler oil temps.

 

[dwalby]

Wait a minite guys. The oil that owner said was for cars only. Motor oil on the bottle it doesn't mean for motorcycle. You have to buy mobil 1 motorcycle 10W-40 full synthetic (picture below). Be careful!

motorcycle oils have additives specifically for motorcycle applications, but that doesn't mean you can't use regular car/truck oil in a motorcycle. I used motorcycle specific oils for decades, but lately I've been using regular Mobil1 or Rotella, like many others here.