Caterpillar 3116/3126 engine oil availability

[fwebster]

Frank

What would you recommended for Long island New York. 10-30 or 10-40 (Neither…..I don't know what 10-30 or 10-40 is)
I usually stay in till beginning of November??

thanks

This is from my previous post:

"I asked my Caterpillar dealer what to use and he admitted they cannot even get SAEO any longer and recommened Mobil Delvac 1630 (SAE-30) or 1640 (SAE-40) if you want to stay with single viscosity oil or Cat DEO 15W-40 , Rotella T4 15W-40 or Delvac 1300 Super 15W-40.

We (the new owner is local and lives part of the year in Venice, Italy so I help him look after things when he is in Italy) are changing my boat to Caterpillar DEO-ULS 15W-40 this fall when it is time to service the engines, because it is the recommended oil and it is less expensive than commercial oils.

 

[Strecker25]

Who’s done a digital dash conversion? I think maybe Dave @dtfeld?

I have some fogging in a couple of the gauges so I’m considering a winter project. I’d only need voltage, coolant temp, oil pressure, gear oil temp, gear oil pressure. I have the aetnas for tach and boost/egt already covered. I would want this data on the N2K network as well

I emailed sbmar to see what they can do using their mechanical smx kit but I’m curious what others have done for these engines.

 

[dtfeld]

Who’s done a digital dash conversion? I think maybe Dave @dtfeld?

I have some fogging in a couple of the gauges so I’m considering a winter project. I’d only need voltage, coolant temp, oil pressure, gear oil temp, gear oil pressure. I have the aetnas for tach and boost/egt already covered. I would want this data on the N2K network as well

I emailed sbmar to see what they can do using their mechanical smx kit but I’m curious what others have done for these engines.

I used Chetco Digital. It’s a HUGE project!

Are you sure? It’s a slippery slope!

 

[Strecker25]

I used Chetco Digital. It’s a HUGE project!

Are you sure? It’s a slippery slope!

haha come on, you guys usually great at getting me to spend more money!

I’ll check them out. Thanks

 

[dtfeld]

haha come on, you guys usually great at getting me to spend more money!

I’ll check them out. Thanks

It's not the money...it's the learning curve!

@SKybolt...Orlando was the pioneer on the Chetco unit, but has since moved to Actisense.

 

[Skybolt]

Who’s done a digital dash conversion? I think maybe Dave @dtfeld?

I have some fogging in a couple of the gauges so I’m considering a winter project. I’d only need voltage, coolant temp, oil pressure, gear oil temp, gear oil pressure. I have the aetnas for tach and boost/egt already covered. I would want this data on the N2K network as well

I emailed sbmar to see what they can do using their mechanical smx kit but I’m curious what others have done for these engines.

In short I have tried everything out there for my two cycle Detroit's. I discuss this in this thread http://clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/actisense-emu-1-engine-converter-analog-to-digital.101609/ It is important to follow the first link to my original thread on THT as that explains what I went through in the earlier years. My boat is an 88' and my dash is completely digital as is the rest of the boat. Including remote monitoring via this thread: http://clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/remote-monitoring.102913/ There is another one on digital switching if that interests you.

But as you will read, this is NOT for the faint of heart thinking I'll just add this little box and I'm good. That isn't going to happen unless your engines are already partly digital. There is a very steep learning curve here, it's well worth it in the end and I highly recommend it. Good reading and good luck if you decide to go in that direction.

 

[Saverio]

This is from my previous post:

"I asked my Caterpillar dealer what to use and he admitted they cannot even get SAEO any longer and recommened Mobil Delvac 1630 (SAE-30) or 1640 (SAE-40) if you want to stay with single viscosity oil or Cat DEO 15W-40 , Rotella T4 15W-40 or Delvac 1300 Super 15W-40.

We (the new owner is local and lives part of the year in Venice, Italy so I help him look after things when he is in Italy) are changing my boat to Caterpillar DEO-ULS 15W-40 this fall when it is time to service the engines, because it is the recommended oil and it is less expensive than commercial oils.

Thanks
I always used t1-30
Ill switch over to the 15w-40 this fall

 

[Strecker25]

In short I have tried everything out there for my two cycle Detroit's. I discuss this in this thread http://clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/actisense-emu-1-engine-converter-analog-to-digital.101609/ It is important to follow the first link to my original thread on THT as that explains what I went through in the earlier years. My boat is an 88' and my dash is completely digital as is the rest of the boat. Including remote monitoring via this thread: http://clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/remote-monitoring.102913/ There is another one on digital switching if that interests you.

But as you will read, this is NOT for the faint of heart thinking I'll just add this little box and I'm good. That isn't going to happen unless your engines are already partly digital. There is a very steep learning curve here, it's well worth it in the end and I highly recommend it. Good reading and good luck if you decide to go in that direction.

thanks! I’ll do some reading. The engineer in me wants to tackle this but the practical boater says leave well enough alone and replace the foggy gauges.

but live data is so tempting

 

[ttmott]

This is from my previous post:

"I asked my Caterpillar dealer what to use and he admitted they cannot even get SAEO any longer and recommened Mobil Delvac 1630 (SAE-30) or 1640 (SAE-40) if you want to stay with single viscosity oil or Cat DEO 15W-40 , Rotella T4 15W-40 or Delvac 1300 Super 15W-40.

We (the new owner is local and lives part of the year in Venice, Italy so I help him look after things when he is in Italy) are changing my boat to Caterpillar DEO-ULS 15W-40 this fall when it is time to service the engines, because it is the recommended oil and it is less expensive than commercial oils.

Hi Frank
What changed to prevent aftercooler gumming going to the multi-visc?
Tom

 

[dtfeld]

thanks! I’ll do some reading. The engineer in me wants to tackle this but the practical boater says leave well enough alone and replace the foggy gauges.

but live data is so tempting

Also Tom has done a huge anount with this topic as well. Look for postings from @ttmott

 

[douglee25]

Hi Frank
What changed to prevent aftercooler gumming going to the multi-visc?
Tom

Likely nothing or possibly a slight detergent reformulation over time. I don't know that I believed that bulletin 100%. In one sentence they stated used 'approved' fluids which could be multi-visocity. The next sentence they advocated non-detergent 30W. And yet a huge number of engines in the market utilized mult-viscosicity oils at the time. I know CAT didn't use a closed crankcase ventilation system and that likely contributed to the film build up by being reintroduced into the combustion chamber.

 

[Strecker25]

Likely nothing or possibly a slight detergent reformulation over time. I don't know that I believed that bulletin 100%. In one sentence they stated used 'approved' fluids which could be multi-visocity. The next sentence they advocated non-detergent 30W. And yet a huge number of engines in the market utilized mult-viscosicity oils at the time. I know CAT didn't use a closed crankcase ventilation system and that likely contributed to the film build up by being reintroduced into the combustion chamber.

im planning on sticking with straight 30 either rotella or Mobil 1. I’m with you on the bulletin

 

[fwebster]

Hi Frank
What changed to prevent aftercooler gumming going to the multi-visc?
Tom

Hey Tom,

The guys in the SOS lab at the Cat dealer in Nashville (services 45 stores) say that the additive package in multiviscosity diesel oils has been substantially improved by the oil companies, to the extent that Caterpillar is not finding fouling in 3100 series aftercolers now like they used to.

Frank

 

[The Bill Collector]

Hey Tom,

The guys in the SOS lab at the Cat dealer in Nashville (services 45 stores) say that the additive package in multiviscosity diesel oils has been substantially improved by the oil companies, to the extent that Caterpillar is not finding fouling in 3100 series aftercolers now like they used to.

Frank

Frank, what would be the advantage of using a multi-viscosity oil over a straight-weight oil ? Easier at start-up ?

 

[Skybolt]

thanks! I’ll do some reading. The engineer in me wants to tackle this but the practical boater says leave well enough alone and replace the foggy gauges.

but live data is so tempting

If your an Engineer then this is a must do project. Period.

 

[fwebster]

Frank, what would be the advantage of using a multi-viscosity oil over a straight-weight oil ? Easier at start-up ?

If you are using single viscosity SAE-30, easier starting in cold weather, better engine lubrication in hot weather and the additive package in multiviscosity oil is supposed to be more universal in foaming and anticorrosive properties.

That said, my 3116's had nothing but Rotella T1 SAE-40 in them for the last 26 years and the last oil sample was as close to text book perfect as it could be. The aftercoolers were cleaned at 1575 hours and there was nothing but an oily film in them. Cleaning them was just soaking them overnight in a solvent…..the Cat shop didn't even need to vat them. However, to complete the picture, all of my fuel since 1999 fuel was treated with Power Service Diesel Kleen, a Quality Biocide (lately Biobor JF) and Stanadyne Lubricity Additive.

The 2-3 posts I have done on Oil for Cat engines were to make CSR folks aware of that Cat discontinued SAEO and has changed their fluids recommendation for Cat 3100 series engines. Based on my results with Rotella T1 SAE-40 I can't get too excited about changing oil except for 1 thing: Caterpillar now requires API CK-4 rating for lube oil in 3100 seriess engines nd single viscosity Rotella is only rated CF, CF-2.

Frank

 

[Maybe A Dancer]

Back in my 1980's MACK TRUCK days manufacturers consistently upgraded the mil spec requirements for lubricants, in tandem with the big oil companies.

Mack EO-J was superseded by Mack EO-K and so on.

In every case, the newest version was always better that the one it replaced in terms of long term TBN, suspension of metals, etc.

IMHO, and with no data to back it up, i would suppose that today's single weight Shell Rotella, or Mobil products have advanced significantly over what was available 25+ years ago when the 3100 series engines were first developed and engineered.

It is most unfortunate that CAT has discontinued it's single vis oil, but IMHO (again, opinions are like x$$h****) in my own tropical climate I feel more comfortable with the Rotella straight 40 weight than any multi vis oil.

YOUR RESULTS MAY VARY

BEST !

RWS