Oil weight for a D-4

Where are you and the tractor located and what temps will you be operating in?

I think most folks are using a multi weight diesel engine oil. Rotella, Delo etc......I think it is more important to use the older spec motor oils than the old spec gear lubes because of the low zinc additive levels affecting flat tappet cams. I believe all the later GL are compatable with the brass found in some parts of the transmission and final drives. Emissions requirements have not affected the additive package for those like it has the engine oils. The motor oils may have better additive packages than they were a few years ago when the low zinc requirements first came onto the scene.

Where are you and the tractor located and what temps will you be operating in?

I think most folks are using a multi weight diesel engine oil. Rotella, Delo etc......I think it is more important to use the older spec motor oils than the old spec gear lubes because of the low zinc additive levels affecting flat tappet cams. I believe all the later GL are compatable with the brass found in some parts of the transmission and final drives. Emissions requirements have not affected the additive package for those like it has the engine oils. The motor oils may have better additive packages than they were a few years ago when the low zinc requirements first came onto the scene.

[quote="ccjersey"]Where are you and the tractor located and what temps will you be operating in?

I think most folks are using a multi weight diesel engine oil. Rotella, Delo etc......I think it is more important to use the older spec motor oils than the old spec gear lubes because of the low zinc additive levels affecting flat tappet cams. I believe all the later GL are compatable with the brass found in some parts of the transmission and final drives. Emissions requirements have not affected the additive package for those like it has the engine oils. The motor oils may have better additive packages than they were a few years ago when the low zinc requirements first came onto the scene.[/quote]

I am at Ellis Kansas and the D-4 is mainly be operated during the summer months. We use diesel 5W-40 wt. oil in our other tractors but I wasn't sure if it was okay for the Cat. Will it work? The zinc issue has really turned into a problem for older equipment but they do make some additives now. As for the GL gear lubes I have read posts on a Jeep website that claimed GL4 and 5 gear lube is hard on bronze so that's why I wondered if I should use GL1 in the Cat gearbox

I'm not an advocate for multigrade engine oils in these old Cats. They were originally meant to run on straight 30wt oil with variations for temperature extremes. I find them to be happiest running as specified.

There is nothing in these old engines that requires low viscosity oil and I've found that doing so just drives up the oil consumption and on well worn units lowers the oil pressure.

40 weight today is equivalent to 30 weight of old.

Hi drujinin,
Would you have any viscosity comparison info handy to support the 30wt/40wt comparison?


got a story,
I have an old Case 530CK hoe that I had been using current 30wt oil in. Ran out and substituted 10w-30 on next oil change. Oil pressure gauge would start out good at about 25-30 psi but drop like a rock as it warmed up. I know the engine is tired but pressure dropped near zero, went through the drill of checking oil pressure gauge, lines etc. and substituted one of the Cat "feel good" red/green oil pressure gauges, still near zero. Drained out the 10w-30 oil and replaced with 40wt. Now operating with the "feel good" gauge showing max green and I am feeling good that I don't have to rebuild another engine, at least for awhile.

Not handy, as I read so much and don't know(remember) right off the top of my head where I read it at.
I do vaguely remember it being a discussion on Oils and Multi verses Straight grades.
I'm thinking the "Lube" page over at Heavy Equipment website?

Hi Team,
at The Dealer we were told Cat specified multi-grade oils for Direct Injection Engines and Straight Grade Oils for Pre-combustion Chamber Engines.
We found the ONE exception was for the 3208 DI engines that were designed before the multi-grade technology was applied to their later engines. Our 3208 powered lift truck engine was scheduled for another rebuild to combat oil consumption.
I suggested they were using the wrong oil, maintainance countered with the multi-grade for DI engines.
I suggested that 3208-1100 series engines were around long before the later change to DI engines and that we should at least try the straight grade 30 wt Cat Special Application Engine Oil, suffice to say that the unit is still running now 10 years later with no apparent oil consumption.
Cheers,
Eddie B.

Hi edb,
Any chance you might have some specs comparing the old series 3 30wt
vs the new 40wt?

Or maybe just the specs on the old series 3, shouldn't be any problem finding them on the late stuff.