Your thoughts on this article everyone?
https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/51/soot-oil-engine
Thanks for the additional insight!The Amsoil can't be FA-4 certified either way as the HTHS viscosity is not in the range of an FA-4 oil at 3.5, it is thus a CK-4 oil at heart. The HTHS viscosity is what the difference is between FA-4 and CK-4, not the standard viscosity range. A higher HTHS leads to a high film strength on components, which of course comes with a slight fuel economy cost. The mobil I'd say is a better option than the motorcraft, as the HTHS is at the high end of the FA-4 Spectrum, but I still would go with a CK-4 if you do any towing, or operate in extreme temperatures.
Yes definitely 0W40, anything that meets WSS-M2C171-F1 Spec, lots of options there. The mobil 1 euro you mentioned doesn't meet this spec however, phosphorous levels (anti-wear additive) are too low since it also has to meet gasoline spec...this stuff fouls gasoline cat's but not diesels. So i'd just make sure whatever you're using meets the above.So I live where it gets to minus 40.
I am due for first oil change in 2 months....
Should I go 0w40 ?
I will probably opt for Shell T6 0w-40.Yes definitely 0W40, anything that meets WSS-M2C171-F1 Spec, lots of options there. The mobil 1 euro you mentioned doesn't meet this spec however, phosphorous levels (anti-wear additive) are too low since it also has to meet gasoline spec...this stuff fouls gasoline cat's but not diesels. So i'd just make sure whatever you're using meets the above.
Literally the only difference between CK-4 and FA-4 is the HTHS viscosity. Everything else, aka, soot control, viscosity grade, emission system protection etc. is the exact same standard between the two. FA-4 has an HTHS of 2.9-3.2, whereas your CK-4 has a minimum HTHS of 3.5. HTHS is the high temperature high shear viscosity measured at 150 C, which is essentially a measurement of the oil film strength, and protection under high heat and tight spots (aka valves and piston rings). All that the "incompatibility" statement means is that if your engine calls for only CK-4 (or CJ-4 etc), FA-4 is not suitable, as it will not provide suitable protection (therefor not interchangeable). Engines designed for FA-4 can use the thin oil as the pumps and bearings are designed to handle this. That said, all diesel engine manufacturers that support FA-4 in their engines (that I have seen), also support/recommend CK-4 oils, so in that respect, they are interchangeable (however since the other way around is really bad, you can understand why they have to say that they aren't compatible). Detroit diesel for example now factory fills their engines with FA-4, however, you will find that most operators quickly move back to using CK-4 oils in their rigs, as they value protection over fuel economy. As a side not the C in CK-4, CJ-4, etc comes from "compression", and the F in FA-4 comes from "fuel economy". I use a 5W30 CK-4 in my truck, have done analyses, and everything looks great!Not according to the API web site. (API.org) FA-4 oil is not compatable with or interchangeable with the CJ-4 and CK-4 oils. These are are the ones who created the standard.
Yup, ZDDP (zinc dialkyl dithiophosphates) is an anti-wear additive. It's the phosphorous component that can foul catalytic converters.. although this only seems to be an issue with gasoline cat's and not diesel ones (different catalysts). The maximum amount allowed under the gasoline SN certification is 800 PPM Phosphorous. Many CK-4 oils limited the additive to that amount in order to achieve the SN certification as well (and increase their market share). Ford however saw increased wear in their diesels with the new oils, and thus pushed their own standard with a minimum of 1000 ppm, and deemed it WSS-M2C171-F1. That is why if using a CK-4, you'll want to have that certification on it. The motorcraft FA-4 however is limited to 800 PPM from what I've seen in oil analyses which begs me to question if the WSS-M2C171-F1 has a point in these trucks, or if any CK-4 will do. Definitely a conflicting message from ford on that. Regardless since higher ZDDP won't hurt a diesel, a little extra in theory is better, so I will stick to oils with that spec. Also important to note is that less ZDDP can also be made up with other additives, like molybdenum and boron, however from what i've seen this also seems to be lacking in the motorcraft FA-4 oil.The issue may have to do with how much Zinc is in the oil. The EPA wants the Zinc removed so your Cat lasts longer. Older engines like the pre 2019 Cummins required zinc in the oil to protect the flat tapper cam. Only exception that I know of is in the EMD diesels that use silver lined main bearings. The zinc will damage them. The oil with zinc should not hurt the 3 ltr engine but can damage the exhaust after treatment system.