Honda VTX 1300 / VTX 1800 Motorcycles Forum banner

Engine Oil to VTX

8.1K views 38 replies 18 participants last post by  sandw500  
#1 ·
Will Castrol Actevo x-TRA4T SAE 10W-40 work in my 1300c?? Or does anyone have better Oil??
 
#2 ·
i use the shell rotella full synthetic in the blue jug. can't say i've heard of that you listed, but then again i never look at the castrol oils. not that they're not good, they are, i just use rotella in all my vehicles.
 
#3 ·
that's shell rotella t 5w-40 full synthetic. sorry, i left out the oil weight....lol
i also use the napa gold brand (made by wix) oil filter. number is my shop, i'll get it on here for you later, but i'm sure someone else uses that filter too that may know the number for by heart...
 
#6 ·
The Castrol 10W40 should be fine. Just look on the bottle and make sure it doesn't say energy conserving, which you will normally find on 10W30 oils. I'm running Castrol 10W40 synthetic and am using a tough guard Fram ST6607 oil filter from wally world.

The st6607 is not a fram filter it is a super tech made by champion an it is twice the filter that fram would be.

Fram has some quality issues so I stay away from them.

the oil must not say enegery conserving, I looked at some castrol 10-40 and it was not good for the clutch so pay attention when you buy it.
 
#5 ·
I'd go with Rotella as well, but I would not use the blue jug if the engine has less than $4K miles and not broken in. If that's the case, I'd go with the white Rotella T jug.

I think the Castrol you have will work if it doesn't say energy conserving like Mike says, but it's synthetic which means I wouldn't use it on an engine that's not broken in.
 
#12 ·
A single wight oil, like 30w, will get thicker when the temperature goes down and thinner when the temp goes up. When the temperatures get to extremes the oil becomes decreasingly effective. Think of the oil at zero degrees, and again at over 100. This is all we had back when our engines were simpler and metals technology less developed, i.e. up into the 1960s.

A multi weight oil is a designed mix of oils that respond to the temperature changes. A 10w-40 oil will act like a 10 weight single oil at lower temps and like a 40 weight at higher temps. Sort of like the best of both worlds, it doesn't thicken up so much at the lower temps and it doesn't thin out at the higher.

Hope this helps. There is a thorough oil explanation at the VTXOA tech site.
 
#14 ·
but the w doesn't stand for weight according the sae guys, it stands for winter. that start the viscosity out at 0 degrees F to mimic cold weather for the flow of oil to crank the vehicle. the second number is the flow at 210 degrees F. oil has to be thin to go with start up but not too thin or it want lube the parts. that's why it's important to change oil as the oil break downs and causes too much friction tween the metal parts and well kaboom no more running the engine.
 
#16 ·
Doesn't matter to me what brand of filter you use, but the correct part number for the Fram filter that I know will work on your bike is the TG6607.
Ride Safe
:choppersm
 
#19 ·
So I take it most folks are running either 10W40 or 15W40 in their 1300's? Honda spec's a 10W30?? Waaaaa???



2T2
from 2003 to 2006 or 07 it was recomended 10/40

I just got wind of the 10/30 about a month ago when someone posted that there was a add in page in their book.
 
#20 ·
Save your money and get either Shell Synthetic Rotella 5w40 or Mobil 1 5w40 Turbo Diesel Truck Oil (Its synthetic too) (Same as Mobils Delvac 1). Both of those can be had for $20 or less at your local wallyworld...and work better than most other oils out there...
I used to spend the money on Mobil MX4T oil, at $9/qt. No more. I use Mobil the 5w40 TDTO now.
 
#23 ·
+1 on saving some money. I'll give Shell Synthetic Rotella 5w40 or Mobil 1 5w40 Turbo Diesel Truck Oil a try on my next oil change. However, I'll probably stick with the Fram TG6607 made by Champion.
there's a thread on here about oil filters. seriously mike i would look up the thread and get the numbers for the napa gold or wix oil filter for the 1800. they're good quality oil filters. i use the napa gold or wix (wix makes napa's filters) on everything i own.
 
#25 ·
Why go with the Fram when it's clearly not recommended?

http://motorcycleinfo.calsci.com/FilterXRef.html
Thanks. Did not know about this link. Looks like I will switching to one of these recommended filters:

Purolator Pure One PL14610, about $6.
Mobil 1 M1-110, about $10. Made by Champion.
Bosch 3323, about $6. Made By Champion.
WalMart SuperTech ST7317, about $2. Made by Champion.

Interesting to see that a $2 filter is recommended.
 
#27 ·
You guys/gals would probably be very surprised if you were to go out, buy a brand new filter of each brand, and cut it in half. I work closely with the quality control engineer at a local filter plant. This particular plant produces filters for 4 different companies. What happens is each company (Honda, Baush, fram, wix, donaldson, etc) has their own design that this plant will produce for them. Some of the companies are so damn similar that if you were to compare them side by side, you couldnt tell them apart. But.. testing the filters definitely sets them apart. Each company uses a different media type, a different inner core, and different (inside)end caps, each still claiming that theirs is the best. the FRAM filter/WalMart filter is by far the worst performers of All brands that we test. In fact, Donaldson filters and CAT filters are superior in quality checks. I have the dealers use Honda replacement filters on my bike due to what I've personally seen and the simple fact that CAT doesnt make a filter that fits motorcycles(bad joke). Not trying to make a personal matter out of this, but a factual matter. Here is a web link that better explains what I am trying to ramble out.
http://www.ntpog.org/reviews/filters/filters.shtml
 
#28 ·
You guys/gals would probably be very surprised if you were to go out, buy a brand new filter of each brand, and cut it in half. I work closely with the quality control engineer at a local filter plant. This particular plant produces filters for 4 different companies. What happens is each company (Honda, Baush, fram, wix, donaldson, etc) has their own design that this plant will produce for them. Some of the companies are so damn similar that if you were to compare them side by side, you couldnt tell them apart. But.. testing the filters definitely sets them apart. Each company uses a different media type, a different inner core, and different (inside)end caps, each still claiming that theirs is the best. the FRAM filter/WalMart filter is by far the worst performers of All brands that we test. In fact, Donaldson filters and CAT filters are superior in quality checks. I have the dealers use Honda replacement filters on my bike due to what I've personally seen and the simple fact that CAT doesnt make a filter that fits motorcycles(bad joke). Not trying to make a personal matter out of this, but a factual matter. Here is a web link that better explains what I am trying to ramble out.
http://www.ntpog.org/reviews/filters/filters.shtml
people also think john deere makes their own oil and doesn't realize it's citgo in a john deere jug. there's only a few manufactures of oil, gasoline, diesel, and so on. i haul gas, diesel, kerosene, motor oil, jet fuel,propane,butane. it all comes from the same tank. the the difference in gas isn't the name of it (bp,citgo,exxon,non-branded gases,etc) it's the small button you push while loading that injects the additive to the gas. outside of that, it all comes out of several holding tanks in one huge yard that's piped in from the same old refining plants. i would dare not say who makes the oil for some of the more popular or off branded oils. but, i'll stick with wix/napa gold and full synthetic shell rotella (blue jug). interesting post though
 
#30 ·
Ok I see a lot of remarks on oil.... what is the deal that graphite oil will mess with the clutch and what oil does not have graphite? "Synthetic"... thanks...

2006 1800 C-3
in the circle that gives the spec codes it must not say energy conserving plain and simple.
 
#31 ·
You guys really should spend some time on www.bobistheoilguy.com you will learn a thing or two about oil...and some about filters too.

And no, Deere doesnt make their own oil, but they do spec the additive package. They also dont make their own batteries, but their Strongbox batteries were the first, and still one of the only ones (non AGM) that have the plates epoxied into the base to resist vibration...
My point in all that, besides the fact Im a Deere nut, is that regardless of who actually makes the part, it has to meet teh specs of whoevers name is on the box. So you can have two parts look identical, feel identical and be very different.
 
#33 ·
Intresting post... I'm curious to know if any of you running synthetic noticed an increase in gas milage? Also what about synthetic blend? I haven't seen any comments on that for the VTX's... I ask because I switched to Castrol synthetic blend in a S10 blazer I had and gas milage increased a mile or two per gallon. :hmm2:
 
#34 ·
Oil is heart meds for your bike... It keeps the motor clean and in great condition... no clogging and gumming up the works... It is a stress manager also; it carries the loads under extreme conditions... So it also keeps you on the go longer, less friction less energy used.... Just a few little slicks..... The better the oil the better your equipment life...