Diesel oil in VT ecotec

[avanti_rider]

Hi guys, can't quite find what i am looking for on this site or any others. I have a 20L drum of castrol GTX diesel oil in the shed, and was wondering if it would be safe for to use in the VT? I have previously used it in a CBR (moto) but unsure about it in the car due to the high km's (268k)

Anyone used diesel in their cars and can shed some light on the matter?
Cheers Guys

[mayes]

i wouldnt want to...

[feet eatin chickens]

it will run.. diesel oil is just like petrol oil except it has more detergents in it.. because of the carbon diesel produces.. nulon makes a line of oil which is good for both..

[fuzzy2308]

it wil be ok but i wouldnt do it long term.

[Blown V6 Hatch]

It'll be fine mate. If anything it will clean out the engine a bit, won't do any harm at all.

[Lumps of cheese]

I've used mobil delvac diesel oil in petrols for years. As above, it won't hurt it.

[shifty6]

so why do they bother making petrol oils and diesel oils?
why not just only make diesel oil and call it "oil".

[acarmody]

Because then they can't charge you more.

[avanti_rider]

Juzo, thanks for your reply. Have you used the delvac on a high mileage motor? or just your VZ??

[wortus]

I had the same question except with Valvolene Super Diesel Plus Oil. I contacted Valvolene and they said that particular oil was only suitable in an Ecotec if it was run on LPG and while technically suitable it was not recommended to run it in an Ecotec that ran on petrol because there was too much detergent in the oil.
I'd suggest you call or e-mail the relevent oil company for their advice as some diesel engine oils would be suitable while others may not, it depends on their intended use for example a diesel truck motor or a small diesel car engine I think the oils have different characteristics.
Too much detergent in the oil will disolve all the carbon that is around your rings and on a high milage engine that may be a problem.
If I had an engine that had not had an oil change for a long time and/or was full of sludge I'd probably use is for a few days to clean it out but unless the relevent manufacturer said it was OK to leave in there for a normal interval.

[DavoVP]

If ya wanna clean it out just get some homebrand oil, Half fill it, add some kerosean ( 2-3 cups ) run at an idle for 10 mins, dump, flush with cheap oil fill with good and all done.

Or just run some diesel oil. Wont hurt it at all mate.

[moose man]

I'm with wortus. It's a great oil in it's own right, but your engine will probably blow smoke or leak oil a while after using it.

Strong detergents/solvents wash away the carbon that helps create a seal in good tight engine components. You might even be lucky enough to lose some compression. High Km motor will have heaps of carbon buildup. Diesel oil will only hasten it's need for a rebuild.

I wouldn't touch it.

[vxcalais_01]

I use Delvac and currently on Delo 400. Diesel spec mixed fleet oils are safe as long as they carry a S rating, preferably a SL rating. So a CI4/SL is rated for C (Compression Diesel) and S (Spark engines Petrol). When the oil does not carry a S rating, it should not be used in a petrol car as the Zinc/phosphorous is too high and can damage the cat if the engine burns a lil oil. It may also have a too high sulphated ash level which is no good. When an oil has a C and a S rating, its not a diesel oil with petrol capabilities, its actually a mixed fleet all round oil designed for both. THey just tend to be marketed more on the diesel side.

[vxcalais_01]

so why do they bother making petrol oils and diesel oils?
why not just only make diesel oil and call it "oil".

Because Diesel engines require more detergents and anti wear additives due to the way diesel fuel burns compared to petrol. Its a much more dirtier process. More soot and contaminants get into the oil so the oil needs to be more robust to handle the harder conditions. This gives is some real benefits in a hard worked petrol car. Many petrol specific oils have lowered the zinc levels in the oil, which some believe may not be good once you start modding the cam, high ratio rockers,performance etc. So a diesel spec oil is a good compromise for a robust oil. Use the castrol up then go to a better one like Delo 400 or Mobil Delvac MX. You dont wany anything less that SL/CI-4,4+.

Another point to note is that Zinc is not the be all end all, there is Moly, Esters and Boron that can be used to replace the Zinc taken out. All to do with emissions and damage to the cat convertor.