What Oil for your 825i?

[MBDiagMan]

I hope this doesn't turn into a contentious oil thread like I see on other vehicle forums and that is certainly not my intention.

After looking in the manual, for my temperature range, I am going to use Mobil One Fully Synthetic 10W30.

Let the flames begin.:mad::BG:

Doc

[K-DOG]

Mobil is junk :hehe: I heard it turns into sludge after 100 miles :strpot: Peanut oil works the best. :bob:

seriously, I'd like to hear more on this topic. Doesn't JD recommend full synthetic if you don't use there oil?

[jakerator]

Hi Doc,
I'm certainly not an expert on this, but when I purchased my oil and filter for my 825 for the breakin change, my dealer suggested that I use the dino oil for at least a couple changes, for me that would be next year sometime. I changed my JD 2320 CUT to synthetic this fall, it only has 63 hours on it and now 4 oil changes since July, 2010. ( I used the JD 0-40), but I'm certainly not going to suggest that it is any better than anything else. My dealer also told me that it did not have to be a JD brand, as long as met the required API specs.
I would like to change to synthetic as soon as possible with the cold we have here, but I have gone without synthetic for a long time in my other engines, mind you they have block heaters whereas the Gator does not.
Jake

[osiris]

http://www.johndeeregatorforum.com/forum/showthread.php?12006-Oil-Change&highlight=change

[srb08]

Mobil one 10w-30, JD filter.

[pcbunn]

Why not just use the JD recommended oil? I use the fully synthetic 10-40 like they recommend.

[ratrod]

JD filter and oil.

[MBDiagMan]

Thanks for the link osiris and thanks to everyone for the comments.

Between my wife and I we drive about 60,000 miles a year, and we're both car enthusiasts so we buy cars more often than most. In recent years, we've gotten into some cars that even come with synthetic as the factory fill. Never use anything but synthetic in them and it's amazing how good modern engines are made and how long they last.

From these experiences and other reading, I've found that it no longer is necessary to run dino oil during the break in period. In fact I have done no research at all and have no clue, but it wouldn't surprise me if this little JD DOHC, 12 valve 3 cylinder came with a synthetic factory fill. Is the JD replacement oil synthetic?

I am an oil change maniac dating back to the sixties when engines and oil were QUITE primitive compared to what we have today. In those days, oil would sludge at the drop of a hat. In those days I changed oil often and drained it only when engine was hot and let it drain overnight to get out as much sludge as possible.

Todays engines and oils are light years ahead, but old habits die hard. I still do hot, often overnight oil drains and change it often.

Even the worst of the premium motor oils sold today are fabulous compared to the oils of the sixties and even seventies. It started getting much better in the eighties or maybe even late seventies.

I understand perfectly why many people feel that the OEM brand oil is best, but I've never used it. There are always many good aftermarket oil brands and types to choose from.

The Gator hit 7.0 hours last night and I'm armed and ready with oil and filter for the 8 hour break in oil change. I expect that JD did not pull the 8 hour number out of a hat, so I'll change it as close to 8 as I can.

Thanks again for the responses.:BG:

[MADDOG]

hold up on using mobil 1, I was told from my dealer not to use mobil 1...Mobil 1 lacks special additives ...however their is special additives in JD PLUS-50 II....its SAE 0W-40 full synthetic

[MADDOG]

I just bought the 825i a week ago and Im watching the hour meter as well...8 hours is the magic number to change the oil...Im putting in JD PLUS-50 ll ...SAE 0W-40...its full synthetic with the necessary additives needed for that motor

[jcummins]

855D here....does the 825i actually have in the manual an 8 hour initial change? I checked the 855D manual and it has 50 hours for first change and 200hr or annual after that.

[K-DOG]

855D here....does the 825i actually have in the manual an 8 hour initial change? I checked the 855D manual and it has 50 hours for first change and 200hr or annual after that.

First change at 8 hrs and every 100 or season after that.

[K-DOG]

This is from the tech manual.

Synthetic Lubricants
Synthetic lubricants may be used in John Deere equipment
if they meet the applicable performance requirements
(industry classification and/or military specification) as
shown in this manual.
The recommended air temperature limits and service or
lubricant change intervals should be maintained as shown
in the operator’s manual, unless otherwise stated on
lubricant label.
Avoid mixing different brands, grades, or types of oil. Oil
manufacturers blend additives in their oils to meet certain
specifications and performance requirements. Mixing
different oils can interfere with the proper functioning of
these additives and degrade lubricant performance.

[MBDiagMan]

Thanks Mad Dog, but are you talking about oil use for the 825i? The air cooled engines do require specific oil, but as I understand, this is not true with the liquid cooled engines. What model was your dealer referring to?

Thanks.

[MBDiagMan]

Yes, the 8 hour break in change is specifically for the FI gas engine. I expect your diesel is a COMPLETELY different ball game.

[MBDiagMan]

Thanks for the quote K-Dog (Lots of dogs on here:BG:)

I will reread my manual, but if memory serves me correctly, it basically gave a viscosity/temperature table and an SAE oil spec like SJ.

I think this being a liquid cooled engine is being confused, by some, with the oil requirements for the air cooled models. I will dig deeper and report back.

I have my 45th High School Reunion this weekend, so I'll be out of town most of the weekend. Might not finish my research until next week.

Thanks for all the information and pointing out the concerns.

[K-DOG]

More from the tech manual

Other oils may be used if above John Deere oils are not
available, provided they meet one of the following
specifications:
• SAE 5W-30 - API Service Classification SG or higher;
• SAE 10W-30 - API Service Classifications SG or higher
• SAE 30 - API Service Classification SC or higher.

1672

[jakerator]

jcummins, my JD 2320 compact tractor has the yanmar engine in it as well, my breakin oil change was @ 50 hours. My new eztrak z445 breakin was @ 8 hrs, so I guess that schedule is all relative to the type of engine in any particular machine.
Doc, have a great time at your reunion, and perhaps to make you feel a little warmer, it snowed a wee bit here last night. Still too early for here.

Jake

[MBDiagMan]

More from the tech manual

Other oils may be used if above John Deere oils are not
available, provided they meet one of the following
specifications:
• SAE 5W-30 - API Service Classification SG or higher;
• SAE 10W-30 - API Service Classifications SG or higher
• SAE 30 - API Service Classification SC or higher.

1672


Thanks K-DOG! Is this from the 825i manual? It looks like the same verbage I read before deciding on Mobil One. If it were air cooled I think that SG oil wouldn't have the required additives.

[MBDiagMan]

jcummins, my JD 2320 compact tractor has the yanmar engine in it as well, my breakin oil change was @ 50 hours. My new eztrak z445 breakin was @ 8 hrs, so I guess that schedule is all relative to the type of engine in any particular machine.
Doc, have a great time at your reunion, and perhaps to make you feel a little warmer, it snowed a wee bit here last night. Still too early for here.

Jake

We are a LONG way from snow here. If we get any at all, it will likely be January or February. We had none at all last year following a drought that made us look for moisture any way we could get it.

My Reunion should be fun. There will be two guys there who I was very close friends with and haven't seen for about 35 years.

[jakerator]

Last winter,.. for me anyway, will take that one again any time. It was the mildest on record for over 80 years. We had more snow in a late spring storm than we had all winter. I'm not a meteorologist, but I hear it had to do with a positive North Atlantic and Arctic ocean oscillation ??? That kept everyone including the far north very mild. And yes, I heard about the drought in Texas, because holly was very hard to come by last Christmas.
I read on another thread that you ordered yourself a windshield, congrats on that, and I like your avatar.

Cheers, Jake

[pcbunn]

As mentioned above I always think its better to go with the factory recommended oil plus it gives JD a bit more of our business.

[MBDiagMan]

Last winter,.. for me anyway, will take that one again any time. It was the mildest on record for over 80 years. We had more snow in a late spring storm than we had all winter. I'm not a meteorologist, but I hear it had to do with a positive North Atlantic and Arctic ocean oscillation ??? That kept everyone including the far north very mild. And yes, I heard about the drought in Texas, because holly was very hard to come by last Christmas.
I read on another thread that you ordered yourself a windshield, congrats on that, and I like your avatar.

Cheers, Jake

I may have written this on the forum before, but I was in Edmonton, I think it was Spring of 1990. It was May first and I was getting in the cab to go to the airport when it started snowing. I saw snow in May one other time in my life, while I was in Germany ca. 1970.

The windshield seems like a worthwhile mod with cooler weather coming and my need for daily "pipeline patrol."

Yeah that Avatar is my other Gator, the one with wings on it.:BG:

[MBDiagMan]

Yes, for many it's cheap peace of mind to use the factory brand oil and not worry about it.:Ysnd:

[K-DOG]

Thanks K-DOG! Is this from the 825i manual? It looks like the same verbage I read before deciding on Mobil One. If it were air cooled I think that SG oil wouldn't have the required additives.

Yep, 825i only

[MBDiagMan]

A little information here for someone that might be perusing the thread:

I did my 8 hour break in oil change last night and made a nice discovery. The factory drain plug is magnetic. I had already been curious about where to find a magnetic plug for it, but JD took care of that for me. Not surprisingly there was lots of break in metal powder on the plug. I cleaned it well before putting it back in.

I change oil alot, and the oil that came out seemed like synthetic, but it might have just been light weight dino oil.

The factory filter was tough to get off. Somewhere in this forum, someone said that they had bought the adjustable, three prong wrench and it didn't work. I have one in my toolbox and it was awkward because of limited access space, but I managed to finally make it work after the engine cooled down. To whoever had that difficulty, I will point out that it takes one hand on the fingers of the tool and the other hand pulling on the ratchet. You kind of have to keep backing up the ratchet a notch or two at a time while holding the fingers until it bites the filter.

I used Mobil One Full Synthetic 10W30 for my mild climate and the JD filter ($6.98.)

Anyway, it's all done and ready to rumble.:BG:

[jakerator]

Thanks for the tips on the filter removal Doc. The oil that was in it might have been their break in oil that they use "at least that was in my 2320 and eztrak".
Jake

[MBDiagMan]

Yeah, that's what I think. Since they are calling for an 8 hour break in change, it sounds reasonable. It might very well have been just thin dino oil.

It's also possible that they use a different oil filter for break in. Back in the sixties and seventies, Mercedes had special break in filters specified for use after overhaul. They were restrictive, but could catch smaller particles during that critical period.

In the case of this engine though, I expect the magnetic drain plug is taking care of the metal powder pretty well. I'll be interested in seeing what that magnet looks like at the next routine change.

[jakerator]

Yeah, I always pay attention to those magnets as well. The ones that I cleaned for my 2320 50 hr break in did their job, I tend to change that oil much sooner than the recommended interval after the break in for that reason too.

[pcbunn]

When I changed my oil at 8hrs and at 50hrs and at 100hrs I didn't see much metal particulate or filings on the magnetic plug, a good thing I assume. I've been using the JD synthetic oil as I feel it is sufficient and don't see any reason to change. The one thing I did do however was enlarge the opening in the skid plate so it would make it easier to remove the magnetic plug. I had a hard time removing it as the plug wants to stick to the bottom of the oil pan or the side of the skid plate, splashing oil everywhere in the process. I also used the filter wrench that fits over the end of the filter and has a place for a 3/8 drive socket wrench. Works better than the compression type imho.

[2011Raptor]

Doc did you cut the filter and look inside like we do on aircraft engines? I'm curious if you did what you found. I'm going to cut mine open if it'll fit on my Airwolf cutter. :Thmup:

[MBDiagMan]

I didn't bother cutting it because of the magnetic drain plug showing the metal powder. My cutter won't cut a filter that small either, and it's in my hangar 35 miles away anyway.

I think that what I saw on the plug would be normal for the break in condiitons. It will be really interesting to see what it looks like at the first regular oil change.

[MBDiagMan]

Yes, a properly fitted filter socket will work better than the three finger thing. The original filter was pretty much stuck making it harder to get off. I think they put it on dry. I always put a very thin coat of oil on a spin on filter gasket and it makes it much easier to remove next time.

[jradue]

I really was frustrated trying to get the filter off for the first time. I went to the auto parts store and bought a slip on socket to remove it. However, it is made of plastic and slipped quite a bit. I did get it off eventually. The next time I went to my dealer, I bought one of their metal filter socket for about $5. BTW, I use the JD oil and filter, but I was curious to know if the synthetics would protect the engine better since it operates at such high rpms.

[MBDiagMan]

That's my thinking too JR. In recent years, since we've been empty nesters, my wife has been driving small, peppy cars like a Mini Cooper. Her Mini Cooper had a similarly stressed small engine. I ran Mobil One in it with 10,000 mile oil change intervals. It didn't use a drop between changes, even after she traded it at the 200,000 mile mark.

I think with this little bomb of an engine, synthetic will serve it well.

[jradue]

MBDiagMan - I agree, but it sound like you are using the top shelf Mobil 1, not the half in half?

[MBDiagMan]

Yes, I'm using the Fully Synthetic.

That said, though a number of years ago I read about some experiments that were done with a half and half mix of dino and Mobil One. The author called it "fortified." Their tests showed a significant improvement in engine wear protection with this concoction.:Thmup: