What oil are you running in your Big Red 250es?

[Fireman942]

I know the factory recommended weight is SAE10W-40 but are you running any specific brand thru your big red or atc in general?

[MNhondaguy]

I use valvoline atv 10w40 wet clutch. Dunno if its better than anything else but its got a descent name and I approve. You could run carb cleaner as oil through these things and they would keep going, not recommended though haha.

[Fireman942]

I use valvoline atv 10w40 wet clutch. Dunno if its better than anything else but its got a descent name and I approve. You could run carb cleaner as oil through these things and they would keep going, not recommended though haha.

Lol. I'm just the most worried about clutch in it is all.

[kb0nly]

Any brand of ATV 10w-40 is the recommended... I have also run Castrol 10w-40 in mine for years, no issues with the clutch etc. I say a good quality name brand oil is your best bet.

[dougspcs]

The Honda GN4 oil is the stock oil recommended for the application..

At about $20/gal it's the same price as most of the major brand ATV oil.

Why not avoid the guessing and go that way..??

[kebby28]

When I bought my 250es it had an empty bottle of fully synthetic atv oil with a weird weight ratio in the trunk. I accidentally threw it away. So I just went to a parts store and got castrol fully synthetic 10w-40. Hate to admit it but it is not atv and says nothing about wet clutch capability's but have been running it all year with great performance...

[kebby28]

I saved a old ford straight 6 with synthetic oil and have been a believer ever since. Its expensive but I actually notice a difference running it. Somebody please correct me if I'm doing something wrong here because I wouldn't want to hurt my baby!

[Fireman942]

I wondered about the synthetic and if it would hurt the internals.

Doug: I am going to try to find some honda local to put in it before riding this weekend.

[big specht]

Hell we have been using napa 10w30 oil in them for years and have never had a problem . As long as you change it regularly they will last for ever.

[Fireman942]

Hell we have been using napa 10w30 oil in them for years and have never had a problem . As long as you change it regularly they will last for ever.

That's kind of what I was thinking. I have one that is smoking a little and has a little oil coming out the exhaust. I put some thicker stuff in it hoping it would help it out but I'm wondering if I shouldn't have put some seafoam in the oil instead and see if it frees up a stuck ring.

[dougspcs]

I saved a old ford straight 6 with synthetic oil and have been a believer ever since. Its expensive but I actually notice a difference running it. Somebody please correct me if I'm doing something wrong here because I wouldn't want to hurt my baby!

Nothing wrong with a good synthetic in your ATV, but obey the wet clutch oil rule..they do make full synthetic ATV oil also.

Honda HP4S..great stuff, but at $10 a quart I save it for my 350X which I don't ride much and only change once a year.

The ES, SX, and quads I use the cheaper regular GN4 oil since I change the oil 2-3 times a year due to the fact they are ridden more and sometime get a bit of water injestion from the places I like to go..



Know what I'm saying???

[Fireman942]

I saved a old ford straight 6 with synthetic oil and have been a believer ever since. Its expensive but I actually notice a difference running it. Somebody please correct me if I'm doing something wrong here because I wouldn't want to hurt my baby!

I run only motorcraft synthetic thru my vehicles. Wondered about atc tho. Kind of worries me. What exactly do we need to watch with the clutches anyways?

[dougspcs]

I run only motorcraft synthetic thru my vehicles. Wondered about atc tho. Kind of worries me. What exactly do we need to watch with the clutches anyways?

Since car oil contains friction modifiers to reduce engine friction and wear it can cause more rapid clutch wear.

Since the clutches are bathed in the engine lubricant and require a certain amount of friction to operate these modifiers can cause the clutches to slip and burn out prematurely..

[Flyingw]

I was looking for clutch plates for my mockup motor the other night and I noticed on more than a few ads not to use synthetic oils with their plates. A couple of them were EBC clutch plates. I run Valvoline conventional 10W-40 with no problems on my 4strokes but I run Maximum MTL in my 2 strokes. Whatever oil you choose to run, pick an oil and stick to it. Don't flip flop oils especially between conventional and synthetic. One or the other.

[Fireman942]

It looks like i either need to use honda or valvoline.