What oil do you use?

[Nick762]

I've used valvoline 10w 40 ATV oil, but I've been mixed reviews about it, have you guys had any problems with it? What do you use in your ATC?

[xman2rman]

I used to run Valvoline Racing 20-50 in the 185s and my hopped up Power Wagon. I was into both of those engines several times for various things and they always looked like the day i put them together. I grew up in a garage in the 70's and 80's and I couldn't belive how much sludge we would find in Quaker State engines. These days I run Mobil 1 synthetic in the Mach 1 and I'm tring Royal Purple in the F-150 to see if it will get better gas Milage. I would stick with Valvoline in the Honda's.

[Nick762]

I use that in my built firebird with my 33 built haha. When I first got the 350 to build the 383 and So much sludge in that damn thing.

[Bustos82]

castrol 10w 40.

[tri again]

Which engine?
Some say that oil specific for wet clutch motorcycle engine is the way to go if yours is
an auto, or maybe it's even for manual multi wet plate clutches.

There are more pages on this topic than you can imagine if you try the search key.

Don't forget the gearbox if it's a 2 stroke and the rear axle gear oil if it's a shaft drive.

[briano]

I use the Valvoline 10w40 in all of my trikes and my 4 wheeler and I have no problems. I was using synthetic Yamaha oil in my grizzly 660 and the piston and cylinder went to hell in 650 miles. Rebuilt it and used valvoline and no more problems, maybe it was bad from brand new but no more synthetic for me.

[Nick762]

My bad, 200x 1984 the search bar doesn't wanna work with my phone

[dougspcs]

Truth of the matter is this..oil technology has advanced in leaps since these machines were built. Let face it, most of our trikes are anything but high-tech.

You probably couldn't find an oil that would do any harm to your machine.

Many even say that choosing an oil that is designed for 'wetclutch' use isn't important, personally I do choose to obey that guideline.

[dougspcs]

I use the Valvoline 10w40 in all of my trikes and my 4 wheeler and I have no problems. I was using synthetic Yamaha oil in my grizzly 660 and the piston and cylinder went to hell in 650 miles. Rebuilt it and used valvoline and no more problems, maybe it was bad from brand new but no more synthetic for me.

Common thought is that you don't break in an engine on synthetic, but start it's break-in on conventional then switch it over after a season.

Eitherway, the likelyhood of your engine failure being related to oil is pretty slim..you probably just got a bad build!!

[RIDE-RED 250r]

I use wet clutch safe Valvoline ATV 10w-40. 10w-40 is what my manuals call for.


I would think the makers of my machines probably know best what oil should be run in them. I've never been gone wrong by putting in what the manufacturers recommend yet!