MEP 003A Oil..

[Polycop]

I've read the old posts and it seems that 15W40 or straight 30 is fine for the 003a. Where I live I see temps in the 90s during the summer and down to zero or below in the winter. Due to the hours I'll run it I'm a once a year oil change type of guy.

All that said, my Kubota tractor needs 10W30 for year round usage. So in an effort to standardize my oil supply, would I be doing a disservice to the 003a by running 10W30 in it?

 

[PeterD]

Personally I'd consider 15W-40 Rotella for virtually any diesel engine. I doubt that 10W-30 would be a problem either...

 

[nonpro]

I agree Rotella 15w-40 is the best all around oil to use. FYI the 15W means that in the winter months when cold the oil flows like a 15W oil but has the viscosity of 40W.

 

[Polycop]

I was discussing the 10w30 vs 15w40 deal with my Kubota dealer and he said that the smaller tractors (less than 40 hp or so) used the 10w30 and the bigger ones used the 15w40 (like the diesel trucks).

 

[PeterD]

One would get slightly better performance (faster cold starts, etc.) with a synthetic 15W-40 but that will cost more per-fill. My MEP-004 uses eight quarts, and I use regular stuff in mine (Rotella). Which is fine, since that's what I run in my Hummers as well...

 

[doghead]

MEP 002A and 003A - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite

 

[glcaines]

I run John Deere. Plus 50 in my MEP-003A. This is 100% synthetic 0W -40W oil.

 

[coyote62ny]

as for cold winter months its been cold this winter here in ny i changed the oil in my mep-003 i had 15-40 rotella in it last summer this winter it turned over hard with the 15-40 so i changed it and put rotella 10-30 in it and it has run and started a lot easyer since but when it gets warmer im going to change it again and put the 15-40 back in it for summer as its usullay in the 80 s here in the summer

 

[jatonka]

I run Rotella 15w 40 in my 2 Mep-003As year around, keep good batteries in them and I don't have any trouble startng them in winter, or, overheating them in summer. JT

 

[rosco]

15W 40 is the way to go, all year. I use Dello 400. Anything less then zero, I put heat on them - even if they will start. This goes for any engines that I have. Cold starts are hard on them - not just the engine, but extended grinding on the starters too, etc. Once the engine starts and gets up to temperature, its summer time in the crankcase.

Plain old oil is great stuff. Commercial trucking companies routinely get a million miles out of plain oil. There is absolutely no need to use the more expensive synthetic oils.

In an effort to consolidate inventory, I buy Dello 400 in the 55 gallon drum, for diesel engines. That is what I use in the more disposable engines too, like the Toyota pickup & the wife's car. I change their oil at 10,000 mile intervals. Have 230,000 miles on the pickup!

 

[BigOL3]

I suspect most folks here already knows the answer to oil capacity of the 003A, but I have looked and searched and all I found was somewhere stated 4qts, which seemed low to me. I finally found online manual that stated 6.5qts is required.

 

[Chainbreaker]

Yes, 6.5 qts with OEM oil flter change. 5.5 qts w/o

BTW, the -003a TM's are here.