Oil and Filter selections for Rangers

Rod in Forfar, Ontario · 2009-02-20 08:49:30

Because of winter driving I decided to change the oil in my 2004 Ranger Tm at 135 hours, even though it had been changed by the dealer when I bought it last November at 98 hours.

Draining the oil wasn't easy because the Robin/Subaru 653 twin they mounted in the TM's doesn't fit too well. I put one of my wife's stainless steel saucepans underneath to check the quality of the 0W40 synthetic Polaris requires for the engine. While I didn't find any metal filings, I was astounded at the accumulation of grit in the oil.

While the manual and the service manual for the TM call for 100 hour oil change intervals, the box in which the oil change kit came calls for 50 hours, as did the guy at the service desk of the Polaris dealer. Mind you, he also sold me the wrong filter for it, and couldn't get the right one within a reasonable interval. I tried the local Yamaha dealer for a substitute and two guys jumped on me and said, "You can't substitute filters. They may have the wrong flow rate!"

My question is, is this B.S., a marketting ploy, or is there some reason why a filter which will fit the space won't do the job? The Yamaha guy ordered me the "correct" Polaris filter. It took an extra week to come in and he ended up charging me $24.00 CDN for it. In the meantime I had installed a $5.00 filter the local UAP cross-referenced for me. It normally goes on a Briggs and Stratton industrial engine. Seems to work fine, but I'd like to know more about the filters.

Today at the Tractor Supply Company I remembered that their UTVs use this same Subaru/Robin engine, so I asked what oil and filter they use. The guy at the counter answered, "Any 10W30 oil," and handed me the filter catalog. I tracked down the Robin part number: RBIN 261-6590 and the Fram filter number PH 4967 which they had in stock for $5.00. I examined the filter. It looked the same as the cheapie I bought last week at UAP.

With the accumulated grit in the oil, most likely from carbon because of low-speed operation in the cold, I think this machine is a candidate for frequent oil changes with non-premium oil and filters, rather than long-life, high performance oil. The thing only produces 18 hp, fergoodnessakes.

I'm quite prepared to listen to opinion on this topic. For example I use Shell Rotella 15W40 for my antique tractors now, both the gas and the diesel. It works great, winter and summer. What if I dumped it into the TM, as well?

Thanks,

Rod

I have written a series of reviews of the TM's adventures in a cold climate at
http://rodcroskery.wordpress.com

Brent04 · 2009-02-22 16:38:00

When I bought my 2004 ranger the mecanic at the dealer told me he did not care what brand of oil used just as long as it was a synthic the people they were using the other oils were having problems.

RANGERDALEXP · 2009-02-23 16:03:51

I think you are good to go with using the rotella synthetic, i for a while used it in my 700 and the 5w rating for the oil will be good for the low temperatures, I would do the changes at 50 to 75 hours as well, it is much better for the engine, as for the oil filters what the guy was telling you about the flow rate is B.S. as long as you keep the bypass valve pressure equal or better then the stock filter as well as the same size or bigger, you can go to the Wix Filters site and cross reference and see the specs on that site for all the filters, on the 700 engine i use the PL14610 filter from a Honda automobile, below is a posting i did some months ago on this subject that may help.

http://www.sidexsideforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=1096

#1 2009-02-20 08:49:30

Re: Oil and Filter selections for Rangers

#2 2009-02-22 16:38:00

Re: Oil and Filter selections for Rangers

#3 2009-02-23 16:03:51

Re: Oil and Filter selections for Rangers

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