[JustInMaine]

Hey everyone,

Time to do the first oil change. I have a 2014 Rancher 2x4 ES with 600 miles on it and I have been doing my research, on here and around the internet. I'm thinking Valvoline 4T Full Synthetic 10W-40 or same specs but Mobil 1? My 3rd option is the Valvoline ATV oil. Anyone with knowledge of these oils and which is better for my machine, feel free to drop some knowledge.

I ride pretty hard most of the time.

Probably going to go with a K&N oil filter when I do the oil change and probably even an K&N air filter. Anyone had issues with these?

 

[Bryan]

Either one of those oils will do fine, I ran Mobil1 - 4T in my Rancher up to 7k miles and it still runs great no burning, showed my bro how to change the oil in it this past weekend. I used k&n or honda filters for the oil. Get a UNI instead of the K&N air filter tho..

 

[JustInMaine]

Either one of those oils will do fine, I ran Mobil1 - 4T in my Rancher up to 7k miles and it still runs great no burning, showed my bro how to change the oil in it this past weekend. I used k&n or honda filters for the oil. Get a UNI instead of the K&N air filter tho..

UNI better or is the same as the K&N but cheaper?

 

[mrbb]

many folks will BASH on K&N filters, SO< your going to be better off with the UNI< they work as good as any air filter out there, IF you do your part, clean and wash as needed??
as for the oil
's there all good oil, and again, they will all work just as well if you do your part and change it as needed, I change my oil based on how hard I use the motor, NOT just by hours or miles or time that went by, as if you work the crap out of anything, its going to wear faster!

two words of advice here, GO easy on tightening the oil drain plug, TON sof folks that find out the hard way they strip easy!
and second, MAKE sure you install the oil filter the correct way , doing it wrong can ruin your motor in short order, so pay attention to how old one comes out! and replace correctly!

 

[Bryan]

Either one of those oils will do fine, I ran Mobil1 - 4T in my Rancher up to 7k miles and it still runs great no burning, showed my bro how to change the oil in it this past weekend. I used k&n or honda filters for the oil. Get a UNI instead of the K&N air filter tho..

UNI better or is the same as the K&N but cheaper?

UNI is cheaper and better IMO. Or get a spare Honda one, have one cleaned and in a zip loc bag so you can swap them out, no need to wait for them to dry. You will not notice a difference in power with a air filter.

 

[shadetree]

I run Castrol atv/motorcycle oil in all my atvs and motorcycles, oem Honda air filters always. I can't speak for k&n or uni ? never used them. but to be safe..i stick with oem air filters. as mrbb said ^^^...do not strip the oil drain bolt !, and make dang sure you install the oil filter back in facing the correct way !!.

 

[alloutdoors]

Mrbb brings up a great point about type of use and frequency of oil changes. If riding hard might consider cutting the interval in half. All the oils mentioned are fine but did see Honda GN4 at my local dealer for $20 per gallon so that's an option as well. Here is a handy video if needed https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZdV2vSvJro

 

[SamUK]

many folks will BASH on K&N filters, SO< your going to be better off with the UNI< they work as good as any air filter out there, IF you do your part, clean and wash as needed??
as for the oil
's there all good oil, and again, they will all work just as well if you do your part and change it as needed, I change my oil based on how hard I use the motor, NOT just by hours or miles or time that went by, as if you work the crap out of anything, its going to wear faster!

two words of advice here, GO easy on tightening the oil drain plug, TON sof folks that find out the hard way they strip easy!
and second, MAKE sure you install the oil filter the correct way , doing it wrong can ruin your motor in short order, so pay attention to how old one comes out! and replace correctly!

I'll second that... 'change the oil based on how hard you use the motor'.

I've always used cheap ATV oil, purely for the reason above, I usually change my oil every two or three outings unless I've been in deep water, then all oils are drained, flushed and replaced with new.

 

[Jeepwm69]

two words of advice here, GO easy on tightening the oil drain plug, TONS of folks that find out the hard way they strip easy!
and second, MAKE sure you install the oil filter the correct way , doing it wrong can ruin your motor in short order, so pay attention to how old one comes out! and replace correctly!

This. Careful tightening the drain plug.

Any of the oils you mentioned should be fine.

I use Napa powersports filters (WIX)

I do not use K&N air cleaners on anything used off the pavement. They are not made for offroad use, and do not do a good job of stopping fine dust from getting into your motor.

 

[misterclean59]

Listen to jeep about the K and N air filter

 

[mrbb]

not to start a debate or?? but I have been running a K&N air filter 50% of the time(swap back and forth between that and a UNI) in my 20 yr old atv, dusty farms and trails and coal silt fields< and it runs as good today as it did new
not a single issue
BUT I check it often and DON"T run it if it needs cleaning, as I said, they all are OK< if you do your part?
the UNI works great and costs less, so, its the better bang for your buck and there is NO power gains really in JUST an air filter like K&N< so, its not a big deal to have it in your ATV, when you can have the same quality for less $$
NOT bashing the K&N< I am happy running mine, got it before UNI was out for mine?? but its also 20 yrs old and still working as good as it did new, so, long term costs , have been good on it, minus buying all the K&N oil for filter over the yrs LOL

 

[JustInMaine]

Let this conversation go a little longer. I went in today to check out local prices and I ran into this Quicksilver atv synthetic for cheaper than the Mobil 1, which I was going to get, so now...... between the two, anyone with pros and cons for either one? And thanks for all the help and top so far.

 

[mrbb]

never heard of that brand oil, but if you want a GOOD cheap oil, just go to wally world and get some rotella T6 syn, great oil cheap price, about 20 buck a a gallon?
its been about a LONG time and no one I know of has ever had a bad thing to say about it?

any time you buy oil from the dealership, your paying TOO much 9 out of 10 times any how??

 

[Jeepwm69]

I had a K&N on the old Redline Weber I ran on one of my Jeeps back in the day. They clean well when they get dirty. The gauze pores get clogged up over time with dust and that keeps dirt out, but right after cleaning and oiling they let lots of air in (which is why everyone wants to run them) but they also let fine dust in. When they get dirty they block dirt better but don't suck as much air.

I run OEM air filters. Let's face it, on 99% of motors, a free flowing air filter isn't going to do ANYTHING performance-wise. I know OEM air filters are good. Others may or many not be. Why risk it?

There was an old thread on a Jeep board (maybe CJoffroad?) that pointed out the chalklike dust that K&N was allowing past the air cleaner on a Jeep. I was skeptical. I carefully cleaned and oiled mine, and cleaned the inside of the air cleaner. Took the Jeep to the lake out on the farm where there is some powdery, almost flour-like dust in the summer. Had that powder INSIDE the air filter when I got home. Took that POS off and haven't run a K&N since.

 

[Jeepwm69]

Let's face it, if manufacturers could get any power increase (and thus up their HP ratings in their sales literature) with no drawbacks, simply by swapping on a cheap air filter, all vehicles would come stock with K&N style filters......