Engine Oil Preference

[FM]

Dean

My hunch is you are 100% correct. Just want to dot the i(s), cross the t(s), and make sure. I came dangerously close to ordering a 6. 0 in February ("the horror, the horror") and am still a little squirly. (yea, could be more than alittle)

 

[MMeier]

FM, sounds like you need some help I"ll be using Rotella 15/40 in my '03 HO

 

[CATCRACKER]

love that smell from shell:-laf i think i might switch to delvac 1300 b/c it has molybdenum in it have not decided. i change every oil and filter at 3500 miles. at that interval spit would work. that is why i buy the cheap yet proven stuff ,rosmella. buy it in 5 gallon jugs and get the filters in bulk from genos. rosmella in crank case, redline in the transmission, valvoline in the diferentials. what are you guys running in your t-cases?

 

[Dean Upson]

But the gallon I'm looking at while listing CI-4 only list SL and SJ. No SH?

FM I just hauled a gallon of Rotella T 15W-40 from the garage and if you look at the side panel and read the last paragraph (not the warning) it says in the first line that it exceeds API CI-4. The last sentence says"It also exceeds API SL, SJ, and SH for gasoline engines. There was some confusion last fall concerning the Rotella rating because the API seal or whatever you call the ratings in the circle at the top of the panel did not list the new requirements. The information is on the label, honest. Smellmella or Smellshell or whatever you want to call it is okay. Hope this clears this up .



Dean

 

[kmcintire]

amsoil

I have 180,000 on Amsoil 15-40. Engine filter at 5000 , bypass at 10,000. Oil changed at 10,000. I need to add 1 pint every 2500 miles.

Kevin

 

[Pit Bull]

Re: amsoil

Originally posted by kmcintire

I have 180,000 on Amsoil 15-40. Engine filter at 5000 , bypass at 10,000. Oil changed at 10,000. I need to add 1 pint every 2500 miles.

Kevin

Kevin, I bet it almost looks like new when you change it with that routine.

 

[FM]

Hey MMeier you're starting to sound just like my wife.

Thanks Dean. Now what am I going to get worked up over? Maybe the effect of tire pressure on headlight brightness which concerns me greatly.



Change the 710 Thursday. Put in fresh clean smelling Rotella T. As I suspected yall were/are 100% correct as usual.

 

[GWHaley]

oil preferences

my personal opinion is that you need to do your own homework to decide on what oil to use. If you do what most people do and just go with what others say-blindly-you will not get all the performance and protection you could get. Most any oil with the proper specs changed often enough will allow an engine to last a long time, but is that the best way to do it? Seems like an awful lot of waste to drain that much oil every 3,000 mi. I'm not necessarily advocating extended drains, but I think you need to make an informed decision based on fact, not hearsay. Just my more than . 02 worth

 

[Futures1]

FYI; Wasted oil;

The days of the 3000 mile oil change is over.

"300 to 400 million gallons of UNEEDED engine oil is being wasted every year" !! Who pays for it ?? Who profits by it ?? Who promotes it ??

"American consumers will keep buying into it at an estimated annual cost of $1. 5 Billion. The same oils which manufacturers recommend changing at 3000 miles can be used for 10,000 miles in Europe. mainly because the vehicle manufacturers have taken more control over it-- with the profit hungry oil manufacturers having less control over it" !!



Synthetic oil is changing everything and being recommended by more and more manufacturers.

It also is a whole lot easier on our environment in more ways than one !!



"Owners of Mercedes-Benz automobiles in the US were recently awarded a$32 million settlement because they were not informed they should use synthetic motor oil. "

"They are now starting with 10,000 mile drains and pushing them up to 20,000 using synthetic motor oils. "

 

[DPKetchum]

I use Amsoil in 3 vehicles. A 85 Chevy Caprice 305 4bbl. with 190,000 its gets a 100 miles a day 5 days a week. Oil filters and top off every 7500. 1998 Dodge 1500 slt with 318. It gets about 10k a year on it. Oil change and filter once a year. 1993 w250 4x4(see signature) it get about 11k a year and oil filter at 5500 miles and top off with oil and filter at 11k or once a year. The 1998 uses 1/2 qt in 10k the 1993 w250 uses less then 1/4 pint in 5500 and the Chevy always has used a 1qt every 3500. On dino oil the Chevy used 1 qt in 1800. This year all vehicles hit oil change time at the same time,previous year also. June! I used to change oil in everything every 3k or 90 days or so. Did for decades! Was VERY hard to change my way of thinking. I've got Amsoil fluids in all vehicles front to rear and in a New Holland 4 wheel drive tractor including all the hydraulic oil in main body. The lift and wet brakes and clutch in it ALL worked much smoother after the change from the factory fluid with double the run time between 10 gallons of fluid change.

 

[amsoilman]

SSchoenfelder,



See what I mean! Everyone has thier preferences... ... ..... and idea's... ... ... ..... and that is GOOD!





Wayne

amsoilman

 

[Pit Bull]

I would bet that since you joined the TDR and asked this question your vehicle will never have a problem based on lubrication. I think all of the advise you have received will keep your truck running just fine. I also suggest you read your owners manual and check the warranty requirements and whatever you do stay within though guidelines, I personally think that the 5 year 100K mile warranty is valuable and you don't want to undermine it, and you don't want too have to hire a team of lawyers to have it enforced. JMHO

 

[CATCRACKER]

bottom line keep it changed with the cheapest oil possible that meets all of the req's and it will get 350,000+ at a B rated life. 90% of us will never have the truck long enough to put 350K on it. so with these trucks the oil issue is over done. IMO. However lubritcatioin of the turbo bearings would be the only concern for me and the cheapest oil, but i use dino anyway and change it regularly and cool down turbo so i wont have a prob. rotella,delvac,valv,delo all good oils that are cheap and will get you what. SYN's are good but they are not Gods gift to the cummins rather cummins if gods gift to syn's showing how long these engines can live which might make the oil look good.



SYN's are better for your motor i will clarify that. it has been proven yet i still use dino. if i could pick amsoil off of the shelf at wally world i might use it until then its dino and convience for me.

 

[DPKetchum]

I use syns for the convenience of the extended drain interval. also I hate shopping in stores,cant stand Wally world etc. I pick up the phone and Ups delivered to my door. Thats convenience!

 

[Futures1]

You guys are awesome !!!

Down here in Nashville TN on business. . had to pull out my laptop to check in to TDR site and see what you guys are saying. . By the time I return to NH, I will have logged over 100K on my newest Jetta TDI. . of course that little diesel is purring like a kitten at over 3000 RPM most all of the time. (yep, above the speed limit by a bit !! The little hummer was even broken in on "Syn" !!



Kinda miss my Ram. . A ton of them on the road in VA & TN, some really hauling some heavy loads. . Didn't notice any TDR stickers, but thought I saw several "Syn" decals ;o)

Dick S.

 

[Me808garam]

Originally posted by Rosco

I agree. You will only see Fleetguard Stratapores screwed on my truck.



However, I bet if you told some guys that brand X would add 10hp then they would use it even if it was not Cummins approved. Heck, they would probably even use one of those unapproved oiled gauze air filters that lets fine dirt pass through it.



I can already hear the :-{} :-{} .

Me too Strats and Mobil Delvac 1300

 

[A2Z DIESEL]

the most marketed is not always the BEST

i have been building work trucks since 1994 and worked for dodge from 1987 -1998 now have my own shop i still use a few amsoil products but i quit using there rear diff fluid and engine oil in my opinion and my real world tests show ZERO rearend failures in over 4 years since i started using LUBRICATION ENGINEERS OILS they are not nationally marketed but are by far the best i have tested pulling loads in excess of 30k some of my haulers are licsenced for 38k you can call me or mag-hytec for side by side tests ISO9001 with oils that amsoil got all nervous about my #is 480-288-0177 this is my opinion formed by reality

 

[GWDiesel]

MY Choice of oil's

Motor oil Delo 15/40-Rear end lube. Lubrication Engineers,in the

6 Gal. purple can,listed in the Speedway Catalog,not cheap but

IMHO the best on the market! cannot find the Lub. Eng. grease

for the grease gun Yet, Is Rotella still an ASH base motor oil ??

We used it years ago,and it was ash base then. Fleetguard

Stratapore's and fuel filters,air filter's ONLY in my rig! GWD

 

[David Oxland]

Makes you wonder if asking "what kind of oil you use" is like one of those internet hoaxes designed to overload the whole system and shut it down



Just kidding, of course

 

[Futures1]

I have to admit it;

Can you believe all of this ???



Lot's of great advice and great oils...



I'll will admit to one thing, if I ever start pulling over 30,000 lb loads with my Dodge Ram 2500, I'll do more than worry about which oil I'm using !!



Whoa there big fella. . stay together now