Factory Oil & Weight

[y2k17ram]

Does anyone know what oil the factory puts into new trucks?

 

[GrantP]

Last I heard it was Valvoline Premium Blue 5w-40 synthetic.

 

[y2k17ram]

I'll be coming up on my first 1000 miles soon. With every other new vehicle I have bought, I change the oil at 1000.

As a machinist in my early years, I am very much aware of various machined parts, machined castings, etc and the burrs that would tend to make their way into the oil.

I believe I will ask the dealer to change the filter and add back the 1.5 qts at 1000 miles. In that past, dealers seem to think I'm crazy, and this is overkill.

If I take it in to change the filter and I get that kind of reaction again, I'll just take it home and do it myself, so I'd like to know what's in it so I just have to add the 1.5 qts vs 3 gallons.

 

[GrantP]

Well, (and this is rare for me) I might agree with the dealer on the overkill part but I can certainly understand wanting to treat your new truck as well as possible.

If metal is your concern though, I think I'd just do a complete oil change and maybe have an oil sample tested. The filter certainly isn't going to plug up so I'm not sure what changing the filter and a couple quarts really benefits.

 

[Newsa]

Well, (and this is rare for me) I might agree with the dealer on the overkill part but I can certainly understand wanting to treat your new truck as well as possible.

If metal is your concern though, I think I'd just do a complete oil change and maybe have an oil sample tested. The filter certainly isn't going to plug up so I'm not sure what changing the filter and a couple quarts really benefits.

I agree with this... except under one situation. If you were changing the OEM mopar filter to a stratopore FG, it would make sense to me. But I haven't seen Ram stock anything but Mopar.

The filter shouldn't plug that quick. (1000 miles)

 

[Newsa]

Going to try valvoline 5w-40 Premium Blue Extreme for the first time.

They have it cheap on Amazon for 3 gals.
Even cheaper than Rotella T6

 

[dougsram]

Walmart has T-6 for $21.36 a gallon minus $5 a gallon rebate from Shell. Cheaper than $60 for three gallons on Amazon.

 

[Dan_69GTX]

minus $5 a gallon rebate from Shell....

Where did you get that rebate from?

 

[masterdrago]

I just picked up at Amzn 3 gals of Valvaline Premium Blue 5w-40 extreme and 3 Fleetguard LF16035 filters for $101.02 drive out. I made a decision to switch from the Rotella 15w-40 with our new 3500.

 

[Newsa]

I thought the rebate had ended. You actually have to purchase from a participating retailer. (Your receipt must be from a participating retaler?)

But I think you can print the rebate form online if the store ran out.

On another note...... does Baldwin (oil filters) have a stratopore quality filter?

 

[Newsa]

I just picked up at Amzn 3 gals of Valvaline Premium Blue 5w-40 extreme and 3 Fleetguard LF16035 filters for $101.02 drive out. I made a decision to switch from the Rotella 15w-40 with our new 3500.

I think valvoline is superior to Rotella. Only because my family has used it for 50 + years

 

[Killer223]

Valvoline is what i use, does the engine know the difference? no,
if you live in a cold climate, (below 0) use 5/40. else the 15/40 is just fine.
and on that note, any that are diesel rated will be fine as well.
oils these days are a commodity, they are all so close in design and spec (aside form specialty oils) (EPA) that it really doesn't matter long as you change it when it should be.

 

[Newsa]

I live in Miami,FL.

When a polar vortex gets blown down here, I have occasionally seen weeks of 30°-40° weather in Jan/Feb.

I have been using (full) synthetic 15w-40 year round. Both Amsoil & Redline make this. But coming more to the realization that most engine wear occurs at start up., I will be switching to *full synthetic 5w-40 in the winter months. (Dec-Feb). I don't idle my truck for warm-up. I drive it conservatively. Even when driving north and spending a week or 2 during winter holiday (Georgia-NC), I don't idle to warm up the engine. But a safeguard I will be switching to is 5w-40 full synthetic to help the lube work faster in cooler weather.

That Redline ester-based synthetic is worth the money to me because it adheres to the metal (better than non-ester based syn) even after sitting a night.

Idling for warm up is a trade off. Do I want the engine to warm up faster working at1200-1500 rpm? Or do I want the engine to take longer to warm up at 850-1000 RPM (depending on how cold it is and what speed the computer tells it to idle at) and possibly sustain more engine wear from running longer time when cold?

 

[kthaxton]

As much as people dwell on oil brands these days....I'd be curious to see actual stats for engine failures from using a particular brand of oil (that meets the spec).

 

[Killer223]

As much as people dwell on oil brands these days....I'd be curious to see actual stats for engine failures from using a particular brand of oil (that meets the spec).

there isn't one, unless it was the wrong oils used. I don't think the engine cares one bit, aside from cold start flow, get what's on sale.

 

[kthaxton]

there isn't one, unless it was the wrong oils used. I don't think the engine cares one bit, aside from cold start flow, get what's on sale.

exactly...no stats. There's a lot of oil dogma out there. I just stick with synthetic, that meets the spec.

 

[Learjet]

My first post....I just did the rebate form online...just go to the Shell Rotella website. This rebate is good all year 2017

 

[gsbrockman]

I think valvoline is superior to Rotella. Only because my family has used it for 50 + years

I can visualize your train of thought.... :-laf
#ad

 

[Newsa]

I can visualize your train of thought.... :-laf
#ad

Cummins gave valvoline permission to put their "C" on it. And i think this was before Rotella even existed? The Cummins name has not been removed from valvoline.

Ram may recommend Rotella? But Ram doesn't seem to care as much about their brand as Cummins. Just look at all the issues our trucks have with recalls.

Rotella has rebates (and is cheaper) because they can't compete otherwise with more established brands.

I believe Rotella and Valvoline are both group IV oils.

Not all synthetics are the same. To cut production cost, companies who produce syn oils have been substituting poly olefins for Esters during production. To be a class V oil, you need to have mostly ester-based oil?

Amsoil is class IV like Rotella and Valvoline. But my first introduction to Amsoil was riding Harleys with 12 friends through the everglades 20 years ago. When stopping for a break, and having a discussion about various bike topics, one of them removed his dipstick and told me to rub some amsoil between my fingers. It felt different. Actually springy. And held together better, so I imagined it had good load carrying capacity. I think Amsoil is the top (highest) quality group IV oil.

Rotella wants to beat brand loyalty. So they give steep discounts and rebates so they can advertise they are the most popular. I have used Rotella and will again. But without the rebates, probably not

 

[Killer223]

THe synthetic offerings from both rotella and vavoline are both group 3 base stocks.
I use valvoline as it's still an American company, where shell is Dutch.
In the end both are good oils.