Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Opinions on oil filter change interval

[MFalkinham]

I recently switched to using Rotella synthetic 5w-40 in my trucks and am going to change it every 10k miles. Should I be changing the oil filter every 5k miles, or can it go 10k as well? I only use the Fleetguard Stratapore LF16035 filters, and would hate to replace them halfway if they are designed to last 10k.

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[Missouri Mule]

I would do an oil analysis at 5000 and see if oil comes back usable(which it should) then another oil analysis at 10,000.



I did an oil analysis several years ago with dino oil(Valvoline all fleet plus) and Fleetguard Microglass filter at 6000 and oil came back usuable.



I now use Premium Blue in both trucks now, (Microglass= Mule, Wic=Freightliner).

 

[The patriot]

If the analysis was cheaper than the cost of a filter and a little oil for a top off, I'd go with the analysis. :-laf

At any rate, you should be OK at 10K unless there's something already wrong.

What type of driving do you do?

 

[MFalkinham]

My daily commute is two 50-mile trips mostly at highway speeds. There are occasional interstate trips usually between 200-500 miles. Very little city driving or in stop/go traffic.

I don't mind changing the filter every 5k and topping off, I just wanted to make sure I'm not throwing money away if the filter could easily go 10k.

 

[MMcCallie]

Its not the milleage its the environment. Your air filter is probably your best gauge as to how clean your oil will be. Expect your dipstick to be black, but if your oil doesn't show signs of having lost its abilities, no need to change the oil or filter.

Just changing a filter won't keep the oil from eventually losing its lubricating properties but letting it get dirty will certainly shorten its life. Your highway driving is ideal so you should be able to get the most out of it. If you want to extend the life of your oil, look into fortifiers vs. additives.

 

[The patriot]

My daily commute is two 50-mile trips mostly at highway speeds. There are occasional interstate trips usually between 200-500 miles. Very little city driving or in stop/go traffic.

IMO you should be OK. If in doubt, sample it.

When I was working I was going 40 miles each way to and from work, at about 40 MPH. I was OK with my analysis' to go to 10K.

Every truck/driver is a little different.

Eric

 

[RHebert]

I've got a 96 12 valve with over 200K. I run Amsoil 15-40 Synthetic oil with an Amsoil Bypass filter. I change my oil and both filters every June and the stock filter again around Dec. I usually average around 15-20K miles a year. I always send off an oil sample before changing the oil and filters mainly to see how the engine is holding up. Every single one has come back with the recommendation to continue running the oil and re-sample in another 6 months, but I can live with a yearly oil change.

 

[Breed]

I use Amsoil 15/40 with a fleetgard filter and change the Oil once a year, usually about 7k miles, I only use the truck for pulling my 5er.

 

[Skydiver]

Mfalkinham

I ran my Rotella syn 10k while changing the stratapore at 5k and the oil lab stated the oil was not ready to be changed.

 

[Champane Flight]

Wasting oil

I use Amsoil 15/40 with a fleetgard filter and change the Oil once a year, usually about 7k miles, I only use the truck for pulling my 5er.

I have been running 15-40 Amsoil for ten years plus, settled down to oil change every 12000, filters at six. Still have no TBN loss, and limited soot, could run twice that...

 

[moparguy]

Truck has 220,000 miles. Run Delo 15w40 with Frantz by-pass (2k element changes on the Frantz) and Stratapore main filter.



Last year I started a long term test with 5k sampling. Each time oil came back good to continue running, no unusual numbers on anything.



I finally changed oil and the Fleetguard filter at the 1 year mark with 23,000 miles on both the oil and Stratapore filter and sent in a sample, again everything good to continue running.



I did add about 4 qts of make-up oil over the year which supplemented the additive package and the Frantz kept things clean.



While according to the analysis I could have continued without a change, I just felt better changing the oil at the one year, 23k mark. I'll now likely stick with a annual change with one 10k analysis, then change at 20k.



I did do one analysis on the wifes 98 on a 10k change and it too came back good to continue running.



I'm convinced that many change oil (and filters) far more often than necessary, but their money and truck.

 

[champspa]

I change oil and filter every 5k use dello 15-40 and microglas for the last 245k

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I run Amsoil without bypass filtration, change oil every 15k & filter at ~8k.



Interesting some guys are running Microglass filters still. . . they do filter very well, but have limited capacity (plug up faster than the Stratapore). Generally 3-4k is as far as you'd want to run one.

 

[BeefDoc]

I run Cenex 15w-40 in summer and Cenex 10w-30 in the winter. Change oil every 100-120hrs, usually every 3-4 weeks. I use Wix or Baldwin oil fiters. We've always changed oil in our farm machinery every 100hrs and have 3 tractors with 10. 000 plus hours on them . We've had underhauls done on all of them (around 10000hrs) and it's nearly impossible to tell the new rod and main bearings from the old ones. None of the engines have had any other work done other than valve adjustments. FWIW