Red Line Synthetic Oil

[Gunny]

Do any of you guys have any experience with Red Line Synthetic Oil for diesels. It's getting close to my first oil change and I really would like to go with a synthetic. Any help would be appreciated, good, bad, whatever. Thanks. Roland

 

[KatDiesel]

I don't have any exp with Red Line but I would advise against going to synthetic before you break in the engine. Your piston rings have not yet seated... ..... I am at 19,000 miles and just now going to synthetic. If you tow or work the engine hard its prolly safe to switch at 10,000 to 15,000 miles. I waited because all I do is hot rod around.

 

[Pete Peterson]

Great advise from Kat. Wait till you have some miles on that motor. If your not towing with it wait till at least 20 thousand... ... ..... Pete

 

[EMDDIESEL]

Ditto on waiting till at least 15k miles, 20 would be ideal. As for Redline, i have used them in my gas cars for drag racing. I dont know if they make an oil that meets Cummins Specs, but even still, i would go with Amsoil or Mobil (NOT mobil 1) synthetics.

 

[amsoilman]

RoSmith,

You have been given some good advice on when to install a synthetic oil in your engine. However, I have found the harder you work your engine during the breakin period, the quicker the rings will seat.

I have installed synthetic oil in a lot of these Cummins engines in the past several years, and that seems to be what I have seen. I have seen some with as few as 5,000 miles. Mine was done at 8,000 miles. A good way to tell if the rings are seated, is to watch the oil consumption between the first few oil changes.

Make sure the oil you choose has an API rating of CH-4/SJ.



Wayne

 

[John]

I sure hope this avatar works! If so, thanks Rob...if not, thanks for nuthin'

RoSmith, I switched to Red Line 15W-40 synthetic at approx. 13. 5k mi. Using the Fleetguard filters (LF3552 Microglass, and then the LF3806 StrataPore, followed by the LF3894 StrataPore which superseded the LF3806) with a projected oil change interval of approx. 7. 5k (most of which actually came 1-2k sooner than that), I only received marginal oil analysis results... especially when considering the high price of their oil. I used Red Line 15W-40 until I reached 30k... then I sent the reamainder of my Red Line Diesel oil back to Red Line for a refund.



Please understand that I'm not a disgruntled Red Line customer, I had been using their products exclusively for over 9 years at that point however, as others were seeing much better oil analysis reports than I using Amsoil, I decided to go that route (although I did try Valvoline/Cummins Premium Blue 2000 semi-synthetic for 2k in between the Red Line and Amsoil).



I have been very happy with both Amsoil engine lubricants I have used... 15W-40 Heavy-Duty Diesel and Marine and their 5W-30 Series 3000 Heavy Duty Diesel oil (the latter is what I'm currently using although, I'm contemplating switching back to the 15W-40 HDD&M.



EDIT: Thank you Rob for my new avatar.