Stratapore Filters & Synthetic Oil

[WWalters]

For those of you that are using Stratapore LF3894 lube filters, synthetic motor oil and no by-pass filtration in their Dodge CTD's, what service intervals are you using for changing the filters? For example, 6 months or 7,500 miles whichever comes first, or some other variation. I contacted Fleetguard on this question and their response was to follow the OEM recommendations. They did indicate that Fleetguard/Nelson had run some tests using synthetic oil with the Stratapore filters and there were no problems. They didn't give me any specifics. As many of you know, Amsoil specifies change intervals of 6 months or 12,500 miles with their super duty oil filters which are specifically designed for synthetic oil. I was just wondering about the Stratapores. Thanks for your responses.

 

[Rman]

I change mine at 5k intervals. Amsoil is using a new filter now, Donaldson's. These are very good filters from what I've read about them. Once I use up my supply of fleetgaurds I may order a few of these and try them out.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

WWaters, I can answer that. On my '01 I ran stratapores without bypass filtration and changed my Amsoil 15W40 HDD oil every 20,000 miles. I changed the filter approx 7000 miles (in other words change it with the oil, then twice in between).



I always ran oil samples and came back with great results.



I didn't always run Amsoil, I also tried Delvac 1. Between all the oils I had the best wear, oxidation, vis and TBN numbers with Amsoil 15W40 at the end of 20K miles. Delvac gave the best numbers initially but fell off by 20k, and I got the worst numbers With Amsoil Series 2000 5W30 when I tried it for one change. I had an Iron count of 88 @ 10k miles whereas the other oils were in the 40s and 50s at the same interval.



Vaughn

 

[Dane]

I change filter and oil every 5K miles. LE rep told me I did not need to change that often, but I work only 5 miles from home, so not enough time to comletely warm the engine on most of the driving I do.

 

[Mundgyver]

I have 133,000 turns now and have had Amsoil 15W40 Synthetic in since 1500 miles. Oil and filter get changed every 7,500 per OEM recomendation. No problems so far. I am getting ready to install my Spinner ii and extend out my oil changes to 25,000. Hopefully in the next two weeks.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I have 133,000 turns now and have had Amsoil 15W40 Synthetic in since 1500 miles. Oil and filter get changed every 7,500 per OEM recomendation. No problems so far. I am getting ready to install my Spinner ii and extend out my oil changes to 25,000. Hopefully in the next two weeks.

Wow, that's pretty frequent changes, to each his own I guess. If you're not doing oil analysis then I would keep it under 10k, but since I had great results going 20k with sampling it seems 7500 mi is too often. Just my $. 02 though

 

[Mundgyver]

7,500 seems long to me as with other cars I have changed every 3,000. But with the Amsoil I feel pretty comfortable. The spinner ii that I am installing will allow me to not have to worry about buying anymore bypass filter replacements. It will spin out . 5u particles and since I can clean it, my routine will change to change the regular fleetguard filter only at 7,500, keeping the oil and see what an oil analysis tells me and then extend out the regular filter change to 15,000 and so on and so forth till I find the upper limit. Then I will back off by 5,000 and just set the oil changed at what ever mileage it works out to be

 

[1dslram]

I have been told that the same engine as ours released in Europe has a recommendation of 7,500 and 10,000 miles, between oil changes. Even their autos have been changing oil at 7,500 for the last 10 years. I was at a meeting where it was stated the we are the only country where oil is changed every 3,000 miles.

Bruce

 

[Mundgyver]

Thats interesting, but then again Europe is ahead of us in the mileage department anyway. I have never understood how the U. S. can say that a car made in Europe that gets twice the mileage of it's U. S. counterpart, is not compliant with clean air standards. Europe has alwase paid about twice as much for oil as we do, so they have been ahead in being frugal with oil products for a long time.

 

[JJW_ND]

Longer then 24K

I have ran two 24K oil change intervals with 15W40 Amsoil, four runs out to 24K with their 5W30 and getting close to the first run with Mobil Delvac 1 with 20K on the oil. I used the Microglass filters until the Stratapores came out. Change filter at 6K intervals and grab a sample. Dump after 24K.



The first 200K miles was hard towing summer and winter. Last 50K had been little towing but alot less annual miles. Lots of in town miles and start and stop and lots of cold winter driving.



I started out with 6K filter changes and samples becuase this was my warrenty trigger at the time. I beleive the extra three makeup quarts more then keep the oil additives fine. Even fuel to just under 400hp, soot and wear metals are no problem at 24K with three Stratapore changes.



I would not hesitate to go with 15K changes and a filter change half way or two filter changes ever 6K and a dump at 18k.



jjw

ND