Synthetic or Not?

[Newsa]

The original fill from Cummins is synthetic. Not knowing where or when the engine will be put in service they fill with Premium Blue Synthetic at the factory. Sorry for the piling on but I didn't see the other posts when I started to answer.

This sounds right. Premium Blue Valvoline has had a relationship with Cummins since the development of the 5.9.

Cummins has recommended Valvoline Premium blue in the past & Valvoline even has permission to put the Cummins emblem on their diesel motor oil.

But I have one question, isn't the synthetic premium blue actually called Extreme Premium Blue? Or is that just a specific extreme temp version of their synthetic?

Ram uses Penzoil. At least that's all my local dealer stocks. I think I'd rather have conventional Valvoline than synthetic Penzoil.

 

[JR]

Pennzoil brand is made by Royal Dutch Shell, who also makes Shell and Rotella products.

Aside from the colors on the bottle there aren't many differences in many brands of oil. They're all pretty good anymore.

 

[Newsa]

I believe they still develop their products differently. Pennzoil ultra is made from natural gas. Rotella doesn't say how theirs is made, but don't claim to be the same as pennzoil. Pennzoil used to make a paraffin base oil that didn't work as well as others.

 

[Newsa]

Friends of mine in the '80's got a settlement from quaker state for synthetic oil that gelled in the dead of winter. Quaker State and Pennzoil were divisions of the same Pennsylvania based company. Never heard anything especially good about the experimental and generally poorly-tested synthetics out of those companies.

 

[JR]

Alots changed since the 80's. Any oil that meets the SN spec, Europec, Dexos, CJ4, etc. has gone through extensive testing to meet said certification. Look at a VOA on a generic oil like Supertech and compare it to any name brand of the same spec. If both bottles are unmarked even an oil expert will have a hard time deciphering the difference between the two.

BTW, Quaker State never went away.

http://www.quakerstate.com/motor-oil?gclid=COGu2fae5MsCFRP1MgodpaIHaQ&gclsrc=ds

 

[jacknife]

i am running Syn transmission fluid also a Mag tech transmission pan and it will still get warm when unlocked. i am looking at putting an electric fan with a thermo coupler to kick in when the temp hits 200 . See how that works. I went up I- 17 in AZ it was about 110 deg when I started pulling out of Phx . Flagstaff is about 140 miles and 7000 ft higher. whole rig weighs about 24000. never got below 50 mph on the steepest pulls and the transmission temp never got above 197. The heat will really drag the power down .

 

[Dogpatch]

I checked with my Stealership on factory oil and my oil change. They said that the oil in the engine as shipped is a mineral oil.
They also said that unless you are operating at temps below -18C synthetic is not required. It also states that in my manual.

 

[kthaxton]

Nobody said it was "required", it is just superior.

 

[Cummins12V98]

"They said that the oil in the engine as shipped is a mineral oil."

Ask them to prove it.

Everything I have read says synthetic 5-40 is used.

 

[Dogpatch]

I'm gonna run the standard oil in it for now and monitor longevity via EVIC and kms travelled. I'll likely change to Synthetic oil next change. I'll supply the 3 gals. to keep my cost down.

 

[Dogpatch]

May be a Canada/US thing.

 

[Newsa]

Ima meet you half way and say Valvoline premium blue synthetic blend.