Which would you choose...5w40 oil?

[steved]

OK, got to the point I have change oil... long story.



Decided that I'm going to try a synthetic... most likely a 5w40. I'm leaning heavily towards Rotella 5w40, mainly because I have over 600k on 15w40 Rotella without issue.



I'm looking for recommendations, not really interested in Amsoil. Not sure what else there is? I'd rather stay with something I can get locally... like Rotella, Delo, etc.



steved

 

[Forrest Nearing]

I used to always run RotellaT, now w/ the reformulations, I run Rotella synth. Get it anywhere, good oil, etc.

 

[2broke2smoke]

I used to always run RotellaT, now w/ the reformulations, I run Rotella synth. Get it anywhere, good oil, etc.

same here ...

 

[DFranks]

I run valvoline extreme blue. Its recommended by cummins, I also run with a bypass filter setup. I have gone 20k miles and one full year on same oil with samples every 10k to Blackstone. At last sample Blackstone said to continue use and resample at 5k. The TBN value was still over 7. 65.

 

[Alphacowboy]

Steve, I dont know if its any relation, but when I went from the 15w40 Rotella to the 5w40, my oil leaks progressed rapidly. I am still running it, but the vacuum pump leak has gotten really bad since the switch, and now I have a rear main leak as well. I am sure its due to it being slightly lighter. I'll still run the synthetic, but I was wondering if any of you have had this issue, or if it just happened to rear its head at the same time?

 

[jeepit]

I used to always run RotellaT, now w/ the reformulations, I run Rotella synth. Get it anywhere, good oil, etc.

I changed over with the same Rotella Synthetic at 50,000 miles with no adverse leaks.

 

[JFaughn]

I would not go that thin on the oil , I live in MN. have not had a problem with 15-40w Rotella in cold with plugging in on occasion , down to -15* F .
I just switch to Amsoil 15-40w HD , my oil pressure went up both cold & warm .

 

[DNewell]

I run the Amsoil bypass setup and I was running the 15w40 HD Amsoil, but I keep thinking that in the colder weather, the thicker oil is causing the motor to work harder until it warms up. I just switched to the 5w40 Rotella synth and I got it at WalMart for $16/jug. I really wanted a 5w30, but they didn't have any. I kept getting concerned because with the 15w40 in the colder weather, it would take up to 30 seconds to build oil pressure. With the 5w40, it takes like 5 seconds.

 

[05mxdiesel]

Go with the rotella syn steve, nice grp III oil with excellent cold flow properties. I just can't justify it, because for a couple more dollars I can get a full pao syn oil from Amsoil. So why did you have to change the oil?

 

[ENafziger]

I too wanted to switch to a good, readily available synthetic, so I started using the Rotella T 5w-40. Oil consumption went up slightly at first, but back to normal in one oil change.

However, I decided to send in an oil analysis to Blackstone using the synthetic Rotella. I'm running a high efficiency Donaldson primary filter, an OilGuard by-pass filter, and FilterMags on the primary as well. With this configuration, I thought I would be fine to run extended change intervals, but decided to change at 10,000 and send a sample... and I'm glad I did! Iron, lead, and other parameters were VERY much higher than normal. In fact, after doing some extensive comparison with other people's setups and oil choice, I decided it was time to look elsewhere.

I would highly recommend Schaeffer's Supreme 9000 5w-40. It is a real synthetic oil, and also contains a good dose of moly. Go to the their website and use the dealer locator... there may or may not be a dealer in your town, but even if you have to order it in, it may be worth the benefits. Price was around $17/gallon with free shipping.

--Eric

 

[05mxdiesel]

ENafziger, you can't blame the rotella from your high wear unless the oil was just plain spent at 10k which I doubt since you were running a oilguard bp filter. Most likely all the extra fuel and higher boost levels are causing the extra wear.



I wasn't aware that scaheffers is sold at that price and free shipping to boot. I may have to give it a try sometime.

 

[steved]

Thanks to all that replied... I have looked into Schaeffers before, but their dealers are not easy to find, and there isn't one in New Mexico! I have repeatedly emailed them to get no response... I would love to try their Supreme 9000 diesel oil, but they are harder to get hold of than "other" mail order oils!



I don't really "need" to change, but my last UOA came back looking a little rough. The oil had thickened slightly to 82. 8, flashpoint dropped to 405*F, lead came back 6ppm, and iron was at 21ppm. Fuel came back at 0. 5%, with 0. 3% insoluables. TBN was still at 6. 2. The background on this oil: last changed the bypass and added makeup oil at "zero", placed over 6000 miles of pretty hard towing (camper and trailer grossing over 11k throughout southern UT and CO mountains), followed by a run to New Mexico (higher altitude causes a lot of smoke). I also have several days of 15*F cold starts (no plugging in at the hotel). The oil had a little more than 8500 miles on it when sampled... it was Rotella CJ-4 15w40. Everything else looked eerily normal, as you can see in the attached PDF.



I have recently completed another bypass filter change (which was AFTER the UOA was collected), so the oil might not look as bad now... but I figured I might try something a little different in the pig, and being we are coming into cold weather...



steved

 

[steved]

ENafziger, you can't blame the rotella from your high wear unless the oil was just plain spent at 10k which I doubt since you were running a oilguard bp filter. Most likely all the extra fuel and higher boost levels are causing the extra wear.

Could have just been that first oil change... that is very common to see elevated levels across the board in a brand change UOA.



steved

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I run the Amsoil bypass setup and I was running the 15w40 HD Amsoil, but I keep thinking that in the colder weather, the thicker oil is causing the motor to work harder until it warms up. I just switched to the 5w40 Rotella synth and I got it at WalMart for $16/jug. I really wanted a 5w30, but they didn't have any. I kept getting concerned because with the 15w40 in the colder weather, it would take up to 30 seconds to build oil pressure. With the 5w40, it takes like 5 seconds.

I tried finding the specs on Rotella syn but couldn't find the cold pour point. Amsoil 15w40 HDD/Marine cold pour point is -44F which is right there with some top shelf 5w40 oils. . . the CPP on Mobil Delvac 1 is -49F; the Amsoil should do well in frigid temps even though it doesn't have the wide vis spread. Seems to flow well in my truck (but then it's a lot less arctic-like here compared to Spokane )



Vaughn

 

[kentdiesel]

Here is a link to Shell Rotella T Synthetic 5W-40 data sheet

(hope the link works)



http://www.shellusserver.com/products/pdf/RotellaTSynthetic.pdf



Even though its a Group III oil I like it because its widely available and still CI-4 plus.

 

[drag racer]

None of the above... . Red Line 15W-40

 

[Tomscreek]

I switched to Mobile Delvac 5-40 a couple years ago. I only put about 7-8000 miles on per year now so I just change oil once a year in the fall. I get better cold weather starts.

 

[DNewell]

I tried finding the specs on Rotella syn but couldn't find the cold pour point. Amsoil 15w40 HDD/Marine cold pour point is -44F which is right there with some top shelf 5w40 oils. . . the CPP on Mobil Delvac 1 is -49F; the Amsoil should do well in frigid temps even though it doesn't have the wide vis spread. Seems to flow well in my truck (but then it's a lot less arctic-like here compared to Spokane )



Vaughn

I compared the two to one another. I've got a full jug of the 15w40 Amsoil sitting in the garage so I had the two side by side. The 5w40 was definitely more thin. Not too sure if it helps, but I'm thinking it does. We'll see. Doesn't hurt to try something new. I like the Amsoil products, and I will never badmouth them, but it is just a little expensive...

 

[steved]

I like the Amsoil products, and I will never badmouth them, but it is just a little expensive...

My problem with Amsoil is the fact I can't pick it up local, at a truck stop. Since I travel from the east coast to the west coast, I need something I can pick up along the way if needed.



Hmmm, I'm not sure now. I wanted a single universal oil to run year round, and I'm not sure that thinner oil would hold up to the limited towing I do, or the extended "hard" driving on the interstates (from temps ranging from -25*F to those approaching 120*F).



I guess I got to research the 5w40 Rotella some more... I would be completing UOAs on 10k intervals, so I'd sort of know what's going on.



steved

 

[steved]

One question: for those of you running 5w40, do you run it year round?? Or do you change back and forth?



steved