Synthetic oil !

[57chevyconvt]

Bill, I use the Cummins Fleet Guard StraPore oil and fuel filters. The filter media is a synthetic fiber that filters to 10 micron. Particulate removal is the key to reducing engine wear regardless of the type of oil that is owner preferred. I purchase the filters off the Internet because of lower price that is charged locally by the truck fleet service center prices tend to take advantage of the walk-in customer like me.

 

[JanAndBill]

I have used Rotella for the last 20 years in both my company and personal vehicles. I graduated to Rotella T when the particulate filters became a fact of life. We use Rotella, Delo and others in our fleet of trucks, dozers, loaders, motor graders and excavators. We would never consider using synthetics due to cost. It really doesn't matter what oil you use as long as it meets the spec. More importantly is that it is changed according to it's service duty. Our equipment sees some of the most severe duties, due to dust and heat.

You hit the nail square on the head!!!!

 

[porthole]

I was told that once you use synthetic oil in a diesel, that you can't go back to regular oil! So you might want to think about it. I use synthetic in mine and haven't seen any difference.

That is BS. The manufactures will attest to that.

I use syn in the bike and genny.
Truck gets what ever is the best deal whne I buy my oil. I mostly use Rotella, either the full dino, blend or syn. When the syn is on sale it is about the same as the dino stuff.

In a gasoline vehicle exclusive use of syn no doubt can help. But with diesels there are oil quality issues that syn has no control over, mainly soot, coolant and fuel dilution.

IMHO you are better off changing your oil twice as often as synthetic for about the same cost.

 

[Birchwood]

I use regular Rotella in my Duramax and change it always at the GM dealers and when my information center indicates 30%.Never considered Synthetic oil as an option because it still gets dirty so whats the point!

 

[Lynn1130]

Think the brand of oil does not make a difference? Read this.

http://oil-tech.com/motoroil-comparison.php

 

[mmomega]

I run Mobil-1 5w-40 Full Synthetic.

 

[Lynn1130]

Did you look at the wear test for Mobil 1?

 

[For20hunter]

From looking at the link, Amsoil seems FAR superior than the rest of the competitors. Anyone disagree with the findings? I have been getting my oil changed at the Ford dealerships with the factory Motorcraft Synthetic Blend every 5000 miles, but now am considering switching to Amsoil based on those results and other information I have found on the web.

Rod Ditrich

Sent from my GT-P5113 using Tapatalk 4

 

[brianharrison]

From looking at the link, Amsoil seems FAR superior than the rest of the competitors. Anyone disagree with the findings? I have been getting my oil changed at the Ford dealerships with the factory Motorcraft Synthetic Blend every 5000 miles, but now am considering switching to Amsoil based on those results and other information I have found on the web.

Rod Ditrich

Sent from my GT-P5113 using Tapatalk 4

It is a report branded with AMSOL all over it - designed and written by AMSOL. May be a bit skewed, IMHO. I would tend to disagree AMSOL is the best out there, for 5W30 syn oils....you asked. My 2 cents.

Brian

 

[Lynn1130]

There are pro Amsoil people and anti and some who say oil is oil. I run Amsoil in every engine that I own and in transmissions, differentials and transfer cases. So, I guess I am pro. If you believe in extended change intervals synthetics are the direction to go. Yes they are more expensive but if you are changing oil less, then the cost averages out. Engines no longer need the oil changed every 3000 miles in spite of what we were taught growing up. My wife's Lexus recommends 5K with dyno and the BMW before that was 12 months or 12000 miles on dyno so going 25K on a good synthetic is not unheard of and in fact the norm in some engines. My Duramax's driver info computer wants me to run 12 months or 10K. Because of towing, dusty Arizona and heat, I change between 5K and 7K, usually closer to 5.

I have no doubt that the oil police will chime in here and that is fine. Everyone has there own opinion and in the case of oil there are some strong opinions but research backs up good synthetic oil.

If you plan on continuing to change oil at 3K look at some of the OEM syntetics (Amsoil) the price is better and you can satisfy your fear of running too long on oil.

 

[For20hunter]

But since I use my F350 primarily for towing how often or how many miles can I expect to be able to drive between oil changes using Amsoil? 25,000 is for normal use, not towing.

Sent from my GT-P5113 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Lynn1130]

The best method is to test the oil at intervals to determine when that change should be made. Pull a sample at various intervals with the first use. There are several oil testing companies that can give you a full rundown on the health of the oil. Even though I only run about 5-7K I take a sample to be analyzed after about every third oil change just to see what is going on with the engine and the oil.

"Normal" is subjective. What is normal in one part of the world may not be so normal in Alaska, Arizona, or Texas etc.

 

[jimtoo]

What is approx price that these oil testing companies charge for the oil testing?

 

[JohnDar]

Back in the day when I was analyzing engine (gas) oils, we didn't see any significant wear metals unless there was fuel or coolant dilution of the oil in the crankcase. If all you're getting is a list of metals, you're not getting the whole picture.

 

[Lynn1130]

The tests, depending upon which service, run around $25. John, I am not sure what you mean by the whole picture. Yes, you get a list of metals but you also get a list of the "norms" for the amount of those metals in the oil from averages of thousands of vehicles tested and the "norm" for the particular engine you have as well as a synopsis from the techs telling you what areas are out of spec. You will also know whether there is fuel and or coolant in the oil sample. Fuel in oil in a diesel is a good sign the injectors are sick. One of my tests came back high in silicon with the suggestion to check all air intake areas. Turned out a mechanic failed to properly install and tighten the air intake from the air filter and it was leaking. It did not take long in Arizona's dusty environment for that to show in the oil.

Low oil pressure, oil that has broken down and ineffective oil circulation will cause bearing wear which will show up as high lead and tin readings just to name one area. I guess you will have to explain the "whole picture" because the reports I get are pretty thorough.

 

[JohnDar]

One of the things we looked at was the condition of the additive package to determine how worn out the oil was. While the levels of the metals that were part of the chemistry remained fairly constant, the functionality of the additives decreased. We used infrared analysis and other techniques to look at that. We were assisting in the development of a new engine design that showed "problems" after it went into production.