Synthetic Oil
- Thread starter 'Lil Guy'
- Start date
'Lil Guy'
Well-known member
I'm about to put the RP 15W-40 in. I was just wondering if the wait might help the truck loosen up a bit. How long do most of you go between changes with the synthetic? I normally change too often but that can't hurt. My 1st diesel and it holds an expensive amount of blood.
whp4262, I'll say you have pretty good luck with that oil. Lots of miles there.
whp4262, I'll say you have pretty good luck with that oil. Lots of miles there.
brianharrison
Well-known member
5,000 to 7,000 miles, or 6 months. The oil will get contaminated before it wears out, mostly by diesel contamination due to DPF regeneration process.
I use Rotella T6.
Brian
How does the def affect the oil? I thought it was injected way downstrean in the exhaust system? I agree on the 6 months.
brianharrison
Well-known member
DPF - Diesel Particulate Filter; not DEF. DPF regen injects raw diesel into cylinders 7&8 on exhaust stroke to light off DPF. Some diesel will migrate past rings into oil, IMHO.
mmomega
AnyTimer
I'm with BrianHarrison, I usually change right around 7,000 usually 6,500.
I run 12qts of Mobil1 100% Synth 5W-40 and 1 qt of Lucas 100% Synth Oil Stabilizer.
Does it make a difference adding the Lucas? I'm not sure, just got in the habit of doing it on the '07 F350 and still do it on both trucks still.
I run 12qts of Mobil1 100% Synth 5W-40 and 1 qt of Lucas 100% Synth Oil Stabilizer.
Does it make a difference adding the Lucas? I'm not sure, just got in the habit of doing it on the '07 F350 and still do it on both trucks still.
Lynn1130
Well-known member
If you use Amsoil extended you can run 25K and sometimes more. Many over the road truckers run Amsoil but there are other brands of extended out there too. At certain intervals you change filters, take an oil sample and have it tested, replace the oil removed by the filter change and keep on trucking.
Personally I don't run enough miles in a year to do that but it is an available option that is not available with dino oil.
Jim.Allison
Well-known member
Buy a Cummins and you can run 15,000 miles between oil changes, or more if you test your oil. Why would you buy synthetic, when you can get the same results from "dino oil" or semi synthetic? Modern oils and precision machined motors have eliminated the need for frequent oil changes.
Personally I use 15w 40 in a name brand with the Cummins spec. To get more than 15k you need to send a sample in, the cost of the report is over 1/2 of a new oil change. $36 for oil and $13 for a filter, that $49, the report will cost $30.
Personally I use 15w 40 in a name brand with the Cummins spec. To get more than 15k you need to send a sample in, the cost of the report is over 1/2 of a new oil change. $36 for oil and $13 for a filter, that $49, the report will cost $30.
mmomega
AnyTimer
RAM does note a 15,000 mile interval, Powerstroke at 10,000 mile and DuraMax I believe is around 10,000 also but I failed to find it in writing.
I'd be interested to know if many forum members push 10k mile or more, oil changes just out of curiosity. If so are you doing this is 100+ deg heat areas and actively towing your 5th wheels. It gets warm in TX.
Jim.Allison
Well-known member
In the Cummins I use a Stratapore filter and Kendall Super DX A. I am comfortable running this oil to 6 months, 15,000 miles, or 500 hours of operation, whichever comes first. Under any normal service condition found in the lower 48. normal is operating within the limits of what the TV and the oil are designed to do. However I would probably not begin a 4000 mile xcountry trip with oil that had 10,000 miles on it.
I'm about to change the oil because of age not milage. The Ram EVIC displays ACTUAL oil life remaining or used. But no matter the oil life remaining, the oil must be changed, at 500 hours, 6 months, or 15,000 miles.
Funny how people go out of their way to do premature oil changes, but do they do premature fuel filter changes? A fuel filter change in a diesel is as important if not more important than an oil and filter change.
I'm about to change the oil because of age not milage. The Ram EVIC displays ACTUAL oil life remaining or used. But no matter the oil life remaining, the oil must be changed, at 500 hours, 6 months, or 15,000 miles.
Funny how people go out of their way to do premature oil changes, but do they do premature fuel filter changes? A fuel filter change in a diesel is as important if not more important than an oil and filter change.
Lynn1130
Well-known member
Like, "which truck (or tires) should I buy?" these threads end up being "you should buy what I use because I like it". And as to dyno vs synthetic, that is one that the vehicle owner should research and make his/her own decision. The days of 3000 mile oil changes (pretty much an oil company ploy) are long gone and a few of the lower prices vehicles come from the factory with dyno in them but most today come with synthetic and at least 7K mile oil change ranges. My DIC tells me to change oil around 10K and at least every year. I do it more often because of the 105+ degree days and very dusty climate.
Doublegranch
Mountain Region Director-Retired
It's like my Grandpa always said, Opinions are like your rear end, everyone has one! I agree with Lynn, find what makes you comfortable and don't look back at what everyone is expressing. I feel the $50 oil change every 5,000 miles is an insurance policy on my Dodge. Since the price tag is over $54,000 I don't feel compelled to worry about going 10,000 miles or so one one oil change. Perhaps I am wasting a few bucks, but it gives me peace of mind.
Jim.Allison
Well-known member
Without opinions, there would be no forum.
fo·rum
ˈfôrəm/
noun
fo·rum
ˈfôrəm/
noun
- 1. a place, meeting, or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged.
JanAndBill
Well-known member
Like the previous poster stated there are a lot of opinions. Having run millions of miles on over the road trucks, we experimented with oil change intervals, oils, filters, etc. Oil changes were a major expense for us considering we were looking at 12-15K miles per month on a truck. So here's what we found -
1. Trucks pretty much ran 24/7 so the optimum interval for us was 16k. Oil tests and maintenance records, showed significant decline in the oil, increase in contaminants, and increase in metals from wear, when we pushed that interval. FYI we went 21K in our tests which were conducted over several months, on different trucks and engines.
2. Having tried many oils over the years, Delo came to be the standard for us based on actual use. There was no advantage to using synthetic engine oil. Part of this may have been due to the fact that the oil usually became contaminated with soot, metal, moisture or fuel, before you could utilize the full advantage of the oil.
Apparently what we did worked, because it wasn't unusual to get a million miles on an engine before we ever opened it up. We did start using synthetic in transmissions and rear ends with good success. Using synthetics here resulted in a decline in mechanical issues, and allowed us to up our service intervals, but again they weren't subject to contaminants that the engine encountered.
One caveat of all engine manufacturer's when specifying oil change intervals is "depending on operating conditions". It's left up to the operator to determine if an adjustment needs to be made. For example in you regularly drive your vehicle on short hops and the oil temperature never exceeds 212, you are accumulating moisture in that oil, or if you regularly idle for extended periods you're accumulating soot and fuel. The thing is there is no magic number, only guidelines. However, I will say if you have an engine under warranty, and you fail to change the fluids in the specified intervals, you'll be SOL if something happens.
On my 6.0 I run Motorcraft oil and change it every 4500 miles, that gets me about 4 to 5 months based on my driving. If my driving habits change, I might have to adjust that interval.
1. Trucks pretty much ran 24/7 so the optimum interval for us was 16k. Oil tests and maintenance records, showed significant decline in the oil, increase in contaminants, and increase in metals from wear, when we pushed that interval. FYI we went 21K in our tests which were conducted over several months, on different trucks and engines.
2. Having tried many oils over the years, Delo came to be the standard for us based on actual use. There was no advantage to using synthetic engine oil. Part of this may have been due to the fact that the oil usually became contaminated with soot, metal, moisture or fuel, before you could utilize the full advantage of the oil.
Apparently what we did worked, because it wasn't unusual to get a million miles on an engine before we ever opened it up. We did start using synthetic in transmissions and rear ends with good success. Using synthetics here resulted in a decline in mechanical issues, and allowed us to up our service intervals, but again they weren't subject to contaminants that the engine encountered.
One caveat of all engine manufacturer's when specifying oil change intervals is "depending on operating conditions". It's left up to the operator to determine if an adjustment needs to be made. For example in you regularly drive your vehicle on short hops and the oil temperature never exceeds 212, you are accumulating moisture in that oil, or if you regularly idle for extended periods you're accumulating soot and fuel. The thing is there is no magic number, only guidelines. However, I will say if you have an engine under warranty, and you fail to change the fluids in the specified intervals, you'll be SOL if something happens.
On my 6.0 I run Motorcraft oil and change it every 4500 miles, that gets me about 4 to 5 months based on my driving. If my driving habits change, I might have to adjust that interval.
'Lil Guy'
Well-known member
I agree except I'll go about 6K to 7K between changes. I think if you do a study that there are some benefits to the life of the motor by using syn oil over dino. Just my opinion.
Jim.Allison
Well-known member
To the OP, there is no magic in synthetic oil that will prevent motors as precision as today's diesels, from breaking in. At 7500 miles your cylinders have made 16 million 200 thousand revolutions. Any imperfection is long gone. If you were running in the "cold country" you would already be running synthetic oil. Run it if you want.
One thing is imperative regardless of the oil you run, use the fleetguard Stratapore bypass filter or Mopar bypass filter (there are a few equivalents on the market such as Baldwin) The good names like wix have a filter to fit, but not a bypass.
One thing is imperative regardless of the oil you run, use the fleetguard Stratapore bypass filter or Mopar bypass filter (there are a few equivalents on the market such as Baldwin) The good names like wix have a filter to fit, but not a bypass.
