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Oil changes


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I know this should start a interesting debate but I’m curious everybody’s opinion....

 

I want to change the oil in my Cummins turbo, curious what brands you guys recommend, previous owner ran Rotella 15 W 40 and change the oil every 7 to 10,000 miles, he also ran a quart of Lucas at every oil change, my question is what are you guys thoughts about running a full synthetic and which brand?

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On 6/25/2018 at 11:52 PM, Alexio Auditore said:

but I always change 5 to 6k miles.

 

OEM right from the owners manual is 7.5 k miles. Even from the FSM it's 7.5k miles. always get a chuckle from people using high price synthetics and changing earlier that OEM specified. 

 

Then you grab a guy like @cajflynn dino Delo 15w-40 and Fleetguard filter changed oil every 20k miles. Made 1.3 million miles. Hmmm...

 

Like myself 7k to 10k oil changes on 15w-40 Delo and Napa Gold. 

 

Here is a older TDR article... Kept in my PDF archive here. 

End of the article...

 

https://mopar1973man.com/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=17565

 

Quote

My Concrete Cowboy story goes like this. Infl uenced by the 3,000 mile-guy-on-TV for many years I adopted his mantra and needlessly changed lube oil on my vehicles. Needlessly? Yep, needlessly. I fi nally spent money to do lube oil testing and found that the lube oil was a-okay at an extension of the oil change interval to a whopping 6,000 miles. I changed the lube oil at that 6,000 mile interval. Then, I walked on the wild side…I changed the lube oil at 10,000 miles. The oil was still a-okay. I got busy the next year and, forgetful me, changed the oil at 20,000 miles. I was so concerned that I purchased the CC2543 to check the viscosity and total base number. Alas, the sample was all-toopredictable, the wear metals were pretty much double what was shown in the earlier 10,000 mile sample. Big surprise? Viscosity and TBN were still more than adequate. Should I go farther with my oil change interval? The “Jeopardy” host says, “Mister Editor, would you like to play ‘Double Jeopardy’ for 40,000 miles?” “No, Alex, I’ll pass.” In my efforts to become a lube oil analysis/lube oil engineer I learned that a 10,000 mile oil interval is okay, and that 20,000 miles is okay, too. And, as mentioned, with a capacity of only three-gallons, the cost of lube oil is close to the cost of the oil analysis. I’m comfortable changing the oil at 15,000 miles, which (oddly enough?) coincides with the factory’s schedule A maintenance requirement.

 

Edited by Mopar1973Man
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I'm running Rotella T-6 in all my diesels, mowers and higher mileage cars. In the truck,

I'm still running a Frantz filter that Mopar1973Man got me started on here 10 years ago.

 

BTW, Rotella is always rated highlyin the top 10 synthetic oils on wikkivids. Usually the

only diesel oil that makes the list.

Edited by Dave3500
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More expensive... Yes Frantz has new rolls for like 4 or 9 bucks a piece.

 

http://www.frantzfilters.com/synthetic-vs-cellulose-media/

 

I loved idea of 9 buck and having 12 rolls. Not 9 bucks for one roll. Then changing twice in oil change interval. So the filter now are more expensive than the main oil filter. Ugh. Now you know why I pulled my Frantz.

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Guest 04Mach1
On 6/25/2018 at 12:43 PM, Goonas2 said:

I know this should start a interesting debate but I’m curious everybody’s opinion....

 

I want to change the oil in my Cummins turbo, curious what brands you guys recommend, previous owner ran Rotella 15 W 40 and change the oil every 7 to 10,000 miles, he also ran a quart of Lucas at every oil change, my question is what are you guys thoughts about running a full synthetic and which brand?

Rotella T6 5w-40 and Fleetguard LF16035 filter here and I never use additives. Change the oil once a year in the fall. Usually run 12 to 15 thousand miles a year. 

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Guest 04Mach1
1 hour ago, Alexio Auditore said:

How long do the oil filters last?

Oil changes can go for 10k plus, but were the oil filters designed to last that long?

I don't have an honest answer on filter life as it will be different on every engine depending on a lot of variables. I rarely idle my engines which helps keep the oil clean. Idling a diesel engine causes incomplete combustion and alot of soot loading into the oil. The most common element to plug an oil filter in a diesel engine is soot. When I change my oil I can still see through the oil. Even at 15k miles my oil has never been soot loaded to turn the oil completely black. Most of the time when I'm changing the oil its more like 20% window tint when viewing on the dipstick, everything is still plainly visible on the dipstick when looking through the oil. I have came to my oil change interval based on sending out oil samples for analysis. I haven't done an oil analysis in 2 years but wear metals were very low, soot was very low, no fuel content could be found, no coolant content could be found, oxidation very low, TBN still close to new oil quality. Every engine will be different depending on use and abuse. I am stating most of the this based on my 2001 that never really sees loaded miles and is a daily driver meaning I don't work the engine as hard as others do theirs.

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I run Amsoil AME 15w-40 CI-4+ oil still. I change it once a year, which is 9-13K miles. Great UOA

 

I'll likely try the new Amsoil DME this next oil change. 

 

 

On 6/26/2018 at 6:32 AM, Mopar1973Man said:

Here is a older TDR article... Kept in my PDF archive here. 

TDR57_Oil.pdf

 

 

 

That was a great article back in the day. Unfortunately I don't think any of those oils are around anymore, so it doesn't do much good for current research. 

 

Now that CK is in full bloom I'd like to see them redo it. 

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On 6/26/2018 at 12:50 PM, Mopar1973Man said:

More expensive... Yes Frantz has new rolls for like 4 or 9 bucks a piece.

 

http://www.frantzfilters.com/synthetic-vs-cellulose-media/

 

I loved idea of 9 buck and having 12 rolls. Not 9 bucks for one roll. Then changing twice in oil change interval. So the filter now are more expensive than the main oil filter. Ugh. Now you know why I pulled my Frantz.

I'm going to stick with the Frantz, I ordered a few of the $4.95 ones. Thanks for you insight, Dave

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