After reading some comments, and UOA's from some seeingly knowledgeable people on this forum, I am almost convinced to stick with dino diesel oil for my duramax pickup. These oils are obviously very cost effective especially when bought in large jugs (rotella 10 quart jug for 30 dollars), my only two worries about using any of the big name hdeo's (rotella,delo,delvac) are turbo coking, and engine cleanliness, and maybe better fuel mileage? I worry most about the turbo aspect, because I have always been told you should run a synthetic in any turbocharged engine due to the heat issue, which supposedly dino oils are not up to the task for protecting? I run my duramax very hard to say the least,and I have also upgraded it for more power which in turn generate more heat. I live in michigan, so I will at least go with a synthetic in winter, but for summer I will probably stay with dino. I would really like to use rotella T6 year round, but summer temps scare me with a 5w40 oil and its large viscosity spread (shearing). Is this a good choice for a hard driven turbo diesel? I know large over the road trucks run dino 15w40 but also have a much much larger capacity, and that makes a big difference in the oil life.
almost convinced to stick with dino HDEO
- Thread starter Ponch
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They thought about your shearing concerns with the 5w40. The synthetic in turbo thing is for idiots who park their gas turbos right after running them hard and the heat cokes the oil in their bearings. Mix fleet 15w40 dinos have turbos in mind as they're in all OTR trucks and can take the stress.
Pound for pound whatever intermittant hooning you do in your pickup doesn't compare to 80k lbs going up a long grade and taking forever with the pedal to the floor.
Pound for pound whatever intermittant hooning you do in your pickup doesn't compare to 80k lbs going up a long grade and taking forever with the pedal to the floor.
+1 The T6 5W40 isn't a dino 5W40 with all the viscosity modifiers needed to have such a spread in viscosity.
I think T6 5W40 is superior in every way to dino 15W40 under any conditions(someone please correct me if I'm wrong) so I'd run it year round if I needed too.
15W40 is all my cars need in the summer and I switch to a lower viscosity synthetic for the winter which maybe T6 5W40 if I can find some on sale.
I think T6 5W40 is superior in every way to dino 15W40 under any conditions(someone please correct me if I'm wrong) so I'd run it year round if I needed too.
15W40 is all my cars need in the summer and I switch to a lower viscosity synthetic for the winter which maybe T6 5W40 if I can find some on sale.
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Pound for pound whatever intermittant hooning you do in your pickup doesn't compare to 80k lbs going up a long grade and taking forever with the pedal to the floor.
Very different engines. The truck engines are built to take that work for 600k to 1m miles. A hot rodded pickup truck diesel engine is not--it would be too heavy, too costly, and not needed for 99.99% of the owners. I used to work on a industrial diesel that ran at 90% to 100% of max for 25 days a month, 24 hours a day, and liner measurements were showing 20 year liner life. Again, different engine built to different standards.
Ponch
I like syn oil year 'round. If you can find data sheets for the oil, look at the HTHS viscosity. If it is over 3.7, great, and the higher the better. Can you get Canadian Esso XD-3 Extra 0W-40 oil? That would be much better than any Shell Rotella product when very cold.
http://www.esso.ca/Canada-English/Files/Products_Lubes/IOCAENCVLESEsso_Xd-3_extra.pdf
Pound for pound whatever intermittant hooning you do in your pickup doesn't compare to 80k lbs going up a long grade and taking forever with the pedal to the floor.
Very different engines. The truck engines are built to take that work for 600k to 1m miles. A hot rodded pickup truck diesel engine is not--it would be too heavy, too costly, and not needed for 99.99% of the owners. I used to work on a industrial diesel that ran at 90% to 100% of max for 25 days a month, 24 hours a day, and liner measurements were showing 20 year liner life. Again, different engine built to different standards.
Ponch
I like syn oil year 'round. If you can find data sheets for the oil, look at the HTHS viscosity. If it is over 3.7, great, and the higher the better. Can you get Canadian Esso XD-3 Extra 0W-40 oil? That would be much better than any Shell Rotella product when very cold.
http://www.esso.ca/Canada-English/Files/Products_Lubes/IOCAENCVLESEsso_Xd-3_extra.pdf
What is the coldest (ballpark) temperature your truck will be started in during the winter?
Well what about the millions of semi trucks that run the same HDEO oil as you buy for your truck!!!! Everyboby doesn't know poop from shinola actually. That being said if you are thinking enough about modding the engine [screwing it up] buy an exaust gas gauge and let the engine idle till the temps drop to close to 300*f before turning off the engine and learn the high temp limits when you are overfeuling the engine. Winter time where you live would benefit from Syn in the winter and you may as well run it in the summer!!! Been to Michigan when I was driving truck running the 48 states back in the 1970s it gets quite brisk in the winter.
Originally Posted By: Ponch
These oils are obviously very cost effective especially when bought in large jugs (rotella 10 quart jug for 30 dollars), my only two worries about using any of the big name hdeo's (rotella,delo,delvac) are turbo coking, and engine cleanliness, and maybe better fuel mileage? I worry most about the turbo aspect, because I have always been told you should run a synthetic in any turbocharged engine due to the heat issue, which supposedly dino oils are not up to the task for protecting?
As others have pointed out, I'd be more worried about the cold weather than the turbo. Turbo diesels are nothing new and have run on conventional 15w-40 for many, many years. You say you'll be running it hard. Will you be running at full boost for eight hours solid? I've done it on a diesel, and with conventional 15w-40. One just doesn't shut it down two seconds after idling down.
Your winter experience will be enhanced with a synthetic. That would also alleviate your fears about heat to some degree. Either is workable. If you do enough miles to justify it, try a conventional in the summer and synthetic in the winter. If the miles are lower, synthetic all year might be the way to go.
If your vehicle is kept in a warm shop and doesn't have to start outside in the winter cold, there's nothing wrong with 15w-40 all year round. If outside though all night, your winters can get frosty enough to give you pause.
These oils are obviously very cost effective especially when bought in large jugs (rotella 10 quart jug for 30 dollars), my only two worries about using any of the big name hdeo's (rotella,delo,delvac) are turbo coking, and engine cleanliness, and maybe better fuel mileage? I worry most about the turbo aspect, because I have always been told you should run a synthetic in any turbocharged engine due to the heat issue, which supposedly dino oils are not up to the task for protecting?
As others have pointed out, I'd be more worried about the cold weather than the turbo. Turbo diesels are nothing new and have run on conventional 15w-40 for many, many years. You say you'll be running it hard. Will you be running at full boost for eight hours solid? I've done it on a diesel, and with conventional 15w-40. One just doesn't shut it down two seconds after idling down.
Your winter experience will be enhanced with a synthetic. That would also alleviate your fears about heat to some degree. Either is workable. If you do enough miles to justify it, try a conventional in the summer and synthetic in the winter. If the miles are lower, synthetic all year might be the way to go.
If your vehicle is kept in a warm shop and doesn't have to start outside in the winter cold, there's nothing wrong with 15w-40 all year round. If outside though all night, your winters can get frosty enough to give you pause.
dnewton3
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Ponch - it's not that much colder in Bay City than where I'm at (Indy). If 15w-40 is a concern, then consider a lighter grade dino.
I run either 15w-40 or 10w-30 in my Dmax, both dino, and have had excellent UOAs either way.
I'm just about to OCI out my current Delvac 1300 15w-40; got it at a stellar price last year. But this year I got some more Rotella 10w-30 dino on sale at Menards.
My UOA from my last 10w-30 dino run is posted in the UOAs. I towed heavy for about half the mileage, and the UOA came back really decent.
If you want good all weather peformance, perhaps consider a lighter grade dino; perfect for situations such as yours. I can personally attest to that.
I run either 15w-40 or 10w-30 in my Dmax, both dino, and have had excellent UOAs either way.
I'm just about to OCI out my current Delvac 1300 15w-40; got it at a stellar price last year. But this year I got some more Rotella 10w-30 dino on sale at Menards.
My UOA from my last 10w-30 dino run is posted in the UOAs. I towed heavy for about half the mileage, and the UOA came back really decent.
If you want good all weather peformance, perhaps consider a lighter grade dino; perfect for situations such as yours. I can personally attest to that.
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This message is for "steve s"... When you type exclamtion marks in a message like you did to me earlier. "!!!!!!!" That is the same as shouting at someone, which I do not appreciate. And as far as your comment of "screwing up" my engine, I will do what to my truck as I please. I didn't join this website to read comments like that, and you should join diesel forums/websites and tell thousands of members who modify their diesel trucks that they are "screwin up" their motors!
Ponch-I have to pile on with you on that one-most diesel engines run better, have more power, and even get better mileage with "mods", which don't "screw up" an engine when done with common sense-a mild timing box, along with EGT, transmission, and boost gauges, are a GREAT investment and won't hurt a diesel engine a bit! The Duramax has been shown (check out the UOA section) to be one of the easiest engines on oil-a quality dino HDEO could probably make it to 10K easy with a good filter (PureOne, Amsoil, K&N)!
Bullwinkle I agree 100%... Doing your research and adding only a few performance mods within these trucks finishes the job right...Without any damage within the motor.-{Now it all depends on the A$$ Monkey driving as well}. My 7.3L was produce with 250hp@2500 525ft lb@1600... previous owner had truck at dealership all the time... After I drove it home with 255K miles on it... I performed 5mods... now have 281K miles with not one hickup after those mods... Now I'm close to 375hp and 700ftlbs of torque... and this 7.3L is so much fun to drive...and still get 12mpg loaded highway.. 32ft jayco... and 18mpg unloaded. Mind U this truck is never raced nor abused. Mods are good within reason. After 4yrs now... I have not had one breakdown...
Ponch--> If you have access to Rotella T5 10W-30 or T6 5W-40? Use either one...
Ponch--> If you have access to Rotella T5 10W-30 or T6 5W-40? Use either one...
"Bullwinkle" and "syn" thank you for the replies...yes I do belive if modded within reason, these trucks cannot be ruined. I actually would like to run the T-6 5W40 year round, but I was a bit worried about the summer heat and this oil shearing, but I heard that the new T6 is supposed to resist shearing better than the old fornule, amd I also get good advice from guys on this forum like "dnewton" who has ran HDEO 10W30 oil in his own duramax with a UOA with great results. I wish I could see more specs on the T6 rotella...(HT/HS,flashpoint,etc.) I am also surprised that GM does not recommend using the 5W40 in extremely hot weather (as stated in owners manual) I would have thought that most synthetic 5W40's would shear less than a mineral 15W40? I'm gonna run a UOA on the T6 next summer with hard towing to see how it holds up.
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