Valvoline Blue 15w40 - 11,410 miles - 2014 RAM HD

[Artem]

Vehicle:
2014 RAM 3500 HD

Engine:
6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel

Engine oil capacity:
12 quarts

Oil type:
Valvoline Premium Blue 15w40

Oil additives:
None

Gas Additives:
None

Make up oil added:
half a quart somewhere in the middle of the run.

Oil filter:
Mopar OEM.

Air filter:
OEM factory air filter. I changed it after this oil change.

USE: highway/city @ 90/10. The truck is used exclusively for hauling freight with a gooseneck 32 foot flatbed around this great country of ours. It frequently hauls at maximum towing capacity of 30,000 pounds but usually around 15-25k depending on the load.

The truck idles for 5-10 minutes during cold start (depending on temps) and idles for 1-5 minutes before each and every shut off to cool down the turbo and other components, as recommended in the owners manual. Other then that, I always sleep at a hotel, so it never idles all night long at truck stops.

@ about 20,000 miles, the water pump failed for some unknown reason, leaking coolant all over the place. Luckily, I was literally 4 miles from a Ram dealership at the time and limped the truck there for warranty repairs. The dealer was shocked that the pump failed as they've never seen it before.

I'm not sure where the potassium and sodium are coming from. It can't possible be from the water pump leaking, so it's definitely a strange phenomenon. I put on 2,000 on the new fill while waiting for the results of this UOA and after seeing the results, I decided to do a quick flush and dumped the Valvoline out in favor of fresh juice. I left the oil filter in place though.

Any thoughts or comments about what could possibly be going on in the new engine? Break in leftovers?

 

[CT8]

That truck is certainly worked !!!

 

[CT8]

Had to come back and and say that truck is worked really really hard. New engine uoa!!!

 

[Texan4Life]

Thanks for the UOA and pic!

I wouldn't worry yet about the ppm... if I had to make a bet I would say they will be trending down.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Do you plan to use Shell Rotella 5W40 in this truck ? The truck is working hard most of the time so give it synthetic oil may be better.

 

[Artem]

Originally Posted By: CT8
Had to come back and and say that truck is worked really really hard. New engine uoa!!!


Couldn't agree with you more. It literally would have started hauling with 12 miles on the ODO if I had the trailer nearby. I drove 1,000 miles from Florida to Texas to get the trailer, which was pretty much my breakin. Then it started hauling freight with 1k on the clock and haven't looked back since.

It does get worked pretty hard. Through the mountains, I'm literally WIDE OPEN THROTTLE up the mountain, passing Semi's as it they're standing. Haha. So the turbo is at full boost for 1, 2 maybe 3 minutes none stop up a huge mountain. I kinda even feel bad sometimes but know that the Cummins can handle it.

 

[Artem]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Do you plan to use Shell Rotella 5W40 in this truck ? The truck is working hard most of the time so give it synthetic oil may be better.


I thought about it but got a really good deal on the Valvoline Premium Blue 15w40 when a local Auto Zone had a sale on it. I literally ordered 5 gallon buckets of the stuff. Came out cheaper then Rotella or anything else at Walmart and its Cummins approved, so I feel good about it.

I planned on getting the Valvoline EXTREME 5w40 for winter time but decided to avoid the snow and just stay within a few states of Florida and avoid the salt, so the 15w40 is still within spec for 20Fs and 30Fs outside temp.

Regarding the synthetic due to severe use... I feel the thicker 15w40 Dino would handle things just fine vs a 5w40 synth.

If Valvoline had 15w40 in synthetic flavor, I'd get that.

 

[Danno]

Good luck with the truck.

If it doesn't live, I'd be temped to haul with a single axle tractor- Volvo VNL30 iShift with D11 would be my choice.

A few bucks more, but what the heck - right?

 

[Artem]

I could have gotten a semi (both my parents are truck drivers) but decided to go RAM because I can still make very good money yet use the truck for daily use and haul my new jetski's to the pond / beach, so it's a win / win from all angles.

I expect the Ram to easily last 500k at a minimum before any kind of refresh might be needed. I don't see this thing giving up anytime soon, regardless of the use.

 

[dnewton3]

Break in data is not really useful in terms of wear, but it can show if contamination intrusion is present, so there is some minimal value to a UOA this soon.


The upside to this situation is that you're actually using the truck/engine for what it is made for, and not a DD. Because of this, you're likely going to see far fewer regen events than the typical DD would. Getting the engine good and hot for long periods avoids a lot of regen, which also helps hold down fuel dilution. Diesels thrive on this type of use; they are designed for it!

The 1k mile run to get the trailer certainly helped soften the break-in, but such highway driving does not vary rpm much, and so the bearings, etc didn't see much of a change.

Until you get some more miles on it, you'll not really know it's "normal" OCI response in a UOA. But it seems that you're on the right track for the start.

Given the distance travels and usage you expect, then syns MIGHT make sense, if you're going to extend the OCIs. However, if you intend to stick within warranty provisions for the OCI, syns won't pay off. There is no evidence that a syn would be "better" for normal use. And your use is just that; it's "normal" to use a diesel truck to haul heavy loads. They are designed for this type use. A syn is NOT a necessity to protect the engine well. All the major dino lubes (Delo, Delvac, Rotella, VPB, TC, etc) will do a fine job as they are quality products.



I understand what you feel like when you are running WOT uphill. I did that a few years ago with my heavy travel trailer behind my Dmax; what a thrill to run a stock truck and pass most traffic (safely) hauling a heavy load. I was running throught the Rockies, and the desert southwest in summer, with the A/C on, and the engine and tranny never got anywhere close to overheating, and yet I passed folks like it was a walk in the park. Today's light duty diesel trucks are fantasic pieces of equipment when used within their limits and with the right understanding of how they operate.

 

[A_Harman]

The Copper is very high, but there's no Lead to go with it, so I don't think you have a bearing issue. Probably the oil cooler shedding Copper.

 

[Artem]

Originally Posted By: dnewton3
Break in data is not really useful in terms of wear, but it can show if contamination intrusion is present, so there is some minimal value to a UOA this soon.


I realize that the UOA at this point is rather pointless at this point in terms of trending wear. My main reason for it was to see how the oil itself is holding up to the abuse. The oil temps stay within the normal 203F on the gauge but did reach 220s+ during mountain climbs when it was "warm" outside. With the turbo spinning at full boost ALOT (30psi) I wanted to make sure that the oil is within spec to properly lubricate everything. Ram calls for 15k OCIs but doesn't say anything about SEVERE DUTY (Frequent Hauling).

There's also a section in the manual that states if Bio-Diesel of more then 5% is used (up to 20% max) that OCIs are to be cut back to 12,500 miles as a result. Since I fill up at major truck stops rather then small gas stations, most have Bio blend of 5-20% so that's why I wanted to sample near 12k to see what's going on with the oil. Seem like the Cummins is burning through the Bio-Diesel just fine.


Originally Posted By: dnewton3
The upside to this situation is that you're actually using the truck/engine for what it is made for, and not a DD. Because of this, you're likely going to see far fewer regen events than the typical DD would. Getting the engine good and hot for long periods avoids a lot of regen, which also helps hold down fuel dilution. Diesels thrive on this type of use; they are designed for it!


Couldn't agree with you more. I also find it funny when people purchase say a huge Jeep, ready for off road but drive it around town as a grocery getter.

Honestly, I think I only ever saw one regen cycle. This was during a time when I idled waiting for a load to be ready for a few hours and the engine's RPM went up for 10-15 minutes as it made all kinds of noises. The manual states that is the regen cycle going.

Other then that, the CONSTANT HEAT is easily burning up all the junk is the particulate filter so I'm not concerned about the regen adding fuel to the oil.


Originally Posted By: dnewton3
The 1k mile run to get the trailer certainly helped soften the break-in, but such highway driving does not vary rpm much, and so the bearings, etc didn't see much of a change.


I did get to vary the RPMs and engine load during the trip. There was construction all over so 55mph down from 75-80 was frequently seen. When the speed went up, I'd FLOOR IT to get some boost / heat going (exhaust smell in the cabin afterward confirmed my actions).

The manual states something along the lines that the Cummins doesn't need any break-in period and is ready to haul outta the lot. It even states that hauling some weight will actually HELP speed up engine wear in faster due to the load on the block, so I think the Cummins didn't mind hauling weight having just been born.


Originally Posted By: dnewton3
Today's light duty diesel trucks are fantasic pieces of equipment when used within their limits and with the right understanding of how they operate.


Oh it gets operated AT THE LIMIT. At first I was concerned about the truck handling 30,000 pounds but the big loads are where the money's at, so I don't really have much choice. The Ram didn't complain while pulling 30k on the highway @ 85mph through Arizona with the RPMs @ like 2,500 out out of the 3k rev limit.

Speaking of rev limits...

those who know me on here, know that I run my cars HARD, revving to redline constantly. The truck tries to shift early but with the tranny in manual mode, I frequently ask the Cummins to rev to 3,200rpm fuel cutoff, just for the sake of exercise (usually after I drop off a heavy load and floor it when getting on the highway, to let the engine take a sigh of relief <-- I do this when I drop off the trailer as well. It's amazing how much more powerful it feels without anything attached to the back, Haha).