2001 2500HD 6.0L best choice for oil?

[Chad]

Hey guys, new here. Just read the Lucas oil review, and decided i'd better drop a question in.

I have a 2001 2500HD 6.0L 4x4. She's got 78,000 miles on her. I currently run M1 10-30 all year round and use Wix filters. I have CSK and have tried a few things including the Lucas oil treatment and Seafoam

. Yea, i tried the lucas...

I'm in need of your opinion on what oil to run. I've done a search, and read a few posts, but none that really gave me an answer.

I tow a 8000lb trailer about 5% of the time and live in Minnesota. My truck drinks oil...about 2 quarts per 3000 miles, that is even after i put a new pcv in. What oil should i run in her? stay with the 10-30 and go with 5-30 in the winter? or is there something else i can get? I don't mind paying more $$ for a quality oil.

any suggestions?

 

[Ugly3]

Auto RX to clean the ring pack out. 10w30 in the summer and 5w30 in the winter, all Mobil 1.

 

[Anthony]

I would ad a quart or 2 of M1 15w50 to the 10w30 mix in the summer.

 

[oilpan49]

Hey,

Welcome to Bobistheoilguy Chad!

Nice truck you got there. I'm a fan of the heavier duty trucks of the big 3.

Is the truck out of warranty?? If it is I'd be modifying it to tow the trailer so it's not so stressful on the engine. Maybe a put a cat-back exhaust on it(Magnaflow) Or if it was me, I woudl go 2.5" true duals. I believe those model trucks have 2 pipes going into the muffler and then 1 big ol pipe out side behind the rear passenger side, anyway back to the topic.

I agree with the Auto-rx treatment. Follow the procedures on the Auto-rx sitw. www.auto-rx.com Stuff did a great job on my truck.

While I'm not a fan of mixing viscosities regardless the circumstances. Maybe something like Mobil1 10w30 or Mobil1 15w50, like mentioned before. Only reserve 15w50 for summer and towing services. Filter choice is good. Some people like Wix filters and I've seen other members on here running a Purolator Pure One filter. Baldwin and Amsoil also make good filters.

Also maybe you might want to look into some Lube Control and Fuel Power to squeeze some more life miles out of that big block and also aid it in keeping the internals clean. Check these products out at www.lubecontrol.com

Again, like your truck man, take care of it,,,,,,AR

 

[ChrisW]

Is this 6.0L the diesel version (Im not familiar with what Liter means what engine with Chevy trucks)? If so, then mobil truck and suv 5w40 might be a good [year-round] choice, or delvac 1300 15w40 for the summer.

 

[Jelly]

Wow, an subject that I actually know something about!

Hmmm, that's very high oil consumption and the possibility remains that something is internally wrong (defective piston rings, either compression or oil control, which have happened once or twice in GM trucks...), but we can address the easy things first:

Noticed any external oil leakage/seepage?
Any blue smoke out of the exhaust.

I take it you did TSB 01-06-01-029 to get the new "fixed orifice" PCV valve?

Given your local climate, oil usage, and operating conditions, if the truck were mine, I'd immediately go over to Wal-Mart and pick up some Rotella-T 5w-40...should significantly reduce consumption in comparison to the M1 you're currently using.

 

[unDummy]

Thats a lot of oil to wa$te on topoffs.
Definitely use one of the 40wts or thicker 30wt oils.
Rotella T synthetic 5w40 is priced well.
Mobil1 0w40(euro) and 5w40(trucksuv) are good choices.
A thicker 30wt like the Torco 10w30 or Castrol 0w30 Syntec might also be a good choice.

Nothing wrong with Lucas Oil or Seafoam. Seafoam is an excellent FI cleaner and can be used for 5-10 minute flushes. Lucas is just a VI.

Any oil puddles? Check normal leak points(like valvecover gaskets/frontrear seals. Also, gauge engine condition with a compression test and/or leakdown test.

 

[Chad]

hey guys, thanks for the responses!

Airborne Ranger-
My truck is waaay out of warrenty unfortunatly.
I had to redo the exhaust after i blew it out pulling my camper up a hill one day. I ended up putting 2 IMCO mufflers on it, then going back into a single out pipe.

ChrisW-
The 6.0L is a gasser as well as the 8.1L. The 6.6 is the Duramax Diesel

Jelly and unDummy-

I replaced the PCV with the newest one 3 months ago. I dont have any leaks, puddles or anything. No wet spots anywhere around the heads.

I've yet to have a compression test done, dont really know how to do it myself.

thanks for the responses, big help so far. I really dont care about the CSK, i jsut dont want to lose that much oil per change...

 

[Ross]

I have a 2003 6.0 gas 1500HD I use M1 5w-30 all year here. With the mileage on yours I would use 5-30 winter and 10-30 spring summer fall.

 

[2500HD4X]

I have a 2000 2500 with the 6.0L w/~60K miles-I have been mixing the 5qt jug of M1 10W30 with 1qt of M1 15W50 in it since it was new (2nd OCI) and have had good results-no consumption, reduced start up noise etc. I use the Wix/Napa Gold 1522 filters as well. My truck did not like M1 5W30 the one time I tried it- it was loud on startup especially after sitting for a few days. It sees some pretty heavy towing in hot weather 90-100+F (car trailer/w tractors and other trucks on it) and I have never had the type of consumption you are having even with heavy towing, I tow ~8Klbs as well at times....Definitely sounds like something is amiss inside the motor. Mine still has the original PCV in it-not the fixed orifice type. I have never messed with it due to the fact that I have never had high comsumption. I would definitely get the motor checked out- 2qts every 3K would be disturbing to me. If you have no puddles, the motor is ingesting it internally somewhere. Find a friend or other knowledgeable person to do a compression test with you. If that checks OK I would just switch to a thicker oil and see if that helps w/consumption- the M1 T+SUV (5W40) or something like that. Living in Minnesota I imagine it gets really cold, maybe you could try that German Castrol 0W30-if you can find it at your local Auto Zone....That might be a good choice for the winter up there. I haven't tried it because its always hot here in sunny SE GA and I fear zero's....

They do have the GC here at my local AZ. Good luck with it, Hope you get it figured out- LL

 

[eddyzima]

if you want to keep it quiet and reduce consumption try the mobil dc 10w30 blend. i have a 2002 2500hd with a 6.0 and have tried just about all oil and filter combos. the mobil dc high mielage 10w30 and a purolator filter are the best combo i have found, no engine noise or oil burning.do not use the pureone puralotor though it is to restrictive, use the cheap purolater. i also had good luck with 10w30 chevron supreme and the same filter.

 

[JR]

What I would do is start using a good 15W-40. It you want to continue to use a syn. amsoil makes a 15W-40 syn. and a blend. Also i think redline makes a 15W-40 and so does royal purple.