Oil guru's....today I changed the oil in my dad's duramax, and I was alarmed on how slow this Delvac 15w40 poured out of the bottle in 20 degree weather. It looked like honey! I had left the oil in my unheated garage for a couple of days. The owners manual say's that this oil is good for 0 degrees f plus... but this seems a bit extreme to me. Does anyone on here feel this is acceptable oil in winter time? By the way, I cannot find delvac one 5w40 anywhere. Where are you guys finding it??
15w40 cold weather....
- Thread starter Ponch
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2006
- Messages
- 29,558
Walmart here has Delvac 5W40 and 15W40. If you have a Supercenter near you,try there.
I too find 15-40 not good for cold weather. Heck I live in Tampa, FL and when I was filling the rear axle on my toyota truck with dino 80-90 on a cold night... WOW. it was like honey. It barely ran. and it was only in the 40's that night. I put 15-40 in the freezer for a night or 2 and when I took it out... was like honey also. My guess is for dino 15-40... 40F+. I change my oil when it's roasting HOT. like after driving it 35 miles home. I run in, change clothes and come out and drain it.
I tend to believe you guys are stretching the truth a little...15W40 is pretty decent down to about -15 celsius (about 5 farenheit) Anything above freezing is fine. Heck, I have noticed a difference between 15W40 and 5W40 when I drain the oil out of a warm engine.
If you truly want to see how a lubricant performs in cold temps, pick a COLD night. I think anything below 0 F qualifies. the temps I have seen where I live this years have pushed my synthetic lubricants to the max. IE, -38 celsius (without the wind). If I was living somewhere where I considered cold to be in the 40's I would still be using dino 15W40...
JMO
If you truly want to see how a lubricant performs in cold temps, pick a COLD night. I think anything below 0 F qualifies. the temps I have seen where I live this years have pushed my synthetic lubricants to the max. IE, -38 celsius (without the wind). If I was living somewhere where I considered cold to be in the 40's I would still be using dino 15W40...
JMO
Originally Posted By: Ponch
I changed the oil in my dad's duramax, and I was alarmed on how slow this Delvac 15w40 poured out of the bottle in 20 degree weather. Does anyone on here feel this is acceptable oil in winter time? By the way, I cannot find delvac one 5w40 anywhere.
Why the big hard-on for Delvac?
Shell Rotella-T 5w-40 is just as good as the Delvac, (if not better), and widely available at Walmart.
In your neck of the woods I'd leave the 15w-40 for the warmer months.
I changed the oil in my dad's duramax, and I was alarmed on how slow this Delvac 15w40 poured out of the bottle in 20 degree weather. Does anyone on here feel this is acceptable oil in winter time? By the way, I cannot find delvac one 5w40 anywhere.
Why the big hard-on for Delvac?
Shell Rotella-T 5w-40 is just as good as the Delvac, (if not better), and widely available at Walmart.
In your neck of the woods I'd leave the 15w-40 for the warmer months.
Rock,...I would use the rotella 5w40, ..but I cannot find the CJ-4 rated version anywhere yet. Just like I still cannot find any delvac one 5w40 anywhere? Does chevron make a 5w40 synthetic that is CJ-4 rated?
Originally Posted By: Toy4x4runner
I too find 15-40 not good for cold weather. Heck I live in Tampa, FL and when I was filling the rear axle on my toyota truck with dino 80-90 on a cold night... WOW. it was like honey. It barely ran. and it was only in the 40's that night. I put 15-40 in the freezer for a night or 2 and when I took it out... was like honey also. My guess is for dino 15-40... 40F+. I change my oil when it's roasting HOT. like after driving it 35 miles home. I run in, change clothes and come out and drain it.
Gear oil looks and flows like Jello in subzero temps
I too find 15-40 not good for cold weather. Heck I live in Tampa, FL and when I was filling the rear axle on my toyota truck with dino 80-90 on a cold night... WOW. it was like honey. It barely ran. and it was only in the 40's that night. I put 15-40 in the freezer for a night or 2 and when I took it out... was like honey also. My guess is for dino 15-40... 40F+. I change my oil when it's roasting HOT. like after driving it 35 miles home. I run in, change clothes and come out and drain it.
Gear oil looks and flows like Jello in subzero temps
Originally Posted By: Ponch
Rock,...I would use the rotella 5w40, ..but I cannot find the CJ-4 rated version anywhere yet. Just like I still cannot find any delvac one 5w40 anywhere? Does chevron make a 5w40 synthetic that is CJ-4 rated?
Droc is smarter than that. I'll take the Delo 5-40 over the shell any day.
Droc makes a good point from experience. The 15-40's worked fine for years. That said, if 80% of wear is at start-up may as well run a less viscous fluid. I intend to run Schaeffers 9000 cj 5-40 year round. A little mileage gain and easier cold starts.
Rock,...I would use the rotella 5w40, ..but I cannot find the CJ-4 rated version anywhere yet. Just like I still cannot find any delvac one 5w40 anywhere? Does chevron make a 5w40 synthetic that is CJ-4 rated?
Droc is smarter than that. I'll take the Delo 5-40 over the shell any day.
Droc makes a good point from experience. The 15-40's worked fine for years. That said, if 80% of wear is at start-up may as well run a less viscous fluid. I intend to run Schaeffers 9000 cj 5-40 year round. A little mileage gain and easier cold starts.
Originally Posted By: salesrep
Originally Posted By: Ponch
Rock,...I would use the rotella 5w40, ..but I cannot find the CJ-4 rated version anywhere yet. Just like I still cannot find any delvac one 5w40 anywhere? Does chevron make a 5w40 synthetic that is CJ-4 rated?
Droc is smarter than that. I'll take the Delo 5-40 over the shell any day.
Droc makes a good point from experience. The 15-40's worked fine for years. That said, if 80% of wear is at start-up may as well run a less viscous fluid. I intend to run Schaeffers 9000 cj 5-40 year round. A little mileage gain and easier cold starts.
I have always like the idea of 5W40- and I use it for sure because it gets so cold where I live, but for some reason I have always been partial to 15W40...I like the numbers on the 7000 15W40- but I still have a few cases of the 9000, and also quite a few cases of Delo!
Originally Posted By: Ponch
Rock,...I would use the rotella 5w40, ..but I cannot find the CJ-4 rated version anywhere yet. Just like I still cannot find any delvac one 5w40 anywhere? Does chevron make a 5w40 synthetic that is CJ-4 rated?
Droc is smarter than that. I'll take the Delo 5-40 over the shell any day.
Droc makes a good point from experience. The 15-40's worked fine for years. That said, if 80% of wear is at start-up may as well run a less viscous fluid. I intend to run Schaeffers 9000 cj 5-40 year round. A little mileage gain and easier cold starts.
I have always like the idea of 5W40- and I use it for sure because it gets so cold where I live, but for some reason I have always been partial to 15W40...I like the numbers on the 7000 15W40- but I still have a few cases of the 9000, and also quite a few cases of Delo!
Originally Posted By: Ponch
Rock,...I would use the rotella 5w40, ..but I cannot find the CJ-4 rated version anywhere yet. Just like I still cannot find any delvac one 5w40 anywhere?
You can't find it because Rotella doesn't make 5w-40 in API CJ-4, yet...
Anyway, in my opinion the CJ-4 grade is a compromise oil formulated for emission and warranty reasons, not because it's necessarily superior to the CI-4+ grade.
Rock,...I would use the rotella 5w40, ..but I cannot find the CJ-4 rated version anywhere yet. Just like I still cannot find any delvac one 5w40 anywhere?
You can't find it because Rotella doesn't make 5w-40 in API CJ-4, yet...
Anyway, in my opinion the CJ-4 grade is a compromise oil formulated for emission and warranty reasons, not because it's necessarily superior to the CI-4+ grade.
Originally Posted By: Rock_Hudstone
Originally Posted By: Ponch
Rock,...I would use the rotella 5w40, ..but I cannot find the CJ-4 rated version anywhere yet. Just like I still cannot find any delvac one 5w40 anywhere?
You can't find it because Rotella doesn't make 5w-40 in API CJ-4, yet...
Anyway, in my opinion the CJ-4 grade is a compromise oil formulated for emission and warranty reasons, not because it's necessarily superior to the CI-4+ grade.
It's funny because I don't really agree with you due to some of the UOA's posted on CJ4 oils...but then on the other hand I do agree with you when I look at the difference in UOA's between a CI4+ and a CJ4 oil- bottom line I guess is that I am not afraid to use CJ4, but will certainly use my CI4+ stash up before I buy the new formulation.
Originally Posted By: Ponch
Rock,...I would use the rotella 5w40, ..but I cannot find the CJ-4 rated version anywhere yet. Just like I still cannot find any delvac one 5w40 anywhere?
You can't find it because Rotella doesn't make 5w-40 in API CJ-4, yet...
Anyway, in my opinion the CJ-4 grade is a compromise oil formulated for emission and warranty reasons, not because it's necessarily superior to the CI-4+ grade.
It's funny because I don't really agree with you due to some of the UOA's posted on CJ4 oils...but then on the other hand I do agree with you when I look at the difference in UOA's between a CI4+ and a CJ4 oil- bottom line I guess is that I am not afraid to use CJ4, but will certainly use my CI4+ stash up before I buy the new formulation.
Ditch the Delvac and get some 5w-40 Rotella. You'll like the cold weather flow much better.
Until rotella makes a 5w40 that is CJ-4 rated, I will not use their current formula for warranty reasons!
- Status
Similar threads
- Sticky
