Oil Recommendations for Dodge Truck

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I have done searches and read for info and I would now like to ask for some help. I have a 2000 Dodge Quad Cab, with a 360 engine. I have been having my oil changed at the Dodge dealership and they use Mopar oil and I don't have any idea who makes it. I want to start changing the oil myself and I would like some recommendations for quality oils and oil filters. I have 65,000 miles on my truck. I change the oil 3K to 5K. Thanks everyone for the help, I am new and I know you get asked this by every noobie. Wes
 
If you are changing your oil every 3-5k miles. You can use a Mopar oil filter and any oil that meets Chrysler specifications.
 
If you want to use synthetics, in alphabetical order, Amsoil, Mobil 1, Pennzoil Platinum, and Valvoline.

If you want to use conventional, in alphabetical order, Mobil 5000, Pennzoil, and Valvoline.

I use only WIX filters.

If you know someone at the dealer that will give you the facts, you will find that most dealers use bulk oil from one of the major suppliers. The company brand usually only comes in bottles.
 
Originally Posted By: Oil_Me
I have done searches and read for info and I would now like to ask for some help. I have a 2000 Dodge Quad Cab, with a 360 engine. I have been having my oil changed at the Dodge dealership and they use Mopar oil and I don't have any idea who makes it. I want to start changing the oil myself and I would like some recommendations for quality oils and oil filters. I have 65,000 miles on my truck. I change the oil 3K to 5K. Thanks everyone for the help, I am new and I know you get asked this by every noobie. Wes


Welcome to another Mopar driver ;-)

From what I've read here, most of the name-brand oils of the correct weight will protect your engine just fine, and you'll never really see any engine longevity benefit of one compared to another. Besides- you've got a Mopar 360. As long as you keep ANYTHING in the crankcase, it will keep plugging away ;-) Your MY2000 360 is a roller-cam engine, so you really don't have any need to get uptight about reduced Zinc/Phosporous additives either, about the most oil-shredding widget it still has is a helical gear drive on the oil pump itself, and that's also a very stout piece on Mopar LA and B/RB engines because of the large diameter of the oil pump/distributor drive gear itself (the slant-6 is another story). Use SM oil with confidence, and just look through some of the UOAs here to find a brand that does well. I've seen great UOAs from everything from Pennzoil to Castrol to Mobil 1 to the boutique oils like Shaeffer's and Royal Purple. Since my older Mopars have flat-tappet cams, I have been using Rotella T synthetic, but its Zn/phosporous is going down with later API certs too.

Filter wise, I've always had very good success with both Wix and Purolator filters. If you have room in your particular installation, you can use a full-length filter (Motorcraft FL-1 equivalent, I think the Wix number is 1515 and Puorlator is L3001, or PureOne PL3001) instead of the "shorty" equivalent filter. That gives you about 1/3 to 1/2 quart extra total oil capacity, and a bit more filtration area for less pressure-drop across the filter.

Hope this helps!
 
PP and a Purolator filter sounds like a winner as others have recommended. If you were going longer on OCI I would say Redline or Amsoil. But you cant beat PP as far as availability. Not to mention it is a pretty stout oil.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice. I want to use a non-syn premium oil. What is the facts about the oil they sale that is suppose to be good for vehicles over 75,000 or maybe they called it "high mileage oil"? Is this a good choice for my Dodge Truck with 65,000 or is it just a marketing ploy and it is the same oil just priced higher? Wes
 
Yes if wedded to 3,4,5 k changes syn is overpriced for you. You may not know what bulk oil is , but does the dealer? ask, or happen upon oil delivery guy to them and ask him. Likely big 5 oil producer of bulk, whick is roughly comparable especially dino stuff, almost all US produced dino is group2/2+, good enough really for 3-5 k.
 
Originally Posted By: Oil_Me
Thanks everyone for the advice. I want to use a non-syn premium oil. What is the facts about the oil they sale that is suppose to be good for vehicles over 75,000 or maybe they called it "high mileage oil"? Is this a good choice for my Dodge Truck with 65,000 or is it just a marketing ploy and it is the same oil just priced higher? Wes



The high mileage stuff usually has additives that swell the gaskets.
 
Originally Posted By: firemachine69
Originally Posted By: Oil_Me
Thanks everyone for the advice. I want to use a non-syn premium oil. What is the facts about the oil they sale that is suppose to be good for vehicles over 75,000 or maybe they called it "high mileage oil"? Is this a good choice for my Dodge Truck with 65,000 or is it just a marketing ploy and it is the same oil just priced higher? Wes



The high mileage stuff usually has additives that swell the gaskets.


Is the swelling of gaskets a good thing with some mileage on the truck or will the swelling lead to problems?
 
Originally Posted By: Oil_Me
Thanks everyone for the advice. I want to use a non-syn premium oil. What is the facts about the oil they sale that is suppose to be good for vehicles over 75,000 or maybe they called it "high mileage oil"? Is this a good choice for my Dodge Truck with 65,000 or is it just a marketing ploy and it is the same oil just priced higher? Wes


So called "high mileage" oils usually have additives to swell gaskets and (allegedly) reduce leaks. The effectiveness is questionable at best, and I have always believed that such additives probably *aggravate* gasket problems in the long run. Some "high mileage" oils may carry API SL (or even earlier) rateings and still have higher Zn/P content, but as I said earlier a post-1985 (roller-cam) Mopar smallblock v8 doesn't need that anyway. And a Mopar v8 with only 65k miles certainly doesn't qualify for "high mileage" anything... call me when you get to 265,000 and we'll talk.
grin2.gif
 
I wouldn't use it unless I had a minute leak somewhere, but lots of people use if from the get-go successfully. Just to clarify, I doubt you'd even be able to measure the swelling without a dial caliper.

The reasoning for some of these people is that HM oils typically have a high level of additives, however other types of oils can still have the same (or more).

Just make sure it meets the Dodge requirements, and you should be good to go!
 
Originally Posted By: Oil_Me
I have done searches and read for info and I would now like to ask for some help. I have a 2000 Dodge Quad Cab, with a 360 engine. I have been having my oil changed at the Dodge dealership and they use Mopar oil and I don't have any idea who makes it. I want to start changing the oil myself and I would like some recommendations for quality oils and oil filters. I have 65,000 miles on my truck. I change the oil 3K to 5K. Thanks everyone for the help, I am new and I know you get asked this by every noobie. Wes



Oil_Me,

I too use the dealership for all my services with my 01' Dodge Durango 4.7 liter engine. Since you want to begin changing you own oil I'd continue to use perhaps a premium Fram oil filter and try maybe Mobil 5000 oil. The parts store has allot of good oil so the brand is up to you.

For my 4.7 engine I prefer to use a synthetic so I usually stick with Mobil 1 and do my OCI's when prescribed. I only drive my Dodge on the weekends so my OCI's come out to about 6 months.

Durango
 
My 2001 Dodge Dakota has a 239ci 3.9 liter engine, basically it's a 318 minus 2 cylinders. I run Napa brand High Mileage oil which is SM rated and a Napa ProSelect 21085 filter. The Napa HM oil is made by Valvoline and is the same as the name brand Maxlife. The ProSelect filter is made by Wix to Napa's specs. I have over 103,000 miles now and had never had any trouble with either one.

The Napa oil works great for me and costs less too. I would suggest a Napa Gold filter though, they will hold up better in a longer-than-3000-mile OCI. If you change oil at 3000 to 3500 a ProSelect will do just fine.

Keeping the oil changed on a regular basis with a quality oil and filter will help the engine last longer. Personally I have had better experience, smooth running engine and nice quiet cold starts with the High Mileage oil. My truck doesn't leak or burn any oil over its 3000 mile OCI.
 
Originally Posted By: Oil_Me
Originally Posted By: firemachine69
Originally Posted By: Oil_Me
Thanks everyone for the advice. I want to use a non-syn premium oil. What is the facts about the oil they sale that is suppose to be good for vehicles over 75,000 or maybe they called it "high mileage oil"? Is this a good choice for my Dodge Truck with 65,000 or is it just a marketing ploy and it is the same oil just priced higher? Wes



The high mileage stuff usually has additives that swell the
gaskets.


Is the swelling of gaskets a good thing with some mileage on the truck or will the swelling lead to problems?


I cannot speak of other brands, but Mobil High Mileage and Valvoline MaxLife high mileage will NOT, swell gaskets or seals. Both Mobil and Valvoline assure this, you can contact them. The add they use helps condition seals and keeps the seals pliable. Both also say their HM oils are perfectly OK to use in new engines but Mobil warns that their HM is SL because of the higher(1000 ppm) ZDDP.

MaxLife 30 grade high mileage has a heavier base oil, compared to their regular oil, with a 3.5 HTHS, it has a 100C cSt of 11.7, and it has a moly add of 300. They recently lowered calcium and added sodium so you still have the needed detergents but a lowered SA. If you want conventional HM, I like Valvoline MaxLife.
 
Thanks for all the great info. Does anyone have a link to a page that explains the abbreviations. I have looked and I cannot find the page. Most abbrevaitions I can figure out but some I have trouble with. Thanks, Wes

For example I cannot figure out what is PP stands for. Perhaps Pennzoil Premium?
 
Last edited:
"For example I cannot figure out what is PP stands for. Perhaps Pennzoil Premium?"


You've got it half right. It actually stands for Pennzoil Platinum.
 
Originally Posted By: Oil_Me
Thanks for all the great info. Does anyone have a link to a page that explains the abbreviations. I have looked and I cannot find the page. Most abbrevaitions I can figure out but some I have trouble with. Thanks, Wes

For example I cannot figure out what is PP stands for. Perhaps Pennzoil Premium?


I'm still fairly new and wading through the alphabet soup myself ;-) The ones that I have the most trouble with are abbreviations for oil brands, because I don't know 'em all. The more engineering related ones are easier for me.

PP is Pennzoil Platinum.
YB = Yellow Bottle (original) Pennzoil
OCI = oil change interval
PCEO or PCMO = Passnger Car Engine (or Motor) Oil
HDEO = Heavy Duty Engine Oil
UOA = Used Oil Analysis'
VOA = Virgin Oil Analysis
 
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