04 Ford 6.0 Amsoil vs Rotella Syn & Filter

[fordforhorses]

I have a 2004 Ford F250 with a 6.0 Powerstroke. I drive about 30,000 miles a year and it is 70% short trips, 15% pulling a 13,000lbs trailer and 15% freeway. I am thinking of going to a synthetic oil to increase my drain intervals. I use Shell Rotella T now and change it at 5,000miles. I would like to go up 10,000 mile between changes. I am looking at a few different oils. I am looking for the best one for me. I know that they are all good, but I would like a long drain interval plus possibly extra protection while towing and better cold starting in the winter as it can get to -20 here.

I am looking at:
Rotella synthetic 5-40 ($19.00 a gal at Wal-Mart)
Mobil 1 synthetic 5-40 ($26.50 a gal at Wal-Mart)
Asmoil DME 15-40 ($29.00 a including shipping)
Asmoil HDD 5-30 ($34.40 a gal including shipping)
Asmoil ACD 10-30 ($26.65 a gal including shipping)

I need 4 Gals. I am a little worried about the 30 weight in the summer when towing, should I be? I am looking to save money doing this but if it cost $100 more for better oil over the cost of the year I am willing to do that. Also oil filters? Napa gold? Donaldson? I was looking at the Amsoil filter but it is not available at this time. Filter change between oil changes?
Thanks for your input, I have learned a lot from reading the different post here

 

[D-Roc]

I'm not going to try and steer you with any of the choices, as they are all good options. But me, if that was my truck I would choose the ACD and run the Donaldson filter...

 

[Powerstroke]

After what I learned I would run the Amsoil 5w30 HDD...just an incredible oil. But with the heavy towing, you may want to stick with the Amsoil 15w40 AME...

I would definately go Amsoil

 

[OVERKILL]

A good friend of mine runs Delvac 1/TDT 5w40 in his 6.0L, drives the living snot out of it and it doesn't consume. It has 213,000Km on it now IIRC, tows, hauls, off-roads and generally driven VERY hard.

His comments on the D1 were that he has never had an oil stay as clean as long as the D1 has in a diesel.

He's a mechanic for International and has torn-down a lot of engines run on a lot of different oils. He was into the top of his recently to change the EGR cooler and remarked how clean it was, and he was surprised. A mechanic surprised at the condition of his own engine made me chuckle

 

[LargeCarManX2]

Ok, if your quoting retail prices off the shelf then you better quote Amsoil to your door. Your (Asmoil) prices must be preferred with shipping...and did you add the preferred price into the equation?

quote:
I am looking at:
Rotella synthetic 5-40 ($19.00 a gal at Wal-Mart)
Mobil 1 synthetic 5-40 ($26.50 a gal at Wal-Mart)
Asmoil DME 15-40 ($29.00 a including shipping)
Asmoil HDD 5-30 ($34.40 a gal including shipping)
Asmoil ACD 10-30 ($26.65 a gal including shipping)

Ok lets look at retail prices for a few of the above...not including shipping.

Amsoil HDD 5w30 = $ 41.00 a gallon
Amsoil ACD 30w = $ 31.00 a gallon

A case of 4 of these has got to be at least $ 15.00 shipped,so a gallon retail shipped to your shelf is:

Amsoil HDD 5w30 = $ 44.75 a gallon
Amsoil ACD 30w = $ 34.75 a gallon

So if you are comparing real retail numbers you might want to run the figures correctly.

 

[bmwtechguy]

I would not run the new DME 15W-40, but rather the AME since your truck is pre-2007. My brother in law in FL is using AME and running it about 10-12k miles/6 months without oil analysis. Same truck and same type of use basically as you. He runs the oil filter the whole year or 25k miles.

He was using Mobil 1 before that, but it was really hard to find that oil at times in the past, so now he just gets Amsoil from a guy he knows from church.

 

[fordforhorses]

Originally Posted By: LargeCarManX2
Ok, if your quoting retail prices off the shelf then you better quote Amsoil to your door. Your (Asmoil) prices must be preferred with shipping...and did you add the preferred price into the equation?

So if you are comparing real retail numbers you might want to run the figures correctly.


I ran the numbers with cost of shipping in the price as stated. I made an order online for 4 gals of each with shipping. This is how I came up with the price listed. I did not use some made up shipping cost but the real shipping cost. I did not inclued the $10 for the preferred membership. I will use that to buy other oils for other things as well, plus it saves me from running around to buy the oil. So I look at it as a wash.

 

[Powerstroke]

The Mobil 1 TDT 5w40 is a good oil, I'm running it now...but the Amsoil is just top notch...

If you sign up for the preferred discount and you break your order up into two parts its cheaper. In example, I just ordered the Amsoil AME 15w40 diesel synthetic on amsoil.com, I chose the case of 12 quarts then added 3 quarts seperately and the total was $108.56 (including shipping) to Tarpon Springs (Tampa suburb), FL. The shipping was just under $15. I did the same process for the Amsoil 5w30 HDD and the price was $139.08. But I chose to go with the AME this time around.

For those that live in Florida, amsoil has a distribution center in orlando, so you can basically get your oil in 1 to 2 days, so no need to pay for 2nd day air or overnight shipping!

 

[Dirtbikindad393]

The only thing I haven't seen here is how the 6.0 shears oil very fast and that when oil gets too dirty in a 6.0 it can effect the injectors in that motor without a bypass unit. If I were you I would buy the Amsoil BMK21 and the adpaters to make it work on the 6.0 and then choose the oil you want to run and be safe with that engine and the finiky injector system.

 

[dnewton3]

The 6.0 PSD shears oil down from a 40 grade, but once it gets into the 30 grade range, it stops the decline.

Starting with lighter grade oil, such as a 10w-30 HDEO, one experiences much less shearing, if any at all.

It's been my suspicion that the HEUI system simply prefers a lighter grade. My neighbor's '05 PSD has a few Rotella 10w-30 UOAs to prove this theory. And all other UOA information suggests that fear of lighter grades is unwarranted; wear metals all within normal range, and viscosity stays in the 30 grade at temp.

Clearly the OP has his mind set on synthetic fluids, from his list. Due to his type of driving, and the annual total mileage, I'd think he could easily do 10k mile OCIs on some dino stuff with conventional high quality FF filter, or add the bypass and go the whole 30k miles on synthetic. As always, UOAs will be needed for confirmation.


PS - welcome, Dane!

 

[bullwinkle]

The 6.0 HEUI DEFINITELY likes lighter weight oil-I run Valvoline PBX 5W40 in winter, Valvoline PB 15W40 the rest of the year-but the cold snaps we've been having lately play havoc w/cold starts, even @ 40F-IMHO, the PBX could go 7500 even without bypass (& I've towed & ran GCWR of 15K plus with no issues)-if you're going to go over that, UOAs would be a NECESSITY, soot loading on this engine is very low, but shear is EXTREMELY bad in the 6.0. Personally, I just change mine religiously every 5K & forget about it-the 6.0 is WAYYY too hard to work on to risk it!

 

[Dirtbikindad393]

Thank you Dave I have been lurking for quite a while but decided to join in the fun!