Ram 3500 6.4 hemi

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I am looking for any info on oil and filter change for my 6.4 hemi. I was going to use Mobil 1 European 0W-40, but have discovered that it does not meet the spec that Chrysler requires. Thanks!
 
I've got 2 hemis of my own and maintain 2 more. Ive used everything from 5w-20 to euro 0w-40 grades and I really like the euro 40 grades in them.
Since your truck is an hd model I assume you'll be operating it as such so a 40 may be appropriate. It certainly won't hurt.

As far as mobil meeting the Chrysler spec I'll eat dirt if the stuff didn't pass their spec. Fiat is in bed with pennzoil thus they are pushing pennzoil. That's the only reason.
There was a time all SRT vehicles came shipped with M1 0w-40,so if it's good enough for them prior to mobil choosing to not extend millions in credit to Chrysler prior to the restructure,which is the real reason mobil isn't "approved",then it should be fine now.
I'm a pennzoil fan and don't like mobil much as a whole however their lubricants are among the worlds best,so don't sweat the spec.
If it really concerns you use pennzoil euro.
 
If it was mine and under factory warranty I would strongly consider using only the spec oil.

That said, M1 0W-40 is right on the filler cap of my 6.1 Hemi. It's purely a corporate decision to use pennzoil based on inter-company connections and has nothing to do with the quality of M1.
 
I opted for the dealer service here locally. Quite the ordeal. It was the first time I have taken a vehicle in for service, although I have owned Mopar since 2003. I did get two reflashes on the computer and a pretty good price on the service, $76.95, or there about.
 
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Folks here have used 5w40 Pennzoil Ultra as well as Rotella T6.



Isn't Rotella T6 a diesel engine oil ?
 
Originally Posted By: Mikeford1
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Folks here have used 5w40 Pennzoil Ultra as well as Rotella T6.



Isn't Rotella T6 a diesel engine oil ?
No it is a heavy Duty Engine oil. It is designed for use in both diesel and gasoline engine use. Look at the S ratings on the bottle.
 
Originally Posted By: hogpops
I am looking for any info on oil and filter change for my 6.4 hemi. I was going to use Mobil 1 European 0W-40, but have discovered that it does not meet the spec that Chrysler requires. Thanks!


Only three oils meet the MS-12633 spec for our 6.4 hemi engines.

Pennzoil Platinum Ultra 0W-40
Amsoil 0W-40
Mopar 0W-40 (Re-labled Pennzoil Platinum Ultra)

If you want a something to ponder, the below video from the director of RAM engineer states 5W-30 will work with the 6.4 hemi and was what they used during durability testing. This of course differs from the manual with the MS-12633 and 0W-40 weight.

https://youtu.be/6jGrVeqE3JI?t=13m46s
 
I have not read the manual directly, but I can't help but wonder if this is not one of the repeating topics about what is "recommended" versus "required" ... ???

The video link CLEARLY indicates the Hemi 6.4L truck engine was tested and developed with conventional (dino) 5w-30, and it did just fine. But they "spec" syns?

This reminds me of the debate about Corvettes and syns. Does a 'Vette "need" a syn? Well it depends ...
In competitive situations (full-on racing events such as SCCA, Auto-Cross, etc) the under-temps would cause the oil temps to get around 300F. That's hot enough to be a concern for conventional base stock oils, especially for a prolonged event. So GM specs and fills the 'Vettes with syn. But everyday conditions (such all those geriatrics you see driving their 'Vette to the country club, and even the occasional spirited light-to-light romp) do NOT cause the temps to ever come close to racing conditions. In everyday use, dino oils would more that well protect the 'Vette engine. So it's a matter of expected/planned use.

Using that logic, I have to expect that the Chrysler spec for the 6.4L Hemi "needing" syn is NOT a true "need" at all times, and probably rare, if ever. They recommend that lube as a precaution against any/all remotely possible chances you might work your engine so hard that a conventional stock might fail to do its job.

The easiest way to know this is simply to track your engine oil temps. I drive a Hemi Charger at the SO; it has a function where we can scroll through the in-dash menu to see coolant temps, oil temps, trans temp, etc. After MANY attempts to heat it up, after several minutes of emergency WOT driving and then parking at a stand still (low airflow for cooling), I've never seen any of the temps (coolant, oil, trans) go above 215F. Never.

And so this comes down to a topic I like to push, which most others ignore ... Thermal exchange rates. If your coolant/eng oil/trans oil is getting above 250F, then it is NOT, repeat NOT, the fault of the lube. It is a poor design in which the packaging of the mechanical systems has been compromised in favor of other things (space considerations, cost, etc). Why does conventional oil get too hot? Because there is not enough capacity in the system and/or the heat exchanger is too small for the application. I.E. - in the case of the Corvette, they "needed" syns because racing caused the oil to get too hot; they didn't design/install a system to keep the oil cool enough. But in "normal" driving, that never becomes a problem. OTOH - the LEO Chargers have enough cooling capacity that even with extreme pursuit driving, the temps never exceed typical expectations.


So, if your HEMI-equipped truck has the ability to tell you what your temps are, then by all means, try them in "normal" and "extreme" situations. If you never get above 250F, you will never "need" a syn. And it sounds like those two engineers from RAM have tested the trucks quite well, and their statement is that conventional 5w-30 is perfectly fine. The cooling systems are probably well designed and can manage any situation.

I will certainly give a nod to the fact that, when under warranty, there are pluses to consider in playing along with the OEM expectations. But again, is the syn a requirement, or just a recommendation? Again - there is a difference between these concepts:
- wants versus needs
- recommended versus required


YMMV.
 
If anything, the video gives insight that owners manual recommendations are not always what engineering recommends but other parties within the company overriding that and putting in something else.

I have a suspicion that the move in the RAM 6.4 hemi to 0W-40 MS-12633 was all to align with the SRT spec to avoid confusion across the platforms.
 
Originally Posted By: Hootbro


I have a suspicion that the move in the RAM 6.4 hemi to 0W-40 MS-12633 was all to align with the SRT spec to avoid confusion across the platforms.


Possibly, or they deemed it a better oil choice for that engine.
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Ram 3500's, like most 1-tom trucks, traditionally have grossly oversized cooling systems to deal with heat. I'd be surprised to see oil temps get over 250, even under the harshest conditions.
 
Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
Ram 3500's, like most 1-tom trucks, traditionally have grossly oversized cooling systems to deal with heat. I'd be surprised to see oil temps get over 250, even under the harshest conditions.


I'd tend to agree. But if he has the on-board in-dash system typical of Chrysler, he should be able to actually know, rather than guess. And if he's not getting to 250F, I'd say he's fine with conventional oils. If his truck is anything like our Chargers, he'll never see more than 215F. Well withing the conventional oil capabilities. And probably why those two engineers said the 5w-30 did just fine.

250F is kind of the unofficial accepted test limit. If you look at some older SAE studies, you'll often find that the OEMs might target that temp for their lab testing, on purpose. For example, the infamous GM filter study held the sump at 250F for the entirety of the 8 hour testing protocol for all test runs. That was with conventional HDEO in a DD and PCMO in a 2.5L "Iron Duke" motor. In real-world testing (road testing) you don't see the temps as high as often. Generally it is accepted that 250F is a safe limit for dino oils. Not that they could not go slightly above that for short periods, but 250F is considered a practical limit for sustained sump temps.

This is about thermal energy transfer. How well is the system designed so that temps are well managed for both the equipment and the fluids. If his truck is below 250F, then any 5w-30 with the proper spec is going to be fine.
 
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Conventionals are a lot better too. When I did my UOA after more than 10,000 miles of hard driving on conventional 5/20, I was seriously expecting to see some shear. At least something. Didn't. MS5K didn't care.
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