Chevy 2500HD 8.1 Oil Recommendations

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cguy

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First post here. I have a Chevy 2500HD with an 8.1 big block. 19k on the engine, no oil burn and currently have a fill of M1EP 10w30 4 qts and M1EP 15/50 3 qts. I tow a 10,000 toy hauler to the desert on the weekends and use the same vehicle to commute 20 miles to work during the week. I'm looking for something less expensive than the M1EP that would serve me well. I live in Southern CA I'm thinking of a few options: Any thoughts?

M1 10w30 non EP and 15/50 EP
M1 Truck & SUV
Rotella 5w40
Chevron Supreme 10w30 Delo 400 15/40 (50/50 mix)
 
I was thinking the exact same thing.
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Thats my vote as well, straight Delo. However I see no problem with mixing it if you feel more comfortable. Should do great either way. =)
 
Awe c'mon, you'll kill the gas mileage with the 40wt's!
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I'd go 100% rotella-T 5w-40.

Joel
 
Delvac 1300S, Delo400, Penz Long Life, Rotella in the 15w40 flavor, Rotella T-Syn 5w40, M1 Truck & SUV. Vortec 7400s and Vortec 8100s use hydraulic roller lifters, so ZDDP depletion isn't as big of a concern as with older big-blocks.
 
I'd definately throw Rotella T-Syn 5w-40 in there. It's a proven performer that is relatively inexpensive for a group III oil. Should go a longer OCI and offer better protection in extreme conditions as opposed to a conventional dino.

A bit pricier, M1 T&SUV is a solid group IV/V oil that would do great, however the price difference isn't huge compared to M1EP.
 
Thanks for the reply. I found some M1 Truck & SUV a WalMart for $21 for 5 qts. I also purchased 2 cases of Chevron Supreme 10w30 on sale for .49 cents qrt. I'm concerned with MPG if I go too heavy, ie. 15w40.
Will I notice the difference between oils in my gas mileage?
 
Vortec 8100, San Diego, 90cSt@40°C/13.3@100°C blend already in there, probably won't notice any difference if you don't do a lot of short trips. M1 T&SUV @ $4.20 a quart is a good deal by today's standards.
 
I can't find many UOA's from which to compare oils in this engine. Have there been a few oils that perform well for my application not on my list? The manual says 5w30, seems way to light to my unqualified eyes.
 
quote:
I can't find many UOA's from which to compare oils in this engine. Have there been a few oils that perform well for my application not on my list? The manual says 5w30, seems way to light to my unqualified eyes.
Click to expand...
The best thing to do is a UOA with what the factory recommends. As long as the wear metals aren't excessively high, you don't need anything fancier. I'd start with a good SM/GF-4 10w30, and go from there. But since your in San Diego, the 15w40 HDEO is probably a good starting point as any. Does your truck have an engine oil cooler on it?
 
What oil does General Motors suggest running in the thing?

Towing or not, I'd run that. Syn or Conv.

Just because your are towing something and it's hot, does not mean you need some sooper-dooper oil.

You need to be more concerned with your radiator and transmission fluid/cooler doing their job. I would hope that a modern, large, big-block, gas-sucking engine could handle a decent load with no problems.


FWIW, I'd run Havoline in it and change it every 4,000 miles.
 
I think the oil spec on the 8.1L is the same for the 5.3L and 6.0L, 5W-30. Personally I prefer 10W-30 in those motors as they seem to like higher vis oil than the OE spec.

The only thing "cheaper" is going to be a dino instead of synth. A dollar per quart here or there prolly won't mean much to the ol' bottom line.

What is you oil change interval now, using M1?
 
2003 496/Ally/4x4 combo. Heavy towing use, some daily driver. I use M T&SUV, no oil consumption. Also used to run Chevron Supreme 5-30/10-30 blend with the same results. I go 7500 intervals with the Mobil. I did 4000 OCI's with the Chevron. Nothing scientific here, just my usage. I have 50k miles now.
 
seriously, if youre commuting in that thing, and buying gasoline at california prices, I wouldnt worry abou the few dollars difference for your oil...


youd likely be very well off keeping what youre using (or swap to 5w-40 T&SUV), and just extend your OCI. Im sure that gasoline is a much bigger cost than oil anyway. the oil that youre using is excellent, likely one of the best OTC oils available.

I agree that you really ought to to ensure that trans, diff and radiator fluids are kept in top-notch shape.

If you REALLY must change, Id suggest rotella syn 5w40 or if you really must save that extra few $$$, then go with delo 400 15w-40... None of those are bad choices.

JMH
 
Thanks for all the advice. I get 11 mpg mixed driving and 14 hwy. The M1 EP blend is very quiet and i'm getting the best mpg to date with it. The $6.50 per qrt is a skocker though!
 
but 20 mile commutes are about long enough to ensure that the oil gets up to full temperature... especially in CA. This is a very good thing.

What interval do you currently use for your oil change? The EP stuff can go a long way, its excellent oil... I would seriously consider extening OCI to save a few $$$, and keep using the stuff that seems to do well by your truck.

Maybe augment with some LC to keep things fresh...

JMH
 
Firestone special every 3k, last fill was M1 5w30 for 6k. The engine was too noisy with the 5w30 M1, thus the switch to something heavier. I prowled the pages on BITOG looking for a better oil before trying the 10w30/15w50 M1EP mix. I purchased 10w30 Chevron Supreme and M1 T&S to try next. Taking a 2 week trip this summer towing a 10,000lb toy hauler, looking for some added protection.
 
Thanks for all the responses. I went with the Chevron 10w30 Delo 15w40 mixed 60/40. Seems fine so far.
 
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