Best oil for old 12v Cummins, extended drain???

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NVRENUFF

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I'm sure this will bring all sorts of opinions but I'd like some thoughts on this. I have a couple old first gen Dodges with the 12v, one is stock but turned up a little and the other is built and runs @75psi boost and 4,200rpm. It has 140lb valve springs so it's under much higher strain than stock. All these new oils seem to trade off strength for emissions, so what would be the best oil to run long term in these old trucks? Working in the oilfield I rack up the hwy miles and have extended idle time. I've been running Rotella T6, changing the M1 filter at 6k and oil change every 12k. Looking at Mobil Delvac 1 esp, it's pricey but looks good on paper for extending drain intervals. I like Amsoil but don't like the hassle of ordering online, I prefer over the counter sales.

Thanks for any info and opinions!
 
You certainly don't need the ESP in an old 12v. The T6 is (was) a great oil prior to CK-4 so it will be interesting to see what the new spec will do to SA content that's been used for internal engine protection for years but is bad for diesel emissions equipment. Honestly any of the Majors in a CJ-4 should serve you very well. In TX you could even run the 15w40 Delvac or Delo both of which are excellent oils as is the Rotella. My personal choice would probably be the Delvac or Delo in a 5w40 or a 15w40 over the Rotella but that's splitting hairs IMHO.
 
Originally Posted By: NVRENUFF
I'm sure this will bring all sorts of opinions but I'd like some thoughts on this. I have a couple old first gen Dodges with the 12v, one is stock but turned up a little and the other is built and runs @75psi boost and 4,200rpm. It has 140lb valve springs so it's under much higher strain than stock. All these new oils seem to trade off strength for emissions, so what would be the best oil to run long term in these old trucks? Working in the oilfield I rack up the hwy miles and have extended idle time. I've been running Rotella T6, changing the M1 filter at 6k and oil change every 12k. Looking at Mobil Delvac 1 esp, it's pricey but looks good on paper for extending drain intervals. I like Amsoil but don't like the hassle of ordering online, I prefer over the counter sales.

Thanks for any info and opinions!


If you really want to run the Delvac 1 ESP, and want to save some money, look for the biannual rebates Mobil is offering. They were offering rebates on the Mobil 1 oils and the Delvac Super 1300 oil for several years already. Starting in 2015? For sure, last year, they offered rebates on the Delvac 1 ESP oils. $12 off for a gallon jug (limit 5) or a $60 rebate on the 5-gallon pail (limit 2).
The rebates started in March and went through May, then, in August through October.

It makes the cost of the Delvac 1 much more reasonable.
 
Thanks for the info. My 05' LLY DMAX has 340k running plain Rotella 15/40 at 12k OCI and it's never had even a slight oil leak. Just the dmax is a cleaner running motor, the old industrial flat tappet Cummins is a different beast altogether.

I'll keep an eye out for the rebates and use them when they're available again. I'll do one 10k OCI and have it sampled, then decide from there what's best.
 
The high load valvesprings on your built 12-valve would definitely make it a candidate for a CI4+ 15w40 oil like Valvoline Premium Blue Classic, or Mobil Delvac MX (if you can still get them). I wouldn't trust modern low-SAPS oils to protect the slider followers in an application like that. Or supplement the modern oils with Redline or ZDDPlus additives.

The stock 12-valve would also be fine on VPBC.
 
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
The high load valvesprings on your built 12-valve would definitely make it a candidate for a CI4+ 15w40 oil like Valvoline Premium Blue Classic, or Mobil Delvac MX (if you can still get them). I wouldn't trust modern low-SAPS oils to protect the slider followers in an application like that. Or supplement the modern oils with Redline or ZDDPlus additives.

The stock 12-valve would also be fine on VPBC.


Don't let the newly formed "Pro ACEA E6 & 800 PPM P is the way to go in HDEO" group read this! I am still buying Delvac 1 CI-4+ over here, btw.
 
Originally Posted By: Extreme-Duty
Don't let the newly formed "Pro ACEA E6 & 800 PPM P is the way to go in HDEO" group read this! I am still buying Delvac 1 CI-4+ over here, btw.

Man, I bet you'd hate to see CI-4+ vs. CK-4 comparative wear testing. In other words, welcome to 2017...oils have come a long way with a different approach to wear reduction:
t4Y1gbZ.png
 
Originally Posted By: Extreme-Duty
Don't let the newly formed "Pro ACEA E6 & 800 PPM P is the way to go in HDEO" group read this! I am still buying Delvac 1 CI-4+ over here, btw.

You're lucky you weren't here. That stuff was gone here within weeks of the CJ-4 rollout.
wink.gif
 
I have two clients who routinely squeeze 10,000 hours out of some very heavily used Cummins QSB 5.9 engines using Amsoil 12 TBN 15w40.

At first glance you might think it an irrelevant comparison, but consider that marine 5.9's are turned up quite a bit from a land 5.9's and also see a lot of idle time.
 
Originally Posted By: DoubleWasp
I have two clients who routinely squeeze 10,000 hours out of some very heavily used Cummins QSB 5.9 engines using Amsoil 12 TBN 15w40.

At first glance you might think it an irrelevant comparison, but consider that marine 5.9's are turned up quite a bit from a land 5.9's and also see a lot of idle time.

My Passat TDI is the only diesel I've ever had and not turned up, yet. Lol

My idle time is excessive. For instance my duramax had just over 19,000hrs on the motor when it hit 300k miles. Work trucks idle from 3hrs to 3 days at a time depending on the job I'm on. I'm abusive. Lol
 
Originally Posted By: Ramblejam
Originally Posted By: Extreme-Duty
Don't let the newly formed "Pro ACEA E6 & 800 PPM P is the way to go in HDEO" group read this! I am still buying Delvac 1 CI-4+ over here, btw.

Man, I bet you'd hate to see CI-4+ vs. CK-4 comparative wear testing. In other words, welcome to 2017...oils have come a long way with a different approach to wear reduction:
t4Y1gbZ.png



Oh wow, what an improvement in all areas! I wish to apologize for being such an idiot living behind the moon, now needing a lesson in engine oil function and chemistry. Thank you for pointing out to me that protection from soot-related and abrasive wear is the only thing to look for in an engine oil. This diagram from an independent source really proves that the level of AW protection escalates to a new level by utilizing a new 0.8% P chemistry - for all components, in any engine, no matter the driving situation.

And: Man, I was dumb enough to believe that D1 CI-4+ has "unconventional" organic or metallo-organic secondary AW additives.

Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: Extreme-Duty
Don't let the newly formed "Pro ACEA E6 & 800 PPM P is the way to go in HDEO" group read this! I am still buying Delvac 1 CI-4+ over here, btw.

You're lucky you weren't here. That stuff was gone here within weeks of the CJ-4 rollout.
wink.gif



D1 ESP 5w-40 came like +6 month after the CJ-4 launch and if I remember correctly, M1 TDT took a little longer to be upgraded (HTHS was downgraded
23.gif
). Think of all the unnecessary wear generated by D1 CI-4+ during these months. By mid 2007, metal shavings were piling up in the oil pan of engines running CI-4+, to the extent where they would touch the crank!
 
Those 12V Cummins motors are incredibly tough. As an OTR Trucker, I've seen plenty of Hostlers flying around in various yards, in Cummins powered Yard Trucks, moving trailers, banging docks, etc. And I don't think I've ever seen a Hostler baby a single Yard Truck. Amazing motor. For your stock motor, and seeing that you live in Texas, I honestly feel you could run any name brand, Cummins Approved 15W40 conventional HDEO and call it a day. I can't say what your modified Cummins motor requires though. If running a synthetic 5W40 gives you the most peace of mind in both trucks, because you're extending drains, Rotella T6 or Chevron Delo 400 synthetic 5W40 would probably be my first choices, because both are readily available, and aren't as expensive as Mobil Delvac 1. If you can find the Delvac 1 rebates that folks here have been posting about, and the rebates bring down the price per gallon to around the same price as the synthetic Delo 400 and the T6, then Delvac 1 would be my choice.
 
Originally Posted By: Extreme-Duty
D1 ESP 5w-40 came like +6 month after the CJ-4 launch and if I remember correctly, M1 TDT took a little longer to be upgraded

When I picked up my first bit of Delvac 1 for the old Audi, it was CJ-4 and very early on in the CJ-4 cycle. But, I also bought directly from Imperial Oil. I also tried to get some discontinued lubricants, since there were some interesting viscosity choices, and they were gone almost immediately. Heck, even store shelves were incredibly sparse on CI-4+ stuff right after the rollout. The last CI-4+ stuff I saw readily available for any period of time was Royal Purple.
 
I’d run HDD 5w30 year round even with beehives in the South, but use AME 15w40 if you’re more comfortable with a 40w.

Having mentioned the two CI4+ oils above, I believe I read somewhere on here that CJ4 is recommended due to the ULSD junk.

Not sure whether a lubricity fuel additive affects whether one would use CI4+ over CJ4, I'm sure someone who knows the answer will add to this thread.
 
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