Detroit series 60 15w-40 oil suggestions

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I'm going to be doing an out of frame rebuild on a 99 model engine. We will be balancing and blueprinting the engine. Everything new.

I'm still learning about all these ratings, cj-4, ci-4 and so on. I'm wanting to make sure I'm running a top notch oil. My family has always run Chevron oil since I can remember, we actually have some oil Chevron jugs and even some old RPM jugs which I think used to be Chevron back in the day.

So, my question is, with all the ratings and test results of today, is Chevron still a top notch oil? I want to stay with an oil that's readily available on the highway. Seems rotella, delvac, Chevron are the most popular, I'm starting to see Kendall pop up on the road also. A local distributor is pushing the Kendall oil pretty heavy, his big push was something about titanium in the oil or something. And I'm understanding that Detroit's own oil is bottled by delvac.

A friend is running Schaefer's oil in his fresh engine, claims that his consumption dropped from running Chevron. But, it's not readily available on the road.

My current engine has 800k on it, I service every 20k, running Chevron 15w-40, I use 2 gallons of oil between changes. Always has since it was fresh. Oil samples come back ok, but seeing the engine has miles on it, we seem to be getting high iron content in the samples. She's tired, so I don't expect samples to be perfect anymore.

I have no issues doing some reading, so any links posted are a help as well.
 
Any of the major brands will serve you well if you want the conevience of buying the oil on the road.
 
It's not so much the convenience, I think of emergency situations. I carry a couple gallons with me, always do my own services, but in an emergency can I get the oil on the road.
 
In an emergency on the road, they are all mixable. Just top up and run on, just like all over the road truckers do. Change at regular interval.

Valvoline HDEO at Napa Stores is one of the better ones and most town have a Napa Auto Parts, so that's easy to find.

On a fresh rebuild, you should have near zero consumption. It would have to be something very wrong to loose all the oil. I'd not worry one bit about what I could find 10,000 miles into a change interval. Just keep it up there and you are good
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I'll look into the Valvoline stuff. I'm also going to check out the truck stop next time I'm there and just make sure I'm catching all the brands.

Not to start a fued, but Every engine we have built and talking to some friends at a Detroit diesel dealership, they all have an excessive consumption until the rings seat.
 
I put a couple of million on detroits with Delvac, had low oil consumption, and good oil analysis with it. Can buy it anywhere including Walmart for reasonable price.
 
Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
Rings should be fully seated in 500 miles. If not, either the liners were honed wrong, or the rings are not round ...


Ok, pretty sure this post was about oil, I'm not here to discuss engine building tactics.
 
Originally Posted By: neil57
I put a couple of million on detroits with Delvac, had low oil consumption, and good oil analysis with it. Can buy it anywhere including Walmart for reasonable price.


Excellent suggestion to the OP. I've used Delvac Super 1300 15W40 and Delvac 10W30 Elite, (which is now called Delvac Extreme) in my 12.7 pre-epa Series 60, and always had great UOA's with both versions.

I've been using Delo 400 SDE 15W40 and Delo 400 XLE 10W30 for the last year, only because I can get both the SDE 15W40 and the XLE 10W30 for good prices at Wal-Mart locations across the country. I haven't sent in as many UOAs with the Delo, but the samples of CJ4 version of Delo was virtually identical to the CJ4 Delvac. And my motor showed no difference in consumption between the two brands.

Rotella, Delvac, Delo: take your pick. IMO you can't go wrong with any of the "Big Three". And I'm sure the same goes for any major brand that's approved by Detroit.

My hunch is all of them are so close in performance, you can buy the least expensive, and most readily available brand and sleep well at night.
 
Originally Posted By: thejudges69
....Every engine we have built and talking to some friends at a Detroit diesel dealership, they all have an excessive consumption until the rings seat.



As I recall, my Series 60 used a bit of oil during it's first 15,000 to 20,000 miles, then it leveled out. I'd say I add 1 to 2 quarts every 15,000 miles now.
 
My factory remanned MY 2000 D60 DDEC IV, with 778,000 miles on the reman now, gets a Schaeffer 15w40 syn blend in warm months and Schaeffer 10w30 syn blend in cold months. Did get one time of Delvac 10w30 Extreme syn blend. Doesn't use more than 1 qt in 11,000 miles. For OTR, the Delvac would be a great choice. Available everywhere and a good oil.

Schaeffer works well for me. But then, I always have 10 gallons on board in the off chance I need to have oil changed out on the road. I generally do my own oil changes at home. But if I was relying on doing it on the road, and wasn't carrying my own oil, Delvac would probably be my first choice.

With 778K on the engine, the oil samples look as good as they did with 50,000 miles on the engine. I suppose the engine could go south soon, but there is no indication that is the case. Even Detroit's upper FE limit on D60 oil samples is around 200 ppm. Mine are typically in the 20+ range.

 
No matter what you do, DO not use a aftermarket rebuild kit made by Interstate McBee! I rebuilt an L-10 STC Cummins that the rings never did seat. I'm at 26,000 on it and put 2 qts a day in it running 10 hrs. I called them, and they said it had to be broke in with a heavy load placed on it, or on a Dyno immediately. Never heard of that. I adjusted the valves, then pulled a loaded tri-axle dump trailer. Should be fine... I run and service 3 series 60 motors, and run Kendall 15-40 Super dxa with titanium successfully(and Baldwin B495 oil filters). All of those ddec engines have 700-800k on them and use NO oil between changes, with minimal drips, blowby, or smoke. Those Detroit Diesels are excellent engines, and we will be purchasing another one soon. Hopefully it is a Freightliner 120 with a 12.7 ddec 5@500hp! I am Impressed all the way around with em. I do wish the max rpms would be higher than 1,960 to the floor for downshifting purposes. An otr buddy had a 470/500 with 1.1million on it with minimal oil use, and never have to rebuild it. I am surprised that you are rebuilding at 800k, with the kind of extended service we are familiar with... Good luck and God bless!
 
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