TexasCTD

About 2 or 3 years ago I lucked across a bunch of CI-4+ Rotella 5w40 synthetic at chinamart and bought it. Well I have ONE more oil change left and im out. They don't make the CI-4+ anymore.....so im planning to switch to John Deere 15w40 myself...this coming spring. Sounds like good stuff, reasonably priced and readily available in gallon jugs.

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2004.5 SRW 3500 Black 4x4 SLT CTD QCLB, RanchHand w/ Milemarker 12K, Frontier Rear Bumper, Putnam XDR Class V hitch, Hellwig, Pacbrake air bags, Leveled, PW Flares, Nitto TGs 285/75/17, AFE Stg 2, GDP Walbro 392 w/2 micron, Smarty, TS MP8, Lazarsmith Traction Bars, DTT 48RE w/DTT Triple Disc TC, F1 valve springs and Flux 1.8s (needs more turbo now!)

506/1057 6-13-09, 13.27 at 8390lbs 10-10-09--stock stix, turbo, cp3

2004 WW FS2600 Toyhauler

SAC #73, Goofball #6, T.O.M. Dec. 2008

CTD NUT

I'm also seriously considering the JD50. I have a JD dealer quite close to me.....just need to check pricing. I highly doubt it will be anywhere near as cheap as what you guys are paying. I currently run Valvoline PB CI-4+ after switching from Rotella CI-4+ when they stopped making it...and am forced to pay way too much for the PB too.

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03 3500 QC DRW 4x4 6spd HO-4" PRXB w/04.5 down pipe, MBRP 304 Duals, Commander/X2 Race, Flux 1's, Icebox, home brewed intake horn, ported HE351, Turbosmart, leveled, 5100's, Dynatrac Freespin hubs, DSS, Reese Signature 18K 5ver
98.5 3500 QC 4x4 24v 5spd-SOLD
94 2500 4x4-SOLD
CJ Juggy-Goes really fast, goes really slow, lots of smiles per mile

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"Madness takes it's toll....please have exact change ready"

RowJ

If your lazy about letting your EGT's cooldown... yes it is. It's less likely to carbon up from excessive heat sink... after shutdown.
But I've never really seen or heard of a turbo dying from cooldown neglect, so.....

The 13.5 TBN would, I think, had a tendency to cause soot deposits in our engines. Back in the 90's, many oil companies played with TBN's higher than 12. Turned out more was not better. Might work ok (stay in solution) in a steady rpm tractor or OTR truck, but not sure about our CTD's, unless they have a new technology and a different TBN additive I've not heard of. JMO

If I was not using a synthetic oil.... I would choose Delo 400 from Chevron.
Best national brand oil I've tested in the last few years.... and very reasonable priced around here.
Very well thought of in your link above (post 16), also!
Not sure it's available, north of the border?

RJ

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02, 2500, QCLB, 4x4, Auto, 3.55 Power-Lok LSD - DTT/Billet - Smarty/Pulsed Adrenaline - Mach 6's - BD Twins - Snow's H2O/Meth - FASS - F-1 Cam/Valve Springs - HTT Manifold - LazarSmith Bars - TC Lockup Switch - RAD - 3rd Gen Brakes - Fluidampr - DSS - 315/70/17 Pro Comp Xtreme A/T's
Best Dyno - 628 HP/1266 ft-Lbs.
Best 1/4 Mile - 12.72/105.94 - (7460 lbs)

CTD NUT

Interesting points....the Delo 400 and PB are actually VERY similar in composition. I think it would be reasonable to expect very similar performance. The only things that jump out at me is that the PB contains more ZDDP but the Delo contains quite a bit more Moly. All other levels appear very similar. I'm not sure how to take that since realistically, both contain very high ZDDP numbers but the Moly is quite different. I'm not certain what the positive attributes of that much Moly are?

As for availability of Delo up here, I have no clue. I don't ever recall seeing it but I haven't tried looking for it, either. Even the CI-4 PB isn't so easy to come by. This seems to be Rotella T country - it is everywhere in just about every flavour for reasonable prices.

gsbrockman

A friend of mine by the name of Ken works at Bevins John Deere in Richmond, KY as a mechanic. He's been running the 0W40 in his 2006 RAM 2500 MegaCab with 21k drain intervals with great results. He performs oil analysis (free from the JD Dealer) and his wear numbers and TBN's always come back great at the above mentioned intervals.

Some stuff fell off my truck, so I think I'll do OK with 10k intervals. Bevins also carries Fleetguard products, so I get my oil & fuel filters from them, too. I guess I'd rather support my oil purchases from JD instead of ChinaMart.

Greg

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2007.5 Dodge RAM 3500 Laramie MegaCab 4x4 SRW Laramie 2FH Pkg, 6.7L CTD, 68RFE Auto, Electric Blue Pearl Coat, Leather Trimmed Bucket Seats in Slate Gray, Front Hood Protection, Anti-spin Differential, AM/FM/cass/6 disc CD w/SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Clearance Lamps, Under Rail Bedliner, Single Rear Wheel Group, Trailer Tow Mirrors, Power Sunroof, Diesel Exhaust Brake, EDGE Insight, 20x9 Ultra #214 Chrome "Grinders" wrapped in LT305/60R20 Wrangler SR/A's.

MegaCab Member #98

RowJ

Texas is that way also, in many areas. I'm convinced it will take another generation before Rotella T stops living off it's well deserved (in the 80's) reputation. Don't know why they didn't leave the formula alone and just charge more?
Same goes for Mobile One, but after one season, racers figured out it is not what it use to be.
Racers are also the only ones, so far, that have learned... the hard way... about SM and CJ-4 oil. Wearing down cam lobes in a weekend!
I've stopped arguing with Rotella users. Just too much... "My daddy swore by Rotella, and I will use it till I die!"

I don't think there are any. To start with it's liquid Moly... not the solid 'graphite type' stuff.
I know "MOLY" is a magical selling point, but I'm convinced it does no permanent good at all in it's liquid form.
Maybe some good while it's in there but none I've ever been able to document.
But I'm not a chemist so....JMO.

RJ

banana

So what about using CJ-4 oil and add some ZDDP.... like

Wouldn't that solve the wear problem?

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2007 RAM 3500 4x4 5.9l QuadCab ShortBox Toyo285/75/17 SRW Carli Performance 2.0

TexasCTD

Im sure that would be fine if you want to go to the trouble and expense to buy and add it, it every time you change your oil.

...

banana

sounds cheaper than switching to AMsoil or other synth.... but I haven't done the math yet....

I sent them an email asking if they recommend their stuff in an dodge diesel....

CTD NUT

You do not need to buy expensive oil to get considerably higher ZDDP numbers. $$ and ZDDP are not mutually exclusive. You will have to stick with a CI-4+ oil, however.

banana

My problem is that I cannot find CI-4+ oil in SoCal San Diego.... so I am looking for alternatives...

nelrod

Banana, can't you get it at a JD dealer?

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banana

I have to find one first... i think they are all up north in "the valley"...

But looking at this TDR report, it might be better to use ROtella Syn.... right?

billmac

Check out bobistheoilguy.com website. UOA's on CJ4 oils look good - just as good as CI4 oils for the most part. There has also been much discussion about the CJ4 specs. As regards the TDR oil analysis article, I wouldn't base my oil purchase decisions solely on that particular author's conclusions.

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2002 2500HD QC Laramie SLT SB; 2WD; Auto; 3:54 AS; Camper/Tow Pkgs; 4" Exhaust; Optima Redtops; Bilstein shocks; DSS; Isspro EV 30psi mechanical FP gauge; Vulcan 3/8ths LP relo kit from tank to VP44; Centramatics Wheel Balancers. Mag-Hytec diff cover & tranny pan; Vulcan 3/8ths DS; I Replaced VP44 March 10, 2009 @66,000 miles.

CTD NUT

^What would you base your purchase on? What is wrong about the author?