hi, i have a 1996 dodge ram 2500 turbo diesel. i'm planning on changing the oil. can i ask how many quarts does she need and what oil do i use.

 

12 quarts including the filter. Make sure is a good quality DIESEL rated oil, 15w40. I'll leave the choice of brands up to you, not going to open that can of worms.

On the filter, do a search. In my own opinion, fleetguard is the best. Do not go by price.

The fuel filter will probably need changed as well. Mine gets changed every other oil change.

Check out the prices from GenosGarage. Do a search for it.

(Not affiliated with Genos)

Welcome to the site. Dive in for lots of fun and entertainment!

Ed

 

thanks, i appreciate it. i love the site. thank you very much again.

 

Dang, I was hoping this thread would degenerate into a silly, mindless "My oil is better than your oil" brand loyalty thread, ending with an Amsoil "expert" stating he goes 100K miles between oil changes, but trades his truck in every other year and only drives 12K a year.

Any chance someone would start one up? We haven't had a good oil thread in at least 4 days.

 

Ok, What is the best......




Na, it's not worth it.

Ed

 

i just need to ask, do you guys like synthetic or old school oil better, no brands need to be named hahahahahahahahah

 

Synthetic is always better than the regular ol' stuff. IMO.

 

i'll try the synthetic stuff, thanks

 

Whats the point in synthetics, they still pick up contaminents , and need to be changed on a regular interval, so your throwing money away every time you dump synthetics in. The cummins will last forever and a week, it is a very tough engine. Synthetics may lubricate better , and in the extremely long run , may improve engine life , but how many of us actually keep our trucks for more than a few years? For the guys who will keep the truck forever, synthetics may be something to look at , but you have to look at the cost effectiveness. A synthetic oil change would cost me 120$ if i did it myself with a fleetguard filter, if i did it myself with regular 15-40 dino oil and a luber finer filter , costs me 35$. For the amount of time a cummins will last , i can buy a rebuild kit for a 5.9 with the money i save over buying synthetics.

JMO

P.S. Gecko- I am an amsoil expert , i have run it for 100 000 miles doing samples every 10 000 , and that's on the truck i bought in november and haven't driven since may...

 

you make a good point..........

 

I guess you make a point. But all it takes is adding a bypass filtration system, & the cost is made up pretty fast. Then all you have to do is add the make-up oil.

 

Good point...

 

That's strange, my 97 is 11 qts including the filter. That is what is printed in the manual and it brings the oil all the way to the full mark. Don't forget to prefill the filter, that is in the Cummins website. I find removing the filter and installing the new one is easier if I remove the hose to the turbo, plus it gives you a chance to inspect the turbo inlet.

 

JKM; I use synthetics in my vehicles mainly for the cold weather benefits. Starting an engine at 30 or 40 below with a 15W-40 in it is very hard on the engine. The synthetics simply flow better at cold temperatures.

HL

 

I am not going into posting brands, but I have run synthetic oil for years. I may end up spending more money per oil change but at least I am not sending that money overseas. I pulled the valve cover on one engine that I have run for 16 years, all on synthetic. All I had to do was wipe it out, it was almost cleaner inside than the outside. I am a commercial user which makes the oil a little cheeper. I feel if every vehicle in the USA used synthetic, we could cut down our oil needs by at least one forth. Something to think about ????