Please bear with this new diesel owner! If I read the oil chart right in my owners manual; I think I'm supossed to use 15-40 wt. oil.<br>I live in California and the coldest it gets here (once in a great while) for very short periods is probably in the high 20's. The usual winter lows are at about 30-40 degrees in the early morning hours. Will 15-40 do the trick? Thanks!

 

Hey Buzz, 15-40 should do the trick. Thats what I've always used. I run synthetic, just be sure the oil you choose is formulated for diesels (very important). ;D

 

That's pretty much what I figured. I guess everything you need to know can pretty much be found in the owners manual.
Everybody has their own ideas but I guess the manufacturer knows best.
Take the block heater controversy for instance. The manual says: Above 40 degrees-not necessary, Below 40 degrees-suggested, 0 degrees or below-absolutely.
I'll go with that. I don't want Casper getting too cold! Buzz

 

Buzz, the Chevron site listed the pour point for Delo 400 15W-40 oil at -38F degrees. <br><br>Jerry

 

Im am going with synthetic Amsoil, it still pourable at -47F.<br><br>KC

 

I'm running the Amsoil Series 3000 5W-30...pour point -51 degrees F. Great oil analysis reports so far after 45K miles on the oil. I also have the Amsoil Dual Remote by-pass oil filtration.

 

amslube where do you have the remote system mounted?? I see one in my furure............ ;D

 

Fichcop,<br><br>I have my unit mounted to my right battery holder with a mount I made from 3/16&quot; steel. You can see the entire installation pictures and a drawing of the mount at http://www.syntheticlubes.com/dual_r...or_dodge.html.<br>A friend of mine mounted his under the fenderwell in the space under the right side battery.<br>If you have questions let me know.<br><br>Vic-

 

Thanks amslube........

 

[quote author=Fishcop link=board=4;threadid=7389;start=0#71344 date=1038021775]<br>amslube where do you have the remote system mounted?? I see one in my furure............ ;D<br>[/quote]<br><br>Chip, check out the photos in my album. You will see how I mounted mine. Wish I would have known earlier, I would have shown you while I was there today. If you need parts or supplies and don't have a dealer in your area, let me know.

 

DD4x4, what's the difference between your setup and the stock setup with the Fleetguard filter? How much did it cost, and is it worth the extra cost? How does it affect the life of your oil?<br><br>I'm going to be running a Valvoline 5-40 full synthetic I got from Cummins last week. I was planning on changing the filter and adding a quart every 5,000 and doing a full change every 15,000. How does that sound?

 

[quote author=shortfieldbreak link=board=4;threadid=7389;start=0#72880 date=1038365388]<br>DD4x4, what's the difference between your setup and the stock setup with the Fleetguard filter? How much did it cost, and is it worth the extra cost? How does it affect the life of your oil?<br><br>I'm going to be running a Valvoline 5-40 full synthetic I got from Cummins last week. I was planning on changing the filter and adding a quart every 5,000 and doing a full change every 15,000. How does that sound?<br>[/quote]<br><br>I'll send you a PM cause I don't want to start another oil war.

 

[quote author=shortfieldbreak link=board=4;threadid=7389;start=0#72880 date=1038365388]
DD4x4, what's the difference between your setup and the stock setup with the Fleetguard filter? How much did it cost, and is it worth the extra cost? How does it affect the life of your oil?

I'm going to be running a Valvoline 5-40 full synthetic I got from Cummins last week. I was planning on changing the filter and adding a quart every 5,000 and doing a full change every 15,000. How does that sound?
[/quote]
You didn't ask me, but if you don't mind hearing more than one opinion, then here's mine:

WITHOUT a bypass filter, I would suggest that you change the filter at 5k and then do a full change at 10k. Going all the way to 15k might &quot;undo&quot; the good you have done by choosing a good synthetic oil, unless your only reason for going syn was to get the 5W-40 winter performance. I would go up to 10k even without oil analysis, but if you want to go to 15k you need to be drawing samples.

WITH a bypass filter, 15k would be considered a &quot;short&quot; change interval, UNLESS you have all in-town driving or fueling modifications that create more than normal amounts of soot. Again, going longer than 10k I would consider oil analysis a &quot;mandatory&quot; part of the plan. Life of the oil with an unmodified or only slightly modified engine can be indefinate; most change at 20k to 30k, but some don't ever change again as long as the filters are changed and the analysis results keep coming back good. I'm undecided; I used to change at 15k, but I've got 20k on the oil I'm running now and if the next sample comes back good I think I'll keep going. The only bad samples I ever got were when I tried to stretch out the filter changes; I won't do that again. Now I change full flow filter every 5k and bypass filter at 10k or 15k depending on my mood and the most recent sample results.

 

I'll tell you what I do here and some won't like it but it works for me.<br>I ran the same oil in my 89 for 4 1/2 years, 60000 miles, with the dual remote system. Samples were still good when I drained it then. I traded the truck four years ago, with 142000 on it, on my present truck and the 89 is still running. I have talked to the guy that bought it and he still has not laid a wrench on the engine.<br>I currently run the oil 20 to 25000 miles with the dual remote set up changing the main oil filter every 5000. (I upped the HP a little) I send off samples at about 10000 just to see what is going on inside the engine from a wear standpoint. I put synthetic in at 24000 miles on the first time and ran it to 75000. Samples showed high break in iron so I changed it out and the iron went away. Changed it again at 100000 and am going on 113000 now. I'm overdue for a sample.<br><br>Disclaimer: Not telling anyone what to do or recommending anything here, just telling you what works for me.

 

The 5000k oil change guys are old technology,they have no proof of any better reliability than the guys changing out at 50k. The new engine with the electronics runs way cleaner unless you are seriously bombed and producing big black smoke. I live in a part of the country that sees -45 to 90F and I run nothing but 15-40 synthetic with a stratopore filter. The truck just got its 3rd oil change on 25000ks (17000 miles) and my oil is as clean as any body elses according to the samples. I dont see what they keep trying to prove by using all that oil, Cummins service says 200-250 hours between services based at 50 mph = 12500 miles on regular petroleum oil. Use synthetic oil bypass filter systems or carbon spinners and you should be good for 50000 miles between oil changes. Get samples checked and read them if your samples read high iron or bearing materials back off the miles to changes otherwise you and grandma are fretting over nothing but 1960's folklore. This is by standards a commercial heavy duty diesel engine, this engine was and is still used in various industrial pieces of equipment. We use the same schedule 200-250 hours on the genset or the log skidder, same engine, same oil and have never had an engine fail. I garantee that poor little 200 hp engine in the skidder works harder every day than most of your trucks, the only time it gets cool is when it idles at -20F or lower. The genset is rated at a modest 190 hp continous and is always 185-195F with no air movement other than the cooling fan, what moore can you ask from equipment. Some of the guys have used a 5-30 synthetic and do claim good tests and better starting turn overs, all have oil changes done at 1000hrs. The only engine that does not get this treatment is a genset with a 6-71 Detroit and it uses 1 gal. oil per 12 hour shift with 30W oil, 2 strokes dont really enjoy synthetic for it value. Petroleum oil to synthetic is like molasses is to white sugar both are refined but one is atomicaly a lot cleaner. PK