I follow Shedule B for my oil change intervals (I have a service contract which includes 8 oil changes throughout my 4 year lease) but I also try to change engine oil at every 150 hrs of operation (as per engine hour meter) I find this to be a more accurate means of determining when oil should be changed.

This will be my first winter with my first diesel so I'm learning tons from people like you on forums like this. Thank-you all!!

I thought I would bring it up in this forum to see what feedback you folks think? I think it's better than relying strictly on variables like mileage points or time intervals like every few months or so.

Works for me up here in Saskatchewan

 

So, did you have an hour meter on your gasser? If I take my mileage and divide by the hours I get roughly 40 MPH average. That would be 6K miles at 150 hrs.

 

I think it is a good idea. The only question is if that will satisfy the Warranty schedule.

I have been assigned schedule "B" by DC, like I am sure most are. Instead of the Cummins 7500 or 15000 mile schedule. The 3750 miles will be very close to 150 engine hours based on my first 9000 miles.

That is a question that I will ask my dealer.

 

I just calculated mine for another thread on another forum. I do a lot of city stop and go driving. My average miles per engine hour is 29.9. Not very good. But that is the price I pay for living where I can make a decent living.

 

We change all our tractors out at 100 hours, absolutely no more. We can be out working in the field combining and will change oil in the field instead of going another 5-6 hours to get done with a field to get it back to shop. DOn't know why so **** but has worked out good for us with next to no repairs in God knows how long. My average mph on the motor is right at 40 over 15000 miles. That would make my interval every 4000 miles. Don't know why but I am hesitant to go 7500 per change, especially when towing like I do. Just makes me nervous. Even though I only have 3500 on present change I think I am going to drop it since it is getting so darn cold and go Delvac 1 for the winter. I think I should be able to run 10,000 on a fill of Delvac 1 with OA at 5000. That should get me through the cold months anyways. I dont know if going to synthetic is wise at 15000, have heard go at 20K, but the way I have pulled with this truck it has to be broke in.

 

I do mine (fuel filter also ) every 5k using the trip odometer.

 

I'm lazy and I just do it by mileage, but if you idle much or do a lot of stop and go driving I think hours would be a smart way to go. I remember someone on the board mentioning that they use gallons of fuel consumed for determining their oil change interval which also sounds pretty smart to me.

 

I do mine at 150 hours. I also sample during mos tof my changes and Blackstone on the last report told me to keep sampling at my current interval. I do a lot of idiling so 150 hours generally gets me 2,500-3,500 miles.

 

The marine industry, power generation industry, Ag, etc all use the HR standard. Looks like it will cost you more using the HR method. But the above engines are running a constant, sustained load for that time. Engine properties are relatively constant at 2250 RPM and oil break down and contamination can be easily calculated when the load and RPM are constants. Our trucks do not have constant loads nor RPMs so an average must be used. Mileage seems to be the best measurement for that average with the oil change schedules outlined to compensate for the load/operating conditions for any given interval.

Just my $.005 cent. I'll use the mileage because I'm not working my truck and run around unloaded 99% of the time. I'm more concerned about drive train wear from the mileage than I am engine wear. In 4th at 70mph I'm turning 1900rpm - which happens to match the optimum BSFC (extremely close to it) - the point where the engine is most efficient. This means that the largest majority of the fuel is being burned and the blow-by and contaminants deposited in the oil are at the lowest. Your trans, x-fer case, and diffs spin faster with road speed, meaning they will wear faster - all in theory of course.

It really depends on a few things, load, average engine speed, oil temp and oil type.

A tractor plowing all day at 2250 pulling a 7-spade at 3mph will break down and contaminate the oil way faster than running unloaded down the hwy at 1900 rpm.

Just some food for thought...

 

I watch my mileage close, but check my oil often too. Once it starts to darken or I can smell fuel abundantly in it which is about 5-6k for both symtoms it gets changed. When the truck was new to 15,000 miles oil was never dark or smelly. After that it seems to turn color more quickly. I don't run the tst hardly at all which will darken the oil very quickly due to the extra fuel.

 

RamWheelsBy4 Wrote: "The 3750 miles will be very close to 150 engine hours based on my first 9000 miles."

There's NO oil change at 3750 miles unless it's a CA Low Emmisions Vehicle.

 

This is my DC Maintenance Book. This schedule is required to meet Warranty maintenance specifications according to my dealer. They said every 3750 miles.

However after looking closely at the schedule as pertains to specific engines you are correct. The normal oil change period for the Tier 1 EPA 250 & 305 is 7500k. Actually the schedule does not refer to the 325/600 engine type at all. It only list Tier 1 EPA (250 & 305) and CA LEV 235 engine types.

I will still change oil around 4000 miles as I have been doing. I do nothing anymore it seems except stop and go city driving in very hot and sometimes dusty conditions. This will change of course when I go to Amsoil, somewhere around 20k.

 

After thinking about my above post, this is what I think. I believe the the Schedule B using the same schedule as the CA LEV 235 engines was assigned because of the 325/600 Emissions CR@P. But I dont really know for sure.