WhoozYaDaddy

Yeah, I have used them on my truck, no problems.

colekicker

Fleetguard stratapore filters all the way. This is the superior filter. OEM supplier to Case CE, Case IH, New Holland, New Holland CE, John Deere and Cummins. Why not use the industry leader?

From Cummins Filtrations (formally Fleetguard) website.

StrataPore™ Media
By implementing the revolutionary StrataPore™ multi-layered media in the 1990s, the combo filter was improved even more. StrataPore™ was introduced in the full flow section to work in combination with the stacked discs to remove the smallest dirt particles, which cause the most engine damage. This configuration reduces engine wear by as much as 60% in some applications.

Venturi™ Combo System
The technology was taken even further with the introduction of the Venturi™ Combo. The OEM-approved Venturi™ allows the lube system to perform up to four times as long and remove up to three times the contaminants as a full synthetic filter. The patented Venturi™ nozzle provides a low-pressure zone for the oil to flow through the pleated media for increased efficiency. This innovative technology results in longer life and better performance for your vehicle. And, unlike its competitors, the Venturi™ Combo was tested in a real world environment, not bench tested.

upnorth

There is no Venturi available for our trucks and on a funny note, the StrataPore filter didn't pass the Donaldson filtration tests and on the Cummins filtration website, the Donaldson didn't pass the Cummins filtration's tests....go figure.

HOHN

The problem is that engineers don't get the final say in how things are done. In almost EVERY operation, it comes down to the money people.

If engineers had their way, we'd all be driving 700hp trucks that got 30mpg and had little to no emissions and would last a million miles, easy.

But it doesn't work that way. Businesses exist to make money, first and foremost. Hence, cost is a huge consideration.

Thus, you can guarantee that when Cummins "selected" an oil on which to place their logo (and use as factory fill), it was done on a "bid" basis.

Cummins isn't in the lubrication business. They are in the engine business. So all they care about is that an oil meets their OEM requirements at the lowest possible cost. Think about it-- Cummins is paying/buying millions of gallons of whatever oil they use as factory fill. Who is naive enough to believe that they chose an oil based on whether is let the test engine last 750K or 800K or only 300K miles? NEITHER! All they care is that they engine will last through the warranty period, and whichever oil can meet that requirement at LOWEST COST is the oil they will choose.


With a little insightful thinking, now a person can look at this in a whole new light:
-- Cummins chose Valvoline PB
-- PB will work well enough at the lowest possible cost
-- Any "nicer" oil would cost more (more costly base stocks or additive pkg)
-- Cummins loses money if every engine they make lasts forever.



Hence, we've now used logical reasoning to conclude that Valvoline PB is probably the WORST oil that still meets standards that Cummins specifies.

The hydrocracked base stocks used in more advanced oils like DELO 400 cost more. Hence, Cummins won't use them as factory fill.


Ask a fleet manager which oils they are using in their Cummins fleet. I guarantee you it's not always the same as what Cummins fills from the factory. Why? Cummins has different goals than the fleet manager! Hence, they use different oils.


Engineers are wonderful and incredibly smart, but the penny-pinchers most often have the last say, and it's woefully naive to think that the Cummins name lands on a bottle of oil because it's the best..


JMO

2ManyVariables

HOHN,

the previous is certainly a useful post, but lets acknowlege here that you are being EXTREMELY cynical. Is DODGE this penny-pinching? Yes, their trannies and trim quality have shown this to be the case.

Is Cummins? No I don't think so and I don't think I am being nieve either. Why is over half the US diesel fleet made by Cummins? Why is their reputation consistently held in such high regard?

To believe your post requires a very negative point of view. It is as if in your way of thinking there cannot be any company that does things the right way for the proper motivations. Too negative, methinks.

Back to MY point, what is AMSOil's stand in all this? Are they out to save you money?? Hmmm, let's see, how are those $20 oil filters sold? MLM / Pyramid scheme sales? YEP! BAAA HA HA HA HA HA

HOHN

Cynical? Perhaps.

Cummins is perhaps the last corporation in America that would give in to the temptation to make a quick buck that cost them their reputation.

That said, there is definitely a reason to spend money in certain areas and there are places where you can save money easily. Oil is that latter.

Just becauze Cummins goes with the cheapest bidder in selecting their oil does NOT mean that they are filling the crankcases with crap.

Valvoline is a well-respected national brand. There's simply no reason to spend more money for a factory fill oil. Let's say they buy Delo or Rotella or Delvac for factory fill and they cost more. Yet, the API tested those oils and found that they all met the current standard. What would Cummins be getting in return for their additional investment? Especially since Cummins makes some of the engines the API uses in their certification tests?

In other words, the API has already done Cummins the favor of assuring them that a given oil is good enough to avoid problems. So they COULD spend more ona factory fill oil, but it would give them nothing in return. That's a poor decision and bad business. Cummins is a smart business, and they're not going to waste money buying DELO or somesuch when PB has been tested by the API to be good enough.


The conclusions to be drawn from that are these, imo:
--- even the cheapest oil Cummins accepted a bid on is still good enough, per API testing. (this isn't Wolf's Head!)
-- Because it cost the least, it probably performs the least. THIS IS NOT TO SAY IT's "bad"! This just means that another oil may actually be even better.


The point here is that even the cheapest of modern oils is still far more than adequate, and all the bickering over which oil is better at one thing or another is somewhat irrelevant because the API has all but given you an insurance policy.


I'm not cynical, but I am sometimes crassly simplistic, because often business is like that. There are people in this country who make a living estimating death tolls from catastrophic events, and who make and sell body bags as their line of work. Are they cynical? No, they just understand statistics. People die, and catastrophes happen.

..and businesses try to save money wherever they can do so without negative consequences. Factory filling a Cummins engine with Valvoline is no doubt the result of a favorable financial outcome. Now, I'm sure Cummins didn't accept a bid from any old oil company because they value their brand, and they are going to make sure that it's associated with another respected brand to preserve its integrity and respect.

But ask yourself why they don't come with Rotella, or DELO, or Delvac?

One answer: $$$

Hunter11

I have been running the PL45335 on my trucks since 2001 and have been very happy with them.