From Blackstone Labs, The Oil Report, February 2017, article attached:
... more diesel fleets going to 10W/30, ... Not only will the bearings do just fine, but the engines will start up better (especially in the cold). And this change might eliminate the need for plugging your diesel in at night.
I run Rotella T6 5w-40.
From the oil report;
"Additive levels have been lowered in engine oil and the old flat-tappet engines still run great."
That's true but I make sure the ZDDP is 1,400 PPM in the case of my classic SBC.
Have been running 0w30,0w40 in gas powered vehicles for 20 years plus.
+1 on Rotella T6 5W40
Interesting- our 2013 Subaru Outback calls for 0w-20 which we have used all the time since new- no problems at all.
Amsoil new diesel oils are lower viscosity, primarily made for the newer diesels to meet EPA regulations.
Has anyone with pre 2007 engines switched to a lower viscosity diesel oil and if so, what are your results? I have read a number of articles about switching to 10W-30 diesel oil but so far have stayed with the tried and true 15W-40 for my Cummins ISC350. Might be something to look at??
I'm with Ted & Karen on the subject of; "Has anyone done it and what were the results?"
More oil consumtion, less oil consumtion, leaks............etc.?
I've always been a believer in "stick with the gal that brought you to the dance." I've used Delo (even non-detergent in my Land Rover) on all heavy working business rigs since then. I don't keep much track, but after having three coaches (all diesel), I'd say, I'm like John S.; "close to 400,000 miles". All with Delo 400LE SAE 15W-40. ^.^d
I tend to think along the same lines. Our 1995 Cummins M11 was designed to operate on 15W-40 and has performed remarkably well. Why would I even consider changing?
I am running Mobil1 Turbo Diesel Truck 5w-40 synthetic diesel oil in my FT engine and genset.
My 2017 Subaru forester calls for 0w-20, but I put in 0w-30 because I have read many reports of high oil consumption in these subarus, and all the WRX enthusiasts run thicker oil, so I went ever so slightly thicker. Wont know the results of this change for 15 years or so, but thats OK with me. My GF has a new Mazda 3 and the manual says 0w-20 in USA, 5w-30 rest of world. Mazda clearly uses 0w-20 to meet USA fuel economy standards but prefers a 5w-30 where fuel economy doesnt matter, so I am also using a 0w-30 in that. Keep the cold starting benefits, and slightly more viscosity when hot.
I'm not really concerned with cold starting of the RV engine. The whole point of the RV was to stay away from those ridiculous arctic conditions, at least for me! That said, I know a lot of the 10w-30s provide plenty of protection and are taking over the market. I wouldnt be opposed to switching, but the 5w-40 works great for my needs, and I have enough of it stockpiled to last a lifetime.
I will try to find the info that I had on multi-weight oil. As I recall the higher number is how much anti thinners are put into the oil. It doesn't get any thicker than the lower number.
I think the higher number of a multi-grade oil is the normal viscosity at ~210deg & the lower W number is its equivalent at ~40deg. So, a 5W30 is the viscosity of a single grade 30 weight oil at operating temperature but performs similar to a how a 5 weight would perform at cold temperatures.
RVtrvlr, someone said to me a while back that the oil degrades after a year and esp' if it gets really cold- like close to freezing.
^.^d
JohnH
Sorry John, but thats simply not true. Been reading Blackstone reports for years and they successfully ran a 50?ish year old ebay oil in an 80s truck. It performed fine based on analysis. The stuff has been in the ground for millions of years, five years is Mobils official position, but I know itll be good for ten times that.
http://www.blackstone-labs.com/Newsletters/Gas-Diesel/October-1-2013.php
My walmart brand gear oil has the goodies settle to the bottom if it sits on the shelf a while. But the dinosaurs are still in good shape!
Shake it like a spray paint can before using.
I installed Shell Rotella T6 5W40 in March of 2016, driven 3600 miles since with no oil used. I also noticed the antifreeze overflow container was down half a quart when checking the oil level. Not sure what this means!
I installed AMSoil HD Diesel oil, 15W40 in January 2011.
By March 2016, had driven 25,000 miles using a quart every 2000 miles, which is normal according to Cummins.
I did notice faster cranking when cold with Rotella.
May be the difference in 5w and 15 wt.
Rotella T6 5W40.
My choice in the engine, generator, and hydraulic reservoir.