Can you all please tell me what kind of Oil, Fuel, & Transmission filter you are useing. And what kind of Motor oil & Transmission oil. Need to do my changes asap Thank you all


Edited by: huntsalot

There are many options (and opinions) for filters and fluids… I'll try to summarize the basics… Also try the Forum Search feature… you'll find many posts on this topic…

Oil: GM specs for the Duramax require an API certified 15W40 or 5W40 Heavy Duty Diesel Oil (HDEO) with a CH-4 or CI-4 rating. A few popular "Dino" choices are Chevron DELO 15W40, MOBIL Delvac 15W40 or Shell Rotella 15W40.
Popular synthetic choices are Mobil Delvac-1 5W40 (same as Mobil-1 Truck and SUV), AMSOIL AME 15W40 (not API certified), and Shell Rotella 5W40 (hydrocracked dino, Group III base stock) … There are many other choices… just be sure the oil has the CH-4 or CI-4 ratring.. (I run DELVAC-1)

Oil Filters: If you go by the specs the new Mobil-1 M1-303 (9.99 at Autozone) is the best filter available followed closely by the Baldwin B1441 ($5.50 to $7.50) . Other good choices are WIX, AC & Fleetguard, …anything but FRAM. (I use the B1441 with an OilGuard Bypass Filter (http://community.webshots.com/album/65003591xTSYrR))

Fuel Filter: All DMAX fuel filters are made by RACOR no matter what the label says. My understanding is that it's a patented design. Buy whatever filter is the best price and/or most convenient to find. Prices on the LB7 (01-4.5) are $16 and up. Last I heard the LLY version were only available from GM.. (some of us hardcore extremists have added additional filtering http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Confused.gif - I have a total of three)

Spin-on Transmission Filter: Stick with the OEM Allison (IMHO). These are available from GM Dealers, Allison Dealers and several online vendors. Best prices are approx $8 from on-line suppliers and some local Allison Dealers.

Transmission Fluid: Dexron-III is required. Many have switched to Synthetic: Mobil-1 ATF, Allison Transynd (by Castrol) or AMSOIL ATF. Addition of an Allison "deep" pan is also another option. (I flushed and filled my Alli with M1-ATF, also added the deep pan)

Also, consider changing fluids in you Rear Diff, Front Diff and Transfer case (if you have 4WD). Rear Diff requires 4 Qts 75W90 GL-5 Synthetic. Front Diff can run 80W90 Dino or 75W90 Synthetic. The 2500/3500HD transfer case requires Dexron-III. (I changed mine at 5kmiles: M1-75W90 in both Diffs and M1-ATF in the Transfer case.. At 5K the rear diff fluid was ugly and the front diff plug had a lot of sludge .. pics ( http://community.webshots.com/album/65684589edLUNA))

Hop this helps… http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Geek.gif





Edited by: jbplock

jpblock

Thanks for summarizing the information on oils and filters. As a neophyte to the Duramax diesel I appreciate your effort.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Clap.gif

Looking at the pictures of your truck I noticed you have installed mud flaps. What kind of mud flaps are they?

Thanks
oozamalak

jpblock ... I noticed you have installed mud flaps. What kind of mud flaps are they?

oozamalak,

Thanks for the feedback. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Embarrased.gif
Regarding the Mudflaps (http://community.webshots.com/album/72366296bnboMY), they are a combination of Molded Huskies and some Standard Truck Mudflaps. When my truck was new one of the first things I added were the Husky Flaps. They fit well and looked nice, but they were not low enough to keep tire spray from hitting the lower side of the body. Since I don't take my truck off road, I thought I would try extending them. To do this I cut some standard truck 24x30 mudflaps in half and fitted them to the huskies using ¼ in SS bolts and the existing husky mounting screws. The front used a flexible rubber flap while the back was fitted with a stiff 3/16 inch thick plastic flap. I covered the bolt heads with black-hinged plastic screw covers from Lowes. The resulting extensions do a good job preventing mud and stones kicked up by the tires from hitting the body. Later I added the J&J Millenium boards for even more protection. I also added flaps on the front side of the rear wheel well to prevent debris coming off the top of the back wheel from being throne forward into the fender well and on top of the running boards. If I was doing the Mudflaps now I would probably skip the Huskies and just use the Big Truck Mudflaps. A good source for these is MudFlapsForTrucks.com (http://www.mudflapsfortrucks.com/home.html)

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Geek.gif

I bought the oil to change my transfer case with last week. Everything I have heard on here was that ATF was the replacement fluid, but when looking in the owner's manual, I saw that GM's Auto-Trak fluid was the replacement listed. The dealership has this for $6 a quart, so I figured better safe than sorry and I bought it. Has anyone else used this oil in the transfer case? Parts guys said it had to be used because of the additive package it has, but I figure that they make their living telling people that. Still trying to find time to do this change along with another engine oil change, so I was looking for some feedback on this. Thanks.

.....AMSOIL AME 15W40 (not API certified), .....









Are you sure? Check Amsoils web site: http://www.amsoil.com/products/ame.html





It states that it is CH-4 and CI-4 Certified.

.....AMSOIL AME 15W40 (not API certified), .....









Are you sure? Check Amsoils web site: http://www.amsoil.com/products/ame.html





It states that it is CH-4 and CI-4 Certified.

read it again. It says API CI-4 CH-4 engine service, it does not say it meets the test. If you go to eolcs.api.org (http://eolcs.api.org) you will find that the only Amsoil product listed is for GASOLINE engines. If you ask them why, you get a very long document that says they are best thing since sliced bread, it costs lots of money and everytime we change our formula we would have to re-test. They are not API rated.

Jim

Interesting, I might have to reconsider my choice, I was gonna put that in my new truck when it comes in. Im guessing if GM found out you used it, it would void the warranty?

Boilermaker,

To the best of my knowledge, the 200HD does not come with an "automatic transfer case". You most likely have a manual transfer case with electric shift buttons. The electic shift and Auto-Trak are not the same thing. I believe Auto-Trak is a full time type of 4X4 system available as an option on the 1500 trucks and other models. I have no idea why GM included the Auto-Trak fuild spec in the Duramax supplement manual. It sure confuses things.

Per the 2004 Siverado Brochure - pg 33: Chassis Features - "Autotrac active transfer case (1500 4X4 models only").


Based on the above, the parts guy sold you the wrong fluid. You can buy Mobil 1 synthetic Dexton III AFT at Auto Zone for 5 bucks a quart. The manual transfer case takes two quarts.

Note: The Duramax manual says Auto-Trak and the brochure says Autotrac. I assume they are the same thing.

jbplock: Great write-up!Edited by: BH in AZ

BH:


Thanks for the reply. I am sure that is correct. They probably thought that the electronic shift buttons were for an Auto-Trak (or autotrac) transfer case. Guess I'll take it back and make sure I get the right stuff. Makes me wonder how many of the HD trucks in the area now have this fluid in the transfer case, since one of their techs told them this was correct (I questioned it, since I had read that ATF was the replacement fluid). I don't imagine that the Auto-Trak fluid would hurt anything, just probably not needed.

.....AMSOIL AME 15W40 (not API certified), .....









Are you sure? Check Amsoils web site: http://www.amsoil.com/products/ame.html





It states that it is CH-4 and CI-4 Certified.





Hello all, 1st post to the forum. I'm scheduled to receive my 05 dmax in November (ohhh the wait), anyway I don't want to start a flaming war on my first post but if you check the eolcs web site you will see they have certified amsoil as CI-4 here's the direct link to the cert


http://eolcs.api.org/DisplayLicenseInfo.asp?LicenseNo=0995


as I am looking for all info I can for my truck (soon to arrive that is), including good synthetic oil would this certification mean that amsoil can be used without voiding the factory warranty?


BTW this forum is great, soooo much knowledge, sooo little time to take it all in http://dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Big%20Smile.gif


"Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than you are"

Enigma,

Sorry, I didn't mean to re-hash the AMSOIL/API Licensing subject, and thanks for posting the API link. http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Embarrased.gif It points out that I failed to mention the AMSOIL 15W40 Synthetic Blend - PCO (http://www.amsoil.com/products/pco.html) which is API certified. I was referring to the AMSOIL 15W40 Full Synthetic -AME (http://www.amsoil.com/products/ame.html) (Group IV PAO base stock) that is not certified. The AME is excellent oil… I used it my 98 K3500 6.5TD and always had very good UOA results.

Also, regarding transfer case fluid, the manual is confusing; however, the 2500/3500HD's do use Dexron-III ATF as BH pointed out. My t-case has a label next to the fill plug that says to use Dexron-III. (It's also good to use a little teflon thread sealent on the plug.)

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Geek.gif Edited by: jbplock

jbplock,


Thanks for schooling me http://dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/HiHi.gif learn something new every day. Hate marketing hype http://dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Angry.gif but at least now I know which is a "true API certified" synthetic and which is not.