I did read the FAQ sheet for this, but it seemed to be more for the 6.2. I live in Northern Ontario Canada where I might be starting up at -20 deg. cel. I usually run 15w-40 during the summer, but the owners manual says to knock that down to a 0w-40 for the winter starts. The local oil change shop says thev'e been using a 10w-30 designed for diesels. Can I use this in my 6.5 for the winter?

I have used 0-40 full synthetic diesel oil for years, in my 6.2 and 6.5. No regrets at all. I would recommend it for our cold climates.

I run Amsoil 15w-40 full synthetic year round in my truck. Before the Amsoil i ran Shell Rotella T 15w-40.

I run Royal Purple 15W40 full synthetic year round.

I never liked using the 0W40 rotella full synthetic Truck seemed.... Bleh (Maybe seeing the 0 played tricks on my mind), and the dino 15W40 rotella was thicker then snot on a chilly day.

My buddy has 10W30 Amsoil in his 6.2 for winter.

The 6.2 and 6.5 are basically the same engine, so what applys to one, mostly applys to the other.

I'm happy with the stuff I run.

used 0-40 for years, day and night difference when you goto start it up in the cold. company i work for uses it year round in big trucks, under warrenty. any of the lower visc synthetics will do better in the cold

I run amsoil 15-40 in toronto, ON

havent had a problem - coldest start ive had is -14c

You Canadian guys have an easier time getiing the synthetic Diesel 0w-40 than we Americans do. I run synthetic 5w-40 year round and would also do 0w-40 if it was easier to get.

I asked about synthetics where I usually get my oil done ( older knowledgable staff), said synthetic would go thru a diesel like sh*t through a goose!

I asked about synthetics where I usually get my oil done ( older knowledgable staff), said synthetic would go thru a diesel like sh*t through a goose!


???? what ya mean go thru...burn it?

Glynn. My truck actually stopped leaking oil with synthetic. The new synthetics have some kind of seal sweller to stop leaks. The synthetic molecules are smaller. They "slip" through cracks in gaskets, etc easier than conventional oil.

their not that knowledable about synthetics then. the first ones did leak more. if you had leaks with dino oil, then you really leaked with synthetics. not anymore, and they don't burn it any more than dino oil either. if it went through like sh*t through a goose, why would a lot of companies use it exclusively in big rigs.
we can get the esso 0/40 here almost anywhere, including wally world

Hey Guys, I just wanted to add some technical data to the subjective oil discussion.

Attached are the tech data and a viscosity graph that I drew up kinda quick. I used the lubes that the guys mentioned in the thread.

77796

On the right is the viscosity and along the bottom temp. You can clearly see the low temp performance in the upper left.

The PetroCan Duron 5w40 is what I use during the winter months so I figured I would put it in there too.

And the tech sheets:

77798

77799

77800

77801

77802

The important thing is to have an oil that is a ~15cst @100 deg C. Thats what GM wants to see in an oil at operating conditions. Other than that the low temp performance is most important.

That being said I wouldn't want to use a 10w30 as it is off spec at operating temp, clearly visible in the graph (well mabey visible in the blurry graph..lol).

Well, that was a lot of info.... Nice to see though... I'll figure it all out eventually... I think.... Or you could make us a bar graph too :p:

WOW!:eek: That was sure alot of info! Thanks 6.5r's! Kind of a bummer in a way as i just paid 50 bucks for that 10w-30 oil change! What I gather from this feedback is that 6.5r's are running synthetic, either 0w-40 or a 5w-40 for winter startups! usually can plug it in at home, but where I work they don't have plug-ins, and sometimes it can be pretty cold after a 12hour nightshift!:( -15 to -25 deg. cel.

WOW!:eek: That was sure alot of info! Thanks 6.5r's! Kind of a bummer in a way as i just paid 50 bucks for that 10w-30 oil change! What I gather from this feedback is that 6.5r's are running synthetic, either 0w-40 or a 5w-40 for winter startups! usually can plug it in at home, but where I work they don't have plug-ins, and sometimes it can be pretty cold after a 12hour nightshift!:( -15 to -25 deg. cel.


This 10w-30 is diesel rated oil correct? I've had the idiot "mechanics" attempt to use 10w-30 gasser oil in a diesel excursion once. I wouldn't think gasser oil would like the diesel soot too much :eek:

I looked at the bottle, and it said for fleet service? Quaker State.

I looked at the bottle, and it said for fleet service? Quaker State.


Quaker state? IMHO Quaker state is junk, comes from the same factory as Pennzoil. I wouldn't run anything but a well proven 15w-40, 5w-40 or 0w-40 diesel oil. Rotella T, Delo, Valvoline Blue, Amsoil, etc.

Guess I should change it out then?

Um, is it even Diesel oil?

It said for fleet service?

Fleet does not equal Diesel.

Guess I should change it out then?


Change it to Rotella T. You can get it at Walmart for a fairly decent price. Get 2 gallons of 15w-40 Rotella T(or get the 5w-40 synthetic Rotella T if you live where it gets cold) and get a good oil filter.

A good filter is not a Fram, or anything cheap in price. I run a Wix 51060 in my truck with the Amsoil 15w-40. Get a good oil filter, Wix, Napa gold(wix), Baldwin, Amsoil, Mobil 1, etc.

I'd rather pay the $8-$9 for a good filter than $2.75 at walmart for a junk filter.

It was done at a oil-change centre, they had 10w-30(guy said it was for diesels) 15w-40(little heavy for winter) and 5w-30 full sythetic.

It was done at a oil-change centre, they had 10w-30(guy said it was for diesels) 15w-40(little heavy for winter) and 5w-30 full sythetic.


Unless you can see the "C" rating for diesels on the bottle(CF-4 for example) its not diesel rated. Even if it is, i wouldn't trust quaker state as far as i can throw them. Rotella T has been proven. I'd change it.

I had to stop the "techs" at my job once, from putting Pennzoil 10w-30 gasser oil in a ford diesel once. Those places rarely get diesels in there, and when they do they don't know their tailpipe from intake, if you catch my drift.

Thanks man really appreciated! Case closed I'll change it!

Thanks man really appreciated! Case closed I'll change it!


Good idea. I'd hate to see something go bad because of incorrect or inferior oil. I've seen that before, in my pos car which now knocks like hell when cold as my dad put 15w-40 in it when it calls for 5w-30 as "its all he had lying around" :eek:

Quaker state and Penzoil are actually manufactured by Shell Oil same as Rotella. Check the link below:

http://www.shell.ca/home/content/ca-en/shell_for_businesses/lubricants/products/dir_product_data_sheets.html

No doubt that its not the same quality though, probably their low end products.

Glynn, like Dave said change it out at once. If it was me I'd put the Rotella 15W40 in with a new filter today. Then you can take some time over the next 3,000 miles to research what oil you want to run. Where are you located?

If you have the truck plugged in when its cold 15w40 is just fine year round.

If you have the truck plugged in when its cold 15w40 is just fine year round.


It works with 15-40, but years ago when I made the switch to 0-40 it was a night and day difference on a cold start. Well worth it in my opinion.

Mind you, it all depends on your location and the temps you have.

Is the 0-40 a conventional oil? What brand is it?

Esso, Shell, PetroCan and Mobil make it.

It can be one of three types depening on who's blend it is it:

-Straight Mineral Oil with lots of VI improvers (Lowest Grade)
-Synthetic Blend (Mid Range - Best Value)
-Full Synthetic (Best)

I'm not living in an area where its -45C so I use a 5w40 typically.

Are people just running 0-40 during the winter months, or do they run it all year round?

ETA: And the 5w-40 is full synthetic, right?

In my owners manual it says to use SAE 10w-30 when the outside temp. is below freezing. Answered my own question by reading my owners manual! Huh, imagine that! :o:

The 5w40 I use is full syn. Once again though it depends on what brand your using. You can make a 5w40 or a 0w40 out of any basestock be it synthetic, mineral or veg. Research the oil you would like to use prior.

I like the PetroCan products as we use them at work and I have a hard time finding products that compete. They use very high quality basestocks that are not refined using conventional solvent extraction, they use a severe hydrotreating process. Which will generate an extremly high quality oil, some of their mineral oils compete directly with other companies straight synthetics.

Please not I'm not a PC rep...hehe Just did my homework

Quaker state? IMHO Quaker state is junk, comes from the same factory as Pennzoil. I wouldn't run anything but a well proven 15w-40, 5w-40 or 0w-40 diesel oil. Rotella T, Delo, Valvoline Blue, Amsoil, etc.
I worked with a gentleman in the 90's who worked at a Pennzoil refinery, well he used to. He lost his job due to the fact that Pennzoil quit refining its own oil and sent all the work to contractors. Quite a way to bust a union contract.
I havent used Pennzoil products since.
Jeff

I use traveller fleet oil 15w-40 from tractor supply. My truck leaks way to much to put in synthetic. It leaks a quarter size at night from the oil cooler line and a 5'' area under the motor. It sucks and its expensive!!!!

I use traveller fleet oil 15w-40 from tractor supply. My truck leaks way to much to put in synthetic. It leaks a quarter size at night from the oil cooler line and a 5'' area under the motor. It sucks and its expensive!!!!


You may want to get those leaks fixed. The oil cooler lines will leak more and more and then they'll fail totally. This causes the engine to share all its oil with the ground. the 5" spot under the motor is a good size leak as well. How's your CDR valve? if its bad you can leak oil out of the front main seal due to excess pressure in the crankcase. Check and make sure your oil pan bolts, valve cover bolts, oil filter adapter bolt, etc are all tight. My engine leaks almost no oil, and when i got it it leaked like a sieve. Some of the valve cover bolts on my truck were loose 2 to 3 turns.

You may want to get those leaks fixed. The oil cooler lines will leak more and more and then they'll fail totally. This causes the engine to share all its oil with the ground. the 5" spot under the motor is a good size leak as well. How's your CDR valve? if its bad you can leak oil out of the front main seal due to excess pressure in the crankcase. Check and make sure your oil pan bolts, valve cover bolts, oil filter adapter bolt, etc are all tight. My engine leaks almost no oil, and when i got it it leaked like a sieve. Some of the valve cover bolts on my truck were loose 2 to 3 turns.


:drop_mout

:drop_mout

:lol: Yes they leaked "a bit". :rolleyes:

:lol: Yes they leaked "a bit". :rolleyes:

Yeah I guess but the good news is the previous owners lack of attentivness is your good fortune.

Those didn't leak dave, they just poured the oil out :)

Those didn't leak dave, they just poured the oil out :)


No you want "pouring oil out" you should see my friends tired 86 F-350 6.9. it'll leak out all its oil in one day. :eek: Valve covers, Front and rear main, you name it, if it holds oil in the engine its leaking on that truck.

Hi, im new to this diesel thing, and i'm gonna make the first oil change since i bought my rig a few days ago. I bought some Mobile delvac super 1300 and want to no if this will work or if i should take it back and get something else I will be ordering a 5 gallon case of royal purple for next oil changes but want to make sure i get a decent oil in it until then, thanks

I use Amsoil 5w-30 in the winter and 15w-40 in the summer. Amsoil says you can run the 5-30 in the summer too but I'm scared:o: seems too thin.

Hi, im new to this diesel thing, and i'm gonna make the first oil change since i bought my rig a few days ago. I bought some Mobile delvac super 1300 and want to no if this will work or if i should take it back and get something else I will be ordering a 5 gallon case of royal purple for next oil changes but want to make sure i get a decent oil in it until then, thanks


Mobile Delvac 1300S is a good conventional oil. It can give you 5000 miles easy.

Mobile Delvac 1300S is a good conventional oil. It can give you 5000 miles easy.

cool, thanks for the reply

What kind of interval are you guys running? I just changed my oil today to valvoline 5w-40 full synthetic diesel oil with a napa gold filter.

I've got 250k and it will be mostly highway miles. I generally run the mobil 1 for 10k with filter changes at 5k in my other stuff, but wasn't sure with the diesel engine and this many miles what would work. Any thoughts?

Hi, im new to this diesel thing, and i'm gonna make the first oil change since i bought my rig a few days ago. I bought some Mobile delvac super 1300 and want to no if this will work or if i should take it back and get something else I will be ordering a 5 gallon case of royal purple for next oil changes but want to make sure i get a decent oil in it until then, thanks

I can get you hooked up with something slightly better in my opinion and most likely at the same price or cheaper. :D

I can get you hooked up with something slightly better in my opinion and most likely at the same price or cheaper. :D

so far i've converted two friends from RP to Amsoil. I've been using Amsoil for a while now. I love it, and so does my engine. :D

I use tech 2000 walmart oil that is API certified and change it out every 5000km religiously. It is cheap, as am I :P. I have 525hp N-14 Cummins in a Western Star w/ 26000 hours on the engine, 23500 of them on tech 2000. That is proof enough for me.

I ran 0 w 40 amsoil in the winter when I lived in Manitoba and 15w40 in summer. If you use a 30 weight oil the ops dosn't read right and performance issues are a problem. I tried running a 0w30 and in winter and I (personally) had problems with ops and so on. I recommend Ow 40 in the cold praire winter and 15w 40 in summer. Make sure its for diesels though.

I ran 0 w 40 amsoil in the winter when I lived in Manitoba and 15w40 in summer. If you use a 30 weight oil the ops dosn't read right and performance issues are a problem. I tried running a 0w30 and in winter and I (personally) had problems with ops and so on. I recommend Ow 40 in the cold praire winter and 15w 40 in summer. Make sure its for diesels though.

Ummm Amsoil doesn't make a diesel 0w-40.

I can get you hooked up with something slightly better in my opinion and most likely at the same price or cheaper. :D

whatever makes it run long and strong works for me:)

Up here in canada Northern Ontario diesels should be running 0W-40 shell rottella t oils in the winter months and 5w-40 in summer or 15 w -40 summer depends on how hot the summer is this summer was cold with only 6 weeks of hot to warm weather here in Northern Ontario where we get to - 35 to -40 with the wind chill so if you want good starts you should have good charged batteries and good coolant for sure mixed with good oils should help your engine to run smoother longer all these factors are put together for good cold engine starts with the engine plugged in the winter months...... thanks for reading............


Truth70:):):):eek::eek::eek:;);););););)

I run Rotella, Mobil or Castrol 15-40 year round down here. Whatever is on sale. I will put in some 0-40 at the end of the month because I am driving to Minnesota to try and get a trophy buck. I will drive with 15-40 to Cleveland (visit parents and change oil to 0-40). The weather charts have the average lows up in Minnesota at about 20 degrees during my stay. I hope the old girl can make the 3,800 mile trip without something major crapping on me. I could fly quicker and cheaper but where's the fun in that. If the heath pmd relocation kit ever gets here I can find out if my cruise control will finally work. I digress. Bottom line for me....outside temp determines weight of oil.

rotella T 15w-40

I run Rotella, Mobil or Castrol 15-40 year round down here. Whatever is on sale. I will put in some 0-40 at the end of the month because I am driving to Minnesota to try and get a trophy buck. I will drive with 15-40 to Cleveland (visit parents and change oil to 0-40). The weather charts have the average lows up in Minnesota at about 20 degrees during my stay. I hope the old girl can make the 3,800 mile trip without something major crapping on me. I could fly quicker and cheaper but where's the fun in that. If the heath pmd relocation kit ever gets here I can find out if my cruise control will finally work. I digress. Bottom line for me....outside temp determines weight of oil.
yes it does so do other factors like driving conditions and what you are using your truck for but we have to use the lighter grade up here in the winter as it gets to cold for the engine to even turn over or even start on some cold 6 am starts trust me been there done that plus have to plug it in and some mornings will not even try to start the diesel take the car to work to hard on the deisel to crank over :):):)

rotella T 15w-40

rottellaaa is found to be one of the best oils out there and for those who say oil is oil well it is not some oils dont have the additives in it and did you know i run rottella oils 5w40 in my gas engine fully syn as long as it meets the reqiured sae or api # i use it in all my cars and gas engines will not hurt a thing been doing it for years and change the oils all the time every 4000km on the diesel and 5000km on the gassies :)

i run rottella 15W40 year round in the K10 and the suburban gets mobile 1

So I know it's an age old question... Synthetic or conventional. I have read this thread and there seems to be a good mix of the two.

Most diesel people i've talked to have said run Rotella 15w40 and some turbo people I have talked to run synthetic because the conventional has a tenancy to get stuck to the turbo walls.

My sub is probably due for a change in a little while and I was looking for some thoughts as well.

I run Rotella, Mobil or Castrol 15-40 year round down here. Whatever is on sale. I will put in some 0-40 at the end of the month because I am driving to Minnesota to try and get a trophy buck. I will drive with 15-40 to Cleveland (visit parents and change oil to 0-40). The weather charts have the average lows up in Minnesota at about 20 degrees during my stay. I hope the old girl can make the 3,800 mile trip without something major crapping on me. I could fly quicker and cheaper but where's the fun in that. If the heath pmd relocation kit ever gets here I can find out if my cruise control will finally work. I digress. Bottom line for me....outside temp determines weight of oil.

20F is not a cold start. :D

A cold start to me means sitting, at least overnight and not plugged in.

This is my first year with the suburban, but last year I cold started my 84 dieseil Mercedes in -4F. A friend of mine cold started his Mercedes in -22F. When I was looking for burbs, the guy that owned one I looked at told me he cold started his burb in the same -22F weather. The top end of the engine was rebuilt about 20k ago, but he said it started right up.

Oil does make a difference. I run Rotella Syn 5w40 in mine (and so does the friend that cold started at -22F in a 25 year old car!). I used to run M1 5w40 but they raised the price so I switched to Rotella.


Where/when are you going hunting? I go to NW Minnesota every firearms opener. You bow or firearms?

Down here in Florida it never gets cold enough to worry about, but I feel much better about starting with a zero weight up north. The easier for the engine the better.
I am meeting a friend who grew up in Pine River near Norway Lake. I plan to get to MN on Nov 5th and stay till at least the 12th. He lives about a mile from me in Jacksonville and is flying up. His family has some land and have been hunting there for 49 years. I'm the first non-family person to hunt there. Never have bow hunted. I'm fairly new to hunting. Just started last year. Likeing alot. I'm retired from the Navy and need a winter hobby and hunting is working out well. :snipersmi

I am meeting a friend who grew up in Pine River near Norway Lake. I plan to get to MN on Nov 5th and stay till at least the 12th.

I'll be about 30 miles NW of you trying to scare some deer up at the same time as you. :o: We go to Smoky Hills State Park, just NW of Park Rapids.

I'll be about 30 miles NW of you trying to scare some deer up at the same time as you. :o: We go to Smoky Hills State Park, just NW of Park Rapids

I'll ask my buddy about that area. I'm sure he knows about it. If you scare anything, make sure they run south east.

I use 0W-40 synthetic Rotella all year round :D