UOA analysis
2006 LBZ Duramax
20k miles total on vehicle; approx. 50% heavy towing at highway speeds
6k miles and 1 year on OCI; Rotella 10w-30 CJ-4; Napa 57202 filter
All readings zero if not noted
1 quart make up oil towards 5.5k miles.
TBN not tested as oil dumped at 6k miles (1 year interval).
This is the first UOA on vehicle.

Attribute Unit reading Univ Avg
Al ... 3 ... 2
CHR ... 0 ... 0
Fe ... 10 ... 12
Cu ... 5 ... 10
Pb ... 2 ... 3
Tn ... 1 ... 1
MOLYB. ... 2 ... 29
Potas. ... 13 ... 3
Boron ... 24 ... 54
Silicon ... 11 ... 9
Calcium ... 2358 ... 2661
Magnes. ... 10 ... 229
Phos. ... 1001 ... 1090
Zn ... 1201 ... 1290


SUS@210f 72.5 ............ range 59-65
cSt@100c 13.6 ........... range 9.9-11.9
Flashpoint 425
No fuel
No water
No coolant
Insolubles .3%

Blackstone Comments:
“The Isuzu 6.6L is one of the best wearing diesel engines that we see sample from and yours is no exception. You noted that about half of the miles on this fill were put on while towing a heavy load but if you hadn’t told us that, we never would have guessed. Wear looks great here and the only things that kept this from being a perfect report was the high viscosity. It read in the 15w-40 range, which is fine for this type engine. We found no harmful contaminants in the sample. At 20,000 smiles, we have no problems to report.”

I have no idea how the vis go so high, except that maybe (because the engine is 100% stock and uses EGR) the soot may have thickened it up a bit? But if so, it didn’t seem to hurt the insolubles at all, nor cause wear. Vis can climb when the fluid is greatly heated (oxidation) but, again, didn’t seem to hurt anything at all.

I tow 50% of the time in summer heat, and the other 50% is a mix of driving styles, primarily in winter for 4x4 driving.

The one quart make up oil is typical for my engine when run hard. Any time I pull the travel trailer, I use a about ¾ quart per 100 gallons fuel consumed, which is better than the rate GM claims at 1qt/100 gallons.

I am very pleased with the CJ-4 Rotella 10w-30. People often don’t consider the lighter grades, but certainly this one held its own. For $8.99/gallon last fall when I bought it, I cannot complain.

Current fill is Delvac 1300 15w-40. Why? I got it last year for $7/gallon with rebate. Right now, you can score it for $12.99 for TWO gallons! (BOGOF). Not that I expect it will do much “better” than the results my Rotella just posted.

prof newton danke for posting the uoa of zee 'sleeper oil'
now I have to build my stash of rot 10w30 :-)

ps: how heavy is ur camper?

camper is about 7k lbs loaded (?), plus what I haul in the bed of the truck for camping (firewood, bikes, etc).

What really adds to the "load" of pulling a full size trailer or 5ver is the wind resistance. Most people don't know that wind load increases dramtically in relation to the speed in mathematical forumla. In other words, if you double your speed, you exponentially add to your wind resistance. It is not a direct linear relationship; you quadruple the load when you double the speed. There is also a suspected static limit where wind resistance reaches a theorhetical plateau, but we're not going near fast enough to experience that topic when pulling a RV, so it's not relevant to the discussion. See here for a quick lesson in physics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_(physics)
"Note that the power needed to push an object through a fluid increases as the cube of the velocity. A car cruising on a highway at 50 mph (80 km/h) may require only 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) to overcome air drag, but that same car at 100 mph (160 km/h) requires 80 hp (60 kW). With a doubling of speed the drag (force) quadruples per the formula. Exerting four times the force over a fixed distance produces four times as much work. At twice the speed the work (resulting in displacement over a fixed distance) is done twice as fast. Since power is the rate of doing work, four times the work done in half the time requires eight times the power."


I'd dare say that my Rotella 10w-30 performed as well as many of the Delvac 15w-40 UOAs I've seen; especially considering the heavy loading I put it through. I'm not stating that to start a brand war; rather to point out that most people here get their undies all in a bunch over the silliest of arguments regarding brand/grade.

There are so many good UOAs out there now that it's quite factual to state:
Today's dino HDEO oils in the proper grade/cert will well protect your engine, regardless of brand. And when you keep your OCI to moderate levels, the dino fluids perform as well as any synthetic out there, for much less money.

Looks good

I'm not one to be critical:).....but it did test out of range for a 30 weight oil indicating possible volatility?? I realize it doesn't matter as a 40 weight is ok in these diesels but there are many applications out there were you don't want to see viscosity increases or oils testing out of viscosity range.
Still good numbers otherwise.

Agreed, Heath.

I suspect it was the heavy hauling (high heat and load) that created oxidation, thereby thickening the oil. I get the truck good and hot, for hours upon hours, during my summer travel trailer vacations. Pulling lots of air at highway speeds, and lots of grade in the mountains. I don't abuse it, but I certainly treat the diesel like a diesel, which is why I bought the thing in the first place.

If one were to use this oil in a air-cooled generator (as I do) or liquid-cooled gasser (I do this too), the thickening likely may not take place, as these applications don't get near as hot, and dont' get the soot load from EGR like the LBZ. I also use the Rotella 10w-30 in my Kubota tractor. I just put in a fresh load last weekend. Perhaps in a year or two, I'll pull a UOA on the oil from the tractor. I put about 50 hours on it per year, so that might equate to 3k miles? I'd have to run it two years to get the equivilant of 6k miles. I might consider that.

Regardless, it's obvious that wear in my Dmax was not affected by the thickening. It makes me wonder what will happen to the Delvac 1300 15w-40 I've got in there now? Will it, too, thicken with the type use I put it through? Only time will tell.

Ya, that's what I was wondering. And it may not as much since it is a higher viscosity. You wouldn't want that one becoming a 50 weight, not ideal anyway, but it's better than the oil shearing and getting too thin, then the wear issues might show up.
Your engine is definitely no worse off because of it.

Regardless, it's obvious that wear in my Dmax was not affected by the thickening. It makes me wonder what will happen to the Delvac 1300 15w-40 I've got in there now? Will it, too, thicken with the type use I put it through? Only time will tell.


Is that rotella you're using synthetic like their 5w-40?

so would you recomend the Rotella 10w-30 or the 15w40 for a modded stock enternal engine.

Rotella is now available in two configurations of 10w-30; one is group II(+) dino (white bottle), and the other is a "semi-synthetic" blend, called "T5" (in a silver bottle). Neither is a group III like the 5w-40, but the new T5 might likely have group III in it to achieve the "semi-syn" status. The UOA I posted is good old white-bottle dino "triple protection"; same formulation base package as the 15w-40, but with different discosity.

I would suspect that either dino Rotella viscosity product would work well in a modded engine, as much as any other brand would also do well.