I've been running Schaeffers 15W-40 w/ the #132 Moly Additive for the past 5 OCI's. The past 2 UOA's my copper #'s were 173 at 6,300 miles and 305 at 10,326 miles. The guys over at BITOG have suggested that the bearings may be going out. BTW, the truck currently has 67,500 miles and almost 2,800 hours on it. So, that would virtually eliminate the oil cooler. I'm sure that the oil more than likely isn't the problem, but more mechanical than anything. Has anyone had any experience with this yet?

Besides oil testing.... is there a way to know (like a noise) that the turbo is going out? Is this a common LBZ issue?

Turbo sounds the same as always. Typically when bearings go out, they make either a high pitch squeal or a grinding noise. I haven't heard about a turbo failing this soon since I've been a member here. Soooo, who knows. Just trying to look for some answers before the problem grows too large.

Use a mechanic's stethoscope and put the probe tip in the turbo bearing areas and around on the housing to try and hear a grinding or growling sound. Should be quite distinct if they are loose and it has slop in clearances. That oil is like top shelf whiskey man I doubt it's an issue. You do have to let that turbo cool down for 5 minutes after hard running though not just shut it off it's what cokes up the oil in the turbo I hope you know this though. There are used LBZ turbos in Marketplace here cheap if you need one so look it over and I'd call Tony Burkhard at All Season if you need a turbo on advice etc.

There is a used LBZ turbo in marketplace for $250 has 60k miles. If you need it why not check this one and save if it's good it says it's fine. So many have 200k miles and run along. Just found this and decided to show it for value.......

Yeah, I know about the cool down period after running hard. I used to drive truck a few years ago. The truck is rarely driven hard though. It tows less than 5,000 # daily, but primarily is a highway queen. The oil isn't necessarily in question here, just mentioned as a possibility....no matter how remote. Mechanical parts fail, I just need to find the problem before it leaves me stranded somewhere. BTW, I do have the 5 year 100K powertrain warranty on tis truck. Thanks for the information though.

An update to the thread.....I took it to a shop and they listened to the turbo but didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. Sooooooo, now I'm at a crossroads as far as what the possibilities could be. Until I do a UOA on this current batch of Delo, I won't know if it's just the oil or not. Any other ideas?

Use a mechanic's stethoscope and put the probe tip in the turbo bearing areas and around on the housing to try and hear a grinding or growling sound. Should be quite distinct if they are loose and it has slop in clearances. That oil is like top shelf whiskey man I doubt it's an issue. You do have to let that turbo cool down for 5 minutes after hard running though not just shut it off it's what cokes up the oil in the turbo I hope you know this though. There are used LBZ turbos in Marketplace here cheap if you need one so look it over and I'd call Tony Burkhard at All Season if you need a turbo on advice etc.


X2 Have you tried the X1-R oil additive might be something to look into X-1R.com if you want to check it out.

The last thing he ought to do is put in any oil additives. The would defeat the purpose of the dino oil with UOA. He needs to get as close to "normal" as possible, and additives will not help out in the diagnosis.

The last thing he ought to do is put in any oil additives. The would defeat the purpose of the dino oil with UOA. He needs to get as close to "normal" as possible, and additives will not help out in the diagnosis.


I was suggesting that for later down the road:rolleyes:! I didn't mean to say use it now lol thats why I seconded the other guy's post;):D.

If you ask me this is the downside of the oil analysis. The copper could have come from anywhere and unless the oil analysis guys are also the same guys who tear down motors how exactly do they know that a high reading is going to show what in a particular engine. They are going off some charts that are based on "typical wear".

At 67K miles you shouldn't be having any problems and would be a rare beast indeed although 2800 hours means your doing a lot of idling or very, very low speed running. I'm at 70K miles and 23xx hours and for the first two years of operation I was driving my truck mostly to work non-highway.

Another thing is that I could count on one hand how many turbo's I have seen replaced on this board.

My suggestion is to get rid of the Schaffers oil. I use to run the shop for a large construction company. We tried Schaffer's 15W-40 in two of our trucks as a test comparison to the bulk 15w-40 oil we were using. In both trucks we started getting high copper levels. I used the oil for three oil change intervals, and we received bad oil samples on each one. once we switched baack to the bulk oil we used in all of the equipment our oil samples went back to normal.
I am now the service manager for a construction, and forestry equipment dealership. I had a customer that also started running Schaffers oil in all the compartments of his half million dallor tree harvester. He also started to get high cooper levels in his engine oil samples. He kept saying the engine was going out. I finally was able to convince him to switch back to Shell or Mobil 15W-40 oil. After that his oil samples also went back to normal. The engine has been running good ever since and that was about 4000 hours ago. My opinion the Schaffer oil is not your best choice. Now I do believe in their grease they make.

Hope this helps.

My suggestion is to get rid of the Schaffers oil. I use to run the shop for a large construction company. We tried Schaffer's 15W-40 in two of our trucks as a test comparison to the bulk 15w-40 oil we were using. In both trucks we started getting high copper levels. I used the oil for three oil change intervals, and we received bad oil samples on each one. once we switched baack to the bulk oil we used in all of the equipment our oil samples went back to normal.
I am now the service manager for a construction, and forestry equipment dealership. I had a customer that also started running Schaffers oil in all the compartments of his half million dallor tree harvester. He also started to get high cooper levels in his engine oil samples. He kept saying the engine was going out. I finally was able to convince him to switch back to Shell or Mobil 15W-40 oil. After that his oil samples also went back to normal. The engine has been running good ever since and that was about 4000 hours ago. My opinion the Schaffer oil is not your best choice. Now I do believe in their grease they make.

Hope this helps.


No vote for Chevron delo? I run the M1-303 mobile1 oil filter and chevron delo 400 LE 15w-40.

There is nothing wrong with Chevron oil either. I would recommend that oil also. Our bulk oil at work is Chevron. There is a lot of good oils out there, but some just don't do what they claim. Thats where the oil sampling helps.

Those high copper levels are from the copper oil cooler core chemically reacting with the zinc anti-wear component of the oil and is perfectly normal for a DuraMax, provided there is no internal coolant leak (an analysis also reports the amount of water in the oil. If water is <.1% or undetectable, the copper is not a problem). The copper is in solution with the oil, not a particulate. My last UOA showed copper at 541 ppm, and the lab (Oil Analyzers Inc) clearly stated that it was not a maintenance issue, recommending the oil for another 7,000 miles or 21,000 miles total duration before the next analysis. I use Amsoil 5W-30 Series 3000 Heavy Duty Diesel Oil which has a high TBN of 12, including a maximum amount of anti-wear metals including zinc, phosphorous, magnesium and calcium. Check the wear metals portion of your UOA, if bearings were going out there would be high concentrations of iron, lead, tin, or others. My iron level tests at 16 ppm (too low to flag), aluminum is at 1 ppm, lead at 1ppm, tin at 2 ppm, etc. High copper without water and other abnormally high wear metals points to oil cooler core leaching, nothing to be worried about.