PADZZ

I hear people say that this isn't a true synthetic oil like Amsoil, Mobile, RP etc....
If that's the case, could I use the Rotella SYN. before I turn over 20K miles on my '04? I have 6 gallons of it and was thinking of going to it at 10K miles.

Thanks.

Tartarus

Naw, I wouldn't. The friction coefficients are considerably less than dino oil, even though the Rotella syn is a group III oil. I can verify that -- I ran Delo 400 until 17K miles, then swapped out to Rotella syn, and the difference was immediately noticeable -- the engine was much quieter and mileage went up a bit over 1 mpg. So I'd wonder whether Rotella syn would give you the break-in characteristics you'd need to properly condition your engine. I don't think it would.

BTW -- I wasn't happy with Rotella syn. It sooted up and thinned out very fast for a synthetic -- bad additive package, maybe. Plus they'd been having some quality control issues with it. I went with Valvoline Premium Blue Extreme on my second syn change -- another group III. So far, it's much better: no soot, no thinning. However, I've now found a source for Mobil 1 Delvac that's less than a dollar a gallon more than the Valvoline, and the Mobil 1 Delvac is a true group IV oil -- all synthetic. So that's where I'm headed next.

thumper 549

Oil is like a religion ,people argue and fight and really have no clue about it. This I do know syn Oils are better.......but if you look at all the test and report they are only marginally better! Not worth the cost.. Notice that I said test and not someones opinion Personaly I tell peo I buy it if like thir lable.....
Now you can verify what I said just go to oil sites and lab sites .
The only reason I know this is I am a Porsche freek and this argument raged for a while and the results were as above.

rossn2

Double check that the ROTELLA IS CI-4 rated. WHen I spoke to a rep last week, they said that the Synthetic has only been recently upgraded for CI-4 and alot of stores didn't have the new stuff. Also, the SYNTHETIC BLEND IS NOT CI-4 rated... And they specifically stated the use of the CH rated oil will void your engine warranty....Check your owners manual to make sure of which API rating you're suppose to use!
AMSOIL IS CI-4 rated....

Just my .02 worth....

Lightman

Rotella T Synthetic is in fact a group 3 dino based oil, that's legally allowed to be called synthetic. Unless you're going to reap the extended drain interval benefits of a group 4 true synthetic, you might as well be using dino oil like delo or delvac1300. I've been running d1300 until 15k at which point I'm changing to Delvac1 in the engine and amsoil in the diffs, trans, and xfer case. Should be a lot slicker after that =]

I'm not sure I really buy this BS cummins is putting out about waiting 15-20k for synthetic. If this was really necessary for rings to seat, then mb, bmw, vw, audi, corvettes, etc wouldn't come factory filled with synthetic. Since my MB has had synthetic since day 1, do you think the rings are not seated yet, at 52k?

thumper 549

Ok here we Go..........Porsche breaks thir engs. in on a test bed probly as do most expensive manufactures.......What they use for break in oil is mineral denoed based.......that said they come with mobol 1..How much m1 pays them for this ?????????
Like I said for the $$$$$$$$ not woth it.

rossn2

Straight from Cummins homepage QUOTE Cummins recommends that you not use synthetic motor oil during the break-in period of 5000-20,000 miles, based on the type of driving, to allow proper seating of the piston rings. Beyond that mileage it is OK to use synthetic oil.UNQUOTE

YOUR DC Owners manual states you can use synthetic after 5000miles and follow the recommended oil change times, which is 7500 for Schedule B and 15k for Schedule A, unless you have the CALIFORNIA engine which is 3750k and 7500k respectivelly.

So, if you switched to full synthetic and changed oil filter at 7500k and topped off with fresh oil and then changed oil and filter at 15k you're within the Dodge recommendations...

It's a matter of personal choice and what you're satisfied with...

And, oh, there has not been BREAK-IN OIL in engines since the late 1950's! (PAST GM and N.I.A.S.E. CERTIFIED Automotive Technician and graduate of Denver Automotive and Diesel College - prior to joining the Service)

Tartarus

I knew I shouldn't have said anything in an "oil" thread. . . .

MacGyver

Ok well I gotta ask......... so your gonna tell me that they break these engines in for oh....say 20,000 miles on this test bed???????????

Well I am gonna go out on a limb here and make a wild a#$ guess.............NOT.............I know cheby does not do so to the Vette engines and they all come with syn oil as do BMW and MB and quite a few others now I know they don't know everything but again I am gonna make a guess and say they know more than we do about it, would you not agree?????

thumper 549

Itt dose not take 20000 miles to break in any eng. More like 2 to 6 hrs on the dyno monitering all systems.
By the way I did break my eng in on syn.oil with no weird results.I belive the ring thing is a over stressed issue.
When you get down to it thats all that 'runs' in on a dyno anyway, everthing else stays the same .(Piston rings)seat.

MacGyver

My point exactly Thumper, but in the real world 2-6 hours is a lifetime in a assembly plant and having work on them for years I can tell you they don't run them in at all at the Cheby or furd or Dodge or even Cummins plant, can't say about BMW etc..but I do know that They slap em together and send em on out the door. The first time it is ever run is when they crank it to leave the line.

belfert

The only reason I plan to use synthetic oil in my truck is because Dodge recommends it below 0F or so. It gets that cold here for a few weeks every year.

It was -4F when I started my truck on Sunday, with the factory oil still in it. I don't plug the truck in because I use it so infrequently during the winter. I never remember to go out and plug it in when I ma planning to use it.

Brian Elfert

DieselDaze

Yep, they are alike in the way they both get watched by the Admins very closely.
This thread will be no different.
So far, I commend you guys for keeping under control. Thanks.

Lets continue to keep it on track and within the site rules.

Thanks again.
Rich.

thumper 549

Don't know what we did wrong here...........so I am being risky??
all big diesels are dynoed and broke in b4 chasis gets it...in the world of this litle 5.9 mabe they don't???I do not know.
At any rate after 6 or so hours of run in lite to moderate loads with intermitant hvy loading -it is broken i n at least if you were to measure bow by.If did not pass arter 6 hours something is wrong.
Lots of people told me not to use syn oil to break in but it did not seem to mater..the rings seated just fine. anyway back to the pt syn oil is a lot of$$for not much more slipreness.

DieselDaze

Nothing. Thats why I said:
I just made my statement in an attempt to keep things going great.

Thanks agian.
Rich.