03 Cummins, 6,500 miles, Rotella T 10w30

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Background: 2003 Dodge 3500 - Cummins 24V (Commonrail) - 6 spd - 4 door - 4x4 - Dually (Modifications: S&B Intake System, 100HP Tune, 4" Exhaust)

Dodge only recommends the use of an approved 15w40 in this engine, period. Based upon Dnewton's experience (and others) we decided to give Rotella T 10w30 a try. This OCI was simply a test to see if the 5.9 Commonrail Cummins could survive on a 10w30. It should be noted that this OCI began with the addition of a 100 HP tune. Probably 750 miles was towing ~12,000 pounds. On the cold mornings through the winter it was allowed to idle 10-20 minutes before driving. This OCI saw the addition of a 100HP tune. We are very interested to see if the extra fuel/timing/boost has increased wear or if fuel shows up in the oil.

Previous Rotella 15w40 UOA: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...316#Post1984316

Oil - Shell Rotella Triple Protection 10w30
Oil filter - Mopar
Air Filter - S&B Intake System
Miles on unit @ test - 115,000
Miles on oil - 6,500
Make up oil - 0

Blackstone Comments: Consider your test passed. This oil held up well, and given the still low wear, we think it did a fine job of keeping engine parts well lubricated. When you change your oil, a fair amount (10-20%) can remain in the engine, and the fact that you were using 15W/40 last time is probably why the viscosity was just a pinch high here. The true test will come if you run this oil again (with less residual 15W/40 in the block) and you still get good wear. The TBN held up nicely, and read at 5.7 at the time of sampling. No fuel found. Try for 8,000 miles. Looks good!

Actual numbers on left & Universal averages on right:

Aluminum 2/3
Chromium 1/3
Iron 17/33
Copper 2/3
Lead 4/2
Tin 0/1
Molybdenum 1/41
Nickel 0/0
Manganese 0/1
Silver 1/0
Titanium 0/0
Potassium 3/2
Boron 31/56
Silicon 3/6
Sodium 3/5
Calcium 2298/2698
Magnesium 10/336
Phosphorus 1020/1094
Zinc 1191/1290
Barium 0/0

SUS Viscosity @ 210*F - 69.5/59-65
cST Viscosity @ 100*C - 12.81/9.9-11.9
Flashpoint in *F - 430/>410
Fuel % - Antifreeze % - 0.0/0.0
Water - 0.0/0.0
Insolubles % - 0.2/0.6
TBN - 5.7

Conclusion: Dnewton is correct in that you do not need high dollar synthetics or "thick" oil to protect a diesel that gets worked. That is not to say that high dollar synthetics or "thick" oils do not have their place, just that the average user (average being use, not abuse the truck) does not need them. Now if you will excuse me, I need to find some discounts on Rotella T 10w30.
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Wow is T5 really that thick??? With high TBN and Flashpoint, I'd say we can rule out oxidative thickening, which means your test of whether the 5.9 can run well on a XW-30 is moot, since 12.81 cSt @ 100C IS a 40 weight!
 
Good report, I figured your report would be a good one. The next question is what did you replace this fill with?
With my ford I am using 10w-30 year around, with excellent UOA's
 
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Wow is T5 really that thick??? With high TBN and Flashpoint, I'd say we can rule out oxidative thickening, which means your test of whether the 5.9 can run well on a XW-30 is moot, since 12.81 cSt @ 100C IS a 40 weight!


I know.... I can't believe there was THAT much 15w40 left in there. Perplexing. Personally, I wonder if Rotella T 10w30 is on the verge of being a Xw40 to begin with. I have not done enough reading yet.

Originally Posted By: roadrunner1
Good report, I figured your report would be a good one. The next question is what did you replace this fill with?
With my ford I am using 10w-30 year around, with excellent UOA's


Well... We had two options. 1) Put 10w30 back in not knowing what had happened for ~6,500 miles or 2) put 15w40 in it and know what to expect. Sooooooo........... My Brother made the decision to run 15w40 during Spring/Summer and 10w30 for Fall/winter. I am trying to convince him to run the 10w30 year round.
 
I'm not surprised at all with this report. T5 starts out with a factory viscosity of 12 cSt, but the exact number is somewhat available by batch. Add to that the previous fill of 15W40 plus lab variance and the possibility the oil thickened a little bit with soot. None of that adds up to much to worry about anyway.
 
I guess I don't see the surprise here...there are a lot of reports with guys running Amsoil 5w30, and having good results (even extended drains).
 
My 10w-30 experience also showed the 10w-30 Rotella to thicken up a bit. I suspect it's just a bit of oxidation, but regardless of the root cause, it just does not matter, because the end result (low wear and viable fluid) means that all is well.

Also, let's be clear here, I think the OP used dino Rotella 10w-30 and not T5 10w-30; is this correct?

One thing to note about the topic of "residual" oil in the crankcase, I think there is some merit to it, but each scenario is just a bit different. Some of it certainly depends upon the attitude of the sump to the drain hole. Some of it depends upon the shape of the sump pan. For example, the Dmax engine has a very pronouced hump in the pan, ahead of the drain hole. I often chuckle when people let a Dmax pan drip-drip-drip for a half-hour, thinking they are getting every last drop out, when there is easily a quart (maybe more) sitting in a pool in the forward section of a Dmax oil pan. The only way to get that last quart out would be to put the truck on a serious incline (perhaps 30 deg?) and drain the oil. If you ever get a chance to look at a Dmax pan, look closely at the front. I'm not familiar with the 5.9 Cummins in great detail; I respect them emmensely, but I'm just not around them, or more specifically underneath them, very often. Do the Cummins have a hump in the pan? That could account for some residual volume and slightly tip the viscosity higher if you just came from a 15w-40 load.

Still - I susepct the Rotella 10w-30 is a bit on the high side of a 30 grade, and a little heat thickening is all it takes to push it towards a low-40 grade. But like I said, it doesn't seem to harm anything at all.

Two loads ago, I used Delvac 1300 15w-40 because it was CHEAP (on sale bogof). I took a sample at the OCI, but didn't bother to get a UOA because I've seen so darn many Delvac/Dmax UOAs that I can't imagine anything being wrong. I am curious though, if the 15w-40 happend to thicken up like the 10w-30; did it move to a high 40 grade? I still have the sample; perhaps I'll send it in.

Regardless, this UOA from 04SE shows a nicely-wearing engine with a good oil. He has nothing to fear and everything to gain by staying the course. All the wear metals are good, and the Fe in particular is very good compared to the universal average. What's not to like about this UOA? So the oil thickend up a bit; who cares? I don't see that as any more of an issue than when PSD shears down a 15w-40 to a 30 grade, but still has excellent wear and ancilary readings. Most of these engines function well within a grade range, and not just at one specific "gotta be this and only this" grade.

It's not that this oil is the only oil that would do a good job; to the contrary I suspect any decent brand name oil would do well in either 30 or 40 grade. I just like running the thinner oils to make a mockery of the mentality of 15w-40 being the end-all/be-all of HDEOs.
 
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Originally Posted By: dnewton3


Also, let's be clear here, I think the OP used dino Rotella 10w-30 and not T5 10w-30; is this correct?





Correct.
 
I'd say you got outstanding protection for a minimal investment. But that does not suprise me, as I've had the same great experience with the very same product.
 
My point was an HDEO Xw30 in a CTD has already been done successfully...as everyone likes to point out, the synthetic/conventional thing goes out the window on short OCIs.
 
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