10W-30 Oil Recomendations 2005 Dodge Cummins 5.9

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I have been reading all the stellar 10W-30 oil reports and am considering changing. I am currently running Valvoline Premium Blue 15W-40. I live in Florida and the truck does not get driven allot. When it does it is pulling a 4K boat to the ramp 12 miles round trip and short tripping around town. The short tripping around town is only done when the wife's car is not available and a 3rd vehicle is not an option. This engine has no emissions short of the "in-cylinder EGR" Cummins came out with that turns the oil black instantly and a 3 injection event injector system.

Since I am not a Chemist or Nuclear Engineer, I would like opinions on readily available 10W-30 options that have add packs that would be good for MY situation described above. I am very familiar with diesels and understand that I am not working the truck as intended. I also understand short tripping is very bad, but I DO make it a point to take it out for a long Sunday drive at least once a month and heavy foot it during the trip. The truck only has 125K on the odometer and I have not intention of selling it for a gas truck or something more suitable to my current needs. The truck is almost paid off and we intend on getting a 5th wheel in the future.

Sorry for the long post, but I am trying to prevent posts about selling the truck, quit driving it, buy another vehicle, etc. There is allot of VERY Knowledgeable folks on this forum and I respect everyone that provides input. Just looking for recommendations on oil. Also, if you feel sticking with a 15w-40 is my best option please let me know.

Thanks for the input in advance!
 
Especially for the location and the short tripping going on. That is the Delo 15w30 forte. But even some of the other brand 10w30 HDEO's are geared for the same situation. I know that Schaeffer has a 10w30 for OTR use (711) and another for short tripping, stop and go, delivery kind of applications (722). If you can find the Delo 15w30 readily at a reasonable price, it might be a very good choice. That might be the real problem... availability in your area. Any of the HDEO 10w30's are pretty good. I use Schaeffer, but I would have no trouble jumping on a Delvac 10w30 which is pretty common.
 
You're in the same situation as I am-generally I only pull my boat with mine, maybe an occasional utility trailer run, otherwise it sits-and my '06 only has 58K miles! I use Mobil TDT & D1 5W40 for 3 year OCIs with a Stratapore Venturi filter, but if I lived in FL & never had to start below 40F-I would stick with 15W40 in a big name brand (like Delvac 1300 or Rotella T) and not even stress over it. The reason I wouldn't use 10W30 is the CR Cummins 3rd injection event seems to cause fuel dilution when short tripped-some of that excess fuel seems to find its way past the rings into the crankcase (at least on mine it does).
 
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Thanks for the input everyone. I spent hours last night looking at UOA's and PQIA info. I have learned allot over the last few years reading this site, but just enough to be dangerous. So many confusing things to consider. For instance, on paper Delo LE 15w-40 looks like a fantanstic add pack. Then u compare it to Dell 10w-30, completely different. I understand the "whole package" has to be considered. 😁 But geez, makes ur head spin.

Bullwinkle, ur right on point. I was worried about slight fuel dilution, moisture (short tripping in the humidity here) and oxidation. Most all oils today are good. Just was not sure what the best option for "my" situation.

TiredTrucker- will see about the availability of oils mentioned. Availability is def a concern living rural. Internet is an option.
 
OP - You're overthinking this ...

To be clear, I am a fan of 10w-30 HDEO, and use it in many applications.

But just what is your goal here?
Fuel economy? You don't drive it enough to make any real difference in your wallet.
Temps? Does not get cold enough in FL to warrant a thinner lube.
Wear control? No proof that one grade does any better than another; they both do an admirable job, in your application.
Contamination control? Neither grade can stop fuel intrusion or silica ingestion.

I'm not saying to not use 10w-30; go for it if you want to. But you don't need to.
I doubt you have much to gain either way; both grades will do fine in your area and the use you exhibit.

It's completely normal to "want" the "best" for our rigs; nothing wrong with that. But until you define what you're actually after, and test your current situation to establish a baseline, then you're just shooting from the hip with no idea if any new lube will truly prove itself in your defined criteria.
 
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dnewton3,
You are very wise and good call. I tend to overthink things I do not understand. I do allot of reading on sites such as these for both learning tools and to keep my brain busy at night. LOL. Since I do not understand how the chemistry of different oils work, my brain started thinking what may be best for how I drive my truck. So I start reading the forum, looking at UOA's, PQIA data, etc. Some oils have lots of calcium and no boron, some have a mixed bag. With all these variables and not knowing or understanding how these different combinations work (add pack, base oil, esthers....), I just was not sure if there may be a better option for MY situation over the VPB I am currently using. I know everyone has their vote on their preference for oil. I guess I was hoping that someone with knowledge, like yourself may have some input, based on my situation, that one oil may do a better job than another. As with most things, some products work better than others in certain applications. Does not mean they all are not good, just that one may work better. Better add pack, base oil, etc.

IIRC, you run Shell 10w-30. I am sure there is something about this oil that convinced you to use it. Maybe something in the oil itself, or trial and error to see what seemed to work best for your D-Max. I would just like what may work best in my Cummins. My goal is to keep the ole girl happy and running a long time. I run the Donaldson DBL7349 filter btw.

Thank you for your reply. Right on point as always!
I will make a choice and get a UOA to keep an eye on her.
 
I run Rotella 10w-30 dino HDEO for one reason; to prove it's as effective as any thicker 15w-40 and many syns. And I can prove it. I picked the Rotella for one reason; it was available at a local source. 10w-30 HDEOs are now fairly easy to come by, but when I started running them almost 10 years ago, they were scarce as hen's teeth. Nearly impossible to find on the shelf. So my choice was one of convenience, not loyalty to some brand or add-package.

I am VERY careful to not make claims I cannot prove out with data. You'll not hear me claim that thinner or thicker is better, etc. The point I intended to make after many years of running the thinner HDEO is that those lubes are every bit as capable as any 40 grade. It's not that one is better than another; it's that both are equally able to do the job. I run the thinner lube to prove a point of equality, not superiority.

Same goes for house brand lubes. I've run brand name syns and house brand dino lubes. In nearly any "normal" OCI, you'll never see any statistically significant difference in wear control. It's just not there. That's not to say that if you ran OCIs out WAY PAST normal, you wouldn't see a difference; you very well might. But there is a false sense of how the wear control establishes itself, as if syns are always better in all circumstances. That's just total bunk. It is true that a dino lube may have lessor capability, but that disparity will typically ONLY manifest itself AFTER the lessor lube is usurped.

When it comes to chemistry of lubes, I find it interesting, but ultimately moot. Brand X may favor more Ca and Mg, Brand Y may have more Boron, Brand C more Ti, etc, etc, etc. But that does not mean one add-pack is "better"; just different. Inputs are only predictors, but results are truly telling of real performance. There are lots of lubes that use different add-packs, but most all do darn near equally well in wear control. I learned long ago to not focus on what's in the bottle, but what comes out of the crankcase in a UOA. UOAs tell us what actually happened, whereas VOAs can only predict what might happen.

There is nothing wrong with reading and asking questions; that's how we all learn. But just beware of what sources you get info from, and always look with a skeptical eye, because there is a lot of mythology and rhetoric surrounding lubes and filters.
 
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dnewton3,

Thank you for taking the time to respond and once again provide insight. After reading your post, I started thinking about all the UOA's I have read "overthinking" this. I cannot say that regardless of lube, I remember seeing what would be considered a "bad" UOA where the oil itself appeared to be the culprit. I got caught up in all the remarks posted like "looks like a weak oil", "not enough moly" and the like. Everyone was simply posting their opinions about what they like to see in "their" oil, not necessarily that the oil used was "bad". Never once did I put the puzzle together. I now see that most all major oil players make a good product and only with UOA will I be able to determine if a product works well for my motor in my situation. For this, I truly thank you.

I have seen however engines using some oils seem to show some better wear numbers than others. But like you said, I will not know until it is tried and tested. The oil samples only test for certain things. Sometimes the "stuff" not tested for can be the difference.

I did see a VOA of the new Rotella T4 that is readily available at Wally World in the 10W30 flavor for $14/ gal that I am going to try. Seems to be a well rounded oil with lots of goodies in it. LOL. Since I am not "working" the truck right now I think it will work fine. I will post a UOA when I have put a few miles on her and see how it looks. If it does not look good, pick a new one and move on. But I think that highly unlikely.

BTW, I appreciate you sharing your years of data collection/ experience with us on the forum. Very helpful!

Thanks again!
 
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