2008 Dodge Ram 3500, 13k miles, MCSD 15w40

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Was trying to do a 10,000 mile interval, but overshot by a week, so it's 13,000 miles. Transporting trailers in hot weather. Ran almost entire time with EGR valve unplugged in order to see the effect on oil oxidation.

Polaris Comments:
Flagged data does not indicate an immediate need for maintenance action. Continue to observe the trend and monitor equipment and fluid conditions. Flagged additive levels are different than what should be present for the identified lubricant. This may have been topped off with a different lubricant, the fluid may be misidentified, or a different lubricant or formulation may have been in use prior to a recent change. Please provide COMPONENT MANUFACTURER and MODEL to compare data to the correct standards for this component.

At least they didn't complain about oxidation and viscosity increasing out of grade.

Dodge-UOA.PNG


Iron wear rate dropped by almost 50% compared to the previous UOA.
Aluminum dropped by more than 50%.
Soot decreased by about 20%.
Viscosity is still in grade.
Oxidation decreased by 25%.
So overall, I would say that unplugging the EGR valve was helpful.
 
I would say that EGR is definitely a factor in all the points you mentioned!

I'm not sure what MCSD is, but it looks reasonably stoot.
 
This uoa looks a lot better with just one run of the mc oil. Wonder how the motorcraft oil would do if the egr was plugged back in.
 
This uoa looks a lot better with just one run of the mc oil. Wonder how the motorcraft oil would do if the egr was plugged back in.
I assume that it would oxidize at least as much as the RT6. I have run a few days with the EGR plugged in on the new fill, so it might show some of an effect.
 
How would temperatures have affected these oil analyses?
HHB,

The op has been experiencing oxidation, oxidative thickening, as well as increased wear metal numbers.


Here is a quick read on how temps effect engine oil.
 
I assume that it would oxidize at least as much as the RT6. I have run a few days with the EGR plugged in on the new fill, so it might show some of an effect.

I am curious to see how the mc oil stacks up in the same environment. one would assume that the t6 should hold up at least as well as the mc oil and vice versa. if you were to plug the egr in and run the mc oil for the same oci, and do not see a spike in oxidation, I would think the t6 is more your problem than the egr. May be a useful exercise. Your uoas are not the first I have seen t6 having oxidation concerns.
 
I am curious to see how the mc oil stacks up in the same environment. one would assume that the t6 should hold up at least as well as the mc oil and vice versa. if you were to plug the egr in and run the mc oil for the same oci, and do not see a spike in oxidation, I would think the t6 is more your problem than the egr. May be a useful exercise. Your uoas are not the first I have seen t6 having oxidation concerns.
Yes, it would be interesting to do an OCI on the MCSD with the EGR active. Trouble is, I like the way the truck runs without it. Better acceleration response, better fuel economy, fewer regens. And the oxidation problem has been bothering me all year, now I think I may have a handle on it. How much am I willing to sacrifice in the interest of science?
 
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Yes, it would be interesting to do an OCI on the MCSD with the EGR active. Trouble is, I like the way the truck runs without it. Better acceleration response, better fuel economy, fewer regens. And the oxidation problem has been bothering me all year, now I think I may have a handle on it. How much am I willing to sacrifice in the interest of science?
I wasn't thinking of the performance improvements. It would drive me nuts not knowing if it was the t6 or the egr.... plus I purchased a bunch of ck4 t6 on sale and am currently running it in my 6.7 so I have a dog in the fight. We will see how it stacks up against a similar run of the mc 10w30 oil. Stay tuned!
 
I wasn't thinking of the performance improvements. It would drive me nuts not knowing if it was the t6 or the egr.... plus I purchased a bunch of ck4 t6 on sale and am currently running it in my 6.7 so I have a dog in the fight. We will see how it stacks up against a similar run of the mc 10w30 oil. Stay tuned!
Same here. Well maybe not on sale, but down to $13 a gallon after rebate. But I'd rather suck it up and pay more for oil that my 6.7 likes......
 
MCSD looks to be very stout according to PQIA along with some others. Mr. A Harman, have you noticed in difference in noise from the engine? I did when I used the RT6. I didn't like RT6 as much as the Mobil 1 TDT. But I'm interested in your run of this MC oil. RT4 and Valvoline offerings are stout add pack wise as this MCSD per the PQIA also.
Best to you.
 
I haven't noticed any change in engine noise between RT6 and MCSD.
You have a 2008 Ram diesel. Have you done oil analyses on your truck? I've been wondering if oil oxidation has been observed by other owners of this generation truck. Or maybe there is something wrong with mine in particular. The truck has been in the shop twice in the last two months for service on the EGR system, and I think I have all the issues with the EGR system cleared up, but the truck runs better with the valve disabled.
 
I did once back in 2010. Don't have the results anymore. Manual says 7500 miles or 6 months for oci. I was doing 7500 miles. Results were nothing out the the normal really, soot was a tad high because I was short tripping to and from work. around 7.5 miles each way. It did cause me to start oci around 6000 miles. After years of that I started doing oci every year or two as i wasn't driving it as much except for towing my 5th wheel back and forth across country for contract work. Another sample showed good normal results, after 13500 miles with soot way down from before. Long distance towing heavy seems really good for these trucks. You may very well have an issue with the egr, there have been a bunch of people with sticking open valves allowing more soot exhaust through than normal. I've been one of the lucky ones I guess as my truck hasn't given me to much trouble. Just a bad tire pressure sensor at 3 months old fixed by warranty and a turbo at 104000 miles just outside drivetrain warranty. I've left mine stock also. I don't hotrod it but I do drive it with spirit occasionally after it has completely warmed up. Read about doing that on cummins forum also. The first time I took my intake horn off in 2010, I couldn't believe the amount of soot there was, I thought something was wrong. That's when I sampled the first time. I had read about pulling the MAF Sensor out and looking at it for soot coverage, when i was removing it, the cage around it broke off and went down in the horn. So off came the horn. Took about 30 minutes of cleaning with simple green to take care of it, then about 15 more minutes with a small brush and vacuum out the grid heater area. Its scary looking what they call normal.
 
I haven't noticed any change in engine noise between RT6 and MCSD.
You have a 2008 Ram diesel. Have you done oil analyses on your truck? I've been wondering if oil oxidation has been observed by other owners of this generation truck. Or maybe there is something wrong with mine in particular. The truck has been in the shop twice in the last two months for service on the EGR system, and I think I have all the issues with the EGR system cleared up, but the truck runs better with the valve disabled.
Thread jacking here. Two things I noticed regarding the ck4 t6. It immediately gave me thrust washer rattle on my 6.7 which I have not experienced running mc oil. Perhaps because of the 5w. Second point is that the surface tension of the oil appears to not be as high as the mc oil. When I pull my dipstick with the t6 it’s hard to read because it runs off. The mc oil. Sticks to the dipstick....
 
Thrust washer rattle? In the engine?
You are not helping my small thread jacking. Jk. There is a rattle that randomly happens at idle on some 6.7 power strokes. Especially after oil changes. I assume that it has to do with surface tension of the oil? Not too sure. However the rattle comes from the bottom end and a gentlemen that had a 6.7 torn down pointed out in a video I watched a while ago, that based on the amount of play ford left there for the crankshaft thrust washers. That is what he believed causes the ticking/rattle noise on some 6.7 ps diesels at idle. I never heard it on my truck prior to putting the t6 in. The rattle/tick did go away after a couple hundred miles. Which from what I have read is pretty typical when you do experience it. Ford actually has a tsb referencing the noise and said it is as designed and not to worry about the noise. Go figure.....
 
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