97 dodge diesel oil recommendations please..

[Mikek13]

Hello everyone.

I always research everything before buying and usually find myself here when it comes to oil. So why not just ask, because I always fall down the rabbit hole and this time found myself reading a thread about used oil being superior to new. lol. Anyway!

I just bought a clean 97 cummins 12 valve with nv4500 dana 80 limited slip rear dana 70 front with 1009K on it. I plan on keeping this truck forever and have already located some Castrol Syntorque for the 5 speed but I'm not sure what oils are best for my differentials and 241 transfer case. The previous owner always used rotella dino so I see no reason to change unless someone can change my mind. Should I consider a aftermarket oil filtration system?

Id like to hear your opinions on any or all of the oils you would use in this truck, but mainly the differentials and transfer case.. I plan on light towing and occasional short trips in Iowa.

Thanks!

 

[bullwinkle]

Wow, 1009K?? You're already in the Million Mile Club!?!

Seriously, the good old B series Cummins seems to do well on just about any 15W40 Big 3 (Chevron Delo, Shell Rotella, or Mobil Delvac) HDEO, and I'm sure Valvoline or any other big name 15W40 would be good too. Unless you need to start unaided (unplugged) in subzero F. temps, in which case a 5W40 synthetic (or even potentially a 10W30) HDEO would be a good idea. I've always used RP Max Gear in my Cummins axles, both limited slip & conventional, and 80W90 conventional in everything else. As cheap and tough as ATF+4 is, there's no reason to use anything else in your transfer case, that's what I run in my '06 & the XJ transfer cases.

 

[Mikek13]

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Wow, 1009K?? You're already in the Million Mile Club!?!

Seriously, the good old B series Cummins seems to do well on just about any 15W40 Big 3 (Chevron Delo, Shell Rotella, or Mobil Delvac) HDEO, and I'm sure Valvoline or any other big name 15W40 would be good too. Unless you need to start unaided (unplugged) in subzero F. temps, in which case a 5W40 synthetic (or even potentially a 10W30) HDEO would be a good idea. I've always used RP Max Gear in my Cummins axles, both limited slip & conventional, and 80W90 conventional in everything else. As cheap and tough as ATF+4 is, there's no reason to use anything else in your transfer case, that's what I run in my '06 & the XJ transfer cases.


Thanks for that bullwinkle.. My bad, that was a typo. It has 109,000 miles on it.

This truck was more intended for after I retire in 9 years so that I can travel the country pulling a small camper loaded with glamping gear while getting 20mpg.

Any input about Schaeffer oil? It used to be talked about more seems like and I bet I can get a good price since we use it exclusively at work.

As far as fuel, my understanding is that bio diesel lubricates and cleans the fuel system better than additives. I have also used SoyShield.. Does Xtreme Diesel at kum and go lubricate my p-pump as well as bio?

 

[CT8]

HDEO oil . driving it in the winter? a 5W-40

 

[JLTD]

Schaeffer is good stuff; member TiredTrucker uses it almost exclusively and there are a few UOAs on here with fantastic results. Iplan to use it once my stockpile of Amsoil is gone.

Check out the Schaeffer Million Mile Van, although gas it was run on 15w40 diesel oil.

 

[Lyman]

If that truck isn't going to be driven everyday stay away from bio diesel.

 

[bullwinkle]

Good news is- a P-pump is lubricated by engine oil and is much more reliable than the newer VP 44 or the older VE rotary injection pumps, which were lubed by diesel fuel (much less lubricity in ULSD). I don't know much about Kum & Go, we don't have them here-but a quality fuel from a name brand station that goes through a lot of fuel, combined with regular filter changes & keeping the tank as full as possible goes a long way to reducing fuel problems.

 

[clinebarger]

X2....The P7100 doesn't care about low sulfur fuel.

Get a "Killer Dowel Pin" kit from TST. Remove the timing cover, Install the kit, Red Loctite & torque down all the gear case bolts one at a time. I guarantee they're loose!

12 valves that tow heavy (high EGT) will suffer from exhaust manifold shrinkage, This usually results in broken manifold bolts or a cracked manifold.....Though I have seen the front "ear" on the head get broke off.
I recommend either a ATS or BD 3-piece manifold.

A TST #12 power kit works works especially well with the 215/440 engines, Crank the AFC wheel per the instructions.....But leave the stock AFC spring in place, Do not install the TST spring as it limits off idle torque/fueling tremendously.

Install a EGT & Boost gauge, Keep it below 1600 degrees!

I also recommend replacing the head bolts one at a time with stock Cummins bolts using a good torque wrench, Replace the 6 valve cover gaskets & run the overhead at the same time.

 

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted By: Mikek13


This truck was more intended for after I retire in 9 years so that I can travel the country pulling a small camper loaded with glamping gear while getting 20mpg.


Unrealistic expectations, My 1997 2500 extended cab 6BT/NV4500 2wd with 3.54 gears never got close to a 20mpg average while towing. My BEST was coming out of Stillwater Oklahoma headed to DFW empty with a strong wind coming out of the north.....Averaged 27mpg.

 

[AlaskaMike]

I agree with most of the guys regarding fluids. I always ran either Rotella T 15w40 or Chevron Delo 400 15w40 in my old '92 12 valve, even in sub-zero temps. Good for you for going with the increasingly rare Syntorq for the transmission, which is the only oil spec'd for the NV4500. Some have had success with others, but it's always a roll of the dice to some degree. I always used Amsoil, Royal Purple, or other good full synthetic gear lube for the differentials. I can't remember what the transfer case uses off the top of my head--I want to say ATF but don't hold me to it. Regardless, a quality synthetic there too.

I also agree on most of the other stuff, especially the advice about the dowel pin and loctite on the case bolts. The bolts are actually more likely to fall out and cause catastrophic engine damage than the dowel pin simply because there's more of them.

One thing a lot of people forget is that while the P7100 is lubed by engine oil, the injectors are still lubed by fuel. So you can't totally ignore fuel lubricity. It just isn't as critical as it is on the '89-93 and '98.5-2002 trucks.

A couple of things I haven't seen mentioned yet regarding the P7100 pump, both of which will really improve drivability is to check the timing advance, and replace the stock governor springs. The stock pump timing advance is set to 13.5 degrees, which was mandated by EPA regs because it cut down on NOx emissions at the expense of throttle response, power and fuel mileage. If the truck will see mostly highway cruising type rpms, then about 16 degrees advance is the sweet spot. Most people forget that the P7100 doesn't have the dynamic timing advance that the old VE pump or the VP44 pump has, so with the P7100 it's best to set the timing advance to the best setting for whatever it's mostly used for. Higher rpms (1800 - 2200+) like you see in highway cruising, even in towing situations, call for slightly more advance.

The stock governor springs cause the pump to start defueling pretty early in the rpm curve. Where you have the manual transmission, you'll really benefit from a 3000 rpm or 4000 rpm governor spring kit. With the internet's love of acronyms and abbreviations, you'll typically see this referred to as a 3k or 4k GSK.

With those two pump tweaks you'll be much happier with how the engine behaves as a daily driver, you won't risk massive increases in exhaust temps from overfuelling like a lot of other things people recommend for the P7100. These would absolutely be the first things I'd do to a truck with a P7100 (along with a good set of gauges, of course)

Good luck with the truck! It wasn't too long ago that what you bought was considered the "holy grail" of Dodge Diesel trucks, and with only 109k miles on it, it's barely broken in!

 

[AlaskaMike]

Originally Posted By: clinebarger
Originally Posted By: Mikek13


This truck was more intended for after I retire in 9 years so that I can travel the country pulling a small camper loaded with glamping gear while getting 20mpg.


Unrealistic expectations, My 1997 2500 extended cab 6BT/NV4500 2wd with 3.54 gears never got close to a 20mpg average while towing. My BEST was coming out of Stillwater Oklahoma headed to DFW empty with a strong wind coming out of the north.....Averaged 27mpg.


Nah, 20mpg with a small camper trailer is doable, but probably not with a bone stock truck, and definitely not with #1 (winter) diesel fuel, but that's largely location dependent. Where it becomes really unrealistic is when guys put in huge injectors, aggressive fuel plate mods and huge wheels and tires with the accompanying 6" lift.

If you take a stock 97 2wd NV4500 truck running good quality #2 fuel, bump the pump timing up to 16 degrees advance or so, a good free-flowing exhaust, simple 235-85/R16 wheels and tires aired up properly, air and fuel filters that aren't clogged, and drum brakes that aren't dragging, 20mpg should be achievable with most trucks of that age and configuration.

Also don't overlook speed. These trucks aren't marvels of aerodynamics, and if you're trying to push 80 down the interstate, you're simply never going to see anywhere close to 20mpg. Keep it to 65 or under and you'll start to see decent mileage. Want better mileage? Slow down, period. As long as you keep it in a comfortable rpm range in 5th gear, you'll see your best mileage. For me in my 2000 truck (same basic body style and aerodynamics), 55-60 gives me my best mileage.

 

[Mikek13]

This is why I love this "oil" forum. So many knowledgeable and friendly people! Thank you!

I do have a little knowledge about 12v engines because I owned a E350 re-powered with a intercooled VE 12v 5 speed. It had a bad head gasket when I bought it but ran fine, which almost spun a few rear main bearings but I made it back home 1100 miles pulling a 24' toyhauler in this condition. That impressed me so much that instead of rolling the van into the river, I rebuilt the engine. The next time I pulled my toyhauler to colorado the 6bt would pull 15k combined at 100 mph, instead of barely being able to get out of 4th gear. I don't drive 100 mph ever, but just wanted to see how it performed for a few miles of empty interstate and the egt kept dropping as I approached 3000 rpm floored. At 75 mph average 1/2 throttle I got about 15 mpg with a engine that wasn't even broken in yet.

I'll definitely do the kdp but not looking forward to removing the entire front end. Then sounds like the first mod is to advance the timing to 16 degrees.

I have a off topic question.. My chevy 6.2 specs GL-4 oil for transmission and front and rear differentials. Sort of like the nv4500 and rare Syntorque, there are few good GL-4 oils.. Sta-Lube 85W-90, Amsoil MTG 75W-90, or maybe Mobil Delvac Synthetic Transmission Fluid 50 is all I know.

Can I buy a bunch of good GL-4 oil for the chevy 6.2 and also use it in the dodge differentials? Does schaeffer make a GL-4?

Thanks again!

 

[bullwinkle]

I would (& do) run GL-5 in all my rear axles, I only use GL-4 in my wife's xB to protect the yellow metal/brass synchronizers, Max Gear was actually TOO slippery & made it hard to shift. Cheap GL-5 80W90 dino gear oil, usually from AAP, seems to work as well as anything else. Not sure what locking diff your Dana 80 has, but the Eaton Truetrac gear type locker I had put in my F-450's Dana 80 actually does better without limited slip additive.

 

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted By: AlaskaMike
Originally Posted By: clinebarger
Originally Posted By: Mikek13


This truck was more intended for after I retire in 9 years so that I can travel the country pulling a small camper loaded with glamping gear while getting 20mpg.


Unrealistic expectations, My 1997 2500 extended cab 6BT/NV4500 2wd with 3.54 gears never got close to a 20mpg average while towing. My BEST was coming out of Stillwater Oklahoma headed to DFW empty with a strong wind coming out of the north.....Averaged 27mpg.


Nah, 20mpg with a small camper trailer is doable, but probably not with a bone stock truck, and definitely not with #1 (winter) diesel fuel, but that's largely location dependent. Where it becomes really unrealistic is when guys put in huge injectors, aggressive fuel plate mods and huge wheels and tires with the accompanying 6" lift.

If you take a stock 97 2wd NV4500 truck running good quality #2 fuel, bump the pump timing up to 16 degrees advance or so, a good free-flowing exhaust, simple 235-85/R16 wheels and tires aired up properly, air and fuel filters that aren't clogged, and drum brakes that aren't dragging, 20mpg should be achievable with most trucks of that age and configuration.

Also don't overlook speed. These trucks aren't marvels of aerodynamics, and if you're trying to push 80 down the interstate, you're simply never going to see anywhere close to 20mpg. Keep it to 65 or under and you'll start to see decent mileage. Want better mileage? Slow down, period. As long as you keep it in a comfortable rpm range in 5th gear, you'll see your best mileage. For me in my 2000 truck (same basic body style and aerodynamics), 55-60 gives me my best mileage.


Fair enough......His is a 4x4 though. The #12 TST kit that I recommended doesn't overfuel & actually bumped my mileage a tad. The fuel plate is an exact copy of a stock 230/605 CPL-1553 6BT.

Good call on the pump timing....I forgot, Mine was set a 15 degrees after setting it at 18 degrees initially .....Too loud for me.

 

[huntsonora]

I just changed my oil in my1998 12 valve and used the SuperTech 15w40 CJ formula from Walmart at under $12/gal and so far so good. It’s not using any and running like a top

 

[Schaefferbest]

In my cummins Tcase i run 75w-90 gear oil. since there is no clutches you dont need a wet clutch fluid. Transmission fluid would be fine if your looking for slight fuel economy benefits, if not id run gear oil for best protection.

Look into Schaeffer oil. Some of the best lubricants in the world. 2 Proprietary additives set them ahead of the pack.
www.schaefferoil.com

 

[kschachn]

So you joined just to start spamming multiple threads with a Schaeffer sales pitch?

Originally Posted by Schaefferbest
In my cummins Tcase i run 75w-90 gear oil. since there is no clutches you dont need a wet clutch fluid. Transmission fluid would be fine if your looking for slight fuel economy benefits, if not id run gear oil for best protection.

Look into Schaeffer oil. Some of the best lubricants in the world. 2 Proprietary additives set them ahead of the pack.
www.schaefferoil.com

 

[Schaefferbest]

ummm sales pitch? i dont sell anything im just spreading the knowledge, thanks

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted by Schaefferbest
ummm sales pitch? i dont sell anything im just spreading the knowledge, thanks

Lol right.

Thanks.

 

[Schaefferbest]

People are so easy to Manipulate these days jeez. I cant post about a company that i like and has word class reputation?