Are Turbos Hard on Oil?

Late to the discussion. Our 2011 BMW 528i was the last year of the N52, the NA inline six. Oil temps typically stay at 240F on interstate runs of about 85mph. Always run 0-5w-40 LL-01 oils.
 
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buster said:
I'm basically saying not all API/SQ oils are the same and that some would meet/exceed certain Euro tests IMO, however some of the tests are also different. The IIIH is used for API/ILSAC. The Euro OEM's have their own testing.

See this thread:

T

Thread 'Not all engine oils are created equal'

Came across this from engineering explained on youtube. Some may find it interesting so ill share it here

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Interesting video and thread. Seemed a bit like an ad for Mobil 1, but it's easy to acknowledge they are at the forefront of oil tech and testing, so just showcasing what they do will seem like an ad.

They highlighted Dexos testing too. So should we take away that we should all just run Supertech/Kirkland oil? ;)
 
buster said:
Here is an example. Could ESP do a double length IIIH test and still score 40% better in terms of piston deposit cleanliness? Who knows.... That's 180 hours of oil held at 305F.

Mobil 1 Triple also crushed the IIIH. 20x better in terms of oxidation thickening.

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buster said:
Most people are saying that all our API/ILAC oils fall in the blue. I'm saying, no, many would exceed and hit the yellow parameter. They don't just meet bare minimum. When you buy Mobil 1 Extended Performance you should be getting an oil that greatly exceeds these tests.

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Disclaimer: I'm not trying to argue with you or troll. Just trying to have a discussion. Given my recent experience in my thread soliciting Supertech experiences, just wanted to make that very clear since tone is poorly communicated online.

I don't think anyone is arguing Amsoil isn't a good oil. I think the crux of the matter comes down to whether or not you need that much headroom. Determining that I think is the really hard part. Basically, in my view, there are people who will be fine on bulk oil, then some that would do better to run ST/Kirkland or a basic oil like QSFS/vanilla M1, then some who will need M1 EP to be free of issues, then some who need Euro oils, and then beyond that some who will need Amsoil/HPL to have no issues. I think that the Subaru engines are good examples of this. You can see @Glenda W.'s experience. She started burning at 60k. Her friend on M1 EP, started burning at 120k. Then, when you have someone in a 2014 Subaru Outback running Amsoil, they don't burn oil. So you can see the progression in apparent oil quality and delay of onset of oil burning. Additionally, @OVERKILL got a ton of crud out when he first ran HPL after a diet of M1 EP. (Not sure if he was burning oil or had other issues or not.) Then you see other engines with design issues like Kia/Hyundai, and they burn even earlier on M1 EP.
 
I agree. Unless you really care to BITOG level I usually just tell people to grab the grade they need for the oil that meets whatever spec required by OEM. Maybe cut the interval in half and go 6 months/5k or so. Higher quality oil generally costs more.

All of my comments are just opinions.. When it comes to comparing M1 EP to ESP I'm just guessing based on what I know and don't know.
 
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tired said:
Disclaimer: I'm not trying to argue with you or troll. Just trying to have a discussion. Given my recent experience in my thread soliciting Supertech experiences, just wanted to make that very clear since tone is poorly communicated online.

I don't think anyone is arguing Amsoil isn't a good oil. I think the crux of the matter comes down to whether or not you need that much headroom. Determining that I think is the really hard part. Basically, in my view, there are people who will be fine on bulk oil, then some that would do better to run ST/Kirkland or a basic oil like QSFS/vanilla M1, then some who will need M1 EP to be free of issues, then some who need Euro oils, and then beyond that some who will need Amsoil/HPL to have no issues. I think that the Subaru engines are good examples of this. You can see @Glenda W.'s experience. She started burning at 60k. Her friend on M1 EP, started burning at 120k. Then, when you have someone in a 2014 Subaru Outback running Amsoil, they don't burn oil. So you can see the progression in apparent oil quality and delay of onset of oil burning. Additionally, @OVERKILL got a ton of crud out when he first ran HPL after a diet of M1 EP. (Not sure if he was burning oil or had other issues or not.) Then you see other engines with design issues like Kia/Hyundai, and they burn even earlier on M1 EP.
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My disclaimer is I don’t like brand bashing - but let’s be honest about Subaru pistons, ring lands, detonation, oil consumption - all that. Some of the very experienced techs talk more about oil starvation than what oil …
Subaru sidewinder motors are a trade off for low CG etc … But they will have more issues than an I4.
 
kschachn said:
I sure haven’t seen countless UOA where the oil has sheared out of grade. I seen many where there is fuel dilution which causes it to thin, but very few where there is confirmed mechanical shear of the VM.

If you really have a mechanical shear problem then something like HPL no-VI is a good choice. That won’t shear, nor would a monograde oil, assuming you could find an appropriate one.

Either way if you’re seeing an oil go out of grade, it doesn’t make much sense to doggedly stick to the manual recommendation.
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Besides HPL or a monograde, can you think of any other diesel oils that don't shear or shear very little?

I have a 7.3 Powerstoke and it is rough on oil. I've been leaning towards going with HPL but am wondering about other options.
 
ATex7239 said:
I do it fully cold regardless of temp outside (though TX doesn’t get that cold) and just let it drain while I do other things like check filters, tire pressure, general inspection. Occasionally, if I don’t have it set up just the way I want it in the driveway, then I might start it up to move it around.
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Oh come on guys, get with the times! Get a fumoto drain valve and a short hose to stick in the empty oil jugs from your last fill and you can drain the oil as hot as it can get with the contaminates all nicely circulated and entrained with the thinner oil rushing out! No burns, no splash or drips. Bada bing Bada boom.

And I hear ya on taking time to let drain and look things over. I'm the king of a 2 hour oil change! LOL
 
gunnellett said:
Besides HPL or a monograde, can you think of any other diesel oils that don't shear or shear very little?

I have a 7.3 Powerstoke and it is rough on oil. I've been leaning towards going with HPL but am wondering about other options.
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Just a head's up if you didn't know, but we have a whole forum dedicated to diesel oils here. I bet you could find some info there from searching, and if not you could ask.

Also, 15 quarts of HPL, ouch.
 
tired said:
Just a head's up if you didn't know, but we have a whole forum dedicated to diesel oils here. I bet you could find some info there from searching, and if not you could ask.

Also, 15 quarts of HPL, ouch.
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Oh yeah, I know about the other forum.

I just figured after 5 pages into this discussion with all of the usual opinions, bickering, making up, some great info, some wrong info folks will fall on the sword for, etc., I'm in this one for the long haul now so figured I'd ask.

And yeah, 15 quarts.....
 
gunnellett said:
Oh yeah, I know about the other forum.

I just figured after 5 pages into this discussion with all of the usual opinions, bickering, making up, some great info, some wrong info folks will fall on the sword for, etc., I'm in this one for the long haul now so figured I'd ask.

And yeah, 15 quarts.....
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Thread 'Deciding on which weight diesel oil for 2000 7.3L Ford Diesel'

My manual says I should use anywhere from 5w30, 10w30, to 15w40 depending on the temperature outside. I live in Alabama so I see anwhere from 15 degrees fahrenheit to 100 degrees fahrenheit. I am thinking 10w30 would be a good compromise. I want to run the thinnest oil I can for gas mileage without losing engine protection. I will be towing a lot but I will drive it only occasionally so maybe 5-10k miles a year.
S

Thread 'Help me choose an oil for 7.3 PSD'

I recently aquired a 01 f250 that was due for an oil change so I used Delo and felt ok with that. After some reading on here many have said that the 7.3 HPOP will shear a 40 down to a 30 rather quickly and sort of stabilize there. So that being said some have claimed it is better to start off with a 10w30 HDEO to start with even claiming the 7.3 "likes" this oil better. I just wanted some more input on this from the resident oil gurus. Thanks in advance for any help.
2

Thread 'Oil for a 2001 Ford Excursion 7.3 diesel'

I have a 2001 Ford excursion 7.3 diesel. What is the best oil to use? I use the arch oil additive. I live in Michigan and the truck doesn’t get used in the winter. It has 80,000 on it.
M

Thread 'Best Oil for a 2000 Ford 7.3L Powerstroke'

OK, so I've been lurking here for a while doing some reading. Seems like a lot of you guys have a lot of experience and have read a lot of uoa reports. I'm looking for a good synthetic oil to run due to the cold weather and the possibility of extending the OCI. What oil in these engines puts up the best UOA? I'm not looking for opinions, would like to see data to back it up. It looks like the most popular choices would be Mobil 1 (Delvac 1 & Turbo Diesel), Rotella, and amsoil. Maybe they are all pretty equivalent when a UOA is performed?
C

Thread 'Which Mobil oil for my 7.3'

I have been using Mobil delvac 1300 super 15w40 in my 1997 F250 7.3 since I purchased in new. Now has 270,000 on the clock. Change every 4000-5000 miles. No problems at all! To my surprise. Ford doesn't recommend it. Mobil doesn't recommend it in Turbo diesels. I want to stick to Mobil, but which one? The 2 obvious choices are Mobil 1 15w40 extreme synthetic or Mobil 1 5w40 turbo diesel truck synthetic. I might like the 5w for starting ease in winter. But wouldn't want to swap to something else for summer. Any thoughts?
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Thread '7.3 PSD 2002 Ford Excursion 4x4....202k...which oil?'

Hey,

New to me vehicle. I have always wanted one and decided to pull the plug and couldn't be happier.

With the 15 quarts of oil needed per oil change and a factory OCI of 5k miles I think that oil choice is pretty doggone important especially since I have a few other vehicles.

I have all service records and took a 2500 mile road trip on whatever was in there just to see if it burnt any oil and to my surprise no oil was burnt. Sorry that is my methodology for a new to me vehicle so I can see if it is worthy. Works for me!

I live in Central/Northern Virginia so morning temps are rarely...
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M

Thread 'Which oil for breaking in 2024 F250 7.3?'

Hello all! First post!

Bought a brand new F250 7.3L last week! (4 miles on the odometer) Guessing the oil inside is motorcraft 5w-30?

Want to change it out at 500 miles. My reasoning is to get rid of the extra metals floating around the motor as it’s breaking in. Did some reading and higher zinc is great to break in motors. I’ve used mobile 1 syn in my previous vehicles without issue. Was wanting to use it for this truck I plan to have for 15+ years. I also read that higher zinc levels are bad for catalytic converters. I found for Mobile 1 5w-30 high mileage extended performance it has...
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H

Thread '10w30 diesel oil in a 7.3, what can you tell me?'

Oh boy I found another rabbit hole. 2002 Ford e-450, 7.3.

There was somebody on here that made a confirmed 5% increase in fuel economy, just by switching from motorcraft 15w40 to motorcraft 10w30 diesel oil.

Convention has always taught me that the 7.3 takes 15W40, but I don't have a owner's manual to confirm that.
It's in an ambulance chassis, but it doesn't have a hitch so it's not towing, and I live in the upper Midwest, so days above 90° are somewhat rare. Days below zero on the other hand...

Would a modern Diesel rated 10w30 be acceptable for this platform? Easier starting and...
D

Thread '7.3 powerstroke oil'

I have a 1999 f-250 7.3 powerstroke. I only put on around 3000 miles a year. Is there a synthetic oil and good filter I can use year round? I live in Alberta, Canada so temperature can go from -32 F in winter to 90 F in summer.
I pull a 32' holiday trailer in the summer and use her mainly to clear snow down my driveway in the winter.
any suggestions?
P

Thread 'What are you running in your 7.3 Powerstroke?'

After finally using up my stockpile of Rotella-T 15/40 CJ-4 I have to decide what to use. I did try Travellers this time and have just a few hundred miles on it. When it gets near 5K I will send off a sample. There are many oils out there that meet the Ford spec WSS-M2C171-F1 including the Travellers. I am considering Motorcraft as well. I have always used dino in it and would prefer to stick with dino. It is my understanding that in making the new oils DPF safe there were additives that were removed or reduced, but at the same time the oils have to be backwards compatible, so, according...
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V

Thread 'Deciding on which weight diesel oil for 2000 7.3L Ford Diesel'

My manual says I should use anywhere from 5w30, 10w30, to 15w40 depending on the temperature outside. I live in Alabama so I see anwhere from 15 degrees fahrenheit to 100 degrees fahrenheit. I am thinking 10w30 would be a good compromise. I want to run the thinnest oil I can for gas mileage without losing engine protection. I will be towing a lot but I will drive it only occasionally so maybe 5-10k miles a year.

Couple threads to get you started while you wait for a response.
 
Dang, you are efficient! Thanks!

I haven't been afraid to try different oils, weights or additives with my truck so I definitely have an "opinion" (key word) on what I like but I'm always willing to listen and learn.
 
gunnellett said:
Besides HPL or a monograde, can you think of any other diesel oils that don't shear or shear very little?

I have a 7.3 Powerstoke and it is rough on oil. I've been leaning towards going with HPL but am wondering about other options.
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You don't have many choices if you really mean an oil that cannot shear. How is your Powerstroke rough on oil?
 
gunnellett said:
Besides HPL or a monograde, can you think of any other diesel oils that don't shear or shear very little?

I have a 7.3 Powerstoke and it is rough on oil. I've been leaning towards going with HPL but am wondering about other options.
Click to expand...
kschachn said:
You don't have many choices if you really mean an oil that cannot shear. How is your Powerstroke rough on oil?
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Diesels are not my wheelhouse. I thought from the info I’ve gleaned about them on here, that the 7.3’s were “easier/better” on oil due to being pre-DPF and emissions systems. No regen cycles and all that?
 
Brian123 said:
If the oil was dark at 1000 miles this tells me a few things:

1) The OCI's were beyond what most of us do here.
2) Cheap Oil was Used
3) The oil was never checked between OCI's

I am positive on Number 1 and 2, Number 3 is kind of a guess.
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Sorry no way...I assure you all of those claims are not valid with me and my oil still gets dark within 1k miles or sooner. It's the animal within the Honda 1.5 tgdi... that causes it...
 
Lawnman23 said:
Diesels are not my wheelhouse. I thought from the info I’ve gleaned about them on here, that the 7.3’s were “easier/better” on oil due to being pre-DPF and emissions systems. No regen cycles and all that?
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The 7.3 easy on everything mainly because it's only 220 horsepower, but as with all the HEUI platforms, the HPOP and injectors can place unique some demands on the lube oil.

Correct, a tight pre-emissions diesel will be easier on oil without EGR. (Soot loading.) DPF regens are only a concern for diesels that use exhaust stroke injection events for active regen because they do not have an indirect injector upstream of the DOC/DPF housing. (Fuel dilution.)

That said, diesels are harder because unlike gas counterparts, do not have PCV systems that can actively draw fresh air into the crankcase. They use combustion gas blowby to displace accumulated combustion gas blowby and condensate. If they don't get hot, moisture in the sump is a real thing. (Time at temperature also helps drive off fuel.)

They also have turbos. Mine regularly spins 100-120k RPM under load. (Shear.) That said, modern diesel turbos have a coolant passage in the center section which helps to keep from being absurdly hot, but heat soak if parked after a hard run is still a thing.

They also have really large crank/cam journals compared to gas engines and oftentimes, long strokes. So even though their relative RPM is low the relative velocity is comparable. (Shear.)

They also rely on piston cooling jets to keep the pistons intact under heavy loading. The oil gets pretty spicey in the piston cooling galleries when pulling hard at sustained high EGT.

rainman49 said:
Late to the discussion. Our 2011 BMW 528i was the last year of the N52, the NA inline six. Oil temps typically stay at 240F on interstate runs of about 85mph. Always run 0-5w-40 LL-01 oils.
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Always found it interesting that BMW chose to include an oil cooler (oil to water) on the front of the OFH on some n52 cars, but omit it on others. Piston jets but no oil cooler didn't make sense to me. I went as far as to add a cooler from an x5 onto my 2011 e92 328.

Didn't the N52 come for one more year in the e92/93 and some other other straggler variants?
 
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WeyounDS9 said:
Short answer:
Absolutely.
this truism has been long known, this is my Turbo engines generally ( used to?) spec one or two grades thicker than the non turbo engines.
A turbo engine in summertime to me with me a Mobil1 15w-50 oil, or similar.
If non GDI and all long trips a 5w-40 might also do.
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PS: Sorry for all the typos fellas.
I often type late at night, or just on my way out the door.
I'll do better.
 
Lawnman23 said:
Diesels are not my wheelhouse. I thought from the info I’ve gleaned about them on here, that the 7.3’s were “easier/better” on oil due to being pre-DPF and emissions systems. No regen cycles and all that?
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kschachn said:
You don't have many choices if you really mean an oil that cannot shear. How is your Powerstroke rough on oil?
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm looking for oils that tend to shear less.

The 7.3 is unique where it has a separate High Pressure Oil Pump (HPOP), which basically uses the engine oil after it has been pumped by the low pressure oil pump, as hydraulic fluid to cycle the injectors. The HPOP is a swashplate design.

The condition of the oil has a major affect on how this engine runs.
 
gunnellett said:
Yeah I'm looking for oils that tend to shear less.

The 7.3 is unique where it has a separate High Pressure Oil Pump (HPOP), which basically uses the engine oil after it has been pumped by the low pressure oil pump, as hydraulic fluid to cycle the injectors. The HPOP is a swashplate design.

The condition of the oil has a major affect on how this engine runs.
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If it is that much of a concern, then if it were me I'd run the HPL product if the 10W winter rating is acceptable for your climate. That will not shear.
 
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