Delo 400 5w40 syn

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jul 10, 2003
Messages
631
Location
Hermiston, OR
Howdy, I was at Wallyworld looking at oil today. They have Delo 400 Syn. Is this fairly new or am I just really slow?? I've never seen it before.

Is it similar to Rotella 5w40 syn? Looking for a syn oil for my 05 PSD 6.0L. I was going to go with Amsoil AME, but decided to cancel my order after it was going to be pretty $$$
 
If you run the AME out to it's full potential it really is cost effective. If you are a warranty type oil change guy then yes the 400 syn is a very solid lubricant for it's price tag. I would not hesitate to run 400 in any modern diesel engine with a moderately conservative drain interval.
 
It's been around a while but until recently it wasn't widely distributed. It is a, last I saw, a grp III. It's similar to RTS, but I have found Delo has a much better add-pac with much more anti-foam propeties which are very helpful in HEUI engines like your PowerStroke.

Due to the nature of the HEUI fuel system PowerStrokes (and their Navistar and CAT brothers) tend to be very hard on engine oils. Mostly due to shearing since the engine oil is also used as hydraulic oil up to 4k psi (5k in CAT applications). For this reason PowerStrokes don't tend to lend themselves well to really long drains.

If you have done UOA's already and know what your current oil looks like I'd run the Delo 5w40 at the same OCI, sample and then decide how much farther you can go with frequent UOA's until you get a good idea of how the oil will hold up.
 
How is it compared to Rotella T. I am currently looking for a name brand diesel oil to carry. Most of the people I know use Rotella or AMSOIL. I have been looking at the Delo and have an appointment with a distributor Monday afternoon? Is there anything specific about the oil I should be aware of before making my decision? By the way I should let you all know that I am a start up company looking to do mobile oil changes. I am an AMSOIL dealer, but I don't want to leave anyone out. I want a quality Diesel oil to carry along with my AMSOIL. I don't think I can afford all 3 to start out with.
 
It's probably best to carry what the majority of your folks use, but Delo is no slouch...
 
It's every bit as good as RTS IMO. Better in some applications. I tend to use Delo in any engine/situation that tend to foam oil like HEUI engines. Aside from that I think it's pretty comparable to RTS, although I just tend to like Delo as I've had the least amount of issue with it over the years.

You can't go wrong with either oil. If your customers use mostly RTS then I'd probably carry it and if you want to give them the option, but just a small amount of Delo 5w40 and see how it goes.
 
+1 with 1040 WreckerMan. I'd go with whatever gives you the largest margin. Some of the Kendall dino oils get the job done too BTW. As I've told others though-as someone who gets to see a lot of VOA's and UOA's I've been quite impressed with how Chevron has continued to optimize Delo's add pack for the better. It can now handle minor contamination events without flinching and the TBN depletion curve is flattening out vs. the steep response that I had seen early last year. I have not been a fan of RTS in OTR diesel applications (for gassers it kicks [censored]) because the ppm wear #'s per thousand miles and TBN retention hasn't been as good as Delo in Cummins and Cat C12-C15 applications. In the end though I'd say both oils when changed regularly could get a non-coolant leak/injector dropping motor to a million miles. On a side note I haven't seen anything control wear as well while subjected to large amounts of contamination as AME--it's tough as nails! Jury is still out on DME, but it looks promising. Good luck Bud!
 
I doubt you'd see much statistical difference in UOAs between RTS and Delo in 5w-40 synthetics. I'd pick whichever is easier to obtain and is at the best price point. The performance won't differences won't be near as obvious as availability and cost.

Further, you certainly don't "need" synsthetic oil for temperature concerns in your area. If you're going to lengthen your OCI, synthetics are a great tool to that end. But if you're going to stick with "normal" OCIs, then buy whichever dino you can find on sale and be done with it. PSD's run just fine on dino fluids.

I agree that shearing in HEUIs is a concern, however, I've also noticed, and seen UOAs to support the statement, that Powerstroke engines (and their sister Navistar engines) will only shear a 40 grade down to a 30 grade. If you start with a 30 grade, they don't shear much at all. My neighbor was running Rotella 10w-30 in his 6.0L, and the UOAs never showed shearing at all. It's almost as though they prefer a lighter grade.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Kingpin
How is it compared to Rotella T. I am currently looking for a name brand diesel oil to carry. Most of the people I know use Rotella or AMSOIL. I have been looking at the Delo and have an appointment with a distributor Monday afternoon? Is there anything specific about the oil I should be aware of before making my decision? By the way I should let you all know that I am a start up company looking to do mobile oil changes. I am an AMSOIL dealer, but I don't want to leave anyone out. I want a quality Diesel oil to carry along with my AMSOIL. I don't think I can afford all 3 to start out with.


What part of Texas are you in? When I was in the oil business in Texas both Rotella and Delo were popular oil in the North Texas area.
 
Originally Posted By: pickled
+1 with 1040 WreckerMan. I'd go with whatever gives you the largest margin. Some of the Kendall dino oils get the job done too BTW. As I've told others though-as someone who gets to see a lot of VOA's and UOA's I've been quite impressed with how Chevron has continued to optimize Delo's add pack for the better. It can now handle minor contamination events without flinching and the TBN depletion curve is flattening out vs. the steep response that I had seen early last year. I have not been a fan of RTS in OTR diesel applications (for gassers it kicks [censored]) because the ppm wear #'s per thousand miles and TBN retention hasn't been as good as Delo in Cummins and Cat C12-C15 applications. In the end though I'd say both oils when changed regularly could get a non-coolant leak/injector dropping motor to a million miles. On a side note I haven't seen anything control wear as well while subjected to large amounts of contamination as AME--it's tough as nails! Jury is still out on DME, but it looks promising. Good luck Bud!


Thanks for the info! Is there information somewhere on this sight about the Kendall dino oils?
 
WOW, thanks for the info everyone. Very helpful. I'm a gasoline engine guy trying to educate myself on diesels. I don't plan to offer diesel services until I understand a bit more. I love this sight!!!
 
Remember this when it come to servicing the general public, it does not matter what brand you like or even what brand you think is the best, it what the population in your part of the country is using and thinks is best. Kendall has a good line up of oils, but if you are planning on making a living in the Houston area, that is not the brand to get involved with.

Just my opinion: Push your Amsoil as the best oil change and charge accordingly, but most will be looking to save money and in your part of the country you will need to offer Pennzoil, Quaker State, and Valvoline for the gassers, and Rotella and Delo for the diesels. It's just business.
 
Johnny hit the nail on the head, as the "customer is always right", even when they're wrong.

So many people have preferences/vices that lead them to brand loyalities or disdains. You'll never make everyone happy. What you can shoot for is making the most happy for the least cost, providing a serivce that is desirable for repeat business (where the real money is in nearly all sales activities).
 
That's awesome...definitely would pull the trigger at that price! Beat down the others as needed to get it in your cart
09.gif
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top