Do I Need To Make Any Changes To My Lubricants Selection?

[George7941]

This is for a small fleet of Freightliner M2 Business Class box trucks used by a moving company primarily for in-city pick up and delivery. I have been using the same oil and grease for the last fifteen years and have not had any issues. UOAs have been good. Have not looked into alternatives and was wondering if there have been changes in the lubricants market over the last fifteen years that merits me looking at alternatives. We have an account with the local Mobil Distributor (Brenntag) and get good pricing.

Engine Oil - Mobil Delvac One ESP 0W40
https://www.mobil.ca/en-ca/lubrican...-lubricants/products/mobil-delvac-1-esp-0w-40

Chassis Grease - Mobil Unirex EP2
https://www.mobil.ca/en-ca/lubricants/for-business/heavy-duty-lubricants/products/mobil-unirex-ep-2

I don't do extended oil changes and stick to manufacturer recommendations. OCI varies from 9 months to a year, during which the trucks run 16K kms to 24K kms. The chassis gets greased twice a year.

 

[Brian123]

UOA's are what they are!
There are other oil's out there that are better, whether my thoughts on better oil's will make a difference, I just do not know. The oil you are using is pretty good, so, no problems, just stick with it.

 

[George7941]

UOA's are what they are!
There are other oil's out there that are better, whether my thoughts on better oil's will make a difference, I just do not know. The oil you are using is pretty good, so, no problems, just stick with it.

Just curious, an example of a oil that is better? Delo, Rotella?

 

[RooflessVW]

Just curious, an example of a oil that is better? Delo, Rotella?

IMO, not likely.

 

[wpod]

Those choices are top end products. Are you having trouble with component. engine life?

 

[George7941]

Not at all. No oil related issues.

 

[Strumpan_]

I’d use a narrow range oil for the better shear rate. At my work we use semi synthetic 10w30 for the equivalent of 40k miles and have no oiling issues. Also very oil taxing regens. (More or less wot for 45min)

For the grease we just use a petroleum based EP2 grease, but the machines have automatic central greasing so the operators don’t have to do it everyday.

 

[RDMgr]

@George7941 - My opinion, nothing is better than a maintenance plan and product profile that has been problem-free for 15 years. Why change a program that meets your specific needs without problems.

 

[Brian123]

Just curious, an example of a oil that is better? Delo, Rotella?

I see you are curios, but you have had no problems with what you are using. I think that these oils would be better:

1) Amsoil
2) HPL

I will say this about HPL, you might want to give them a call and talk with them. You might find that you can extend your OCI's with this oil.

 

[George7941]

I’d use a narrow range oil for the better shear rate.

Mobil specifies V100 to be 14.6 mm2/s. The last UOA for the truck, done by the local Caterpillar dealer, with 21K kms on the oil, measured V100 at 13.1.
Does that indicate a lot of shearing? I don't know.

 

[fantastic]

That 0w-40 product is a very good product for colder climates. If the truck stays local & you plug it in during cold months then you could try Mobil Delvac 5w-40 or (Mobil Delvac Extreme 15w-40 (Only if the truck engine kept warm). Otherwise just stick to what you're using as that is Mobil's top shelf full synthetic HDEO product.

 

[wlk]

Mobil specifies V100 to be 14.6 mm2/s. The last UOA for the truck, done by the local Caterpillar dealer, with 21K kms on the oil, measured V100 at 13.1.
Does that indicate a lot of shearing? I don't know.

Some viscosity loss- yes, but out of grade- no. You may want to try M1 15w40 and see if the viscosity drops as well. The 15w40 uses less viscosity index improver than the 0w40, hence the lower difference in spread. Lower vii is supposed to be more shear stable. I would not change my brand but maybe try the 15w in a few trucks and see what it is.

 

[userfriendly]

Mobil specifies V100 to be 14.6 mm2/s. The last UOA for the truck, done by the local Caterpillar dealer, with 21K kms on the oil, measured V100 at 13.1.
Does that indicate a lot of shearing? I don't know.

No, and what you are doing is perfect. Delvac, formerly Esso XD-3 was my go to oil for years, but to save a few bucks I switched to Duron about 10 years ago.
I’d stick with the 0W40 grade for year round use without worrying about seasonal changes.

 

[George7941]

No electricity available where the trucks are parked and the trucks have always started, even in bitter cold. Hence the need for the 0W.

I was a bit surprised when Strumpan posted about using 10W30 in Sweden, which is at least as cold, or colder, than Toronto. It just occurred to me that his trucks are probably plugged in overnight.

 

[Strumpan_]

No electricity available where the trucks are parked and the trucks have always started, even in bitter cold. Hence the need for the 0W.

I was a bit surprised when Strumpan posted about using 10W30 in Sweden, which is at least as cold, or colder, than Toronto. It just occurred to me that his trucks are probably plugged in overnight.

Not trucks but wheel loaders and such. A majority has diesel heaters for the cab and engine but not all. We also use 15w-40 is some equipment.