Help Me Choose Vortec 8100 Oil

[Cheenist]

I've been using Valvoline PB 5w-40 in my '04 Chevy 1 ton with the 8.1L.

No real reason to switch, but what would you try next oil change?

Consumption is definitely reduced using a 40 weight over the 30 weights I've tried. I'd like to stick with a 0W or 5W for starts as cold as -20F.

Thanks!

 

[nascarnation]

When we ran those at Allison validating the 1000 series transmission, we used Mobil 1 15W50. We never had any oil related problems but we blew up some engines on the dyno. High rpm related, broken valve train parts and pistons. 3 to 4 miles per gallon fuel usage on our dyno test cycle.
In the pickup chassis using a towing dynamometer trailer for loading on a cooling test, the catalytic converters would melt the carpeting in the cab.

 

[George7941]

Why is this in the European/Import forum?

 

[burbguy82]

I would stick with 5w40 in your climate range.

Keep that 8.1 alive.

 

[Cheenist]

Why is this in the European/Import forum?

Cause the original poster isn't too bright sometimes... Whoops!

Can somebody move it, please?

 

[Kennedy01]

Cause the original poster isn't too bright sometimes... Whoops!

Can somebody move it, please?

I don't think you're in the wrong place, a good euro 0 or 5w40 would probably be a good match for that 8.1.

 

[GMBoy]

Sounds like what you have been using and doing is working fine - don't change a thing. If anything, step up to a High Mileage synthetic in the same grade.

 

[George7941]

My twenty year old Sierra don't need no stinking Euro oil. It has always had a steady diet of GF4/SM oil. It has been mostly Mobil 5W30

 

[OM617YOTA]

My Vortec 7.4l recently got switched to Mobil Full Synthetic Euro 0w40. Hot idle oil pressure on 5w30 conventional was low and bouncy, on 0w40 it's higher and steady, I like that a lot more. Wasn't expecting cold start piston slap to be changed at all, but it's been greatly reduced.

Going forward it's going to get whatever 5w40 my diesel gets.