I am using Rotella syn 5w40 in my 7.3 powerstroke diesel. I run an oilguard bypass as well. The oil only has about 7k on it, but it is about 18 months old. Can I keep it until the spring, which would be 10k. My UOA has shown that 10k is fine, but how about the months? Thanks
How many months can my Rotella go?
- Thread starter clydesdale
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Ur tires will dry rot b 4 ur oil gives up. U dont drive it much, so change it once a year just for peace of mind if u want. I dont have a definite answer because it looks like u dont use it much.
The 15w40 in my Peterbilt was fine after 1 year in the truck. I'm going to resample it next Easter.
I normally put about 10k a year on it. But, I had an injector knocking issue and was avoiding it until I knew what the problem was. So, on this oil, I have more time than usual.
I run conventional Rotella out one, 1.5 and two years (in diesel pickups and farm tractors) and have verified viability via UOA to two years. I have a three year run going in for tests as we speak. There are caveats, of course, but if you have 10K tests that are OK, I wouldn't sweat a few extra months. I assume that test showed plenty of TBN remaining.
Unless your operating cycle is short hops (oil not fully warmed up so moisture and fuel dilution can eat away at the additive package), the oil doesn't age much just sitting there.
Unless your operating cycle is short hops (oil not fully warmed up so moisture and fuel dilution can eat away at the additive package), the oil doesn't age much just sitting there.
I've run industrial diesels with the same oil for years, as long as the analysis stayed good. Especially with your bypass filter removing all the water and soot, that oil will be good longer than the truck has steel in the cab floor. My industrial diesels had only standard full flow filters, and were burning high sulfur fuel, as well.
I'm not sure why you bought the bypass filter for a truck driven that little. How many hundreds of thousands of miles will it take to pay off the cost of the filter and elements consumed? With ordinary oil and ordinary filtration the 7.3 is good for, what, half-million miles or so? The rest of the truck will be dead by that time.
I'm not sure why you bought the bypass filter for a truck driven that little. How many hundreds of thousands of miles will it take to pay off the cost of the filter and elements consumed? With ordinary oil and ordinary filtration the 7.3 is good for, what, half-million miles or so? The rest of the truck will be dead by that time.
Quote:
I've run industrial diesels with the same oil for years
How many years ?
You talk about cost yet you run an oil for years in a engine that costs thousands ?
I have seen oil additives settle out of bottles -- in less than years
yet you will run an oil for years
wow
I've run industrial diesels with the same oil for years
How many years ?
You talk about cost yet you run an oil for years in a engine that costs thousands ?
I have seen oil additives settle out of bottles -- in less than years
yet you will run an oil for years
wow
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: badnews
Quote:
I've run industrial diesels with the same oil for years
How many years ?
You talk about cost yet you run an oil for years in a engine that costs thousands ?
I have seen oil additives settle out of bottles -- in less than years
yet you will run an oil for years
wow
So the analysis means nothing?
Quote:
I've run industrial diesels with the same oil for years
How many years ?
You talk about cost yet you run an oil for years in a engine that costs thousands ?
I have seen oil additives settle out of bottles -- in less than years
yet you will run an oil for years
wow
So the analysis means nothing?
Originally Posted By: Ken2
I'm not sure why you bought the bypass filter for a truck driven that little. How many hundreds of thousands of miles will it take to pay off the cost of the filter and elements consumed? With ordinary oil and ordinary filtration the 7.3 is good for, what, half-million miles or so? The rest of the truck will be dead by that time.
The OP stated usually 10k/yr but was avoiding an injector problem.
I'm not sure why you bought the bypass filter for a truck driven that little. How many hundreds of thousands of miles will it take to pay off the cost of the filter and elements consumed? With ordinary oil and ordinary filtration the 7.3 is good for, what, half-million miles or so? The rest of the truck will be dead by that time.
The OP stated usually 10k/yr but was avoiding an injector problem.
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Originally Posted By: tuckman
Originally Posted By: badnews
Quote:
I've run industrial diesels with the same oil for years
How many years ?
You talk about cost yet you run an oil for years in a engine that costs thousands ?
I have seen oil additives settle out of bottles -- in less than years
yet you will run an oil for years
wow
So the analysis means nothing?
Well according to Cummins engine -- yes
the analysis isn't the end all
Originally Posted By: badnews
Quote:
I've run industrial diesels with the same oil for years
How many years ?
You talk about cost yet you run an oil for years in a engine that costs thousands ?
I have seen oil additives settle out of bottles -- in less than years
yet you will run an oil for years
wow
So the analysis means nothing?
Well according to Cummins engine -- yes
the analysis isn't the end all
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: badnews
Well according to Cummins engine -- yes
the analysis isn't the end all
So the pages of UOA's here are nothing?
Ok, what does Cummins say?
Well according to Cummins engine -- yes
the analysis isn't the end all
So the pages of UOA's here are nothing?
Ok, what does Cummins say?
dnewton3
Staff member
If the OP wants to know for sure then he'll have to do a UOA.
However, if his only concern is getting through a season to some (relatively close) interval, then he'd have no problems going several more months.
Obvisously, as Jim stated, there is the presumption that all mechanical systems are in good repair. But, OTOH, if they were not, he wouldn't know otherwise unless he did a UOA, which brings us back to the former point ...
I do go more than a year on some of my equipment with HDEO (1966 Mustang at 3 year OCIs; probably less than 750 miles total) and (Kubota tractor; currently starting into my second year of OCI). I sleep well at night, too.
OCI/chronological limits are fine IF you don't use UOAs. If you do use UOAs, then those limits are arbitrary and worthless. Oil does not go bad immediately at some date on the calendar. It does not suddenly fall back and punt at the 366th day. The shelf life for virgin oil is typically 5 years, and the use in the equipment is dependent upon severity of use, environment, lube construction, etc. But low mileage OCIs can easily go 2-3 years IF the mechanical systems are in good shape, and there a some UOAs out there (including Jim's and mine) to prove it.
However, if his only concern is getting through a season to some (relatively close) interval, then he'd have no problems going several more months.
Obvisously, as Jim stated, there is the presumption that all mechanical systems are in good repair. But, OTOH, if they were not, he wouldn't know otherwise unless he did a UOA, which brings us back to the former point ...
I do go more than a year on some of my equipment with HDEO (1966 Mustang at 3 year OCIs; probably less than 750 miles total) and (Kubota tractor; currently starting into my second year of OCI). I sleep well at night, too.
OCI/chronological limits are fine IF you don't use UOAs. If you do use UOAs, then those limits are arbitrary and worthless. Oil does not go bad immediately at some date on the calendar. It does not suddenly fall back and punt at the 366th day. The shelf life for virgin oil is typically 5 years, and the use in the equipment is dependent upon severity of use, environment, lube construction, etc. But low mileage OCIs can easily go 2-3 years IF the mechanical systems are in good shape, and there a some UOAs out there (including Jim's and mine) to prove it.
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Originally Posted By: tuckman
Originally Posted By: badnews
Well according to Cummins engine -- yes
the analysis isn't the end all
So the pages of UOA's here are nothing?
Ok, what does Cummins say?
UOA's can be misleading
for instance -
say you were running a oil that was out of TBN for some time ( hence excessive engine wear ) and some time before you do your UOA you top off - boosting the additive package.
Said UOA will be misleading.
They have a host of other examples.
Look up Cummins oil recommendations
it is a good read
Originally Posted By: badnews
Well according to Cummins engine -- yes
the analysis isn't the end all
So the pages of UOA's here are nothing?
Ok, what does Cummins say?
UOA's can be misleading
for instance -
say you were running a oil that was out of TBN for some time ( hence excessive engine wear ) and some time before you do your UOA you top off - boosting the additive package.
Said UOA will be misleading.
They have a host of other examples.
Look up Cummins oil recommendations
it is a good read
dnewton3
Staff member
I'll both agree and disagree, to a point.
UOAs are a DIRECT view of the lubricant health.
UOAs are an INDIRECT view of the equipment health.
By speaking of "topping off" a sump load, you change the rules of presumption we all operate under. We'd all agree that adding fresh oil can extend the OCI duration, but what happens if your sump does not need, nor can stand, a "top off"?
Further, in your scenario, you presume that TBN has a DIRECT affect on wear; that is not a fair 100% cause/effect relationship. TBN can be high or low, and wear can go it's own direction. If one adds lube right before a UOA, it will skew the ppm numbers, but it is entirely possible that the numbers were low enough before the top-off to warrant a bolstered run. We don't know for sure unless we look at individual UOAs specific to any given piece of equipment.
Some things are just a given presumption, to keep the playing field even, without making every post a legal declaration of "what if ..." scenarios.
The botton line is that the whole "xxxx miles or one year" philosophy is IN LIEU of UOA evidence. If one has solid evidence of a healthy sump and engine, those limits are meaningless.
UOAs are a DIRECT view of the lubricant health.
UOAs are an INDIRECT view of the equipment health.
By speaking of "topping off" a sump load, you change the rules of presumption we all operate under. We'd all agree that adding fresh oil can extend the OCI duration, but what happens if your sump does not need, nor can stand, a "top off"?
Further, in your scenario, you presume that TBN has a DIRECT affect on wear; that is not a fair 100% cause/effect relationship. TBN can be high or low, and wear can go it's own direction. If one adds lube right before a UOA, it will skew the ppm numbers, but it is entirely possible that the numbers were low enough before the top-off to warrant a bolstered run. We don't know for sure unless we look at individual UOAs specific to any given piece of equipment.
Some things are just a given presumption, to keep the playing field even, without making every post a legal declaration of "what if ..." scenarios.
The botton line is that the whole "xxxx miles or one year" philosophy is IN LIEU of UOA evidence. If one has solid evidence of a healthy sump and engine, those limits are meaningless.
I agree. If a UOA shows that the lubricant isn't worn out yet, and is still doing its job, it can be run longer.
Product Shelf Life
life span of oil
Base Oils, Process Oils 3 years
Hydraulic Oils, Compressor Oils, General Purpose Lubricating Oils 2 years
Engine Oils and Transmission Oils 3 years
Industrial and Automotive Gear Oils 2 years
Metal Working and Cutting Oils 1 year
http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html
life span of oil
Base Oils, Process Oils 3 years
Hydraulic Oils, Compressor Oils, General Purpose Lubricating Oils 2 years
Engine Oils and Transmission Oils 3 years
Industrial and Automotive Gear Oils 2 years
Metal Working and Cutting Oils 1 year
http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html
Originally Posted By: badnews
Product Shelf Life
life span of oil
Base Oils, Process Oils 3 years
Hydraulic Oils, Compressor Oils, General Purpose Lubricating Oils 2 years
Engine Oils and Transmission Oils 3 years
Industrial and Automotive Gear Oils 2 years
Metal Working and Cutting Oils 1 year
http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html
Shelf life != service life
Product Shelf Life
life span of oil
Base Oils, Process Oils 3 years
Hydraulic Oils, Compressor Oils, General Purpose Lubricating Oils 2 years
Engine Oils and Transmission Oils 3 years
Industrial and Automotive Gear Oils 2 years
Metal Working and Cutting Oils 1 year
http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html
Shelf life != service life
If shelf life of engine oils is 3 years... for all those out there that have stock piles of a particular oil, are you really using all that stuff up in 3 years?
I have used oil in my 60's vintage car that was more than 10 years old and didn't seem to have any issues. Would hate to have to dispose of unopened oil just becuase its been here for awhile
I have used oil in my 60's vintage car that was more than 10 years old and didn't seem to have any issues. Would hate to have to dispose of unopened oil just becuase its been here for awhile
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