Mechanic won’t use oil I’ve chosen

[levi]

Kinda doubt that you will have much luck getting him to change his behavior. He's probably been doing things 'his' way for so long that he genuinely believes he is doing you a favor by maintaining the status quo. And I'm sure he's just plain stubborn, as well.

As mentioned, put everything in writing. More for your protection than for his instruction, because he will almost certainly blow it off. Document as well as you can when he fails to comply. And replace him when his contract is up, if he has not done as you directed.

 

[Duffyjr]

OP does your boss/owner know about this guy and how is treating their newly acquired equipment? What gets me is him not keeping records of maintenance, sorry "I have a system" is not good enough.

 

[mark pruett]

Tell him to got to Walmart and buy the oil at a much better price.

I would not run 15W/40 in everything - so I agree with him there. Run what the vehicle is spec'd for and 15w/40 in a 5w/20 application is not a good idea.

Yep... the issue likely isn't with the choice of oil- MAG1 isn't terrible, and neither is Rotella or Delvac. More likely there's some other reason that there are issues- incorrect OCI, bad filtering, some other mechanical issues, etc... Probably "his system" is the culprit here; I'm guessing it's some sort of Kentucky windage scheme for estimating hours in use, without using miles as a proxy. Which *might* make some kind of sense if you had something like a cop car that spends a huge proportion of its time idling, such that using miles would severely underestimate the amount of wear and depletion on the vehicle. If not, it's just something janky that he was probably doing to avoid oil changes until absolutely necessary, as mandated by his prior boss.

But as far as the management side of things is concerned, I think I might find out why he uses the supplier he does, and suggest he find somewhere cheaper.

Or if the amount is large enough to actually affect bulk buying, explain the whole economy of scale concept and the concept of standardization. I might even go so far as to centralize the purchasing, so that he has to put in a requisition, but someone at the home office has to eyeball it and actually put in the order.

 

[nomas]

As mentioned, put everything in writing. More for your protection than for his instruction, because he will almost certainly blow it off. Document as well as you can when he fails to comply. And replace him when his contract is up, if he has not done as you directed.

If it's really an issue for you then act like it . People will push the boundary and see if they can manipulate you . Nobody likes to change what they have been doing for years . Sometimes they have to be encouraged ( forced ).

 

[JC1]

This mechanic sounds like a real piece of work. I know times are tough. This guy won't change. Time to start searching for his replacement.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I’m a fleet manager for a delivery company. Recently we expanded into another state and in this purchase came a mechanic and his apprentice.
He is a old school kind of guy, he uses what he’s been using forever, and it is not working. The equipment that came with this purchase is in rough shape.
A Ford V-10 with 85k on it is sludged up For example.
He has been buying the oil as needed at the most expensive place around. The oil he’s been buying is Mag1 which is a Warren Distributing dino oil and he’s paying $6/qt.
For the diesels he’s using Rotella or Delvac.
He is way over paying for the oil.

So I brought him a syn blend 15w-40 diesel oil and told him to use it in everything, he refuses to use it in the gas engines because, according to him, it will mess up the cam phasers and hydraulic timing chain tensioners.
He also claims it will sludge up the engines and that “they are rated for 5w-20 for a reason“

Now I’ve been using this oil in my gasoline engines for almost a year with zero problems. I have one truck closing in on 50k quickly and I am going to do a oil sample at that oil change.
The very first oil change there was oil consumption. 1 qt in 10k on the factory fill.
Now there is zero oil consumption. In the hottest dog days of summer the trucks used less than a quart in 10k.

The cam phasers are electronic.
I have zero timing/run issues. MPG is good for what we do (~8mpg)

Do I need to put my foot down and say use this or else?
Do I need to switch motor oil?

Also he does not go by miles for oil changes, he goes by “I have a system”

Any help would be appreciated.

Eventually you need to revoke his ability to buy oil/air filters because you will provide them along with proper inventory controls. You should also have clearly written policies and procedures regarding fleet maintenance. Get everyone on the same page and you'll be good to go.

My two cents.

 

[OVERKILL]

Wal-Mart sure is a great place for Warren made oil too (Super Tech), even cheaper than Meijer. 3V Ford modulars are a special case-recommending 5W20, but slightly thicker seems better on old ones. 15W40 is too thick, though, they have orifices (more like restrictors) in the oil passages leading to the heads, I personally wouldn't go thicker than 10W30 in them. There's some really good HDEO 10W30s, like Rotella T5 or even T3 (by the drum/bulk), Delvac 1300, and Delo-that's the way I would go.

There's very little difference between 15w-40 and 10w-30 in visc at operating temperature. The big difference will come if/when the vehicles are allowed to sit out in the cold, but if they are in a heated shop? Not worth worrying about. Will lose a tiny bit of fuel economy, that's about it.

 

[PimTac]

Why? It’s a push rod V8. Over head cam V10. When using the thinner oil, oil consumption is through the roof and the engines are nosey when hot.

That is a engine problem and not the oil.

 

[DGXR]

Sorry I may have missed this, but what exactly is this mechanic's "system"? Buying overpriced oil at the closest retailer, using whatever he has always used, and mostly ignoring his new boss? I'd love to hear how he defends this system, seeing how it sludged an engine.

 

[02SE]

I've been a Mechanic, and a business owner. I'd explain what is expected of him, have him document everything he does, eliminate his ability to buy whatever he wants, provide the necessary oil for him to use, and if he doesn't follow company guidelines, let him find other opportunities.

 

[Crash Bandicoot]

Sounds like purchasing and inventory management should be taken out of his hands outside of repair work. No need to cut the guy off at his knees for repair stuff but don’t see the point of having a mechanic managing consumables that should be easy to plan out. Absolute vs Comparative advantage.

Maintenance should be done in accordance with some sort of published internal protocol e.g. hours, mileage, or UOA findings, I mean we’re talking basic maintenance items. At the end of the day if he can’t adhere to listening to his boss and assets are falling by the wayside then it’s time to find a replacement.

The only person I know of that can waste a bunch of money, not accomplish their goals and still keep their job is Brian Cashman and I’m betting your last name isn’t Steinbrenner so start sourcing/feeling for replacements if this guy doesn’t sign on to the program either that or take the maintenance stuff out of his hands and let him take on repair only work if you have enough volume to justify.

 

[spasm3]

The problem is, if you take oil purchasing away and hand him what he has to use, would he be spiteful, and crank up some engines with out oil? Then fill them, and say i told you not to use that oil blah blah blah. Would he be the type that causes damage as a response to not being in control of the oil choices?

 

[NormanBuntz]

That is a good point. Currently, with me anyway, the only blame he is getting is for not doing things on time and severely neglecting the equipment.
BUT, in his defense, his old boss always told him to do things as cheaply and as late as possible.

This certainly is one thing he's not doing if he's buying conventional oil for $6 a quart. Maybe he gets a kickback.

 

[demarpaint]

The problem is, if you take oil purchasing away and hand him what he has to use, would he be spiteful, and crank up some engines with out oil? Then fill them, and say i told you not to use that oil blah blah blah. Would he be the type that causes damage as a response to not being in control of the oil choices?

You bring up a good point. There are some people who would do just that.

 

[Pelican]

I’m a fleet manager for a delivery company. Recently we expanded into another state and in this purchase came a mechanic and his apprentice.
He is a old school kind of guy, he uses what he’s been using forever, and it is not working. The equipment that came with this purchase is in rough shape.
A Ford V-10 with 85k on it is sludged up For example.
He has been buying the oil as needed at the most expensive place around. The oil he’s been buying is Mag1 which is a Warren Distributing dino oil and he’s paying $6/qt.
For the diesels he’s using Rotella or Delvac.
He is way over paying for the oil.

So I brought him a syn blend 15w-40 diesel oil and told him to use it in everything, he refuses to use it in the gas engines because, according to him, it will mess up the cam phasers and hydraulic timing chain tensioners.
He also claims it will sludge up the engines and that “they are rated for 5w-20 for a reason“

Now I’ve been using this oil in my gasoline engines for almost a year with zero problems. I have one truck closing in on 50k quickly and I am going to do a oil sample at that oil change.
The very first oil change there was oil consumption. 1 qt in 10k on the factory fill.
Now there is zero oil consumption. In the hottest dog days of summer the trucks used less than a quart in 10k.

The cam phasers are electronic.
I have zero timing/run issues. MPG is good for what we do (~8mpg)

Do I need to put my foot down and say use this or else?
Do I need to switch motor oil?

Also he does not go by miles for oil changes, he goes by “I have a system”

Any help would be appreciated.

Others have eloquently expressed their opinions and I have only one question, why Syn-blend? Either go full synth or stay with dyno.
The blend really doesn't give any appreciable advantage over dyno, only cost a bit more.

 

[Spike555]

Okay, I have read everyones comments and I will try and answer as many as I can.

Yes it gets cold here in West Michigan, these trucks never sit outside a heated building. They are unloaded at night and loaded in the wee morning hours. The drivers come in, fire them up and hit the road. It never gets below 50 inside the building. These trucks are all stop and go, they drive for ~45min to their territory and start delivering for 8-10 hours, then another 45 min expressway drive back to the station.
If they do sit outside, it’s only a handful of times a year at most.

As for “that’s a mechanical problem not a oil problem”, what do you think causes internal mechanincal problems? Using the cheapest oil you can buy you can still make a engine last 300k IF you change the oil BEFORE it wears out and can’t do it’s job.

I do buy the oil in bulk, I buy it by the pallet and store it off site, he freelances and uses the shop (several miles from the station) for this. He is not technically a employee, he is contracted to take care of and repair our equipment. I cannot be sure he will not use my supplies on other’s equipment. He came with the purchase.

Yes my boss knows of the situation, he has brought me in to help control costs. I was solely responsible for our equipment in our station, the mechanic for the one in Indiana.

Why a syn blend? Because that is what my distributor offers in this viscosity. They also offer a 10w-30 full syn but it costs more.
They also offer a 5w-40 full syn, but again…cost.

All of the Ford’s take the exact same oil filter, I buy them by the case. NAPA Gold, $55 for 12. Transits take a different one, I buy those Individually.

The problem with the Ford roller cam thingy’s is they were a bad design, those engines are known for dropping valves because of them. As soon as you start to hear what sounds like a exhaust manifold leak when hot, they need to be replaced ASAP.

No I did not demand he start using this oil, I bought it, said I’d like you to use this in everything except the Transits, he said no. I asked why not, he gave me his reasoning and said “I recommend this”.
I said okay, I will consider it, in the mean time I have provided him with some full syn 5w-30. Kirkland (Costco brand) which is made by Warren Distributing. But it is still more expensive and not tax free.

We are tax exempt. So parts and motor oil we do not pay taxes on. Not only is this mechanic buying fluids at the most expensive place, he is paying sales tax in a state that has a higher sales tax than we do.

Again, cold is not a issue.

I know that 15w-40 and 5w-30 is not that different when hot, especially after being ran hard for 10 hours in 100F heat.

I am slowly taking away his ability to buy fluids and filters and some parts. There is a truck with a bad MAF sensor, the only way to start it in the morning is by holding your foot to the floor while you crank the engine continuously for well over a minute.
He said the part was back ordered, I found the air filter clogged. So once that is replaced, we will see. His excuse is “I haven't had time”

Once I get him to do maintence on time, keep records and repair trucks in a timely fashion, I will then work on the motor oil.

I do praise these guys, this morning a truck failed inspection, he was on it and got it fixed in about half hr.
There are other times I have thanked/praised him. I have yet to say anything negative to him about anything.
All of the drivers do complain about him. Saying how he half asses everything and never fixes stuff.

He has one speed, and it’s not quick.

Thank you for everyones input. I really appreciate it.

 

[PWMDMD]

Sounds like it's time to establish the new hierarchy - whatever that is for your company. Who does he answer to and you can bet if it was me I'd be making it a point to be sure he follows orders or GTFO. I'm sure you can find another mechanic.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I’m a fleet manager for a delivery company. Recently we expanded into another state and in this purchase came a mechanic and his apprentice.
He is a old school kind of guy, he uses what he’s been using forever, and it is not working. The equipment that came with this purchase is in rough shape.
A Ford V-10 with 85k on it is sludged up For example.
He has been buying the oil as needed at the most expensive place around. The oil he’s been buying is Mag1 which is a Warren Distributing dino oil and he’s paying $6/qt.
For the diesels he’s using Rotella or Delvac.
He is way over paying for the oil.

So I brought him a syn blend 15w-40 diesel oil and told him to use it in everything, he refuses to use it in the gas engines because, according to him, it will mess up the cam phasers and hydraulic timing chain tensioners.
He also claims it will sludge up the engines and that “they are rated for 5w-20 for a reason“

Now I’ve been using this oil in my gasoline engines for almost a year with zero problems. I have one truck closing in on 50k quickly and I am going to do a oil sample at that oil change.
The very first oil change there was oil consumption. 1 qt in 10k on the factory fill.
Now there is zero oil consumption. In the hottest dog days of summer the trucks used less than a quart in 10k.

The cam phasers are electronic.
I have zero timing/run issues. MPG is good for what we do (~8mpg)

Do I need to put my foot down and say use this or else?
Do I need to switch motor oil?

Also he does not go by miles for oil changes, he goes by “I have a system”

Any help would be appreciated.

He sounds right to me on most points and you sound wrong and you are overstepping your job.
Your understanding of cam phasers is incomplete.
Maybe just direct him to find a less expensive oil supplier. Nothing wrong with Mag1.
but it should NOT be $6 a quart.
Don't micro-manage - I am sure you have other issues to deal with in you wheelhouse.

I am sorry to hit and run or for being be blunt, but I have to go to a Birthday party - it's not mine, though

 

[Warlord]

He’s contracted to do the work? How long till the contract expires? If it’s fairly soon then problem solved.

 

[Spike555]

He sounds right to me on most points and you sound wrong and you are overstepping your job.
Your understanding of cam phasers is incomplete.
Maybe just direct him to find a less expensive oil supplier. Nothing wrong with Mag1.
but it should NOT be $6 a quart.
Don't micro-manage - I am sure you have other issues to deal with in you wheelhouse.

I am sorry to hit and run or for being be blunt, but I have to go to a Birthday party - it's not mine, though

My understanding of cam phasers is complete. They are hydraulic with electric servo assist.
And they are not operational on our trucks, commercial applications come with the cam phasers turned off. Yes they are there, but they do not do anything.

i never said Mag1 was a bad oil, what I said was he is over paying and going WAY to long between oil changes.