Oil for 02’ Dodge Dakota

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Good zebening folks. Friday afternoon I’ll head to my hometown to get dad’s old Dodge Dakota pickup. Last he changed oil was last December and he put ST 10w30 and a Baldwin filter on it. 101k on truck and it’s clean and in good shape. I’m leaning towards a 0w40 or maybe throwing some of my HPL 5w30 HDEO in it to see if it cleans anything out. Dad usually changed oil around 4,500 miles. Engine is the 3.9 V-6

Thank You everyone
 
I leased two Dakota’s (‘98 & ‘01) during my college years, they were cheap.

Ran 5w30 Valvoline Conventional. Good small truck, either of your options would excellent.
 
Good zebening folks. Friday afternoon I’ll head to my hometown to get dad’s old Dodge Dakota pickup. Last he changed oil was last December and he put ST 10w30 and a Baldwin filter on it. 101k on truck and it’s clean and in good shape. I’m leaning towards a 0w40 or maybe throwing some of my HPL 5w30 HDEO in it to see if it cleans anything out. Dad usually changed oil around 4,500 miles. Engine is the 3.9 V-6

Thank You everyone
that Dakota wont be picky on anything labeled 5 or 10w-30
 
I would run 5W-30 Pennzoil High Mileage blend. I would be concerned that HPL or similar would clean so well that you may start to have leaks.
 
The Mopar 3.9l has always called for 10w-30 from the factory (I've owned 2). 10w-30 or 0w-40 would be fine in that engine.. I love that engine, it's a sleeper.
Since I have 3 gallons of ROTELLA T5 I could use that. Doubt it would hurt. Or I have 3 gallons DELO 15w40 blend also.

It would be spare driver vehicle.
 
Ram M1 5w30 in my 02 Durango for its entire life I drove it. It wasn’t fussy on oil. It did have the 4.7 tick which is not oil related IMO.

Just my $0.02
 
Ram M1 5w30 in my 02 Durango for its entire life I drove it. It wasn’t fussy on oil. It did have the 4.7 tick which is not oil related IMO.

Just my $0.02
We found a 5 gal pail of Delvac ESP 5w40 near his metal lathe. It’s not opened. I may grab that Saturday. I may make post on the 50’s era lathe in his garage.
 
Good zebening folks. Friday afternoon I’ll head to my hometown to get dad’s old Dodge Dakota pickup. Last he changed oil was last December and he put ST 10w30 and a Baldwin filter on it. 101k on truck and it’s clean and in good shape. I’m leaning towards a 0w40 or maybe throwing some of my HPL 5w30 HDEO in it to see if it cleans anything out. Dad usually changed oil around 4,500 miles. Engine is the 3.9 V-6

Thank You everyone
What's your oil running temperature and expected coldest start temperatures?
 
I’ll have to report back on oil temp. Coldest start would maybe be in teens as southwest PA doesn’t get bone chilling cold that often.
It gets colder than that in new Mexico and I run 5w-30 oils mostly which don't hit 6,000 cP till like -22f.
Do not crank temperature for 5w is around -35f, depending on the oil.
 
I had a 92 with the same engine bought new. Ran recommend it oil for 1st 100,000 miles. By then it was using a quart ever 1000 miles. Changed valve seals and a qt lasted about 4000 mi. Changed to Rotella T5 15/40 at about 150,000 mi and used it until I sold it. It had about 285,000 miles when I sold it to my son who put another 100,000 on it when he sold it. Only put 1 alternator and 2 water pumps on it. Clutch throw out bearing fell apart around 225,000 mi, but clutch and pressure plate still looked good.
That's when I learned to have someone near by when under a vehicle. Lost control of the transmission putting it back on. Was pinned by it for about an hour.
 
Here’s what owners manual states.

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