Cummins 5.9L 10k UOA Rotella Syn

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Here is my Blackstone analysis with 10k on the oil and 125k on the engine. Planning on keeping this oil in there until UOA says otherwise.

MI/HR on Oil 10,062
MI/HR on Unit 125,015
Make Up Oil Added 3.5 qts

ALUMINUM 1
CHROMIUM 0
IRON 10
COPPER 2
LEAD 0
TIN 0
MOLYBDENUM 0
NICKEL 0
SILVER 0
TITANIUM 0
POTASSIUM 2
BORON 5
SILICON 3
SODIUM 0
CALCIUM 3311
MAGNESIUM 9
PHOSPHORUS 1172
ZINC 1418
BARIUM 0

SUS Viscosity @ 210°F 72.6
cSt Viscosity @ 100°C 13.64
Flashpoint in °F 430
Fuel % Antifreeze % 0
Water % 0
Insolubles % 0.2
TBN 7.9
 
Awesome.

You know, this Rotella synthetic seems to be outstanding oil. I've mixed a single quart in with some other oil in 2 cars now and it stopped the startup rattle in both of them.
 
CI-4+ huh? No CJ-4 in those make up quarts right? Gotta get me some of that CI-4+ for the old SBC! Thanks for the post but I'm with JAG what's with the near extra gallon in make up all about?
 
Outstanding report. Simply awesome. Let's not forget, though, that the OilGuard has a lot of credit due here. Keeping ANY oil clean with bypass systems is the key to fluid longevity. The bypass deserves as much praise as the RTS. Together, they are a fantastic team, as evidenced here.

I'd keeping running this until the TBN gets low. I know that Blackstone says 1.0 is low, but I'd buffer that just a bit at maybe 2.0 or 2.5?

Don't see why, at this point, 15k miles wouldn't be doable. Obviously if contamination would become a concern, then that would change the implications. But presuming all stays in the same shape, you should be able to easily hit 15k. With "synthetic" and bypass, I suspect you can safely go well past 15k miles, but at that point UOAs become a must, on a regular basis. UOA's cost a bit, but the info gained can outweigh the "cost" involved at times.

Also agree that nearly a gallon of oil for make up is quite a bit for 10k miles. Depends on the use factor, though. If you're towing or otherwise working the engine hard, that would explain it. Or, are you changing the bypass filter often, and having to make up the fluid?

Regardless of where the oil is going, the engine itself seems to be wearing very well.
 
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Yeah its CI-4+. I stocked up at Walmart earlier this year so I'm set for a while.

The 3.5 quarts of make-up oil are because I'm using a Motor Guard bypass filter. I change it out every 3K and add a little over 1 qt. of make-up oil to replace what came out with the filter. Its definitely not using all that oil!!

With this system I'm doubtful I'll ever have to drain the oil since I effectively replace a 1/3 of it every 10K miles. That should be enough to keep the TBN and additives up where they should be. I'm going to keep doing UOA so I can keep an eye on it though.
 
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Originally Posted By: Camu Mahubah
Originally Posted By: Steve S
Seems about good as it can get.


Yep. Surprised me how good. Don't think I'd go past 15k though.
Why the TBE is 7.9 The wear numbers are low. via uoa results the oil could go way longer. That is the advantage of syn oil and bypass filter. I would say the oil could run the 10,000 oil change interval with out the bypass filter.in fact any current dino could go 10,000 miles with out a bypass filter. Anyway syn oil and a bypass filter is about extending the oil change intervals ansdif you are running a bypass filter and syn oil and not taking advantage of the reason for what they are for then it is a waste of money.
 
As usual, dnewton3 echoed my sentiments almost a tee...
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great numbers with low wear and good viscosity
Shell does this with very low boron and NO moly.
says something for the base stock

any towing? stock engine, hp and torque?

silicon is way down there for a diesel air sucking turbo. what air filter?
do you attribute the low silicon to the bypass?

3.5 qts make up oil for bypass change

that works out to about a 35k miles OCI

gonna put Shell out of business
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convinced me to put a bypass filter on my Cummins 5.9 GenIII
 
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The engine is pretty much all stock, only thing I've done is put on an Edge Mileage Max Module (which I've been pretty pleased with BTW), and the oil and coolant bypass filters. I just recently put on a 2-micron fuel filter after hearing about people loosing injectors and pumps to dirty fuel.

My air filter is a K&N. I've been a little apprehensive about the K&N as right after I put it on I found out with those filters air flow = great
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but filtering = not so great.
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However it looks like its doing a pretty fine job from my low silicon levels.

I haven't done much towing with my truck so far. Right now its the only vehicle I've got with more than two wheels so mostly it just get used as a daily driver.

I'm not sure if the bypass filter is helping keep the silicon done but I'm sure it not hurting it.
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I would dump the K@N air filter . You have a real engine use a real engine filter. You engine unless modified gets all the air it needs with the oem filter.
 
Yeah I know the K&N is probably not the best thing as far as filtration goes. However its what I got and its paid for so I'm probably going to stick with it for a while. My truck pretty much gets only freeway miles so dust shouldn't be too much of an issue. I'm going to keep an eye on my silicon levels and as long as they stay low I'll stick with the K&N.
 
If you are going to go aftermarket with the air filter in your Cummins, the only two that meet OEM filtration requirements are AFE Proguard 7 and S@B progressive 8 layer, IIRC...
 
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