Oil advice for 3500 Chevy Express Van

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Bluffton, SC
I have a 2007 3500 Express Van with the 6.0L gas engine. My wife and I recently purchased it with 39,000 miles on it. I have no idea what the previous owner was using for oil and have searched here with out getting a clear direction. The owners manual does not specifically call for a synthetic oil, only the vague GM6094m standard.

I am getting ready to change the oil and was leaning toward Durablend 5W-30. Engine does not consume oil, smoke, slap/knock, etc.

Any opinions about using a blend in this engine or going full synthetic?

Thanks
 
Is it being used for deliveries in/around the Hilton Head area? Being that it's hot as blazes there most of the year, and traffic on Rt. 278 is either speeding or stopped, I'd lean toward a full synthetic to put up with the frequent hard acceleration that van will be doing.

My fiancee worked in Bluffton for a year at USCB's Bluffton campus. I know the area decently.
 
If you follow the factory OLM a blend is great.

Run a short interval and use some MMO at the end for an initial 'clean start' since you don't know the history.

We have run dozens of the exact same vehicle into the ground and routinely get 250k miles out of them with almost no repairs at all.

I have one that runs perfectly at over 400k miles.
 
We service a van identical to yours. We use Durablend 5w30 and the owner runs it until the orange oil can with the wrench light comes on. I believe it is around 5-6k miles. I think you should be fine with that oil.
 
It's just our family van, but we trailer a boat as well and run our kids all over the place, etc.

I have been running Pennzoil Platinum in one of my other cars and have been happy, but it calls for synthetic. I always worry a little when the owners book doesn't out and out say "Synthetic Oil"

On a side note, a mechanic who I respect also has the same Van and suggested I run a 10W-30. He runs Pennzoil dino 10W-30. We do not see freezing temps that often, so i would imagine the 10W would do no harm?
 
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Originally Posted By: wittycow
It's just our family van, but we trailer a boat as well and run our kids all over the place, etc.

I have been running Pennzoil Platinum in one of my other cars and have been happy, but it calls for synthetic. I always worry a little when the owners book doesn't out and out say "Synthetic Oil"

On a side note, a mechanic who I respect also has the same Van and suggested I run a 10W-30. He runs Pennzoil dino 10W-30. We do not see freezing temps that often, so i would imagine the 10W would do no harm?


10w should be ok (see owners manual). My 3800s have 10w30 on the oil cap. I have been running 5w30 in the Regal for 2 years now. Everything from yellow bottle, platinum, and now Ultra. I drag it, so I think the 5w30 is plenty durable.

I'm sure you will be good to go though!!
 
AT 39,000 miles there is no need for any cleaners or other additives.

I belive that engine is spec'd for 5w-30? And any quality conventional PCMO will do fine; you don't need a HDEO for this application. That 6.0 is a great engine and has no lube-issue design concerns. If I'm not mistaken, it's still under warranty, is it not?

If you want to extend your OCIs, then you could consider synthetics. But you also should consider UOAs at that point as well.

I'd just do a quality dino PCMO in 5w-30 with the OLM, and not worry about it; all will be fine.
 
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