1998 Dodge Ram Oil Suggestion.

[George1992]

Hey guys! First post here so bear with me,

Looking for an oil for my 1998 Dodge Ram, heres the details

1998 Ram

152,000 Miles

5.9 L (360) Gas / Automatic
80/20 Highway/City

I use the truck for my 45 mile each way commute to work in the summer about 3 days a week. About a 1-2 mile trip to the interstate then 70 mph highway for 35-40 miles then about 2 miles of city driving.

I bought the truck with 117k out in Phoenix AZ.

Used Mobil Super 5000 (10W-30) until 135k (Changed every 3-4k) with a Mopar filter. (mo-90)

Have been using Mobil 1 Extended Perf. Since then. (10W-30) Mopar filter changed every 6k

No oil consumption no leaks. Engine is very clean inside, the PO did a good job on maintaining it!

Maybe its too thick? I don't know haha, looking to see if this is the best choice for my engine. I want to stay synthetic.

Just got the blackstone lab kit will do that when its time.

Heres a pic of her!

 

[MBS500]

Welcome!!

I would say watch promotion and sales forum here and hunt free or near free oil. Same for filters. Chicago winters can get cold, so I would use 0/5w-30 yearlong and 10w-30 only in summer, if you have a stash of it or only this grade is on sale.

 

[95busa]

10w-30 is the mopar spec for magnums. It will be fine.

 

[NHHEMI]

That 98 is in great shape. I had a couple of the 2nd Gen 360 Ram's like that( 1997 and 2001 ). 10W30 is a good choice. Keep using what you are if it isn't broken.

If you really want to change then look at Valvoline Maxlife or Kendall HM oils. With that many miles an HM is a good choice even if it doesn't leak or consume oil. It will help keep it that way.

45 mile commute with that truck though = OUCH at the gas pump. You must get about 12-14 MPG.

 

[SLCraig]

Looks great.
One of my favorite pickups of all time!
If I had that truck I would be running a 10w30 syn as well so I would not worry at all.

Although with your usage pattern you could probably run anything and it would also be fine... Easy miles.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Looks like a nice truck! Not sure I'd want to keep gas in a 360 that drives 90 miles a day ...

 

[Darren270]

I drive a 97 Ram with the 5.9L. It had nothing but Castrol GTX in it till around 170,000 miles. I switched to Pennzoil Ultra for a couple of changes, but now that its impossible to find around here, I went back to conventional.

Currently using Mobil Super 10w-30 and its about to hit 200,000. My driving kind of mirrors yours. My daily commute is 40 miles round trip on the highway. Only occasionally drive in the city.

I personally would stick with conventional, but since you want to stay synthetic I would just continue using the Mobil 1.

 

[Donald]

Looks like my 1999 but clean. Keep with the M1 10W30.

 

[BAJA_05]

My 2000 Ram with the 5.2 Magnum Motor cant differentiate between the 10-30 & 5-30 I run in the winter season. Motor seems to luv the Pennzoil Platinum but the first 2 oil changes were severely dark at 4000 mile intervals. I use the P1 that I got a stash awhiles back when it was buy 1 get 1 free. Truck looks super sharp and clean minus the rust & im sure that AZ. weather prolonged the body. Many of the Rams of the 2nd Generation around my parts have rust at the bottom of the doors or around the wheel wells. Nice truck, keep up the good work!!!

 

[cptbarkey]

i love these trucks. always a bargain too. dump any 5w30 or 10w30, cheapest you can find that isnt in pqi's naughty list.

 

[AmishFury]

had a 96... was not even remotely picky about oil

put whatever brand you want in it as long as it's 5qts of *w30

you could dump supertech in there and the only difference you would notice between it and M1 is the extra money you have for beer

 

[George1992]

Wow thanks for all the reply's guys!

I've been an avid reader for sometime, and finally decided to start posting.

Just wanted to ask with all the talk on here of the new lower viscosity (ie. 5W-xx/0W-xx) oils that I wasn't behind the current recommendations. 10W-30 it shall stay then since its not driven Nov-Mar.

I will see after my UOA about extending the OCI, no need to throw away money!

I searched all of Illinois/Wisc/Indiana for a ram and like was said boy do they rot bad! This ones still got the black paint and stickers and chalk marks on the frame! Wheels are from an '08.

Its a nice ride and cold A/C but yes on the highway I get about 14-16 mpg, about 10-12 city.


I have a '98 Cherokee I have some oil questions about should I ask in this thread or start a new one?

Thanks again!!

George

 

[Brons2]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Looks like a nice truck! Not sure I'd want to keep gas in a 360 that drives 90 miles a day ...


Amen to that. I had a 2000 Ram 4x4 with the 5.9 gasser purchased new and it got 11 around town, 13-13.5 on the highway. Only had it about 6 months, a victim of my divorce. It was a great truck when gas was cheap but it wouldn't have stuck around long when prices started going up.

 

[KCJeep]

Originally Posted By: George1992

I have a '98 Cherokee I have some oil questions about should I ask in this thread or start a new one?

George


New thread! Nothing like a good Jeep thread ha ha.

But you might do a search first, oils for the Jeep 4.0 have been discussed a lot here.