Rotella 10w-30 Conventional

[The_Eric]

Originally Posted By: dnewton3
It's sad, but you probably have to tell folks they can get it, and not ask them. If you ask, they only know what they see on the shelf.


Ha! Not only that, but there have been occasions where I've called and got the proverbial deer in the headlights look... Um yeah, I don't know if we can get that (or I don't know if they make that), only to hang up, find the part number, look it up on their inventory then call them back and tell them the number and have them send it out! It's more trouble than I should have to go through, but it's worth it to hear the astonishment in their voice. The most recent was with a 10w-30 diesel rated lube from a local blender. The parts store in question carries a number of products from their line, but this idjit didn't know that he even had it.



Originally Posted By: dnewton3
Two years ago I saw the dino Rotella 10w-30 in stock, complete with the price/SKU tag on the shelf, at AAP in Alamosa, CO. That's the only time I've seen it on the shelf at one of the major auto-parts houses.


Just today in fact, I saw a customer at O'Reilly paying for 4 gallons of Rotella Tripple T 10w-30... Otherwise, I almost never see it around.

 

[dnewton3]

AS time moves on, I think we're going to see more and more of it on the shelf in many places. Since Ford now specs 10w-30 for the 6.7, it will become a bit more common place. As for the other brands (Ram, GM) it may take them a bit longer to convert over but they may well follow suit at some point. When that happens, it will be everywhere.

 

[Black_Thunder]

until walmart stopped stocking it here and swapped it for T5 thats were it could be found.

do they stock the 10w30 T5 there? it would be compared and the pricing isn't that much of a difference.


the only other places i've seen the conventional 10w30 is at Fleet Farm or Menards and judging by your location you won't have either of them there cause i think those stores are only in the midwest. have you looked online? sounds stupid but i've found you can buy almost anything from amazon.

 

[bbslider001]

Well, just a little update. I have never had an oil make a vehicle run significantly better or do amazing things. This change over to the 10w-30 is really no different except that my idle has been noticeably smoother on start up and my fuel consumption is better. My rear tank usually nets me about 220 miles per tank (14 gallons). I have been consistently getting 230 now, so that is somewhat better. Anyways, that is all I really have to report. Oh, and some say their 7.3s drink Rotella. I haven't used any yet. It's still full and clear as a bell. Maybe it isn't really a diesel? LOL

 

[Boczech]

Originally Posted By: cowhorse01
Well, just a little update. I have never had an oil make a vehicle run significantly better or do amazing things. This change over to the 10w-30 is really no different except that my idle has been noticeably smoother on start up and my fuel consumption is better. My rear tank usually nets me about 220 miles per tank (14 gallons). I have been consistently getting 230 now, so that is somewhat better. Anyways, that is all I really have to report. Oh, and some say their 7.3s drink Rotella. I haven't used any yet. It's still full and clear as a bell. Maybe it isn't really a diesel? LOL


Hey Byron just a heads up on the sale of Mobil 1 TDT 5w40 for $12.99 at AutoZone.


Cheers
B

 

[bbslider001]

Originally Posted By: Boczech
Originally Posted By: cowhorse01
Well, just a little update. I have never had an oil make a vehicle run significantly better or do amazing things. This change over to the 10w-30 is really no different except that my idle has been noticeably smoother on start up and my fuel consumption is better. My rear tank usually nets me about 220 miles per tank (14 gallons). I have been consistently getting 230 now, so that is somewhat better. Anyways, that is all I really have to report. Oh, and some say their 7.3s drink Rotella. I haven't used any yet. It's still full and clear as a bell. Maybe it isn't really a diesel? LOL


Hey Byron just a heads up on the sale of Mobil 1 TDT 5w40 for $12.99 at AutoZone.


Cheers
B


Wow, really? That is almost 50% off!! Nice find....thanks for the heads up! Cheers!

 

[dnewton3]

Glad to hear it, By.

 

[bbslider001]

A small update.I am still running this fill of Rotella 10w-30 and all is fine (no news there). We drove to Texas a few days ago and I netted 17.9 mpg on the first fill and 17.2 the second fill. Now, I did do some needed repairs and maintenance to the truck so that made a difference, but overall I am pretty happy with this oil and will continue to use it. I am doing 5-7k oil changes and don't see the need for analysis at this point. I checked my levels this morning after 1400 miles of driving and not a drop has been used and it still looks pretty clear. Anyways, loving this oil. I have thought about switching to the syn blend just because it's less of a PITA to acquire, but that means $12 more on my cost, but for the convenience, it might be worth it to me.

 

[Jim Allen]

Originally Posted By: cowhorse01
... but that means $12 more on my cost, but for the convenience, it might be worth it to me.


What is the syn blend running in your area? Here in Ohio, the Rotella T-5 syn blend 10W30 has been at $16/gal for years now. About a year ago it was on sale for $14. Easy access to the conventional here too at about $12.99/gal. What we can hardly find here vs CA is a wide selection of the DELO oils.

Thanks for the update.

 

[bbslider001]

Hey Jim, the cost here for the syn blend is the same as where you are it sounds like. I can get the conventional, but I have to chase it down and I don't like having to do that. By the time I go here and there, the savings has been used up in fuel. I am guessing the conventional price would be the same if it were sitting on the shelf at Wally world. I'll have to do a run of it and see how I like it. I swore off synthetics a few years ago when I was an Amsoil junkie/cult follower. I don't really wanna go back. I'll let ya guys know what I find. I'll be doing a change when I get back to CA so I need to decide this week. I'll have 5500 miles on this run at that point so it'll be due.

 

[dnewton3]

To be honest, Byron, in your area 15w-40 would do just fine as you don't have really cold temps to deal with.

I'd run just about any 15w-40 CJ-4 you can find on sale with rebate. Or the ST at Wally's is a great deal, too.

I'm a big fan of 10w-30 for colder areas, but moderate temps don't necessitate the thinner lube, even with HEUI. Your old 7.3L PSD will do just fine on the dino 15w-40 and you could save yourself some effort.

 

[A_Harman]

Were you getting that 17+ mpg while towing?

 

[bbslider001]

Originally Posted By: dnewton3
To be honest, Byron, in your area 15w-40 would do just fine as you don't have really cold temps to deal with.

I'd run just about any 15w-40 CJ-4 you can find on sale with rebate. Or the ST at Wally's is a great deal, too.

I'm a big fan of 10w-30 for colder areas, but moderate temps don't necessitate the thinner lube, even with HEUI. Your old 7.3L PSD will do just fine on the dino 15w-40 and you could save yourself some effort.


Good thoughts Dave. I thought about doing just that as well. I really like the mileage I am getting. My Texas trip from CA averaged 16.9 over all with 18.33 being my best. These were all hand calced of course. I'll prolly give the 15w-40 a run on this next change. I am guessing it won't affect my mpg enough to notice the difference.

 

[bbslider001]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
Were you getting that 17+ mpg while towing?


I wish I was!!! No, it was empty driving. I did 65-70 most of the time and had very little wind to contend with. My worst was 15.2, but that was a headwind day, so it figures.

 

[bbslider001]

Well fellas, a little update on my run of 10w-30. This time, I was towing our 34' TT, which weighs 10,500 loaded. WE took a short test run this past weekend to an airshow about 2 hours away. To get to El Centro, CA from Oceanside isn't bad minus the 6% grade climb for some many miles to get over the pass to get there. It was a perfect time to test all of my work and the oil to see how things go. I have an engine monitoring system that tells me trans temps, engine oil temps, EGTs, and that sort of thing. The truck is all stock with exception of an open exhaust, custom intake, and tranny cooler.

Long story short, all went well with the exception that my oil temps were through the roof!! I watched them slowly climb and kept backing off to keep them below 235*. 225* is getting scary, but I had to pull over 2 times and let idle back to a comfortable temp. I did two things to remedy this. First, I changed the oil to a 15w-40 Rotella. I did this in a parking lot of a WM so I could dump the old oil, recycle it, and put in fresh with little issue. No filter change. I still had another 2000 feet to go and it was a brutal 2000 feet. I hit the road again and my oil temps dropped drastically. It would stay right about 225* on the climbs and cool down to 185* cruising, so about 10 degrees cooler. I remembered I had a cooler thermostat with me, so I pulled over to a rest area before the last 1000 foot climb and changed it out. That brought the temps down another 8-10 degrees. So, now I was back to good temps and truck was running and pulling very well.

So, the moral of the story is, while lighter diesel oils protect more than fine, they get hotter under heavy load, at least in my case. I had a couple other guys with the same truck verify this. Now it may just be the 7.3 that has this problem so I don't want to make a blanket statement and say that all trucks running 10w-30 will experience the same issues I had. I am guessing the Dmax and the Cummins may not have this problem. For me though, it's back to 15w-40. I live in a warm climate anyways, so it isn't an issue. Figured this real world data and experience might help some.

 

[dnewton3]

Byron - the temps you describe (up to 235 degF) are no problem for conventional lube, regardless of grade. Even sustained 250 degF would not scare me. I'm not saying it's desirable; I want my oil around 200-225F. But it's certainly not something to panic over and change oil in a parking lot at 235F ...

However, as discussed previously, if your area is typical of your adventures and you don't go anywhere super-duper cold, then 15w-40 would be my preference, if only for the ease of availability. Being in SoCal really makes it easy to find a decent lube and run it year round.

I don't recall if your engine has a dedicated oil cooler like the newer diesel designs. If not, you might add a supplemental cooler if that is your concern.


Bottom line: you're happy, and that's what matters most.

Did you happen to catch any of the 10w-30 coming out for a UOA?
What were your EGTs and where is the probe located (pre or post turbo)?
What were your tranny temps? I don't recall if that E4OD has a lockup feature.

 

[bbslider001]

Originally Posted By: dnewton3
Byron - the temps you describe (up to 235 degF) are no problem for conventional lube, regardless of grade. Even sustained 250 degF would not scare me. I'm not saying it's desirable; I want my oil around 200-225F. But it's certainly not something to panic over and change oil in a parking lot at 235F ...

However, as discussed previously, if your area is typical of your adventures and you don't go anywhere super-duper cold, then 15w-40 would be my preference, if only for the ease of availability. Being in SoCal really makes it easy to find a decent lube and run it year round.

I don't recall if your engine has a dedicated oil cooler like the newer diesel designs. If not, you might add a supplemental cooler if that is your concern.


Bottom line: you're happy, and that's what matters most.

Did you happen to catch any of the 10w-30 coming out for a UOA?
What were your EGTs and where is the probe located (pre or post turbo)?
What were your tranny temps? I don't recall if that E4OD has a lockup feature.


Hey Dave, I agree with you on the temps and would not have thought they were an issue myself. A few others seemed to think that was pretty hot and that I should be careful. My Edge Insight also has a red zone and the 230* mark was in that zone. Now, they others didn't specify if that was dangerous for the 7.3 or for the lube. I would have thought 235 was not a big deal for an HD lube of any kind. Maybe I jumped the gun due to my own ignorance on oil temps. Truth be told, I never even considered them until I could actually see them. LOL I always figured, with my diesel trucks, that if coolant and EGT temps were good, then all other stuff was ok. My truck never showed signs of getting hot or behaved differently. I was actually pretty impressed that a 17 year old truck pulled that well and didn't OH or act differently.

To answer your questions, I did not catch any oil for a UOA. I now wish I would have. It does have a dedicated oil cooler that was replaced about 30k miles ago, so it should be good. My EGTs never got above 1150*, even on hard pulls, but it is all stock as far as fuel feed goes. The only mods are an open 4" exhaust, 3" downpipe, and an aftermarket dry filter intake. The tranny temps were the really good thing. The hottest it got on a long hard pull up the grade was 160*. I have an external cooler for that and it seems to be working very well. Coolant temps didn't get above the "R" on the long pulls either. So, as you see, all other parameters were really good which is why the oil temps were perplexing to me. Thanks for your input. At least in the future I won't panic as much. And you are right about the ease of getting the 15w-40. I didn't mind going to hunt down the other oil, but now it's one less thing I have to worry about. Rotella 15w-40, or any other is pretty much available all the time anywhere.

 

[ottomatic]

Originally Posted By: cowhorse01
Well, a little update... I bought them all and called corporate to tell them what a great help he was....


I also call corporate when someone is more than just doing the "job'. It really does help the employee. Especially if there is going to be a chance to move up. Awhile back I called Auto Zone. One of their employees went out of his way to put all the stuff I had bought over the years with a lifetime warranty under 1 phone number. I had been trying to have it done for 4 years @ different stores. Everyone said it couldn't be done.
He did it. He is now a manager. Most people only call to complain.
Calling does matter kudo's to you