Best value 15w40 for 5kW Army generator

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I'm trying to find a cheap, yet good diesel oil for a Goodman Ball (now made by Dewey Electronics) MEP-952B, 5kW 28VDC Diesel Engine Driven Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) found on US Army tracked vehicles.
Figured these would be a good candidates:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Chevron-Delo-400-CJ4-15W40-Engine-Oil-1gal/16940138
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mobil-Delvac-15W-40-Heavy-Duty-Diesel-Oil-1-gal./17034368

The manual says this about oil requirements: MIL-L-2104, 15W-40 (0 to +120°F) aka OE/HDO-15/40. I know there are different MIL-L-2104 revisions, with MIL-L-2104K being the latest and pretty sure this APU was designed for earlier revisions (if any). Not sure what that translates to in API certification. MIL-L-2104E was API CD, but saw on Shell's T1 single viscosity oil that it was API CF. It calls for 300 hour service intervals and indeed burns/leaks oil. Thinking, instead of using junk oil the Army uses, replace with a "full synthetic" oil to get a longer service interval. 300 hours is only 12.5 days running 24 hours per day. Would like to be able to run for 720 hours straight with less oil consumption and better efficiency. If it only takes a gallon of oil, maybe I should get an Amsoil SS four-cycle small engine or diesel oil?

Some background on MIL-L-2104:
http://www.lsc-online.com/technolube-mil-prf-2104/
http://quicksearch.dla.mil/qsDocDetails.aspx?ident_number=3148
definition of high-temperature use limits for mil-l-2104 engine oils

It has a 290 cubic inch, four cycle, single cylinder, air cooled, fuel injected, horizontal cylinder 15 HP @ 3000 rpm and 27.4 ft-lbs @ 2000 rpm diesel engine. Compression is 19:1.
Oil consumption at 5.0 kW 0.04 ounces (1.0 gram) per kW hour.

It's alternator is a brushless, six phase, negative ground, externally energized, and self-rectifying. It's supplied with an external, solid state regulator with flat temperature
compensation, a twin fan assembly, and fan guard.
Output at 1000 feet elevation and 107°F is 5.5 kilowatts, 180 amps, 28 VDC at 3000 rpm.

459253d1456930609-can-we-create-forum-aircooled-img_6368.jpg

Can you believe new this thing is $40k?
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We ran our 5k generators 24hrs-a-day for up to 45 days at a time on the "junk" Army oil. MIL-L-2104, came in 5 tan gallon pails.

I don't see a reason not to use Rotella T6 and shoot for your desired OCI. A UOA would of course be a good idea.
 
In the midst of a Royal Dutch Shell marketing craze around here - been finding Mobil Delvac 1300 15w40 for good prices ... and there have been some sales on Chevron Delo - also a top notch HDEO ...
 
I have a diesel generator I think it has mystic 15-40 in it, its a nasty running mechanical injection. In a truck driver diesel doesn't bother me,this gen is nasty when it runs, I would love to see a uoa on it but its not worth it ino
 
I wonder about the rated oil consumption, if that's deliberate for injection pump lube or an accidental benefit.
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It's my understanding that our military samples oil regularly and uses it until it's quite done.

You might find with today's low sulfur diesel that you get more oil mileage as it won't get as acidic as quick.

I'd put cheap stuff in and sample it regularly to get a baseline (pardon the pun).

That's a neat rig. Will it charge an i-phone?
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The limiting factor here may not be oil quality per se but soot loading of the oil as well as to allow for expected consumption.
Therefore, any good HDEO 15W-40 found at Walmart will likely be as good as it gets.
Delvac 1300 is available at a good price as is Delo. You'll not likely see lower consumption with something like T6.
Since I can't see much use for 28 VDC around the house, I assume that you have an inverter available.
That'll give you around 45 amps at 110 VAC.
I find it hard to rap my mind around the concept of a 290 CID engine having but one cylinder and making only 15 bhp at 3000 revs.
Even a wimpy old four cylinder Mercedes diesel made 64 bhp out of 145 CID, although it did have the benefit of being liquid cooled and it did need more than 3K revs to do so.
How many hours were on this thing when you bought it? I'm also curious as to what this genset might cost as salvage, if you wouldn't mind sharing that.
 
Per the manual "Diesel Engine. The APU is equipped with a four cycle, single cylinder, air cooled, fuel injected, horizontal cylinder engine (Figure 1-4). It has a 95mm bore, a 100mm stroke, 709 cubic centimeter displacement, and has a rated output of 15 horsepower at 3000 rpm."

Those specs sound a bit more reasonable.
 
If it belongs to the government, then you use whatever oil they provide. If it belongs to you, then use Supertech 15W40 or the cheapest oil you can find.

Synthetic? No way.
 
That makes a lot more sense.
That is something that I can easily wrap (not rap :)) my mind around.
 
If you want the cheapest oil that meets specs, try a Tractor Supply or Rural King store near you. Otherwise go for the cheapest out of Delo, Delvac, Rotella and Supertech.
 
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Very cool "portable"! Probably not compatible with the Harbor Freight Tools wheel kit though.
 
Walmart has Delvac 1300 HDEO 15W-40 for only $10.xx a gallon, 26 for a 2.5 gallon jug.

You aren't really going to find a better oil any cheaper, anywhere.
 
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