john b
anywhere USA!
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Joined: 11/07/2001
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JEBar
I too use 15 /40 Rotella and change between 3 & 4 thousand miles. I was introduced to Rotella or its predessor about 50 plus years ago as a friends Dad owned road excavating construction Co. They swore by it and I remembered that, in the 70s & 80s several of my friends were driving over the road equipment and were using it also and so did just about everyone they knew. When the time came for us to have our diesel I first read Fords requirements for oil & length of change intervals and then went looking for my long time friend Rotella! I use only name brand well known long standing filters, motorcraft, Fram, Wix, Baldwin and will continue to as I see no need for me to dump 75.00 worth of any other type of lubricant in the waste container. The main issue is good quality oil and filter and regular change intervals to have a happy running & living engine! The statements made about the Fram filters astound me as they have been around about the longest and I recently witnessed the manufacturing process of their filters and quality control and it is amazing that the rocks can be thrown at them. I have heard the fact that they are in walmarts they are substandard, and that is hogwash as I get my best price on motorcraft filters at Walmart as they have the best price available to me about 3.00 less than the ford dealers quote wholesale IMO!!!
* This post was
edited 09/19/03 05:47pm by john b *
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M GO BLUE
Southgate, MI
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Joined: 01/29/2001
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I asked before but did not get an answer...
I use Rotella T Multigrade 15W-40 during the warmer months but owners manual says to use 10W-30 during the colder months (less than 30 degrees F but 15W-40 is okay down to okay down to o degrees F)..
Does anyone and/or do I need to switch to 10W-30 during the colder months here in Michigan?
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john b
anywhere USA!
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I am straight west of you about 150 miles and I run RT 15/40 year round! My unit is garaged! Our extreme cold is not very long or very often so I Go with it year round!
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DMoneyAllstar
Ohio
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Joined: 09/19/2003
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I think any cost reduction project with hard engineering & statistical data backing the change, makes for a good change.
I know FRAM gets beat up repeatedly for their paper end discs. But, a poorly bonded metal end disc is just as bad as a poorly bonded paper end disc. I won't tell you that paper end discs are BETTER than metal, but I will tell you that I believe paper end discs function equivalently to metal end discs in the applicatioins they're designed for. If that weren't true, you'd see FRAM out of business by now because of shelling out $millions in engine failures.
If a paper end disc costs 1/3rd that of a metal end disc and still fulfills its function, then where's the problem? You make a perfectly functioning product and pass along some cost savings internally, to your customers, and to the end users. The problem lies in consumer perception: "It's made of paper, so it must be inferior." I think too many people conform to that fallacy before realizing that the paper end disc technique has been proven time and time again.
Most aftermarket fillers are built per the test results of the OE filters; most likely test results the aftermarket company acquired internally through competitive testing or the like. Every company will generate their own "OE" data if that data isn't readily available on the open market.
I'm not trying to prove that FRAM filters are better/worse than anyone else, as everyone has a right to their personal opinion and everyone is loyal to their preferred brand. I'm just trying to defend the FRAM brand and its product as being "just as good" as its competitors. FRAM makes a good filter in my opinion, paper end disc or not. And I've never had a problem with them.
And Wal*Mart puts product on it's shelves according to how much income they can generate per square foot of that product. They buy what will sell and make them the most money, not necessarily the "cheap stuff".
I somewhat remember seeing a bulletin about FRAM filters and the Cummins 5.9L engine from one of my diesel shop customers. I don't remember what that problem was pinpointed to, or if FRAM was held accountable.
Now onto to oil...a less controversial subject. 
I run synthetic oil in the winter and synthetic-blend in the summer (in Ohio we have hot summers and cold winters). I've seen cold tests of regular oil versus synthetic oil. At sub-freezing temperatures (well below 32F), regular oil starts to thicken like honey, whereas synthetic oil retains its viscosity ("flowability") and flows as if it were at room temperature. The regular oil gets VERY thick at sub-zero temperatures. Not something you want when you start your cold engine in January. You only change your oil a couple times during an Ohio winter, so spend the extra $5-$10 on synthetic oil and take some stress out of your oil flow.
Dan
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Beagle
South Carolina
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Joined: 03/08/2003
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Your local parts store will in some cases rape you on the cost of oil. Go to Wal-Mart and get either Chevron Delo 15w-40, Mobil Delvac 15w-40 or Shell Rotella 15w-40. All are excellent oils used by truckers everywhere so they are easy to find on the road. They have been proven to provide superior protection and with proper oil changes you should get 500,000 miles or more. Use a good quality filter such as Fleetguard or Baldwin, Mobile 1 and Wix are good as well.
The 10w-30 should only be used in the winter when temps are below 20 degrees F. I would also not do much towing with it even though the manual does not say this.
Living here in North Dakota where the temps in the winter get -30 or lower, a lot of people continue to use 15w-40. Their rational is that they don't need to switch because they use the block heater. I can't bring myself to do this so I switch as soon as I store the camper which is around mid to end of Oct depending on temps.
2002 F-350 CrewCab, 4x4, LongBed, Powerstroke Diesel
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