DELO oil

[Les Hurdle]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OTQAv-_zf8

   Hi Folks

Went to the auto store to pick up the trusty old Delo oil............ only synthetic available............ then I see the video above.

So, what to use in my Caterpillar engine ?

[Tom Cherry]

Read your manual.  Call CAT and get the SAE or the SPEC NUMBER for the oil.  Then research.  TYPICALLY Shell Rotella or Blue Valvoline will work...but look at the specs...others like others.  DO NOT put in SYNTHETIC....Some do...  I don't recommend it for an older engine....stick with what works.

[Les Hurdle]

I sure did Tom............. problem is only synthetic round here now.

Have to go on the hunt

 

[windsorbill06]

Les,

I'm running into the same problem down here.   I've gone on line and ordered it.  

[Les Hurdle]

I needed it today so will run with another brand, but it's the end, 600 synth I guess from now on.

I'll call Quin tomorrow.

[Rikadoo]

So im thinkin buying some left over stock an let some others go thru the learning curve, its truely a sad day😥to see that of things that were so much the gold standard in the day get taken away without so much of a thought to the people who were the ones that got them there!!!

[Les Hurdle]

Ha........... I'm in the music biz.... {{without so much of a thought to the people who were the ones that got them there!!!}}....... happens all the time ;-))

I'm going to mix with the Shell stuff for now and then next oil change decide then.

L

[Tom Cherry]

3 minutes ago, Les Hurdle said:

Ha........... I'm in the music biz.... {{without so much of a thought to the people who were the ones that got them there!!!}}....... happens all the time ;-))

I'm going to mix with the Shell stuff for now and then next oil change decide then.

L

FWIW

ANY GOOD AND KNOWN BRAND OF MOTOR OIL THAT IS THE SAME SPECS AND WEIGHT AND FOR DIESELS.

For example...  Monaco was getting a Kick Back from Texaco for specifying THEIR PRODUCTS...Straight from an INSIDER.

So, my first OIL CHANGE....what do I DO.  NEW MH.  BUT... I bought it NEW from a Dealer.  He agreed to have it serviced (it was driven 3200 Miles and was in Florida).  So... OIL and LUBE and have a Cummins FREE ECM update installed....there was ONE outstanding on the engine.

He took it to a local Cummins Dealer.  PROBABLY put in the BLUE Valvoline....since I HAD NO IDEA.

OK....next year.  MY TURN.  What OIL to use.  I went back to the Manual.  Found the Texaco EXACT OIL.  Tried to buy it LOCALLY.  The oil spec and type was a carryover from many years ago.  FINALLY, a Texaco distributor told me.  This OIL is NO LONGER MADE in the US Market.  It is NOW a South American Oil.  What I GONNA DO? IMPORT IT?  

OK....my late FIL was a farmer and always ran diesels.  He SWORE by Shell Rotella.  So, I put in the Shell Rotella Diesel that matched the specs of the Texaco.

Do that for a year or two.  THEN Tractor Supply starts carrying the Blue Valvoline that Cummins sells.  DONE DEAL.

I switched over to it....that was maybe 12 years ago.  NO ISSUES.

SO...  My THINKING.  Whatever the SPEC and Weight and for a DIESEL that is in your manual....  THAT IS THE SPEC.

BUT, if you really want to do it right.  Call a CAT DEALER.  Tell them the year and SN of the Engine.  Buy it from THEM.  You can't go WRONG.

OR...  Buy Shell Rotella or the Blue Valvoline.  After all this is a DIESEL ENGINE.  It needs a DIESEL ENGINE OIL.  Some folks MAY have other brands that they trust.  That is great.  I trust Shell because my dealer said it was a great oil and they used it, unless a customer had a specific brand and they bought it.  I always buy my own oil

BUT...NO SYNTHETIC....

Does Chevron NOT make a diesel OIL that meets the specs that are in your manual....OR you can call CAT and get the specs....

[Les Hurdle]

Hi Tom, thanks.

My trip starts today so little time [Moho was in the shop for 2 months only just go it back] there is a Quinn dealer near me so will call first thing.  However, as a pal said yesterday, better some oil than none.

L

[Benjamin]

Reminds me, somewhere I have a Mobile one synthetic can, CARDBOARD CAN, it had been hanging around and I finally realized, that's one rare item.  I would have never guessed the cardboard cans overlapped Mobile one's introduction. But this isn't the second half of the 20th century anymore, "synthetic" doesn't mean just PAO.  Synthetic and semi synthetic oil is mostly just a "cracked" or chemically treated dino oil.  So I don't see any reason not to use a semi synthetic, beside price. 

[Les Hurdle]

Hi Benjamin

But surely not mix match. mineral with synth?

 

[Rikadoo]

Guess i spent too many years as a young lad working for the likes of Ryder, hertz pensky working on the long haulers. Those companys choise was always Delo in part to the amount of miles there fleet ran was there oil of choise… I know i will change, we all will, however for me it wont be without a lot of kickin, screaming and of course as of late, BITCHIN😡

[Jim Wallace]

I picked up a 5 gallon pail of Delo 400 last week from my local Tractor supply. The last one they had. I also add 1 gallon of Lucas heavy duty oil treatment as well. Probably will switch to Valvoline Blue next year. Safe travels

[Les Hurdle]

Just spoke to the lady at Quinn............ they of-course have their own brand !!.........  the story apparently is;

3126 B/E. Switching bands no problem re top up as long as the 15-40 state is maintained [mineral] Switching to full synthetic at oil change is ok.    Not sure I'm that brave but will switch to Rotella or ?  and STOCK UP.

 

[dl_racing427]

I run Rotella T6 synthetic in all my diesels. 
It's a little more expensive, but the protection, and cold-weather flow-ability is worth it to me.

[Benjamin]

2 hours ago, Les Hurdle said:

Hi Benjamin

But surely not mix match. mineral with synth?

 

For top up, I'd use semi synthetic of the same brand before a different brand.  I agree, you usually want to avoid mixing oils.  My point was "synthetic" doesn't mean what it used to mean.  The rumors of oil seals failing from synthetic, if they were ever true with PAO, probably aren't true with seals that were made ten years after the original rumors started, and not with current dino "syntheticized" oils. 

If I was starting an engine every day through the winter, I'd use T6 or other 5w40 also, but I don't.  If I ever finish working on it, I might start it a few dozen times a year, on half a dozen trips, mostly at mild temps. 

[diplomat don]

I would like to add a little info to this discussion. I am a retired 43 yr career truck driver with about 4 million miles experience, a lot in British Columbia so mountainous terrain. I bought our present coach in BC from a retired heavy duty mechanic and shop foreman from a major trucking company in central BC. He had synthetic oil in the engine at that time, however when I next had the oil changed I went back to regular oil as Cummins manual said synthetic OK but don't extend mileage between changes so thought why spend extra dollars. Upon later talking to former owner asked why the synthetic and he explained that his former company had been testing with Cummins on extending service intervals with synthetic. These trucks hauled super B trains grossing 140,000lbs. What they were doing was going recommended mileage, testing oil, and if good just spinning on a new filter and keep running. I found this interesting so next change I went to synthetic, however I from my experience don't change on timeline, I change by mileage. I personally saw in my career saw the advantage to synthetics when the company I drove for went to synthetic gear oil in the differentials, grossing 105,000lbs pulling a long 6/7% grade the diffs would be 300 degrees, however after going to synthetic they would only reach 200 degrees. That sold me on synthetic gear oil. So this is something to ponder on, I don't recommend extending extending the mileage between changes but I found this info to be very interesting so thought I would share.

[dl_racing427]

22 minutes ago, diplomat don said:

I would like to add a little info to this discussion. I am a retired 43 yr career truck driver with about 4 million miles experience, a lot in British Columbia so mountainous terrain. I bought our present coach in BC from a retired heavy duty mechanic and shop foreman from a major trucking company in central BC. He had synthetic oil in the engine at that time, however when I next had the oil changed I went back to regular oil as Cummins manual said synthetic OK but don't extend mileage between changes so thought why spend extra dollars. Upon later talking to former owner asked why the synthetic and he explained that his former company had been testing with Cummins on extending service intervals with synthetic. These trucks hauled super B trains grossing 140,000lbs. What they were doing was going recommended mileage, testing oil, and if good just spinning on a new filter and keep running. I found this interesting so next change I went to synthetic, however I from my experience don't change on timeline, I change by mileage. I personally saw in my career saw the advantage to synthetics when the company I drove for went to synthetic gear oil in the differentials, grossing 105,000lbs pulling a long 6/7% grade the diffs would be 300 degrees, however after going to synthetic they would only reach 200 degrees. That sold me on synthetic gear oil. So this is something to ponder on, I don't recommend extending extending the mileage between changes but I found this info to be very interesting so thought I would share.

I wouldn't drastically extend mileage on synthetic on a diesel.  I run it for the extra protection.
Diesel oil can thicken as it accumulates soot, and soot particles are extremely abrasive to bearings.

I do run long drain intervals on my daily driven cars, 10,000 miles on my Focus and Grand Marquis, but they get driven on the highway regularly.
I run Mobil-1 in my gas engines, and run 5w30.  I stay away from those 20w oils, they're just recommended due to CAFE fuel economy regulations.

[Ivylog]

1 hour ago, Jim Wallace said:

 Probably will switch to Valvoline Blue next year. Safe travels

You must put a lot of miles on if you change your oil every year?

[Les Hurdle]

The advice is to change every year to keep moisture at bay.............  cheap insurance.

Diesel oil can thicken as it accumulates soot, and soot particles are extremely abrasive to bearings.

 

The video I enclosed was from Delco.  'ashless'. is this the same as soot?

[Ivylog]

Not sure why I bother but until you start oil sampling before changing your oil, you’re throwing perfectly good oil away. Granted I have the advantage of oil sampling for 50+ years and have never had an oil related failure in thousand of hours…used to buy T4 in 55 gallons drums for less than $300.

There's not any moisture in an engine’s oil that works hard (40% power or more) most of the time…isn’t driven 2 miles to church on Sunday.

I sample around 10K miles (usually at 2 years) and based on the results change in another year around 15K…could go longer. Below is the results for my 08 Navigator…last sentence “Feel free to run this oil another 2000  miles”.

Edited Friday at 07:03 PM by Ivylog

[Benjamin]

Ashless is not the same as soot. Soot is the carbon gunk that gets into the oil from the exhaust, think the black soot you used to see out truck tailpipes, or the stuff you see out of the hotrod diesel pickups these days.  Ash is mineral content of the oil, very bad for catalytic converters as it builds up, and/or inactivates the surface with metals.  If you burn the oil, the ash is left behind, just like any other organic material, the carbon and hydrogen burns off, but the minerals are left behind as ash. 

[Jim Wallace]

6 hours ago, Ivylog said:

You must put a lot of miles on if you change your oil every year?

About 6k a year. Not out of line with most people, I would think.

But now that I see your oil report, maybe 18 month intervals will be OK. My oil report a year ago, showed perfect numbers with 5700 Miles on the oil.

Edited Friday at 10:39 PM by Jim Wallace

[Ivylog]

Jim, guess a 50% increase is better than none but I go 100% more (at 10-12K miles) and then sample. 

Edited Saturday at 01:03 AM by Ivylog

[Idoc57]

Another good diesel oil that you might consider is Mobil Delvac 15w-40 synthetic, Extreme. You can get it from Walmart.com for $99 for a 5 gal bucket.  I'm pretty sure that shipping is free too.  I bought my last bucket for $89 on sale.