I'm posting this here in the 7.3 forum because I know of a couple of folks in here who are either considering or planning a change to the Schaeffers. Otherwise, I would have posted in teh Oil & Lube forum. So, here goes....

I have to say that I have been impressed with my switch over to the 5w40 synthetic oils in terms of how the engine really quiets down with it, and now even moreso with the new batch of Schaeffer's.

On a related issue, after 10 months of running Diesl Kleen in every tank, I have just recently been running without it in order to get a clean start on a similar long term run on Stanadyne for comparison. I've also been ending up my 12K mile run on Amsoil DEO 5w40 synthetic. Through this "transition time", I have noticed the engine getting a little more "clattery" and what I call more deisel-like again.

Well, just last night, I changed the oil and put in my newly acquired Schaeffer's 9000 series 5w40 synthetic. Took longer than a typical oil cahnge because I had to first fix my 6637 filter connection which had come loose once again, then troubleshoot which electronic module is going out under the dash with its fast clicking and engine disable affect, then had to re-route one of the bypass filter hoses so I could swing the filter down more easily to change out the bypass element.

Once everything was buttoned up, we started the engine up and I was really surprised. Either the engine is really running more quietly than ever before, or I'm suffering from bad memory regarding how the engine sounded when I first put in the Amsoil DEO back in January, or the DEO had broken down enough in the past month to where it wasn't holding its own anymore, or some combination of the three....

I can't believe how smooth she runs now! From idle to 3000 rpm, the sound is smoother than anything I recall since I've had the truck! And I haven't even started running the Stanadyne yet!!

The oil itself, for those who don't use it, has a blackish-greenish tinge of color to it. It's not the typical "honey colored" oil that I'm used to seeing. It also has a completely different odor to it, being not nearly as "petroleum pungent" as what I'm used to with all of the other motor oils I've ever used. In fact, this morning after a short 15 minute trip down the road, my 14 year old son said that the fumes coming from the exhaust and CCV hose are different from what they've been until now.

I can't wait to see how this oil performs over the long haul. I forgot last night to get a sample of it for my baseline testing at Blackstone, but I still have two gallons left over and will get that sample today when I get home from work.

Have any of you other Schaeffer's users noticed this difference that I'm talking about? I'm assuming that you've also seen the color and noticed the difference in odor as well?

 

if it performs that well in a PSD, what do you think it will do for a 7.3l IDI?

 

I would think, right off the old bean... "no problems".

 

Are you saying you ran the oil 12,000 mile's or you ran it a couple of change's =12,000 mile's.

 

Actually, I just re-checked my records, and I ran it 13,500 miles. My 6K mile oil analysis revealed excellent wear metal composition, maintained viscosity, and good levels of additives still in the oil, so I ran it longer, hoping to get to 15K. My 12K oil check revealed that the oil had run too long, and it took a couple of weeks for me to get my new Schaeffer supply in hand to do the oil change. Even at that point, all my wear metal compositions were below International's recommended limits, but I wanted to change it out anyway.

My plans on the Schaeffer's run is to check at 6K miles and if all is OK, run to 9K miles and check again. I would like to be able to run 12K OCI's if I can, but may end up in the 8-9K range. Once I make this run on Schaeffers, I want to make a similar run with Rotella-T 5w40 and then choose between the Schaeffers and Rotella for the long haul "winner" for my engine and stick with it.

Once that is decided, I'll start changing my bypass filter element every other oil change and see how that goes.

Hopefully, I'll be settled down on OCI lengths, oil brand, and bypass filter element change intervals within about 2 years from now (or, 40K miles, whichever comes first).

 

Pete Where do you buy the schaeffers. Im gonna give it a try.

 

I had to go to their website and do a "dealer search". If you order either $300 or $500 worth at a time (can't remember which) , you can order straight from Schaeffers. For lesser volumes, however, you have to find a dealer, and you have to order either 5-gallon buckets or full cases of gallons or quarts. The price I got was ~$95 for a full 6-gallon case of gallon jugs, which works out to a hair over $15/gallon - a lot less than I paid for the Amsoil, but not much if any more than you'd typically pay for Rotella-T.

Here's the link for Schaeffers.
http://www.schaefferoil.com/

Hope that helps.

 

the reason i was asking ,my oldest son had a 2000 7.3 and traded it for a new 2003 6.0 4&1/2 year's ago and he did the long oil change thing on both truck's with the bypass extra filter's with amsoil and his 7.3 never ran as quiet as mine and his 6.0 never ran as quiet as his brother's 6.0 and we all do the blackstone thing,the youngest son and the ole man(me) both change @ 5000 mile's useing mobile delvac 15/40, blackstone tell's me the oil can go to 7500 mile's,but I still change every 5000 mile's, and i'm starting to see that folk's that go for long change's seem to have noiser sounding motor's,seem's every time you do a oil change the motor run's quieter and run's smoother,I'm thinking that the fact you changed the oil has more to do with your truck running quieter than the brand of oil you switched too, more so with all the mile's you put on the oil, BTW he just traded the 6.0 for a used 05 expy to get out from under the thing,to many issue's and just turned 100,000 mile's and dident want the repair's on his $$$$$$$$$$'s, let the flameing begin,got my fire suit on

 

I understand exactly what you're talking about in terms of the "new oil" helping the engine sound. That's why I left some room for a "bad memory" to be the reason behind why it sounded so quiet. I have to say a the same time, though, that even before I changed the oil, the little bit of "diesel clatter" I was beginning to hear I was much, MUCH less than what I hear from other 7.3's that pull up next to me at the pump. So... that said, even when my engine begins to get a little noisy, it is already at a lower noise level than most others due to some other changes I've made to my truck (CCK, Hutch, and HPX).

 

Shaeffer's is a great oil. You are right when you say it sounds quieter. Last week I had to have an oil changed by a dealer because I am in a back brace from fusion surgery . TODAY my brother came over to put Schaeffer back in for me. It makes a world of difference.

 

Thanks for the link Pete.

 

My shipment of 9000 should be here this week. I can't wait, im several hundred (possibly thousands) over my oil change interval.

 

You dumped oil a week old, what a waste, and how much did the dealer charge you to change it,all money down the drain, i've seen a guy with over 400,000 mile's on dino oil in my RV park delivering an rv for a woman who's husband passed away,looking at it the other way i guess you could say you did an engine FLUSH to get the sludge out of your engine from the long drain interval's you run,glad it's your motor and not mine,we all have our opinion's,mine's oil's cheeper than barring's,I should just stay off of here,I see/hear thing's on here that I can't believe.

 

I think that'd benefit all of us.

 

You got it, some folk's just have to learn the hard way,so have at it,i've been around while some of you were still someone's wet dream,have a good one and hit the boss up for a raise,your going to need it for part's. Have a good one,poppie