Following my thread about Rotella synthetic in SD general category https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...happening.html, I’m posting here to get some insight into what oil you guys recommend. Anyway long story short Rotella synthetic 5W-40 that I always used is gone from Wal-Mart floor. That leaves me two choices:
#1
Go back to conventional: If so, what are the repercussion, will the engine behave badly? Will it leak?
#2
Stick with Synthetic by paying $25 a gallon at Autozone. This seems rather expensive, any other synthetic brand you guys recommend? What have you used?

 

They won't even order it in for you anymore?
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I switch back and forth all the time, depending on what I need to use the truck for.
If it's just local stuff and very low mileage, short trips, I use non-synthetic because there is no way that I will rack up the miles before it's time for a change.

 

The Wal-Mart answer was "I don't know sir".
So, it is OK to switch to conventional now? I change oil every 3k miles regardless.

 

You'll never need synthetic changing it that often.

 

WM still has syn. I just put some in mine -- "Rotella T6":
Finally ...Rotella T6 5w40 at WalMart... - Bob Is The Oil Guy

 

I think T6 is not available anymore. they have Synthetic blend-T5 and conventional only.

 

Quite a waste to run syn at 3k intervals...

 

Probably not available in that particular store. All my Wally Worlds switch over last winter to T6 and so did the auto chains. They all been about $19/gal around here. Is there another Wal Mart to look for it?

 

Actually you would be surprised, I have been to more that 5 WMs so far. I found one single 1 gal bottle at one store. Autozone has it too but the price is $25/gal.

 

How often do you recommend syn oil change?

 

Also, note that I put in 6-7K miles on this truck per year. So I change oil once every 6 months/3K miles.

 

About 8k min... but if your only driving the truck 6-7k a year I would just leave dyno in it and change it at least every 4 months... You can run that oil you take out in your lawn mower, car, crap like that so you dont have to waste it, but it will bugger stuff up to just leave it sit.

 

My mileage situation is the same as yours. I drive between 6K and 8k per year. I get conventional 15-40w DELO 400 through Costco at 10 bucks a gallon. They also carry the DELO 5-40W synthetic as well

 

I would just change the oil once a year then. Any more than that, and I'd be nervous. But 6 or 7k on syn over a year isn't too terrible. I mean jeez, we leave trans & diff fluid in for years, in some cases the life of the vehicle.

 

If you live in CA, the temps are relatively mild I'm guessing. Why do you think you need synthetic?

Switching over to dino will not have any affect on your engine and will not cause any leaks.