Anybody using this oil and what kind of mileage are you getting out of it? Thanks
Ron

 

I haven't run it in a while but I have seen some very good Used Oil Analysis reports from 7.3L's running Delo 400 LE. Ussually from 5,000-7000 miles between oil changes.

It is very good oil.

 

Its a good oil. Run it for 5-7,000 worry free.

 

The motor sound quieter already.

 

I would run it all the time if it weren't for those annoying romps. Wound up switching to T6 to eliminate them. My OA's always came back excellent, and well above averages. Wear metals were at very low levels and the additives remained strong. I ran 5k mile OCI's. Blackstone reports consistently said to run it out to 6k, but I never did. When I switched over to the T6, my wear metals trended upward, with iron going above average. This is at 6k mile OCI's. I just purchased some of the new Delo 400 5w40 synthetic, (which is currently on sale at O'Reilly's for $20), so I'm looking forward to trying that out on my next oil change.

 

Don't worry about the last oil analysis, when you switch oil brands you can see a temporary increase in iron & copper wear numbers........

 

Interesting. What is it in the switch that would cause an increase in those wear numbers? I was also looking at the zinc levels, which trended below average with the T6. The Delo always held strong and above average zinc. I know it has a role in wear metal protection.

 

I run Delo 400 in both my 7.3 and 6.0, both love it.

I'd been running Rotella before and my 7.3 would chew through it in 3,000 miles. With the Delo, I'm able to run a good 5,000 miles without issue.

Both engines also run noticably quieter and smoother too. It's good stuff!!

 

Tor, what do you mean chew through it? Did you ever get a OA done?

 

Never had one done, I just knew what the truck liked and what it didn't.

By 3,000 miles the truck would start to run rough and give me other signs that the oil was done and needed to be changed:

-Mileage dropping
-Poor Performance
-Mediocre power

The only oils it likes and won't rip through is:

-Castrol Tection Extra 15W40
-Chevron Delo 400 15W40
-Shell Rotella T6 5W40

 

It's been a few years but when I worked for Schaeffer's I talked to the head of the oil analysis lab about this a few times. It is not uncommon to see a temporary increase in wear numbers after changing oil brands. Not all oils are exactly the same so there is a slight chemical reaction that shows up in the UOA report. Nothing to be alarmed about and you should see a drop or leveling off of the wear numbers in the next UOA reort.

Also - Keep in mind, the values on a UOA report are not absolute, they can vary + or - 3 points.

What level was your Iron level at?

As far as zinc is concerned it is an anti-wear additive, current CJ-4 Diesel oils have @ 1100 ppm zinc levels.

 

Last OA on T6 had 26ppm iron, whereas all my Delo samples had 11-15ppm. The zinc was at 1232ppm, Delo averaged 1400-1600ppm. The other additive I noticed was boron at 128ppm T6, and Delo 480-500ppm. Moly was up there as well. Now, I realize these aren't huge deficiencies, but to me it certainly highlights the strength of the additive package in the Delo. The correlation to the wear iron seems logical to me, but I definitely look forward to my next OA to see if the trend continues or drops off. Thanks for your input. Reps sent.

 

The Delo you had in your UOA was the 15W-40 correct?

 

Yes, prior to the last two oil changes of T6.

 

My previous OBS and current SD like the Delo 400. As mentioned my engine is quieter.

Did get the romps a few times with extreme cold temps here, we usually don't get this cold. Couple of lite taps on the fuel peddle stopped it.

Never tried the T6 but may next winter.