i have a 1996 f 350 super cab dually with the powerstroke. i am getting ready to do the first oilchange since i bought the truck. i was wondering if amsoil was worth the extra money or should i stick with rotella t or mobil delvac?

 

Well, there is a huge debate about AMSOIL as a company. Some people don't care for their marketing and are a little dubious about the fact that they also sell things like vitamins. Other folks look past that and focus on the quality of the oil.

Whether it's AMSOIL, or Royal Purple or some other synthetic, though, I do think many people here have made the switch to synthetic. Then again, we have folks who have gone hundreds of thousands of miles on Rotella.

You didn't mention how many miles your rig has . . . that *might* be the only consideration for making the switch, but I'll leave it to someone more knowledgeable to comment on. I do think the bottom line is that as long as you do your oilchanges timely, you really can't go wrong with anything. Many of the folks who have switched to synthetic do so in order to run extended drain intervals with the proper filtration and oil sample analysis. If you aren't interested in getting into that, you may be content to motor along with Rotella.

 

As I see it, there is really only one legitimate reason to use synthetic oil - for extreme low temperature flowability. If you live in a northern climate, you may get some benefit from it in cold weather. Quality dino oils are quickly closing this gap, though.

Some guys also extend drain intervals, but you could probably do that with dino as well if you installed a bypass system and did regular sampling. You'll have to decide if this is worth the effort, I don't.

As far as Amzoil goes, don't waste your money, use the Delvac. Amzoil is nothing more than a MLM scheme dressed up as an oil company.

 

THAT's going to start a fight.

 

I've used the Mobil 1 0w-30 in my Expedition and love it. I've used Amsoil in the past and can't justify the added cost and hassle to get it. I'm not convinced it's that much better, if at all. One things for certain though. Synthetic transmission fluid is a must regardless of the brand name. Right now I'm using Rotella T synthetic in the PSD. I need to stay within the 5K oil changes to keep the warranty intact so it's not really worth the cost of Delvac 1 at this point. The Rotella syn. is about $12 bucks a gallon at Wal Mart compared to $20-25 for the Delvac 1. I think Mobil 1 / Delvac 1 is just as good if not better. The thing I like most about the synthetics is the higher cooking temp. of the oil. I think that running plain dino oil in a turbo is fine, but I like that extra cushion that synthetics provide. The lower viscosity certainly doesn't hurt in the winter either. The Rotella T synthetic is also a great oil, and for the price can't be beat. Once the truck goes out of warranty I will probably run the Delvac 1 and change it every 10k or so. I will certainly do oil analysis as well.
That's my 2 cents worth. Hope it helps.

 

Nah - only an Amzoil dealer would disagree with me. I would be more than happy to retract the statement if someone can prove me wrong.

 

Yes, Im quilty, I use amsoil. I do think they are a good oil. Is Mobil 1 good? absolutley! Even if amsoil is a little better like they claim to be, most of us wouldn't see the difference unless we were extremely neglecting and abusing our equipment. I stay with amsoil mostly because I really like the quality of their filtering systems. I do think they're tops in that. Just my .02
http://www.amsoil.com/products/bf.html

 

is it true though that once you go to synthetic you can not go back to conventional oil? has anyone tried rotella's synthetic?

 

That's not true.. Once you have gone Synthetic.. Depending on what brand you use. Some will allow you to just add dino oil to your synthetic and no need to flush. But most will reccommend that you do an engine flush before you convert back to dino. IMHO you can't go wrong with a good synthetic. they are the most efficient lube for your low RPM Diesel. But's that's just my opinion. there are many out there that may swear that synthetics will destroy your engine.

YMMV

Your Resident Foneguy

 

foneguy
what kind of synthetic do you use? or do you use dino oil?

 

Red Line 15 40 Diesel Specific Synthetic

 

I don't think you will have any problems at all switching from the major brand synthetics to dino or vice versa. You should even be able to add makeup oil of either type in a pinch.

I had always heard over the years that you should refrain from frequently switching brands of oil due to the differences in additive. I don't know if that is valid anymore or not.

If you want an expert opinion, check out the Lubrication forum, especially the postings from Flash, who is an industry guy and very knowledgeable.

 

I've used Amsoil in my '97 Jeep Cherokee which was built for off-road for 4 years & I never had problems in the engine or tranny. I just changed the oil & tranny fluid w/ Amsoil products & I can tell you that the truck runs better w/ it. Just my 2 cents.

 

One other thing!! An engine flush is not needed nor recommended by the leading oil companies.

 

yeah it makes alot of sense running synthetic oil beings that it doesnt disapate heat..