I change my oil at 5k religiously...I haven't put a lot of miles on the truck lately (as I normally do)I changed it at 60k in MARCH and here we are in JULY and I'm almost to 64k. What I'm wondering is should I just stick to using the mileage as guide to changing the oil or should I use a month restriction too?
Do these Heavy Duty 15/40 Diesel engine oils (I use Rotella T or Delo) loose viscosity over time as well?

Should I do something like 5000 miles or 4 months whatever comes first??

Thanks,

JB

 

Recomended OCI intervals per the manual are 5k miles, Every 6-months or 200 Hours of engine operation, whichever comes first.

When a vehicle sits and is not driven much or driven for short trips the moisture and acids build-up in the oil and after awhile the oil additive package is no longer able to neutralize the acids that build-up.

 

Thanks for the reply blackhat620...Every 6 months?? Or 200hrs?? That's interesting... I wish they would have put an hour meter on our trucks!

JB

 

You'll likely get a lot of opinions on this. Blackhat is right and Ford still has a time element in their recommended OCIs. Many other manufacturers are going to "oil minder" type of recommended OCIs, where the change is calculated based on many engine operating conditions recorded during the current oil fill, and then the "% life left" of the oil is what is derrived. To my knowledge, I don't believe calendar time is considered in any of these strategies, and I also don't believe the oil breaks down with just time -- the ad pack either has the additives to deal with the contaminents, or they are depleted, and the contaminents are created mostly by combustion.

I wish I could find the article I read recently where a Sr. Ford person commented on Ford's lack of using these oil life monitor indicators like the others are going to, and his response was simply that they keep it this way as a convienience to their customers.

For what it's worth, I change mine based on miles only, I don't drive enough to do it based on time!!

My $.02 worth...

 

the 06-08 have an hour meter, follow your gut, 5,000 miles is the least 8000 is the most. but it all depends on where (climate) how (towing,crusing,idleing) you drive your truck. It takes awhile to dirty up 14+ quarts of oil. Its always safer to stay on the safe side.

 

With out steppin on anybody. My .02 is if you change on 6 months you probally saved yourself some money. That would make you changing your oil twice a year. Changing every 5,000 miles could have you changing your oil 2-3 times a year. On the shorter side then it did'nt cost you any more. Like I said worst case is it saves you money.
Befor I buy another vechile I have to have the budge to change the oil 3 times a year. I'm happy when I dont have to change it but every 6 months, thats money in the bank for me. I too wish we had a timer on our trucks. When pulling hay for hire I carry my 3 trailers. I drop off an empty and pick up a loaded trailer. I've only been pulling goosenecks since last october and I havent found a faster way to unhook and get up under another one. It takes me about 15 minutes to get out from one and pull of with another one. The biggest part of the 15 minutes is the truck idling while I jack up/down the trailers and hook up power.
I use miles/months which ever comes first and I pray its months.

 

The 05s have a hour meter too

 

I need to change based on hours, as I can put 10k on in 2-3 weeks.

As another note, my experiences lead me to believe that the anti-foaming agent of any oil used is a keep factor in deciding when to change.

I continue with the Rotela T 15-40; seems to be causing me problems after 5k on a regular basis, as my 6.0 has the surge/stumble/smoke issue that many are complaining about. Anytime I have had the stumble problems, or particularly stalls of the motor coming off he interstate after running for say 5-6 hours steady with load, an oil change has cleared the problem up. So I gave up chasing EBP, EGR and other things and focused on the high pressure oil circuit, the injectors they operate, and foamy oil in screwing up precise injector operation, not to mention a PCM that is trying to overcome the problem of foamy oil.

I haven't found a lot of information yet on exactly what I'm talking about, but me thinks that keeping the oil in tip top shape is the most important thing you can do for a 6.0

We're using regular old motor oil as a hydraulic oil in the high pressure circuit for the injectors; I would like to see some evidence that Rotella T can function in this capacity after miliage, time, heat, contaminants, and particlularly dilution.

I'm certainly no expert, I'm just looking to keep mine together long enough to pay for it.

 

JamCracker: quite a few folks subscribe to the "every 5k" OCI for some of the exact reasons you state -- the oil shears down quickly when put in this severe duty. A couple thoughts for you: try going to the new CJ-4 rated oil, as the API spec calls for improved shearing resistance; and here is another interesting thread on an "oil improver" some folks are having luck with, particularly when it comes to injector issues. Enjoy...

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...-additive.html

 

Beach said something I found interesting. I made a statement on how tecs have told me that oil additives will stop up filters and "starve" the injectors. I dont know how "thick" HHS is. It makes me wonder about using say lucas but not at 20% but maybe 10-15%. I know I've read the same thing on these boards where trucks would'nt start cause of additives. the tecs would change the oil and it would fire right up.

 

diesel_dan, thanks for the input.

I did a change five days ago that now has close to a thousand miles on it. I used the FL-2016 filter, and Rot-T 15-40, but I added a quart of Lucas Pure Synthetic oil stabilizer. at 300 miles my 04 6.0 was stumbling, surging, and puffing.

I pickup up a 10k trailer and things went from bad to worse; 2100 was the magic rpm for a cough and a puff of black smoke.

I stopped at an Advance Auto and ran the mickey mouse diag and got three codes

P0404 EGR Flow
CKT Range/Perf

P2285
Injector Control
Pressure Sensor
Circuit Low

P2287
Injector Control
Pressure Sensor
CKT Intermittent

The Rot-T is CJ-4 Compliant.

The EGR was replaced at about 25k after I had the truck a few months along with a PCM reflash, but the oil was changed at the same time.

Anytime I want to the beast to run well again, I change the oil. I think the Lucas was a bad idea. I'm going to change it again right now with another FL-2016 and 15qts of Rot-t 15-40.

I'll fill you in on the results in a few hours.

Thanks again.

 

I reckon if my numbers are right that qt of stabilizer made the blend 6.5%. If these engines are that picky I dont see where an additive will ever do any good. That is 1 15th of the total and if bad things happen to that cut there is no way you'll ever put anything in your oil and get by w/ it.

 

You need to change your oil EVERY 5k miles/200Hrs/6-months whichever comes First.

In your case the OCI should be every 5k miles even if that means once per week if you drive alot. The 6.0 unlike the 7.3 (or other engines with similar injector systems) uses a much higher oil pressure to fire the injectors. This leads to rapid shearing of the oil. This rapid shearing of the engine oil causes increased aeration and foaming of the oil resulting in pressure loss to the injectors do to cavitation at the HPOP, which leads to the poor performance you have experienced along with shortend injector life. Oil additives do not help extend OCI and in many cases cause oil related problems do to the additive haphazardly changing the chemistry of the oil.

There are many posts on this subject and many UOA results both here on FTE and at the BITOG website. Fresh clean oil of the proper API rating and viscosity for your driving conditions is very important for proper performance and injector life of the 6.0.

 

Thanks Blackhat, I've been pouring through a few tons of info on this and I'm thinking that a 5k window has been exceeded too many times in my case.

Thus I may be looking at replacing injectors now at 105k.

Thanks again.

 

I think my injectors are/have gone south due to a poor 5k oil change regimen.

Waht does anyone think of the AmsOil synthetic / filter system for the 6.0?