oilchange
 

Is there one oil that is better to use in my 2003 SD 7.3. I have always had the oil changed and the prices are skyrocketing, so , I thought I would change the oil and filter myself. Thanks as usual. Bob

Shell Rotella Full Synthetic 5W-40 Motor Oil, 1 gal. - Walmart.com

This is what most use.

Hi Bob,


There are so many different options, but it does seem most run Rotella. That is what I used until last year, ran into a great deal on several gallons of Mobil Delvac so I have been running that. Some folks run synthetic, some just regular. The important thing from what I gather is to use the correct rated oil for the diesel engine. You shall receive a lot of input on this subject I believe, but we shall see.

With the oil catching so much abuse from the HUEI system on our trucks the two main things are the oil must be diesel rated and changed at recommended intervals. I use Conoco/Phillips Fleet Supreme which is the same as Motorcraft.

I'm not brand loyal, I select name brands, conventional in the summer, synthetic in the winter for cold starting. Whenever it's onsale I buy what I can.

The good thing about our trucks is you won't need to raise it for the job, but you will need a catch can that can hold almost 4 gallons. Also, when you loosen the oil filter, the oil cooler right above it will drain out around the seal and make a mess. Many of us punch a hole in the bottom of the filter, letting it and the cooler drain completely, maybe 3 quarts right there.

I am considering switching to the Rotella Full Synthetic next change, do I need to empty the hpop reservoir or will that little bit of dino be ok mixed in with the new synthetic?

As mentioned, just make sure the oil meets spec. I've run Rotella, Delo, Valvoline Premium Blue, Movil Delvac. Never had a problem with any of them. Used oil analysis came back fine on all of them from Blackstone.

Just change it when you're supposed to.

No need to empty the hpop reservoir. You're not going to get all the oil out of there or get the oil out of the rails anyway. The synthetic and dino will mix just fine and won't hurt anything.