Switch from Amsoil Diesel to Rotella T-6 or T-5??

[jcmseven]

I use Mobil 1 diesel synthetic in my 2009 Duramax. I am not a petroleum engineer (my dad was in the oil business, though) but I have had zero issues. The truck was converted to diesel synthetic at about 20K from conventional and gained an almost immediate 1-2 mpg increase in fuel economy and more of a difference on cold days. The newer Duramax engines (compared to my previous diesels) seem to start more easily and warm more quickly anyway, but I can say when cold there is a notable difference in how the truck runs and performs until fully warm. It is certainly noticeable. As for which is better, tough to say. I have no personal experience with Amsoil but have heard no negative comments. Though we each have our opinion, I cannot see any reason to go to Rotella diesel syn from Amsoil unless the logistics of getting the Amsoil have just become too daunting. Rotella oil, in my view, is good, value based oil that is readily available and therefore (even by me in the past) frequently used. Mobil has been in the synthetic market seemingly FOREVER, and there is something to be said for that experience. I have never heard nor read any negative comments about Mobil diesel synthetic, and though word of mouth has little overall value in this instance, chock me up as another satisfied customer. That is all I would run right now.

John M

 

[Diamondpilot]

I've switched most/all of my big diesels, including work trucks over to the valvoline premium blue full synthetic 5w40.

Seems to be a pretty darn good oil.. not sure where it falls in lineup with other diesel synthetcs though.

any opinion?

soundguy

You know, when you did this I went looking for that product. Its just not popular around here. When I did find it the quantity was very limited. Maybe 2-3 gallons in stock. Not even enough to change the oil in one of my PowerStrokes.

I am not sure how it lines up.

Right now I am using Castrol Synthetic and conventional oils in my trucks and tractors. I am using Mobil in my boats. The Craftsman riding mower and Genny get dino oil of what ever brand is on sale. This fall the oil changes for them was with Pennzoil.

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

my gas tractors and lawnmower get the 'sale oil too.. except one that rectly hung some valves. i put that one back together with store brand synthetic.

there is a cummins endorsement ont he bottle .. so I guess it can't bee too bad of stuff.

lord help me if walmart ever comes out with a syn diesel.. as they already have a syn gas oil. ( or would that be warren unilube that needs to come out with it.. )

I might be tempted to try it in my tractor diesels.

as you say.. 3-4g a pop for an oil change is a chunk o change at 26-35$ per gallon I see on most full syn oils..

soundguy

 

[sandman2234]

I am coming up on time to change my oil (5k) and plan on doing all the fluids, front to back, starting at the radiator and all the way to the rear end. This is my first service, and have no idea what oil is in the truck, other than it was serviced almost 5k ago. Knowing the guy that owned it, I have my doubts that he went synthetic, but it could have been.
Because buying oil isn't the cheapest thing in the world to do, and as a driver, I get "frequent fueler points" that add up to enough to purchase my oil at the truck stops I buy fuel at. I just started building them back up after a spending spree, but have enough to buy the Rotella T that they sell. I wasn't going to go synthetic, due to costs and the fear of breaking up old deposits that are holding the truck's engine together. Maybe I should reconsider, and put the synthetic (that the truckstops sell) back on the table.
I remember one of them sold Kendall synthetic, but didn't see any others, but really wasn't looking. They all sell the Lucas products to add to your oil change to make it "better" or last longer or stop leaking, etc. Heard good things about that additive, but mostly from truckdrivers, very few mechanics.
Maybe what I should do is go ahead with the current oil change to Rotella Triple and start considering the next oil change to a synthetic.
One of my neighbors is a mechanic and suggested synthetic in the rear end (and maybe the tranny???) Was going to "re-ask" him about that before this weekend.
(Truck is a 2000 Ford f350 7.3 with manual tranny @143K )
David from jax

 

[Diamondpilot]

I am coming up on time to change my oil (5k) and plan on doing all the fluids, front to back, starting at the radiator and all the way to the rear end. This is my first service, and have no idea what oil is in the truck, other than it was serviced almost 5k ago. Knowing the guy that owned it, I have my doubts that he went synthetic, but it could have been.
Because buying oil isn't the cheapest thing in the world to do, and as a driver, I get "frequent fueler points" that add up to enough to purchase my oil at the truck stops I buy fuel at. I just started building them back up after a spending spree, but have enough to buy the Rotella T that they sell. I wasn't going to go synthetic, due to costs and the fear of breaking up old deposits that are holding the truck's engine together. Maybe I should reconsider, and put the synthetic (that the truckstops sell) back on the table.
I remember one of them sold Kendall synthetic, but didn't see any others, but really wasn't looking. They all sell the Lucas products to add to your oil change to make it "better" or last longer or stop leaking, etc. Heard good things about that additive, but mostly from truckdrivers, very few mechanics.
Maybe what I should do is go ahead with the current oil change to Rotella Triple and start considering the next oil change to a synthetic.
One of my neighbors is a mechanic and suggested synthetic in the rear end (and maybe the tranny???) Was going to "re-ask" him about that before this weekend.
(Truck is a 2000 Ford f350 7.3 with manual tranny @143K )
David from jax

My opinion on a truck that old with that many miles and a unknown previous maintenance history is to just change it out with fresh stuff and call it a day. Does not have to be expensive stuff or even synthetic. Clean fluids will go a long way in that rig. Old joke by my Ex's father is SAE=Same As Everyone Else. Lot of truth in that. Its a government rating or certification and has to meet or exceed a standard set forth. So even WalMart, TSC, or any other house brand with that stamp will be just fine. The difference you are paying on lots of other brands such as Valvoline, Pennzoil, Mobil, ect is advertising cost.

Now if it were a brand new $60,000 F-350 I would pick a product and stay with it but for a older vehicle that has had a little of this and that in it why?

When is the last time any of us heard of a oil related engine problem? Same goes for filters. People bad mouth Fram and other brands but I have done 100 oil changes per year or more for the last 12 years and tons before that and 75% of the time I use Fram filters. I also use Pennzoil Filters, Quaker State Filters, Honneywell Filters, STP Filters, Napa Filters, Puroliator Filters, Ace Filters, K&N Filters, WIX Filters, and a few others and never had a single filter or oil related issue.

Chris

 

[SeymourBota]

I have no problem with Amsoil at all, and would continue using it, BUT to get it to me I have to become a dealer and that annual fee along with S&H is not worth it for the amount I use/yr.

You don't need to become a dealer- just a preferred customer. The price to add that subscription is made up with just $100 in orders (before shipping)

I stock up before my subscription expires and then wait out 6 months to a year before re-joining.

 

[lostcause]

My opinion on a truck that old with that many miles and a unknown previous maintenance history is to just change it out with fresh stuff and call it a day. Does not have to be expensive stuff or even synthetic. Clean fluids will go a long way in that rig. Old joke by my Ex's father is SAE=Same As Everyone Else. Lot of truth in that. Its a government rating or certification and has to meet or exceed a standard set forth. So even WalMart, TSC, or any other house brand with that stamp will be just fine. The difference you are paying on lots of other brands such as Valvoline, Pennzoil, Mobil, ect is advertising cost.

Now if it were a brand new $60,000 F-350 I would pick a product and stay with it but for a older vehicle that has had a little of this and that in it why?

When is the last time any of us heard of a oil related engine problem? Same goes for filters. People bad mouth Fram and other brands but I have done 100 oil changes per year or more for the last 12 years and tons before that and 75% of the time I use Fram filters. I also use Pennzoil Filters, Quaker State Filters, Honneywell Filters, STP Filters, Napa Filters, Puroliator Filters, Ace Filters, K&N Filters, WIX Filters, and a few others and never had a single filter or oil related issue.

Chris

i agree completely. there's always people complaining on how they know all the details on manufacturing and some certain brand is garbage and another is the best, but as diamondpilot said, how often do you see an oil related failure? i switched to a 5w-40 synthetic in my diesel because of cold weather issues, and not because of protection issues.

i always like to learn as much as possible, and a while back i went to the bob is the oil guy site and did a lot of reading. i think i came away knowing less than i did before i started.

i own a 6 year old foreign car that shipped with mobil1 and had always been serviced at a dealer until last year. i looked at the manual to see exactly what they recommended , and the basic requirement was any synthetic meeting the gm-ll-a-025 spec. if you actually look, the only mobil1 that meets that is the 0w-40. i know for a fact that many of those factory dealers and other lube places will use either 10w-30 or 5w-30 in oil changes, and it technically doesn't meet the requirements, but i'm not hearing of catastrophic failures anywhere.

in this case, it's only partly their fault. the other mobil1 oils used to meet the spec a few years ago, but us versions were changed at some point. i guess european oil standards are more longevity based and ours are emission based.i believe that spec has now been superseded by dexos and i think pretty much any of the mobil1 oils meets it now. first it worked, then it didn't and i guess it does again now, even though i don't believe there was a change with the new spec. the more i learn about it, the less i know.

 

[WilliamBos]

You don't need to become a dealer- just a preferred customer. The price to add that subscription is made up with just $100 in orders (before shipping)

I stock up before my subscription expires and then wait out 6 months to a year before re-joining.

Shipping is a killer. Wont run Amsoil unless i can buy it off the shelf.
Premium blue in the MF, and off the shelf syn in the truck.

 

[sw03]

Shipping is a killer. Wont run Amsoil unless i can buy it off the shelf.
Premium blue in the MF, and off the shelf syn in the truck.

Shipping a killer? How about your gas, time etc to go get your Premium blue? Just saying you are not looking at the big picture.

 

[kenmac]

Not really a killer ( at least here). A case shipped to you'er door for about 10 bucks.