Re: Which oil is king? -ALL BRAND NAMES!
Richard:
This thread is getting tediously long but...
I read that Powerstrokes leak, their slow their noisy, cummins are better, duramaxes are better, etc.
It's just like the "King of Oil" It's whatever you are happy with, that's called "freedom of choice" and thank goodness we live in America so we have that freedom.
Now on to this....
Someday, I am going to start a thread on my Powerstroke. I bought it new in 1997. It's a crew cab, long bed 4wd. I knew the warranty was going out the window right away as soon as I started wrenching on it. Anyway, here are the mods..
ORU shackle reversal and front axle flip.
Energy Suspension Urethane bushings throughout
Custom machined roller bearing spring mounts (I own a machine shop too)
Drive line completely greasable including upper and lower knuckles
Super U universal joints throughout
Oil bath front hubs (custom machined by me)
6" lift
Detroit lockers front and rear
Air lift rear bags with on board compressor
Hayden 12 pass swirl cool transmission cooler
Jet E4-OD with B&M prototype valve body and deep sump pan (courtesy of my brother-in-law and Ford SVO, Dearborn, Mi)
Complete Gail Banks Kit on the engine and custom re-working of the turbo by me. Maximum boost, 29 pounds.
Complete gages Trans temp, boost, oil temp, pyrometer, oil temp and oil pressure.
5" straight exhaust.
I think I listed all the mods. This truck will run out at the red line on the tach. With the Jet, It goes into lockup firewalled at 80 mph. It will flat smoke the tires and I run 305-75-16 All terrain TA Ko's. The one two shift will chirp the tires and every shift is very and I mean very firm, including lockup.
We put the truck on the dyno (My day job employer has a 2000 hp dyno that I can use)
The Ford made a little over 350 ponies at the rear wheels at an indicated 60 mph in direct (we locked the od out). The hard part of the dyno run was keeping the truck from jumping as it shifted. We had it chained to the floor through the receiver hitch.
The best part...I average 20.1 mpg highway and I have 4:10 gears.
Being an old fart, I don't do the stoplight thing, but if I get goaded a little, I don't mind mopping up a Dodge or a Chevy or another Ford. Not very often though, I already know I can wipe 'em out.
Remember, when a manufacturer rates the horsepower and torque of an engine, whether it is Ford, GM or Daimler, they rate Flywheel horsepower. Real world horsepower is what the rear wheels put to the ground. Your average driveline loss is about 20%
I also haul hay with it. I have a tandem axle gooseneck that I regularly haul 17-20 round's on. I was concerned about transmission temperature, but it never goes above 210 degrees.
I think about a new one, but the old one is too good to sell, besides, I don't want to do all that again.
And I do use Delvac in the engine and Dexron III Mercon in the trans. Nothing fancy, no additives, no junk. Just regular changes and filters. I do change the trans fluid every 12,000 miles and the filter too.
My powerstroke leaks too, but it's my fault. When I modified the turbo, I replaced the o rings in the inlet-outlet oil lines with Caterpillar o rings, should have used the International part!!!
Now, the Ford bashers want to talk about leaks, my Caterpillar 3406-E leaks too. It leaks from the back of the head and runs down the side of the block. The air compressor leaks oil too. Even $12,000.00 engines leak oil!!
