Cheap oil PSA

[chillman88]

Anyone who has a Runnings store near you, at least my local one has 5gal pails of 15w-40 on sale for $39.99 and I was lucky enough to snag a Rotella filter (FL-1995 equivalent) on clearance for $6.49. Couldn't pass it up at that price!

 

[Cubey]

Anyone who has a Runnings store near you, at least my local one has 5gal pails of 15w-40 on sale for $39.99 and I was lucky enough to snag a Rotella filter (FL-1995 equivalent) on clearance for $6.49. Couldn't pass it up at that price!

I thought the Rotella filters were garbage? I got a bunch a few years ago for like $2-3/each, but I never used any because folks here (or maybe on BITG) said they were horrible quality.

 

[Cubey]

Hmm... seems to be mixed opinions. Maybe they're fine.

This thread generally praises them:
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3769712/1

While this one dumps on them:
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...a/Search/true/rotella-oil-filters#Post4838165

I guess I'll dig them out of my truck and stash em in the RV.

Supposedly Fram is garbage but millions of people run them, as does/did my mom and she never lost an engine, so..

 

[1992 idi 73]

I don't know about the filters but, Rural King Is the place for cheap Rotella, you can find it for under 20 bucks a 2.5 gallon jug with a online rebate, Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

 

[chillman88]

I thought the Rotella filters were garbage? I got a bunch a few years ago for like $2-3/each, but I never used any because folks here (or maybe on BITG) said they were horrible quality.

Yeah I've heard mixed things too. I'm not terribly worried about it. If something bad happens sure I'll let everyone know but I won't lose any sleep over it until then. If I literally lived in my truck like you I might be a little more fussy.

Thanks for the heads up though!

I won't even buy Fram filters after their problems. I've heard they cleaned up their act but still....

Heard through the grapevine Purolator (who I've heard makes the Rotella filters) was having issues at some point but I've run their filters for years without issue

 

[chillman88]

I don't know about the filters but, Rural King Is the place for cheap Rotella, you can find it for under 20 bucks a 2.5 gallon jug with a online rebate, Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

Yeah none of those around here sadly.

 

[Cubey]

Yeah I've heard mixed things too. I'm not terribly worried about it. If something bad happens sure I'll let everyone know but I won't lose any sleep over it until then. If I literally lived in my truck like you I might be a little more fussy.

Thanks for the heads up though!

I won't even buy Fram filters after their problems. I've heard they cleaned up their act but still....

Heard through the grapevine Purolator (who I've heard makes the Rotella filters) was having issues at some point but I've run their filters for years without issue

Yeah, the Purolator link is why I ended up never using any. I will go grab one out tomorrow maybe and have a look at it. They've been stored in a plastic box in the camper on the back of the truck, so they should still be clean and usable. I have at least 3 or 4 of the things, so it would be save a good amount of money to use them.

 

[chillman88]

Yeah, the Purolator link is why I ended up never using any. I will go grab one out tomorrow maybe and have a look at it. They've been stored in a plastic box in the camper on the back of the truck, so they should still be clean and usable. I have at least 3 or 4 of the things, so it would be save a good amount of money to use them.

If I was in your shoes I'd cut one of them open and look at it real good. I heard the issue was poor crimping of the pleats? If it looks good after cutting it open and messing with it, doesn't pull out of the crimps, I'd run the other ones without fear.

At least you would have a little peace of mind that way.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I won't even buy Fram filters after their problems.

I'm the same way. To me, they're at the top of the "do not buy" list.

 

[chris142]

Fram filters are not that bad. People complain about the non metal end caps but they work fine. Frams paper even in the cheaper filters is very good.

 

[CDX825]

Purolator makes the oil filters for motorcraft. Ive had a couple FL1A and one FL1995 with torn pleats so no more Motorcraft or purolator filters on my vehicles.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

The worst that I've found on new filters was two that didn't have any threads to screw on to the engine. The first was while I was working in the shop installing these engines. I didn't realize it until I had the filter full of oil and couldn't screw it on underneath the truck. The customer brought in his own oil and filter. It sure made a mess trying to transfer as much of the oil from one filter to the other (I had to install one of the ones we had on hand). That made me start checking each filter (oil and fuel) before I paid for it. I did find one for a gas engine in Wal-Mart one time. 20+ years later, I still keep the habit of opening the box and checking for threads. I found the one in Wal-Mart in the early 2000s and haven't found one since, but seeing that I live about 70 miles to the closest one, I could save myself a lot of headache by finding a bad filter while I'm still in the store.

 

[Rug_Trucker]

Hmm... seems to be mixed opinions. Maybe they're fine.

This thread generally praises them:
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3769712/1

While this one dumps on them:
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/foru...a/Search/true/rotella-oil-filters#Post4838165

I guess I'll dig them out of my truck and stash em in the RV.

Supposedly Fram is garbage but millions of people run them, as does/did my mom and she never lost an engine, so..

Little bits of paper will plug the sprayer holes under the pistons on the Gen1 Cummins.

Step daughter had one collapse on a Chevy Lumina back in the day. It ate the crank. Her stupid boyfriend at the time bought another one for her '68 Galaxie

I am thinking many of the filter brands will be made of genuine Chinesium. Read the label I guess.

On the Buicks I use Delco off the Walmart shelf.

 

[Cubey]

If I was in your shoes I'd cut one of them open and look at it real good. I heard the issue was poor crimping of the pleats? If it looks good after cutting it open and messing with it, doesn't pull out of the crimps, I'd run the other ones without fear.

At least you would have a little peace of mind that way.

I'm just gonna stick one on my F250 soon and use it without worrying about it. The truck hasn't had an oil change in 2 years and I'm a bit short right now due to buying the tools (bottle jack, bigger stands, axle saddle for the jack) and all parts (seals, shoes, spindle nuts, brake hardware) to fix the RV's leaky D70 wheel seals.

The truck's oil was last changed in early 2018. Then I drove it from AR to SD (towing to SD but not back) then from SD to the TX panhandle, down to west TX, then back to AR in early 2019 (750mi beyond the OCI on the sticker I put) and then I parked it for a year.

Yesterday, I ordered the 4 gallons of TSC Traveler oil for $35 w/tax since it was only a few dollars more vs buying 3 gallons of WM SuperTech oil. I just have to 2-3 weeks for it to get to the store for pickup. Shipping to home would have been in the insane cost of $115.99 for 4 gallons of oil, so I picked store pickup.

 

[Cubey]

Oh, and to bring things back on topic.... the 5 gallon bucket of Traveller oil is potentially $39 right now. I say "potentially" because TSC prices actually do vary by location. It might be more expensive at your local store.

For mine, it's $39:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...t-15w-40-diesel-engine-oil-5-gal?cm_vc=IOPDP1

In West TX, the sale price for Valvoline Prem Blus was $12-13/g while it was $10/g in East TX.