Oil Change intervals?

[Cat235D]

Am i right by reading in my manual 15k?

 

[steved]

Am i right by reading in my manual 15k?

Yep, light duty is 15k, heavy duty is 7500.

I was changing in 5k intervals before I installed a bypass filter, now I run to 10k.

steved

 

[Cat235D]

Thanks for the reply, i think i will go with 5k also. 15 seems high to me

 

[***]

Thanks for the reply, i think i will go with 5k also. 15 seems high to me

That's what I usually do. just change it around 5k or so. I don't believe in going 15k miles without changing the oil.. but then I don't even have 15k miles on my 04 and its over two years old now.
Still looks fresh as the day I drove it off the lot... I just wish it still had that new truck smell.

 

[sle2115]

As I have said before, Ford is in business to sell cars and trucks. They can't sell you another one until this one wears out! I change all my stuff at 3,000 to 3,500. My last 4 cars/trucks were sold with over 3,000,000 on gas engines with no major repairs, so I will just keep it at every 3,000 on dino and 10,000 on synthetic in my daily driver. I have changed the oil twice in my 6.9 and haven't put 3,000 on it since owning it! I pull with it most of the time and just feel better changing it every so often.

 

[cdennyb]

Run an analysis at 5K, if it looks good, go to 15K, if itstill looks good go to 20K.

I change my oil when it needs changed, not on a predetermined schedule set by a maintenance suggestion.

I run the 2500 bypassfilter too, so if you don't you might want to start.

db

 

[cdennyb]

That's what I usually do. just change it around 5k or so. I don't believe in going 15k miles without changing the oil.. but then I don't even have 15k miles on my 04 and its over two years old now.
Still looks fresh as the day I drove it off the lot... I just wish it still had that new truck smell.

you have to stop farting on the seat to keep that new smell. LoL

 

[sle2115]

Not sure I understand that logic. I can change the oil for what the analysis costs and be sure I have good oil in there!

 

[cdennyb]

how much do they charge you!!???

I can't understand why I would drop $30+ to change oil when an analysis is a little inconvienent but it only takes 3 minutes to wrap the sample up and mail it off to our local caterpillar oil testing lab and it costs me $9.00 (the mailers are free). I can sample the oil 3 times for less than $30. and it saves me 100$ on oil changes.
what part of that math isn't right?

 

[***]

I think that makes sense, $ wise. if you're doing extended change intervals etc. just seems like a lot of work to me though.

 

[cdennyb]

don't take any time at all.

Let's see. If I change my oil and filter(s), I spend about 5-10 minutes going and getting the oil from the storage shed. Then I put the truck on the ramps after going and finding them (my kids must've been using them and forgot to put them back where they went! ) so I dropped another 2-3 minutes. Then I get the drain pan and pull the plug and wait about 10 minutes while it drains out, total time so far...around 20-30 minutes. After taking the downpipe off my intake box so I can get to the spin-on filter, I get a plastic bag from the house to put on the spin on filter so it doesn't drip oil all over my nice polished stainless air intake tube then take it off, then I pour fresh oil in the new filter and spin it back on. Total time so far, about 35 minuites.
After all the new stuff, I climb back under the rig and put the plug in, drag the pan out from under the truck and dispose of the oil in our 25 gal drum made just for the recylcing thing, and then dump in the new oil and additives. So, starting the truck and making sure everything is ok, takes another 5 minutes or so, and backing the truck off the ramps and putting them away loads another 5 minutes on the clock.

So far I've spent around 45 minutes doing my oil change...

but I guess you could get it done quicker at some oil change place and spend a bit more money for the convience factor.

To take a sample for analysis, I pull the dip stick out and slide the intake tube down to the oil pan. I usually 'bottom it out' then pull it back up about an inch and pump about 4 ounces out to the sample bottle. Taking a rag and holding it at the dip stick tube outlet, I pull the sample tube out and in the process wipe it off. I screw on the lid and coil up the sampler tube and pump and put it back in my oil bag for the next time. Replacing the dip stick and shutting the hood took all of about 2 minutes.

Which would you rather do? Personally I'm not into changing the oil in my cummins for practice, but for neccesity. I think it's a no-brainer but that's just me.

db

 

[sle2115]

I can't understand why I would drop $30+ to change oil when an analysis is a little inconvienent but it only takes 3 minutes to wrap the sample up and mail it off to our local caterpillar oil testing lab and it costs me $9.00 (the mailers are free). I can sample the oil 3 times for less than $30. and it saves me 100$ on oil changes.
what part of that math isn't right?

I guess the $30 for an oil change isn't correct in that math for me and the fact that I don't have a local Cat test facility. I do mine for $20 or so and the Blackstone test is $18 plus shipping. Filter from filter one for $5 or $6 and three gallons of oil for $5 each. Blackstone is like $18 for the test as I don't have a local caterpillar oil testing lab, so with shipping and all, it is the same or cheaper. Not to mention, if your test comes back and you have to change the oil, you are out $9 + just to find that out, which still covers half of my oil change where I am sure I have good oil. What part of that math doesn't make sense? I would say you need to find a better price on oil/filter changes. Then again, I can't afford a Cummins, and according to your oil change procedure, it is much more difficult than any vehicle in my fleet!

It all comes down to what works for you. I couldn't pay an escavator $5000 to dig a basement when I could buy a 14,000 lb. trailer for $3000 and rent a back hoe for $300 per weekend and do it myself...must just be my way of thinking!

 

[steved]

I guess the $30 for an oil change isn't correct in that math for me and the fact that I don't have a local Cat test facility. I do mine for $20 or so and the Blackstone test is $18 plus shipping. Filter from filter one for $5 or $6 and three gallons of oil for $5 each. Blackstone is like $18 for the test as I don't have a local caterpillar oil testing lab, so with shipping and all, it is the same or cheaper. Not to mention, if your test comes back and you have to change the oil, you are out $9 + just to find that out, which still covers half of my oil change where I am sure I have good oil. What part of that math doesn't make sense? I would say you need to find a better price on oil/filter changes. Then again, I can't afford a Cummins, and according to your oil change procedure, it is much more difficult than any vehicle in my fleet!

It all comes down to what works for you. I couldn't pay an escavator $5000 to dig a basement when I could buy a 14,000 lb. trailer for $3000 and rent a back hoe for $300 per weekend and do it myself...must just be my way of thinking!

IMO, changing oil is peace of mind...

Although I run "extended" changes at 10k, I'm still within the 15k interval DCX specifies...and that doesn't bother me since I have a bypass filter in addition to the primary system. My system of changes works out almost the same as changing it every 5k...so it isn't like I'm saving money...

My math...$8 filter, 3 gallons at $7/gallon is $30. That in 10k is $60. In 20k is $120.

Changing it every 10k with a bypass is: $8 filter, $35 bypass filter, $21 oil is $64, so it actually cost a little more...but I could run 20k on the bypass so...$16 filters, $35 bypass, $42 in oil is $93 if my math is still ok...so I would save the cost of a single oil change in 20k...

But at the same time, I'm also filtering better than someone without a bypass...so I should not have as much wear as someone without a bypass running 5k oil change intervals...

It is all in how you look at it...

If I had the extra $$ to throw around, I would probably do oil analysis every 25k to see if there was something happening internally...copper is a sign of a failing cooler...coolant in the oil indicates a problem...etc...things you wouldn't see normally.

steved

 

[cdennyb]

I don't run a cheap oil filter, WIX for the spin on and the 2500 is $20.00-$25.00 by themselves. The oil is certainly not your brand. A full synthetic in a multigrade is at least $17.00 a gallon where I live, and x 3 = $51.00 for just the good oil!
Keep up the cheap changes, I bet prices go up.

db

 

[sle2115]

I run Wix filters on everything and Delo 400 or Rotella is available here for around $5.00 per gallon. Just so you know, the last three cars I sold had over 300,000 miles on them and all are still running getting more on them everyday. So I guess my "cheap" oil changes are fine. I will bet you there are more engines with 1,000,000 on dino oil than your synthetic as well, even though I run synthetic in my daily driver, you can't argue with success, no matter who's math you use. Using synthetic, I change it every 10,000 or so and my last vehicle was sold with 345,000 or so on the clock doing that. I NEVER did an oil analysis on it, or never had anything more than the timing belt cover off to change it every 60,000. You might want to check filter one for filters for your truck. If you buy 6, they will ship for free and they are less than anyone around here on filters. I have an account with them, if you want to give me your part number, I will tell you what they sell them for. Oh, and they only sell Wix, is there any other brand?

In the original post, I did not (even after checking again) see anything about synthetic, did you?

Personally I love the stuff and wouldn't hesitate to go 10,000 and have gone 12,000 or so on it. I drive about 3,000 miles monthly and don't get a new car every year or two, so longevity is in my best interest.