I Bought a Ton of Oil, Vote on Which One I Should Use (1 Viewer)

What oil should I use in my 1993 FZJ80?

  • Shell Rotella T6 5w-40 Full Synthetic

    Votes: 10 47.6%
  • Chevron Delo 400 XSP 5w-40 Full Synthetic

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Chevron Delo 400 XLE 15w-40 Synthetic Blend

    Votes: 6 28.6%
  • Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck 5w-40 Full Synthetic

    Votes: 5 23.8%

  • Total voters
    21

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So I was at my local Walmart earlier today, and they had some STUPIDLY low prices on a bunch of really good oil. Long story short, I cleaned out their entire stock of all of the oils listed above. I know that they're all good oils, and I don't have a strong preference for one in particular, so I thought it'd be fun to let you guys vote on it. I don't want this to turn into a "what oil is best" thread, as I know the topic has been covered a lot and all the oils here are good, but feel free to give your opinion if you wish.

For reference, my truck is a 1993 FZJ80 with 167k miles, I'm in Los Angeles so it pretty much never sees temps below 40F. The only modification I've done to my oil system is Kernal's 90-degree filter adapter.
 
Are you planning on running a mixed cocktail??
 
Are you planning on running a mixed cocktail??
I am not, although with so many different types of oil I can't say I haven't thought about it. The only advantage I guess I could see would be combining the one 15w-40 on the list with one of the 5w-40's to make a poor man's 10w-40.

I actually also picked up four gallons of Rotella Gas Truck 0w-20, which I am selling in the classifieds. Now THAT would make for some interesting combinations. But I don't plan on putting that in my Cruiser.
 
Just general .02c...
There are lots of threads here heralding the continued use of the same type of oil the truck has seen over the majority of its life, for a variety of reasons. But if you don't know that history, then you're at square one where you must pick a brand and weight and stick to it. (well when I say must, I just mean for continuity sake).

There are also lots of threads about *not* using Rotella, again for a variety of reasons. I don't have experience with it, but I do come from a history of "full synthetic or it didn't happen!".

Fact is tho, I think it boils down to whether or not the truck is a DD. My '93 is not, so I tend to run either a blend or straight organic primarily due to cost, but also availability and intended use of the vehicle (irregular use in my case). Change intervals range between 1500 and 2000 mi. (~twice a year). Plus 90% of my mileage is racked up in sub-freezing temps, so that plays a part too.

Into the weeds...
IMO, for a DD seeing several hundred miles a week, full-syn is probably best for both oil life and change interval longevity (holds up better over longer intervals between changes). That said, I've put that to the test in another vehicle running over 30kmi/year with 12kmi change intervals. I will never do that again and do not recommend it.

I juxtapose the weight of the oil against the mileage on the engine and the ambient operating temps the engine will likely see the most of. The higher the mileage, use a slightly heavier oil when it's warm out. The colder the temps, the lighter the weight. You can go too heavy tho and slow the engine down, stressing pressure parts that could lead to premature failure. Conversely, too thin and "clearance" will only increase (plus its louder and clangier). In my case, 290kmi and mostly cold temps, I run 10-30 syn-blend. It's cost effective (~$17/5qts) and over the last 2 years this seems to be the best combo for what I do. Very little blow-by in the winter once warmed up, but not too thin to risk under-protection.

I imagine some of the pro's on here probably give their 80's different weights throughout the year.
YMMV and many differing opinions on the matter will bring good insight with which to make a decision.
Happy Trails! 👍
 
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Im jealous. Our Walmart didn’t have any on clearance.

I like Mobil 1 turbo diesel truck and have that in my motor now. I would run any of the choices with a good filter.
 
Im jealous. Our Walmart didn’t have any on clearance.

I like Mobil 1 turbo diesel truck and have that in my motor now. I would run any of the choices with a good filter.
You’ll be even more jealous to find out that I got them for $5 (yes, FIVE DOLLARS) a gallon
 
Just general .02c...
I really don't want this to turn into an oil debate, but there's a lot of stuff I think is maybe misinformation in your post.

There are lots of threads here heralding the continued use of the same type of oil the truck has seen over the majority of its life, for a variety of reasons. But if you don't know that history, then you're at square one where you must pick a brand and weight and stick to it. (well when I say must, I just mean for continuity sake).
This whole theory of "use the same oil every time" is bunk, and is right up there with "synthetic causes oil leaks" on the oil myth list. If your truck has been run on value-brand 5w-30 it's whole life, does that mean switching to a high-quality synthetic 5w-40 would be bad? No, of course not.

There are also lots of threads about *not* using Rotella, again for a variety of reasons. I don't have experience with it, but I do come from a history of "full synthetic or it didn't happen!".
I'd be interested to hear any arguments specifically saying not to use Rotella T6... it's a very, VERY good oil.

Fact is tho, I think it boils down to whether or not the truck is a DD. My '93 is not, so I tend to run either a blend or straight organic primarily due to cost, but also availability and intended use of the vehicle (irregular use in my case). Change intervals range between 1500 and 2000 mi. (~twice a year). Plus 90% of my mileage is racked up in sub-freezing temps, so that plays a part too.
If you're regularly starting in sub-freezing temperatures, you might want to strongly consider going with a full synthetic. Seriously, you're not saving that much (if anything) by going with a conventional or a blend. You can get good 5w-40 full synthetic oil at less than $15/gallon (like some of the oils listed above).

IMO, for a DD seeing several hundred miles a week, full-syn is probably best for both oil life and change interval longevity (holds up better over longer intervals between changes). That said, I've put that to the test in another vehicle running over 30kmi/year with 12kmi change intervals. I will never do that again and do not recommend it.
You can definitely run a full synthetic HDEO to 10,000 miles if you wish. Some take it even further. Actual big rigs in fleets go tens of thousands of miles on the same batch of HDEO, almost always conventional.

I juxtapose the weight of the oil against the mileage on the engine and the ambient operating temps the engine will likely see the most of. The higher the mileage, use a slightly heavier oil when it's warm out. The colder the temps, the lighter the weight. You can go too heavy tho and slow the engine down, stressing pressure parts that could lead to premature failure. Conversely, too thin and "clearance" will only increase (plus its louder and clangier). In my case, 290kmi and mostly cold temps, I run 10-30 syn-blend. It's cost effective (~$17/5qts) and over the last 2 years this seems to be the best combo for what I do. Very little blow-by in the winter once warmed up, but not too thin to risk under-protection.
I agree with this, although I wanted to say that climate should play a bigger factor than the mileage.

Overall, I encourage everyone to get their oil advice and do their own research at bobistheoilguy.com . Mud is great for anything cruiser-related, but when it comes to engine oil, that site absolutely cannot be beat. It's a treasure trove of knowledge.
 
I don't want this to turn into a "what oil is best" thread, as I know the topic has been covered a lot and all the oils here are good, but feel free to give your opinion if you wish.
Then don't ask questions requiring opinions. One guy gives his, and you're all over him. Duh.

Run tomato juice for all I care.
 
Then don't ask questions requiring opinions. One guy gives his, and you're all over him. Duh.

Run tomato juice for all I care.
I specifically said in my post that you didn't have to give your opinion, and you could just vote. No opinion was "required". I just don't want to be spreading misinformation.

But again, I encourage everyone to do their own research at the site I mentioned above.
 
I specifically said in my post that you didn't have to give your opinion, and you could just vote. No opinion was "required". I just don't want to be spreading misinformation.

But again, I encourage everyone to do their own research at the site I mentioned above.
So you don't want anyone putting forth information that you personally don't agree with, which in your definition is 'misinformation'. WTF?
 
So you don't want anyone putting forth information that you personally don't agree with, which in your definition is 'misinformation'. WTF?
I never said I don't want people putting forth information at all; you're using a straw man argument, which is a logical fallacy. Oil is a science, with lots of myths and urban legends, that are factually untrue. So saying stuff like "the vehicle should always use the same oil" is misinformation. It's not about agreeing or disagreeing. There are facts and there are fallacies.

I'll say it again, because apparently it's not getting across: I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH AND COME TO THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS.
 
@TriaxialBulls covered it better than I could. I have never, ever seen a post saying not to use Rotella. Unless you’re saying not to use any diesel specific oil because of our cats, but that’s not what was said. And as he stated FACTUALLY, a lot of that is myth. Not backed up by anything provable. My personal preference is Rotella because I’ve run vehicles many thousands of miles on it with nary a problem. That doesn’t mean any of the others are lesser oils. But he stated facts vs opinions. So... what’s the issue?
 
Run one. When it runs out switch to the next and so on. All of those will be fine.
Yeah like I said they’re all good oils. Looks like popular vote might go to the TDT, which is good because I like to run the Rotella in my bikes as it’s JASO rated
 
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I really don't want this to turn into an oil debate, but there's a lot of stuff I think is maybe misinformation in your post.


This whole theory of "use the same oil every time" is bunk, and is right up there with "synthetic causes oil leaks" on the oil myth list. If your truck has been run on value-brand 5w-30 it's whole life, does that mean switching to a high-quality synthetic 5w-40 would be bad? No, of course not.


I'd be interested to hear any arguments specifically saying not to use Rotella T6... it's a very, VERY good oil.


If you're regularly starting in sub-freezing temperatures, you might want to strongly consider going with a full synthetic. Seriously, you're not saving that much (if anything) by going with a conventional or a blend. You can get good 5w-40 full synthetic oil at less than $15/gallon (like some of the oils listed above).


You can definitely run a full synthetic HDEO to 10,000 miles if you wish. Some take it even further. Actual big rigs in fleets go tens of thousands of miles on the same batch of HDEO, almost always conventional.


I agree with this, although I wanted to say that climate should play a bigger factor than the mileage.

Overall, I encourage everyone to get their oil advice and do their own research at bobistheoilguy.com . Mud is great for anything cruiser-related, but when it comes to engine oil, that site absolutely cannot be beat. It's a treasure trove of knowledge.
I wasn't trying to debate. Just sharing what I've come across over the years. And I'm sure Bob's a fine fellow.
Seems to me saying "staying with the same oil is bunk" is tantamount to saying "there is no difference in any oil"...while also singing the praises of a particular oil...I think you'd have a whole bunch of differing ideas on that.

As far as crazy-long intervals go, I guess I approach the whole thing from the functions of oil and filter. The oil suspends debris, the filter catches it. Lengthening intervals without additional filtration medium does nothing but allow more debris to get past the filter. It's why big rigs have multiple, huge filters and get many more miles out of a change. It doesn't mean a particular oil is somehow magically reducing particulate by liquifying or vaporizing it and thus is a better oil as a result. I could be wrong, but I think Hyundai found that 15kmi intervals led to a class-action lawsuit over blown up engines for a couple years.

At any rate, it's all what you're comfortable with. 👍
 

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