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What oil do you use & why?

Dargo said:
Yeah, it's not only still going, but has about 240k miles on it now. What makes things even more impressive is that he too is always hauling heavy loads like me, but I'd say that his shortest oil change has likely been 20k. :eek: And, that would be with whatever he can buy the cheapest. I have no doubt that that thing is a sludge bucket in a big way! Heck, it's even quieter than it used to be. I'm guessing it's all the sludge acting as insulation and keeping the sound down. :D He did go through a tranny every 10 to 15k though for a while. I finally told him that the only way I stopped my tranny problems was to spend about 6k for a full blown heavy hauling setup from ATS. So, he bought a Stage V transmission from them at about 80k and hasn't had an issue since. I did just remind him this last weekend that he is required to still change the fluid in that tranny every 50k to keep his warranty valid. Why do I think it still has the same fluid that it started with in it?

Anyway, he's proof that a 7.3 PowerStroke will go at least a quarter million miles with poor lubrication (I say poor because he keeps conventional oil in way past when it would be good. I think he has had several injector problems as well, but I wouldn't consider them "major" problems. Heck, he makes me want to find the latest year F350 crew cab 4X4 dually with the 7.3 for my next truck. Well, let me correct that a bit, I'd like to find one of those with low miles and that has had proper care...
Click to expand...

:D Helluva story.... Just FYI, the 7.3L was produced up untill '03.. It was a split year with 7.3/6.0's..
 
castrol syntek in my dakota because i've been using castrol since I started doing oil changes and my mechanic told me the synthetics really are better in his opinion. (and a happy mechanic is often a less expensive mechanic!)
mortorcraft synthetic in the wife's tribute becasue at the time she got it that was the only 5w-20 oil I could find and it seems to work well on the 5-6,000 mile intervals she puts on hers between changes. (I know there are others out there now, but why change a system that seems to work?)

rotella in the tractor because that's what i kept hearing i was supposed to use. I'm open to suggestions if there's better out there for the $$, even if it costs more - 6 quarts a year isn't going to break the bank even at $6 a quart.
 
Just as a cautionary note on use of synthetics in ATV's...
Some manufacturers will specifically prohibit them as the drive clutches in the transmissions will slip on the syn and not on conventional.
My older Suzuki is like that...
 
Mobil One Snythetic in all the engines.

At sub zero temp's it still pours when reg oil is like pudding and will let the engine turn over and start, and doesn't break down at overheating the same as conventional oils either. Get a few more MPG's to boot. Same with the mobil one trans oil.

Have tore down a few engines that ran it all the time since new and the cross hatchings were still on the cylinder wall with no ridges at well over 100,000+ miles. The valves had burnt out, which was nothing to do with the oil.
 
Schaefer synthetic blend. Will allow for 15K oil changes. Which means that I have to only change the oil a little more often than once a year...:thumb:
 
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