Community Forums

Fsufreak · 04-16-2016, 04:54 PM

Has anyone used Amsoil in there diesel if so did you or are you having good luck with it?

NC25T · 04-16-2016, 05:00 PM

Never owned a diesel thus no experience there

Have used it in several other applications, excellent products

Also a fan on redline and Royal purple

twinboat · 04-16-2016, 05:33 PM

Million of diesels run for millions of miles with regular oil.

You will probably have the same luck? with regular oil as Amsoil.

mkohler30 · 04-16-2016, 06:38 PM

Shell Rotella T.....only oil I used in my diesel...all three I have owned...change every 5000 miles no matter what.....

Mk

MnTom · 04-16-2016, 07:38 PM

Yes, I used Amsoil in my Cummins. I really didn't notice a lot of difference other than I could start mine at 0* without it being plugged in. I am running Rotella T-6 in mine now and it seems to use just a little bit where I didn't notice any usage with the Amsoil. The reason I ran Amsoil was I used to be a dealer, but now I am not. The Rotella is way cheaper than the Amsoil too. BTW, my little Cummins has 294k miles on it so don't let anyone tell you that you can't switch to synthetic oil on a high mileage engine. One thing synthetics do that they get a bad rap for is they clean the engine and remove the dirt and sludge that may have kept dino oil in resulting in a leak you didn't have before.

**TonyDi** · 04-16-2016, 08:54 PM

I've been using Shell Rotella and haven't had any reason to change.

1bigmess · 04-16-2016, 09:01 PM

Amsoil is pretty expensive. I use regular oil and spend the difference to get it tested when I change it.

Fsufreak · 04-16-2016, 09:27 PM

The reason I'm thinking of going to Amsoil is a friend of mine is a dealer and I can buy 4-1 gallon jugs for 69.00,where I now pay 18.00ea for 3-5 quart jugs of motor craft oil, and a bottle of cetane boost fuel cleaner? Thank you for the all of the responses.

1bigmess · 04-16-2016, 09:35 PM

First, stop using the cetane boost fuel cleaner unless your mechanic told you that your engine needed it. Save money there if you don't need to spend it.

Four gallons of Chevron Delo will cost around $45 if it meets the oil type your owners manual calls for. Think what you could do with the extra money you'd be saving, like using it on fuel to go places.

Bob1340 · 04-16-2016, 10:42 PM

Not knocking Amsoil at all but what I don't like about it is availability can be an issue being it's a dealer only sell. If they had it at Walmart or O"Reilly's I'd thing different.

1bigmess · 04-17-2016, 08:30 AM

The price for Chevron DELO I posted was if you buy the oil at WalMart.

SmokeyWren · 04-17-2016, 10:02 AM

Synthetic oil is not cost effective in a diesel engine. Yes, I'm trained in cost effectiveness. None of the major trucking companies use synthetic engine oil because it's not cost effective. Their tractors will get around 800k to a million miles before the first overhaul using Shell Rotella T or Chevron DELO 400 15w40 motor oil. And they won't go enough past a million miles using synthetic to pay for the extra cost of synthetic oil.

"Cost effective" means total cost over the long haul. Synthetic motor oil includes Amsoil, Mobil 1, or any other major oil company brand of full-synthetic oil. Amsoil is a brand name with a different marketing plan, but it is no better than any other major brand of full-synthetic motor oil.

Instead, use the industry standard Shell Rotella T or Chevron DELO 400, and religiously change the oil and filter per your Owner's Guide. Your engine will last just as long as the folks spending the extra money for synthetic motor oil.

One exception is if you live in really-cold country. In that case, run 5W30 when high temps for the period are expected to be less than freezing. Back when I ran a diesel tow vehicle, nobody made dino motor oil with less viscosity than 10w30, and the 10w30 Shell Rotella T or DELO 400 was not stocked by retailers in the warmer parts of the USA such as west Texas. I haven't looked lately, but I suspect that's still true. Cranking a cold engine at zero degrees F. and warming it up to operating temp causes high wear on the rings and cylinder walls, so for that you need the decreased viscosity of the 5W oil which is available only with synthetic.

Yes, I ran synthetic motor oil a few times just to see if it made any difference in the performance of my diesel engine. It didn't. And my Blackstone oil analysis reports came back identical to what they were when I ran Rotella T.

RichR · 04-17-2016, 12:46 PM

I never could justify the cost. Good as any but just to costly.

chertz · 04-18-2016, 03:59 AM

I used to run Amsoil in everything... still use it in differentials and such. In the motor (cummins for me) I like Rotella T6. My motor came factory filled with synthetic. Also, I only do 1 oil change per year, and it can get pretty cold here... granted I rarely drive the truck in the winter, but I want to be prepared to do so should a need arise. I also wait to buy oil when it goes on sale... local farm store runs a deal on it about quarterly... 19.99 + 5 mail in... so I am getting Rotella T6 for 14.99/gal.