What can I do for a Cat C12? Is this engine good for a bypass setup? Its in the process of getting rebuilt and I was thinking about switching to synthetic and a bypass filter. What do you guys think? I just want the best.

 

you know i have yet to decide if these additives work like described. i will say that i use 2 gal of lucas oil stabilizer at every oil change & after 8 years & over 1 mil miles, & no work done to engine. i wonder if it's because of the lucas or despite it? it may be psychological. :? i do beleive that things can be invented to work better than originally planned. i'm on the fence about this & will be for some time

 

I have the FS2500 oil bypass filter, I paid about $400 for it. when I installed it I went 48k miles before my oil analysis came back from Detroit telling me to change the oil. I change the bypass filter & engine oil filters & send an oil sample off about every 10-15k. as of now I have 42k on the oil & the analysis has come back OK.

 

Synthetic engine oils and bypass filtration is definately a mix for extended oil changes. Jeff Foster Trucking set up this way and went for over 100K oil changes with excellent results.

If you look at www.amsoil.com there is documented test results of a Mack that had over 400K on an oil change. Mack didn't believe the interval was sound and they tore the engine down to inspect and confirmed the results were better than a typical engine that had normal 20K services.

If you are not going for the extended changes, then synthetics are not cost effective. Stick with good quality conventional oil. Either way you go, get on an oil analysis program and test regularly. Any problem with the oil or the engine will show up in the analysis before it becomes a major headache and ruins the engine.

I use the Amsoil remote bypass filter setup. It is FAR cheaper than the FS-2500 for the initial install and came darn close to the performance of the FS-2500 in independent testing. And, unlike the FS-2500, it uses easily replaceable spin on filters.

You can get extended drains out of conventional oil as well. Again, you can only know by getting on an oil analysis program.

Oh... by the way, if you really want to get into the issue, you need to check out www.bobistheoilguy.com and read some of the tests and get into the forums. You will learn more than you probably want to know about oils, greases, etc. Some really knowledgeable people there and you will usually get good answers to any questions you have.

After looking at the test there regarding Lucas oil stabilizer, it will never get used in any of my equipment.