i was brought up using rotella. i've been using it ever since i got my truck. i got 10000 miles on my oil now and it stinks. i use cat filters and only idle the truck to warm up. i also have a gallon of lucas in it too. i'm thinking about switching to delo oil. my motor is new with about 35k on it. so.. what do you use? oh and my oil is changed religiously every 15k.

 

I use Delo, Rotella will burn a gallon every 3K in my 3406E, I use Shell products for everything else.I've used Mobil also and had good results.

The Cat branded oil IS Delo

 

funny, when i had my motor rebuilt we had a discussion about that. frank (the head of cat here at HO PENN.. peoeple call him the cat god.. ) said that for a while he recommended away from rotella. he said it was a few years ago but now he said they got better. i'm going to try delo on my next one.

maniac my dad he's using a gallon every 12k with his e motor. my c15 uses no oil at 15k when i drop the oil. my dad's motor has about 350k on a rebuild (the e motor). he just got a oil change yesterday img onna tell him to switch see if the oil consumption goes away.

 

I am using Delo in my factory rebuilt Detroit. Have had pretty good oil sample results from it. Hardly any oil usage between oil changes. Now that it has gotten settled down from the break in, I just changed the oil this week and went to Delo 5w40 synthetic. Can get it for under $20 a gallon locally. Will see how it works out. I did 2 oil changes after the initial fill with Delo 15w40. I would recommend the stuff.

Now, that being said, in my last engine (ISX), I was using Mystik JT-8 15w40 semi synthetic I was getting at my local farm and home store for around $58 for a 5 gallon pail (that was the last price I paid in July). Now in that engine, it was very good. Oil samples looked exceptional clear up to just under 900,000 miles. Hardly used any oil. And fuel economy was in 7+ mpg territory consistently. If the Delo I am using now doesn't play out as good as I like, I will give serious consideration to going back to the Mystik brand.

As for the Lucas. Each person has their opinion and brand loyalty seems to be the primary motivator. But there are several folks that specialize in oil sampling that have done sample analysis on Lucas and have determined that it is nothing more than a straight 50w base oil. That's it. No special additives. If one wants a thick oil, just get a 15w50 engine oil with the standard additive package and you should get as good or better results. I never have been sold on Lucas. The main reason, out of the gate, that I haven't seen a need for it, is the name itself.... Lucas Oil Stabilizer. Now, I can't seem to figure out what is "unstable" about modern lubricants, that they need to be "stabilized". The oil companies put a lot of R&D into developing engine oils and stand to lose a lot of money if it is found out their oil won't do the job. Then comes along Forrest Lucas and bottles up a straight 50w oil and sells it for twice the price of a 15w50 engine oil. Just seems goofy. But I never give anyone a hard time if they use it. I only ask them to question why they feel the need to do it.

 

Delo! I've tried them all, CAT likes Delo! I have a Spinner, and changing oil every 20,000. Analises showing that oil is almost as good, as new. Adding between 3/4 to a gallon.

 

I had never given Delo a try before putting this factory rebuilt Series 60 in my new FL glider truck. I did first oil change at 10,000, and have done factory recommended 15,000 mile OCI's for the last two times. Put on a bypass filter just after the first oil change. The Delo 15w40 at 15,000 miles shows almost as good on an oil sample compared to new oil specifications. I have never had to add a gallon of makeup oil to the engine except at around 8,000 on the initial oil on the new rebuild. I am impressed with the oil sample reports I have gotten off of this oil. Now we'll see if the synthetic version offers any advantages. First week after changing it to the Delo 5w40 synthetic, I had a bump in fuel mileage. But that is just one week and we all know there are soooo many variables that can affect fuel mileage. We'll see how it does over a longer period of time. I do know the engine starts quicker and more smoothly in the cold weather we have now compared to the standard Delo. Might stretch out the oil changes if things look good, but I think my comfort zone ends at 30,000 miles before dropping the oil.

 

whats weird is, as i said my oil stinks. not burnt just that smell. i checked it the other day and at almost 11k on the oil its still a nice color. i will be trying delo though. as far as lucas goes. i run my motor really hard. i like a little more oil pressure so i like the thickness. and when i get my oil changed.. i get a free galon of oil in place of the lucas.

 

I don't really chide anyone who wants to use Lucas. I just have never gotten beyond the name... Lucas Oil Stabilizer. I am still trying to figure out what is unstable about modern engine oils that they need "stabilized". But, on a technical note, there has been some that have sent samples of Lucas into oil lab for analysis. It is nothing more than a straight 50w base oil. No beneficial additives at all. Now, if one is wanting a thicker oil, it begs the question why they don't just use a 15w50 engine oil that DOES have beneficial additives in it. And a gallon of 15w50 (at least at farm and home stores and other discount outlets) is half the price of a gallon of Lucas. If one is adding a gallon of Lucas to their engine, they are only putting in a 50w oil with no additives so they are "thinning" out the beneficial additive package that helps control acids and other damaging things. So while they are "thickening" the oil for oil pressure, they are depleting the additive package in the engine.

I realize some swear by the stuff, and brand loyalty is really apparent here. But, folks ought to step back and just take a look at what might be going on here and think it thru a little bit instead of being swayed by marketing hype and "that's what we have always done" type of logic. For every case of "I took my engine to 1.5 million on Lucas" there is another case where an owner did the same thing not using Lucas.

 

I use Rotella and i have an OPS Filter System on my Detroit 60...I do not use that cheap stuff ''lucas'' that does not even work...I will pay the extra and use MOTORKOTE...

I must be doing something correct.I have 1,700,000 miles and no rebuild.I burn 1 gallon every 25-30K..The only sad part is i sprung a small leak on the front passenger side of the head gasket.So i may get a few more miles out of her and rebuild it.My estimate was $8,500 to rebuild her.I thought that was fair for an Inframe.Most everything else is new on the damm truck anyhow..

 

maybe its a cat thing? i dont know. when i get my oil changed i get a free gallon of oil when i use lucas. so i'm really not losing any money. with 13k on the oil now, its yet to turn color and has not burnt a bit. the smell drives me insane. and i use cat filters.