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NEW DETROIT DIESEL OIL SPECS
Thanks to Mark we were alerted to a change in the specifications for the oil in our engines.
Traditionally we have used 15W-40 in our four stroke Series 60 engines. One of the reasons was the allowable operating range covered virtually all our driving ambient temperatures. Until recently the use of 10W-30 was not recommended because its upper temperature limit was 95 degrees, a temperature easily exceeded in the summer in most of the country.
All that has changed and because of the oil specification for the latest engines requiring 10W-30, Detroit Diesel dealers may not even offer 15W-40 any more.
As it turns out the newest Detroit Diesel specifications for engine oil are now spelled out in the following file, and the allowable upper temperature limit for 10W-30 now matches that of 15W-40. Bottom line……….if a repair station installs 10W-30 which meets the CJ-4 certification standard you are OK.
https://ddcsn-ddc.freightliner.com/cps/rde/xbcr/ddcsn/DDC-SVC-BRO-0001.pdf
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4 Replies
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This all came about because the Freightliner shop that I get my oil changes and engine work done switched to 10W-30 and discontinued the 15W-40 that we all know and love.
They did an oil change for me last week, and without telling me, filled it back up with the 10W-30 Delvac. They had done another oil change for me shortly after I got this bus and DID use 15W-40 as they always did on my old bus.
I questioned the service mgr. and was told that since all the new engines require 10W-30, they stopped using the 15W-40 about a week before I got there this time. They told me that DD specs stated that the 10W-30 was approved for use in our 60 series engines.
Jon and I discussed it last week and the best info at the time did not support the use of the 10W-30 because of the temp limits. I went over to the shop today to talk to them again and show them what Jon had found. After a call to their DD rep and some more computer work on the dealers part, a document was produced that showed the 10W-30 is now acceptable.
So don’t be surprised if more shops do this. It sounded like these guys are not the only ones doing it…..
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I did a little homework on this finding Shell Rotella web sight shows the Cj 4 rating 15w40 and 10w30 same.
I guess it’s customer choice….
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The key to this change is previously 10W-30 was temperature limited to 95 degrees. I have no clue how oil previously limited to that temperature is all of a sudden acceptable for operation in 104 degrees plus, but it is. Mark confirmed that with the dealer that showed Mobil and Detroit both agree to its use at higher temps.
I am not a chemist (maybe Ken B. can help here) but my concern would be dry starts because over time oils will drain away from metal to metal surfaces, and I would hope a 10W-30 would offer the same protection as 15W-40. Unlike most commercial vehicles a lot of our coaches sit for extended periods and the greatest wear occurs during starts.
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On the big industrial, and when I say big I mean larger than your living room and some larger than your house, we used a pre-lube pump. Some large prime movers required a 5 minute pre-start lube and other smaller ones a minute or less. This would be a cheap and easy install for coaches that sit for extended time. They make 12 and 24 volt heavy liquid pumps that could be plumbed in very easily with stainless flex hoses. Open the back, check your oil level, start the pre-lube pump, do your tire kicking walk around, shut off the pump, close the back and crank. All bearings, wrist pins and other moving parts would be all slick and slimey and ready to move.
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