Learned something new

I know enough to trust oil sample testing.

I’ve also seen enough test results to show going 20,000 miles on a series 60 Detroit and 35,000 miles with bulk oil from the dealers on a Volvo D13 is more than worth the extended oil changes.

past that, to say you MUST have some fancy certification to have an opinion , IMHO, is pure arrogance.

 

All the ford dealerships up here say ignore the oil light and do the severe service interval of 5000 miles to keep from plugging the ports on the cam phasers. I do it because of the turbos breaking the oil down using fram full synthetic oil and a fram ultra synthetic filter most times but now am using wix and motorcraft

 

Probably too anecdotal but…

I’d kind of agree with the cam phaser comment 20 years ago. Especially when they first started to get the cam phasers put into their engines.

As many headaches as they have had getting them to work correctly.

years ago I was a parts counter guy for the local champion auto. Fel-pro, gates, ac-delco, fram and a lot of other companies put together a LOT of product training programs for parts counter folks to teach us their products merits. If anything, it taught you to smell a sales gimmick a mile away more than anything else.

Two absolute lessons I learned and have yet to see anything prove otherwise in 30 years, stay as far away from Fram and Baldwin oil filters as you can. Their ability to collapsing internally and failing was a proven problem.

I went to the coyote as much because I just haven’t got the desire to deal with an air induction system on my pickup like I did on my semis. They were a night mare there, I want more reliability on my pickup.

I spent north of $1500 getting my Volvo solid enough, boost leaks weren’t an issue for me anymore. And that lead to less emissions systems problems as well.

but what do I know. I haven’t got any four letter certificates and stuff to hang behind my name.

 

Not even close, oil analysis from Cummins cost me about $20 for the kit and postage. Oil change cost close to $100 for 3 gallons plus the filter.

 

I’m talking on an every day gas pickup or small 4 cylinder suv. 4.5-6 qts oil and a filter isn’t much more than the kit and I know the oils good when i change it. And the phasers and guides were an issue up till this last change which has cured the issue from what I’m told. The small ports in the chain tensioners and phasers like clean oil and so do small turbos I’m fine with changing at 4-5000 like the dealer recommended. They make no money on me because I do it on my own.

 

Blackstone labs test kit is $35 for a standard gasoline engine kit. More information on the report costs more. Roughly the same price, at $37, for an Oil Analyzers kit if buying the postage paid version. Otherwise its $26 and change if you are paying the shipping at the time you send it off to the lab. If someone is running $4 a qt oil in a 4-6 quart engine and changing every 5000 miles, plus trading in at 100,000 -115,000, I can see not doing the UOA. We keep our vehicles till they are thoroughly worn out everywhere, not just the engine so we tend to go the extra mile.

 

Must have been ages ago you worked at the parts store because in lots of testing I’ve seen the fram
Synthetic filter that’s 10-14$ is as good as anything else. I’ll be using wix now that the place my wife works switched but have not one issue with the fram. Supposedly the last version of the phasers fixed the issues but they still have small ports in them and clean oil will keep them from plugging up. My buddy and I bought 2014 fords with 3.5 ecoboosts at the same time. I did 4-5000 oil changes with my fram oil and he did 12-14000 on amsoil. Ford did phasers, chains and guides on his at 40,000 and mine had 115,000 at trade in with all original timing set. Also flex fuel isn’t any cheaper to run because of the rotten milage so unless your going for a performance e-85 tune no point.

 

I hope to own the truck long enough, I’ll unfortunately see the day E85 is the only thing available. I’m fully aware of the fuel economy hit and that the cost per mile doesn’t justify E85 fuel.

Minnesota mandates all the state vehicles use nothing but E85 in the fleet vehicles. You have to file a report if you put regular gas in on why you were unable to fill some place with E85. I experienced it first hand the fuelishness of using E85 as the primary fuel. It’s insane the actual increased costs.

I spec’d this truck for the balance between needing a 3/4 t and getting by with a 1/2 ton.

so far, it’s not disappointing.

I tend to keep in the 8-9,000 mile range. 12K+ I agree is just not worth the damage it will do.

 

Of course they'll say that.

 

frams are still horrible filters.
Flex fuel is fine, when you buy it at the right station. You definitely feel the difference in power going to e85 from regular e10 87. Around here in my town, if I buy e85 you are not getting it for 20% less than e10 so it doesn't pay to use it. Now go another town over and it's worth it to buy e85 because it's way less money power gallon and it exceeds that 20% threshold. That's a whole different topic though and it's been discussed on that thread.

 

Same around here, not 20% less $, so no point in using it.
Corn is cow food, not car food.

 

100ish years ago, it was a primary fuel source for gas engines.
Volstead act had language specifically allowing production for that purpose.

 

Ford has said on the 12th generation coyote they gain about 10 hp and 15 tq on e85 over premium gas. Bet that’s nearly impossible to detect by driving. My 2.7 is factory tuned on 87 10% and gains no power or mileage on 93 checked a few times for milage and the power change was not noticeable if there was one. 4% gain on e-85 is right around 10 hp like ford was saying on the 400hp 5.0.

 

But then what would these knuckleheads have to argue about??

 

Ohh don't you worry...we'd find something...Ford/Chevy/Dodge, Stihl, Husky, Echo, bark up/bark down, vertical vs horizontal...something!

 

Just like holidays with family.

 

Heck, I see some of y'all more often than some of my extended family!

 

This^^ I had a cousin visit this weekend; his mother passed a few months back. I know some members here better than cousin AND I like him!

 

Around here, it just matters which station, and if it's in this county, or the next which is only 10 miles away.

Corn isn't good cow food, it's arguably better at making fuel than for anytime else, aside from making booze.
I think we all can agree about the booze part. Probably not much else. Lol