Hello all. I'm new to this Ram thing so need some answers. Bought used 02 4.7 QC with 50k getting close to doing the oil change thing for the first time on it. Is there any brand oil and filter others pprefer using over others..

Is there any other component I should check, lube while i'm at it.

P.S. (Lot of people round town say Rotella T but isn't that for diesels.)

 

for oil go ahead and switch over to full synthetic oil it will make the engine run better and lasts longer than regular oil, for oil brand i use mobile 1 10w-30 for the summer cause of the heat in florida and in the winter i use 5w-30, i have used the fram filter with no problems its like 4-5 bucks but right now im trying out a new mobil 1 filter and have had no problems so far. while your at it since its used you are probably gonna wanna go ahead and change all the fuilds out of it so you know they are good for a long time this is including trans and the rear end and unless the truck is running hot you probably can leave the radiator fluid alone cause if it is red it is a long life antifreeze from dodge and is rated for 100k...hope this helps and if ya need help just ask

 

Leaving in Maryland would it hurt to run 5-30 all year long

 

I have recently purchased an 02' 4.7L reg Cab and I live in Daytona Beach, FL, and I need to change my oil. Wouldn't 10W-30 be better? It's 90-97 degrees out here everyday and never gets to freezing in the winter.

 

well for the summer i use 10w-30 and i live in orlando but once it hits fall its back over to 5w-30

prorider17 if i were you put 10w-30 in till fall then you can switch over to 5w-30 till late spring or until it starts to get hot again

as long as its not really hot like near 100 then you will be fine!!!

 

Although 10W-30 oil is not likely to cause short term problems, it could make a difference in the long run. Perhaps, for those that may not understand exactly what the viscosity ratings mean, an explaination might be helpful.

Oil weight or viscosity, refers to how thick or thin the oil is. The temperature requirements set for oil by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is 32 degrees F. (low) and 212 degrees F. (high). Oils that meet the SAE low temperature requirements have a "W" after the viscosity rating (example: 10W), think of the "W" as 'winter' rating. Oils that meet the high ratings have no letter (example: SAE 30). Most engines use a multi-grade, or multi-viscosity oil, that is, an oil that meets the SAE requirments for low temperature, and the requirements for high temperature in the same oil. The viscosity of oil changes with temperatures, the higher the temperature, the lower the viscosity - the oil thins out. Conversely, the lower the temperature, the higher the viscosity - the oil thickens.

Simply put, 10W - 30 oil flows like a 10W at cold temperatures, and a 30W at higher temperatures. Thus, an oil listed as SAE 30 is SAE 30, no matter what the "W" prefix number is. This holds true for all weights of oil, and means that 5W -30 and 20W -30 both have the same high temperature rating.

The above having been said, SAE 5W -30 is the preferred oil for Dodge trucks with the 3.7L/4.7L/5.7L engines. You may use an oil dependent upon the temperature range that you anticipate before your next oil change. If your anticipated temperatures are between -20 degrees F, and 100 degrees F, the preferred weight would be 5W -30. Between 0 degrees F, and upwards of 100 degrees F, the choice would be 10W -30.

Although us people in the deep south do have, most of the time, higher temperatures, both nightime minimums and daytime highs, little can be gained from using any other oil in our Dodge trucks, than 5W -30. As heavy wear on an engine occurs during start-up, the use of the lower "W" rating allows quicker lubrication in a cold engine even at our night time lows in the 70's. That's the reason that Dodge recommends the 5W -30 oil for their engines. The 10W -30 weight would be more likely used in the desert southwest where nightime lows can remain in the 80's and 90's and daytime highs can exceed 100 degrees for long periods of time.

 

Plam, That was very good on oil, I am glad to see someone knows and understands oil.

 

Exactly. For me who lives in Southern Cali, right now daytime highs are upwards of 105 F and night time lows are about 85 F so for now I use a 10W30 Mobil 1. In the winter months where it is between 10 F and 75 F I use 5W30. Needless to say, I get much better mileage in the winter months when I am not blasting the air conditioning and using a heavier weight oil, but that is a different story.

 

tpowell,
I lube my 02 1500 QC 4.7 with nothing but Castrol Syntec and she loves me for it. As mentioned in previous posts, the viscosity really depends on where you're at.

I don't know alot about Rotella T other than Shell makes it. It's used for Diesel and Gasoline engines.

 

Thanks ghost...I,ll try the Syntec. Are there any fittings to grease .. Any thing else I should know bout these Beasts?????