Splat, I drive in the city so i don't spend a second worrying about something hitting the valve. besides that, even though it looks like it hangs down really far, it still sits higher than the front axle. Since it's so easy to do, I can easily see myself changing a gallon at every 2500 interval. It would literally take me 5 minutes to do and I wouldn't get dirty at all. I absolutely love that thing !!

 

Mayfair I have been thinking about getting one of theseas well. The only thing that has stoped me from getting one is the how hard is it to turn the valve? If if is pretty stiff or tight then I will order one today. Dang just placed another order from Geno's last week, should be here tomorrow. Wish I would have waited or ordered that as well.
My first oil change was done at aprox 2,400 miles, when should I get my first oil analysis done?


On a side note. I have started using Stanadyne performance formula, mainly for upping the lubricity. What do you guys thing of Stanadyne and the High Performance formula?

Sorry not trying to hijack the thread guys.

 

Steve05,

At what mileage did you change out your oil filter (not your by pass filter) or did you? I still think the oil filter should be changed out every 7500 miles if you’re running extended oil change intervals with a Fleetguard Stratapore or equal type filter or more often if your using a standard paper filter.

 

savage.basher,

IMHO you need to either load 2,500 lbs. in the bed of the truck or hook it to a 5,000+ Lbs. trailer and drive it at least twice for 36 hours non-stop except for fuel. If you can’t do the double 36 hour drive then leave the load in the bed or trailer hooked up to it for 5-6 weeks time to help get your engine broke in or for a minimum of 5000 miles. IMHO the only way to break in a diesel engine is to work it hard with a load, not by driving it hard.

While I was an over the road (OTR) driver I saw many diesels engines that did not get worked hard to break them in and they all seemed to have more problems then the ones that were worked hard to break them in from the get go. What we use to do on a new or rebuilt engine was to load the truck to 80,000 Lbs. then drive it for 36 hours (in the mountains) non stop except for fuel to help get the rings seated.

BTW, my wife and I broke my engine in by driving it for 33 hours non-stop, except for fuel from Iowa to Oregon with an 1100-LB load in the bed plus luggage in the truck. Then seven days later we drove it back to Iowa. Oh my truck only had about 1300 miles on it when we did the long drive break in. In fact on our break in drive we averaged 18.35 mpg for the whole trip, not bad for a new engine.

 

It was one of the amsoil filters supposedly good for 25k... I didnt swap it until I did the full oil change @ 15k, this time around it's at 5k... I wanted to see if amsoil lived up to it's hype. from my experience, most of the cliams never pan out.

I'm thinking what I'm going to do is to add the drain plug mentioned above and go back the 5k intervals I'm used to. not sure which oil I'll be going with right now but the amsoil change @ $100 bux is not going to be possible right now so it'll probably be the mobil delvac that I have in there now. @ 1k miles on this oil I'm going to sample it and swap it out to see what's going on, if it turns out the oil was good, oh well... my peace of mind is more important.

 

Right now I have Amsoil 5w30 HDD in mine but I will change it out and do a UOA on it at 7500 miles or mid October what ever one comes first as that will be 7 months on the oil. Being I have an extened warranty I want to try and keep Dodge some what happy with the oil changes.

BTW, I know what its like to be let down with oil as I had Amsoil XL 7500, 5w20 come back with a TBN of 1.96 ( the TBN on the Virgin oil is 9 ) in my wifes 06 Sebring with a 2.7L V6 with only 4587 miles on the oil. Anyway I was very gald that I had changed the oil out at the time I pulled the UOA an not until after I had gotten the UOA report. Now I can only hope the new Amsoil 0w20 that i put in it will hold up better then the XL oil did. But then it does have a TBN of 12 and not 9 but then I also need it to last for 6,000 miles not 4600 []

 

It's kinda hard to see here, but you actually hafta push out on that lever while pulling down. Bottom line, it's impossible for that lever to open up on it's own.

 

I ordered mine this morning... when I get 1000 miles on this oil, I'll install it.

 

The picture shows the lever in the "open" position. In the closed position the lever is turned toward you (in this picture) and the spring "holds" it recessed area that you can kinda see in the picture. I have one of these in my truck now, just put it on a few weeks ago. I think geno's sells a small hose clamp that you can put over the end of the lever. With this clamp (think a radiator spring loaded hose clamp on a smaller scale) I don't see how the lever would accidently open!

 

You're right Brian, I just noticed that. It IS pictured in the open position. You can clearly see how you hafta push out while pulling down to open the valve.