I am getting ready to do the first oil change on my 02' 7.3L. The truck has 93k miles and I want to know what oil and oil filter I should use? This is my first oil change on a diesel. Is there anything I should do differently than I would on a gas engine? Thanks for any help!
If dino oil - Ford stuff (MotorCraft), Shell has Rotella, Chevron has Delo 400, Mobil Delvac - I'm sure others are there - These seem to be the most popular.
If synthetic - Amsoil, Rotella, Royal Purple - probably others.
Oil change itself is pretty much the same operationally, just remember you'll need something to catch 15 quarts of oil, 15 qts to put back in and the right sized oil filter.
I just did an oil change and put royal purple in just because it was free and didnt notice any difference but i havent checked mileage yet. only 80 miles on new oil so far.
I was just gunna run delo400 if i had to by it.
Agrees with supercruty: Any of the top named dino oils will work-->Delo-Rotella-Mobil Delvac.-->All 15W-40. If you live in a colder region, ya might think about pouring in a synthetic 5W-40 yr round. If ya use the dino 15W-40? Don't go past 5K miles between your Oil change. If ya use the 5W-40 synthetic? You might beable to go to within the 5K to 10K mile mark without a by-pass system installed. Make sure too use a good oil filter... like
Motorcraft FL-1995
Fleetguard LF-3630
Wix 51734
Baldwin B7039
Mobil 1 M1-601
Amsoil Ea0-99
Clean oil plays a major part in keeping your 7.3L running like new... Never skimp on a cheap oil filter.
I have always used Shell Rotella in all my diesels, including my old GM 6.2L, which it did wonders for with smoke. My next go around I will try Royal Purple, its gonna be costly but what the heck. Also check out Blackstone Laboratories before you change. Some guys here including me, have their used oil tested when changed. Its a pretty cool deal, they'll send you a whole work up sheet on you oil and whatever other fluids you send them. Filters, I just go with Motorcraft. Hope this helps.
Thanks for all the replies everyone! Is there any reason I should look at going with synthetic oil? If I do, is it like gas engines where if you use synthetic once you have to use it from then on? Any preferred brand? Thanks again!
I used Royal purple synthetic, very expensive, but I think it's worth it. I mean, it may just be in my head, it seems like it runs smoother and cleaner. I have 234,*** miles on my truck though
I use Royal Purple in mine, but mostly because of the abuse and intermittent service she gets, I figure it gives me a bit of a buffer. Or I could be completely wrong :dunno:
I use good 'ol Shell Rotela 15-40. I work at Jiffy Lube right now so I get 50% off!!! No more $83.53 oil changes. And I get to top off the leaker all the time which is nice if you have a 7.3, b/c they do tend to leak.
We do have Penn Synth Blend 15-40 that I was thinking about trying on my next change since I'm due. We also have Rotela Full Synth 5-40 that a lot of diesel customers swear by.
Really and truly though, as long as your consistent with changing the oil AND oil filter...your good no matter what you use.
I use good 'ol Shell Rotela 15-40. I work at Jiffy Lube right now so I get 50% off!!! No more $83.53 oil changes. And I get to top off the leaker all the time which is nice if you have a 7.3, b/c they do tend to leak.
We do have Penn Synth Blend 15-40 that I was thinking about trying on my next change since I'm due. We also have Rotela Full Synth 5-40 that a lot of diesel customers swear by.
Really and truly though, as long as your consistent with changing the oil AND oil filter...your good no matter what you use.
I use Valvoline SynPower 5-40W with WIX or Napa Gold Filters. (Napa Gold Filters are WIX filters)
I have been using nothing but SynPower 5-40W for the last 10 years or so due having a mixed fleet of gas and diesel engines. It's one of the few oils that exceeds all current service requirements of both gas and diesel engines. I also double the normal service interval. Example 5,000 miles becomes 10,000 miles and 50 hours becomes 100 hours between oil changes. The extended service intervals help off sets the higher cost of synthetic.
Only having to buy one oil for all engines sure simplifies servicing all the cars, trucks and tractors around the place.
I use 14Qts of Rotella 15-40 with 1Qt of Lucas Oil Treatment with a K&N Oil Filter
I change mine about every 5-7K my truck sees alot of highway miles and 5K comes very quick. If i am going to do a long haul tow I will change the oil no matter how long it have been
Also.... Have the oil tested for the driving you do. Just because someone can go 10k
on the oil doesnt mean that you can. Contaminates and the HPOP in every 7.3 kill oil. It is very
rare to find any truck that can go over 5-6k before the oil needs changing using test results.
Just because the bottle says you can run it twice as long, it may not be true in your
engine. If running a bypass filter, intervals can usually be extended much longer.
Use a name brand oil, get it tested, change as often as the tests say so.
I change at 5k because that is where the Delo in my engine starts to break down and
the contaminates start heading up.
I have 6 consecutive Blackstone reports, one for each oil change over the past 5 years and 65K miles. Based on these, I have settled on 12,500 mile or 12 month change intervals. Blackstone says I can go further, which I agree I can, but the engine runs smoother after a change, so I'm Ok with the current interval.
TBN is the "life" indicator. Ie, the oils ability to neutralize acids so corrosion doesn't attack internal metals. New = 8.0-10.0, I'm at 4.5-5.0, and must be >1.0. So I'm not even close.
Soluble is an indicator of filtration efficiency. Leave the filter on too long, it gets saturated, and stops filtering. 5.0 is the max. I'm always at <2.0. Not even close.
There are two viscosity checks. These indicate how "sheared" or diluted the oil is. My samples always test close to as-new oil. So not even close.
I use testing. I know how to read it. And I've been doing it long enough, enough times, that I'm confident with my change strategy, and that I'm NOT doing damage from things that people make up like "the HPOP shears the oil". (Maybe it does, but I don't see it in samples from my engine). I know most peeps here won't agree with me. It's my truck, my money, and my time to change it.
If you always follow the lead dog, the scenery never changes. If you go off on your own, and know what you're doing, the view is unobstructed.
Thanks for all the help everyone! I just got back from the local parts store with Rotella-T and a Mobil-1 filter. Going to do the change tomorrow afternoon. Thanks again!
I run the Amsoil Synth Oil in my van with the Amsoil dual air filters and the oil filter. I have the MagFilter on the oil filter.
When we installed the unit on the oil filter when the van was brand new I then took it off to change the oil, we cut it open with a metal sawzall and it was full of metal and sludge filings.
Those magnets are so strong, they really work well. It was like 90.00 back then but now I see them discounted about 40 to 45.00 or so.
You can fit 2 of them on the large 7.3L oil filter, I was thinking about buying a second unit so the filter has magnet all around.
They make a square plate unit that sticks to the trans pan or other areas
I can't say enough about how good blackstone is. I sent them a sample at 5,500 they told me to go at least 7,500 and I haven't seen any issues in later samples. The VW TDI guys are nuts about their oil analysis, and powerstroke guys not so much... crazy to me, my TDI takes 4 liters, my truck takes 15 qts... never saw the need to test my TDI oil very often. I'm with everyone else, it's rare to see an oil related major failure because of the brand you choose, just stay up on it. Pick one and run with it. I have run delvac 15-40, rotella 15-40, rotella 5-40 and motorcraft 15-40... it clearly likes the rotella 5-40. I am doing my last change with some cheap delvac 1300 I stocked up on (3 bucks a gallon!) and I am gladly going back to 5-40 rotella. Quieter, starts faster and better MPG... I like it.
I know it's been a while and you've probably done more than one oil change by now, But there is something that helped me out a lot when changing the oil on this engine. I have changed the oil in my family's vehicles countless times over the last 10-15 years but all were gas engines with small oil filters. I went about changing the oil on my 7.3 the same way and when i pulled the filter, i didn't realized how much oil stayed in there, how heavy it would be, and that a bunch of oild would spill out while spinning it off making it very slippery and eventually causing me to drop it on my clean driveway.
:doh:
So, i recommend using a punch to put a hole in the filter to drain it before unscrewing it. once it has drained for a little, turn it about a half turn or so to break the seal and let it drain some more. I can change the filter now without spilling any oil over the side of the filter when spinning it off. That little tidbit was a huge help to me, coming from a gas engine world.
Thanks for the tips.
I get the materials and I go to my local oil Pit shop with a case of beer for the gents
packed in ice with a cheap Styrofoam cooler (throw-Away). So I don't have to worry about oil on my hands.
The only thing is the magnet is so strong you need to install a threaded screw into the magnet to pull it away from the filter. I ask the gent to hand me the old filter with the mag on it, and I remove and re-install on the new filter. With 700 lbs. force if you get your finger under the mag when it starts to clamp down on the oil filter, you will get a serious bruise on your finger.
My Ford Diesel Tech uses it, but admits it's pricey. He recommended for me to use Rotella T6 because it's reasonably priced and a good oil (in his educated opinion), it will start easier in cold weather and will give better fuel economy, but only slightly. I had bought a 5 gallon bucket of Rotella T (Dino) to change my oil with and he told me to return it. Now, I know a whole lot of people that have run Rotella T (me included) for many trouble free miles. When I asked why? He said that Rotella T is the one oil that comes out of the trucks he services (uncommonly) thicker than any other. He said it wasn't thick in a good way. He services a whole lot of fleet trucks, so he would know, and that the cost of synthetic isn't that much more and is well worth the cost.
ON EDIT: After using 5W-40 synthetic for one winter I can tell you that I will never endure another winter without it. This is my seventh 7.3 diesel truck, and I've always used regular Rotella T 15W-40 in the summer, and Rotella 10W-30 in the winter. My truck started at sub zero temperatures without being plugged in, and, I only let the glow plugs cycle until the "wait to start" light went out. It starts as good as my previous 6.7 did. That said, if I lived in Florida, I don't think I'd go the extra expense, but for colder regions synthetic is certainly worth consideration.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum
5.4M posts
265.8K members
Since 2005
A forum community dedicated to Ford F-series owners and enthusiasts with a Power Stroke diesel engine. Come join the discussion about performance, bulletproofing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!