OnTheReel

Break-in reality check? Very strange to such a cautious (and threatening) break-in procedure on a 2026 vehicle but yet Ram deemed this necessary on their DC650 sport truck. This is a stock 5.7 Hemi with a blower bolted onto it. Internally nothing different from the engine in millions of other trucks, so why the “excessive” break-in? And why then wouldn’t a “normal” truck also benefit from following it? Rhetorical questions of course…

You got any pictures of this beast? I’m assuming the body is in better condition than anything remaining here in Wisconsin or the list wouldn’t be quite so long!

Over the last week I installed GM coils, Taylor wires and Red Line SI-1 in the fuel which cleared up a slightly rough idle. Coils made the biggest difference even just A/B testing one bank at a time. I know everyone says the OEM ones last forever but at 212k on these units they were tired. Fade to failure, like shock absorbers in my experience. Also slightly richened the target idle AFR in the tune for good measure. I have zero tolerance for anything less than buttery smooth, and since emissions are not a concern I can get there any way I please.

Was checking out a 39 Buick at a charity auction and found the statement on the cover of the owners manual interesting. What it can do for you, and what YOU can do for IT? Framing your ownership as a two way relationship! Seems this type of thinking is all but gone with the non-enthusiasts, and something like that would never be printed on the cover of a manual. It would likely offend people. Hey, I just spent two years salary on an SUV and it has the nerve to request anything back from me????

I had some interest in this when the tax credit still existed and it was going to be super cheap. Still like the concept but not so sure of the value. Check a few option boxes on the SUV version and it’s right up there with a base Model 3. Nevermind that depreciated low mile Model 3s are in the 20s.

Yeah, they’ve really been hitting it hard with the R&D. If their oil wasn’t performing as well as it has been for people I’d say this just a cash grab/ marketing ploy. But the BITOG folks seem to think this may be legit too. Trying it in the Jeep, fuel has been a problem in the samples and while I have new injectors on the shelf, this is an easier proposition…

Just cruising around this holiday weekend. Been working on her every spare minute for the past two months. Still lots to do but sometimes you gotta stop and smell some flowers! Old school guys will appreciate the rock crusher whining away. Such a nostalgic sound. Purists may disagree but I like to think I hit a good blend of modern and retro with this car and did it my way.

Fairly new product, just picked up two bottles at Autozone, buy one get one free sale. Also sold at Advance and Walmart so far. The Restore & Protect oil seems to be a legitimate product. Now we will see if this unseats my Redline SI-1 as the go to cleaner. This product is NOT using PEA but some other proprietary chemical. Will be interesting to see some real world results…

Had a 93 with this junk system that rarely ran well even when nothing was “broken”. This was at least in the era where you could still get parts pretty easily. You have my sympathy and when you get it running, dump it ASAP.

The good old days are coming back boys! Premium still $4.66 and Regular at $3.45.

Historically I’ve run about 2 to 1. So two oil changes in the time it takes the OLM to tick over once. I only reset them when the truck starts reminding me to get an oil change and have no use for them. In no cases has the oil I’ve sampled been fit to run twice as long so the OLM is bunk across GM and other makes/models. My experience is that there’s ALWAYS something. Either the TBN is ready to fall off the cliff, fuel dilution too high, viscosity down (shear or dilution). But I suppose if you never actually test, you wouldn’t know.

I get why they do this…but man…not ideal. I only extract on inboard boat engines because the drains are buried and even then I hate it because it’s easy to leave a quart behind with that method. They should market it as an “oil refresh” not oil change!

Paid $1.999 today for E85 up here. Premium still wild at $5.699. They can keep it for that price.

Certainly no shortage of “not good” ones, younger age notwithstanding. But in my view there’s no need to wait 13 more years to see the writing on the wall anyway. Weaker ring package, weaker cam and lifter design, lower viscosity oil, and DI which even in the best state of tune dumps more fuel into oil. All of this saying nothing of the embarrassing manufacturing defects and just general poor quality of the last 5 years which works against everyone too. What everyone got away with “in the old days” for maintenance is not likely to lead to the same results it did in the Gen 3s and earlier. I like em just the same but these newer engines just aren’t going to be cockroaches like the old ones.

212k miles on shelf oils. 2003 LM7 5.3 I bought a couple weeks ago. I would consider this a clean, well maintained engine and do have the records. Still some room for improvement. No “sludge” per se but a little dirty for sure. To keep clean just takes better products than they used. Either way, bores look great, nice cross hatching. Cam shows almost no wear. These pre-DI and pre-AFM engines are treats. But as Grumpy says, we are past this point. To keep a newer DI, low tension ring engine even just in this “average” state at 200k takes some care. It’s not 2003 anymore.

2 for 1 weekend. 2018 Jeep 3.6: 2979 miles on interval, 107,952 total Red Line Euro 5w30 & Fram XG filter out, sample sent to OAI. Valvoline R&P + 1 qt. HPL EC SAE40 installed. Purolator PL36296 filter. Not really looking to “fix” anything with this witches brew, just figured I’d do a short little clean up run as we pushed over 100k. 2021 Ram TRX: 793 miles on interval, 30,600 total Drained M1 FS 0w40, sample sent to OAI. I don’t think I even posted when I installed this oil in January but it was just a short winter / flush run. HPL Super Car 5w50 & PPE filter installed. Curious to see what copper winds up looking like between the flush oil and the switch from RL to HPL.

Got the resident dust collector out of my shop. Yanked it with my 4 wheeler and slid it into its new home on Go-Jacks pretty much by myself this morning. Wife helped a little once she figured out how to open the door and what pedal is the brake lol. Gave it a wash but that’s about it for the day. Just easier to work on outside too. More room!

87 holding strong at $4.50 here too. E85 at $3.90 is a ripoff of epic proportions. $5.70 for premium.

Grumps driving style, if anything, implies that there are even greater margins to gain by most more “typical” drivers who race from light to light. When time and again @Grumpy Bear sees improvements from something like upping viscosity, it stands to reason someone who runs the 0w20 on the ragged edge pulling trailer uphill will see much much more. If they cared to actually try/ test like I have.

Another whacky weather week up here. Tornado warnings in 4 of the last 5 days. Phone alert at 1:38 AM for the first one took a few years off my life. The others have been in the late evenings. Thankfully no damage. Just lots of rain. We had already exceeded the monthly average in the first 7 days. Not sure where we stand now but has to be a record. I’m sure @Grumpy Bear has been seeing similar crap down by him. Tonight’s band was 1000 miles wide…

E85 - $3.19 87 - $3.89 93 - $5.29

Mental bandwidth to optimize and protect the second largest purchase most people will ever make in their life is bandwidth well spent in my book. Plus, it’s called a hobby…sheesh. PS: it being 2026 means it’s more important than ever. Vehicles have never cost more, engines have never been more complex, loans terms have never been longer, and vehicles have never been worse quality (JMO on the last part but there’s evidence to prove it)…

https://www.amazon.com/prime/offer/earnify/prime-deal Nice little discount, going to load the boat tomorrow!

Reducing sodium carries a quality of life penalty, so the bar is high and the question of course is why would I? Increasing oil viscosity carries no such penalties. Truck runs and drives the same. Oil costs the same. Fuel economy in the real world and not an EPA test is the same. Aside from the lower wear rates happening completely in the background there’s no indication of any change at all. More of a why wouldn’t I???

78 degrees today. Brick house gets pretty hot in the sun and holds it forever so we kicked the air on. If nothing else to make sure the 1997 vintage unit still works. Unfortunately no fan but just needs a cap which I ordered on Amazon. It’ll arrive just in time for it to drop back into the 30s. Least I won’t sweat installing it!