OnTheReel

So what’s the actual truth on E85’s impact on engine oil? It’s commonly stated in the tuning communities that you should cut the interval in half on the corn. Possibly due to increased fuel dilution. Reason for dilution seems unclear, unless it’s only because you’re burning ~30% more E85 to match the same energy level of gasoline? On the other hand, the study linked earlier in this thread seems to conclude fuel type bears no impact on oil. And others say E85 actually keeps the oil cleaner and would theoretically extend the interval…

I had a 1999 2500 Cummins for 7 years and it was a decent truck overall, but some issues. Front suspension/ball joints were underbuilt for the job and didn't live long, especially if 2WD. And the 24v does have a few flaws. There was a batch that had cracking blocks, don't remember what years. And then the fuel pump issues. Pretty much count on doing an aftermarket higher volume lift pump and a rebuilt VP44 if it hasn't been done already. Especially if you run a tuner. I did the pumps myself to save a few bucks but its a ton of work. Oh, and the automatic transmissions were not so great either. At any rate, you really don't want a diesel for the driving you do. Short trips are not at all good for them. And you'll never see an upside if you don't tow or haul heavy. I understand the looking cool factor though. If you don't live in the rust belt a GMT400 or GMT800 would be bulletproof. Cheap parts, plenty of aftermarket support. We have a 5.3 Tahoe sitting around 300k miles. Body is ready to fall off but it's never needed anything major. GM hasn't built anything nearly as durable since and probably never will again. Of course I picture someone talking these same sensibilities to the 15 year old me and have to laugh. You'll wind up buying what you want regardless, just like I did. And that's cool!

Absolutely. Still waiting to get them back unfortunately.

10,452 miles, 1,737 on oil. Pennzoil Platinum Euro 0w40 out, and new oil of the same type back in. No filter change, Purolator Boss left in place. Sample sent out. Went a little short on this one as a matter of comfort and convenience. We aren’t likely to see another 55 degree day for 2+ months.

Yeah, high iron and copper are not unusual for the platform at similar miles. But I do hope to see a reduction nonetheless. Thanks for sharing. Looks pretty good. Kinda expensive in my neck of the woods though. Doesn’t look like Walmart sells it. Their other M1 products are about $30 a jug.

You should have the most recent one I had Nick do on the Red Line a month or two ago. I have yet to sample the Pennzoil that’s currently in the sump but it will be done in the next few weeks. Will keep you posted on that. Chrysler has a deal with Pennzoil, technically it’s the only thing “approved”. However they don’t strictly require it according to the language in the owner’s manual.

It’s doing okay. Seems a little more tickety-tappity, especially now that it’s got some miles on it. Red Line stayed quiet. Will probably dump it soon and have a cheap sample done. Wanna see how the wear metals are progressing with the different oil, better filter and slightly less “exciting” driving.

Now we’re talking. I figure if it’s gonna feel like winter, it might as well look the part!

Think this is the heart of the matter. As someone who often staked my faith in the manufacturer and their intervals, I’ve been on both sides of the issue. But these days…when a manufacturer tells you who they are, you gotta believe them. Especially as we get pushed toward EVs. They have no reason to help you make your current vehicle last forever. The fox is guarding the henhouse. When I bought my current truck I was immediately suspicious. It has a ZF transmission that’s used in a ton of applications. In those applications, ZF typically recommends transmission service at 60,000 miles or 8 years. But Ram? They say it’s lubricated for life. If they mean for the life of the transmission, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Hell, everything can be “lubed for life” if you don’t expect it to last very long. If I never change the oil in my lawnmower and it blows up in 3 years, it was indeed lubed for life! Never mind that maintenance could extend said life by 10 fold. More on point with engine OCIs…I did a UOA recently to gain some insight. By most measures my oil was spent. Yet the OLM indicated 34% life remaining, which could have amount to another 2k miles. Really?

Had our first snow of the year. Things were pretty interesting driving around as it accumulated on the roads. Once again everyone had to act like it was their first time in the slush.

Summer returned this weekend. 75 and sunny.

$4.99/mo or $44.99/yr. I don’t pay the streaming crap for much, but MotorTrend+ is definitely worth it. Roadkill is great, Roadkill Garage is also a lot of fun. Plus they give you access to all kinds of other stuff. Not just stuff they produce, but other shows like Top Gear, Wheeler Dealers, etc.

Got this one back today on my Ram. Not thrilled with the levels of wear metals considering I am nearing 9k miles and this was already its third oil change in its short life. Fuel dilution is concerning but not surprising. Suspect shorter intervals in the future, possibly with an oil other than RL and a better filter. Right now it’s Pennzoil Euro and Purolator Boss. Hopefully we can get this cleaned up a bit.

Right to repair needs to be done, and in an even broader scope. In my field of electronics we run into two different degrees of spite from the manufacturers. 1) Refusal to provide component level parts or schematics to the end user (or independent shops) on currently supported products. While I don’t think it’s right for them to be the only option for repair, at least they are still willing to work on the stuff. 2) Refusal to provide schematics or any type of service parts on “legacy” products the manufacturer doesn’t offer repair on either. This is obviously intended to force the customer into a new product. Sometimes we are able to reverse engineer their products and have parts reproduced. But more often than not the manufacturer gets their intended result. Another new product sold and another old one in the dump. Not related to what I work with, but Apple has historically been one of the worst. You can buy two brand new, identical model iPhones, move the camera module from one to the other, and features will intentionally be bricked by the software. We aren’t talking about installing a bootleg part. One factory Apple part replaced with another. Same for batteries and screens. Absolutely no reason for this other than to force you through their repair network. And when they decide to no longer support or service the device, it’s junk and you’re buying a new one (from guess who)…

Not too far. About 2 hours or so. I’m in Racine county.

Beautiful area. I used to work a little ways from there in not so beautiful Freeport.

Removed Red Line 0w40 & Mopar SRT filter, sent sample to Nick, installed Pennzoil Euro 0w40 I posted about above with a Purolator Boss filter. Suspect the Red Line would have been good for awhile longer (only 3700 miles), but the weather will be against me soon and Ram also requires 6 month oil changes. So might as well do it while it’s warmer than El Paso in Wisconsin (literally). This Mopar filter held up fine of course. Made by Wix in Poland. Has a shyt-load of pleats.

We had 9.76” of rain in 24 hours up here. All hell broke loose. This is the storm water retention pod I jog at every day. The debris on the sidewalk was the water line. Crazy to see snails and crayfish on the pavement.

TRX. 6.2 Hellcat. Calls for 0w40 like the 6.4s.

It takes exactly 6 quarts so probably a case would be good. I also need to get in touch about an analysis on my truck oil in the next couple weeks. I guess you’re the man for that. I’ve previously been using Blackstone.

Y’all ever see green oil? Mobil 1 0w20 ESP X2 for my wife’s VW. Not a Mobil guy but there are very few meeting the VW 508 spec. I’ll play nice for the warranty, as I read VW checks for their dye in the oil if there’s a problem. Used a Mann filter with it. Then I picked this stuff up for winter use in my Ram. In looking at a VOA I saw online, it’s pretty damn stout. And the price is awesome. Walmart, $25 a jug, plus a $25 rebate on two. I am running Redline at the moment and will do so again next spring. But fuel dilution is a real concern of mine in cold weather…frequent idling and remote starts. Figure I’ll put in this cheap stuff and a new filter in the next couple weeks. Then do a quick oil-only change in December or January to get the fuel out. And then do oil and filter again with Redline in March or April. Seems like the best solution.

I own it. We live it.

Yeah, until the dealers get ahold of them. They aren’t even selling the regular rental car gasser ones at sticker, let alone that “hot commodity”. At this rate, the poor won’t be able to afford an EV until it’s 10 years old and in need of a $20,000 battery.

My mom got it last month. Her oxygen levels were a little low so her doctor put her on Paxlovid and sent her home. She turned the corner the next day. The stuff seems to work pretty well if taken early. Might be worth it for your mom too.

So $7500 consumer tax credits, billions in government-to-manufacturer subsidies, and ever-increasing CAFE standards isn’t the government forcing anyone’s hand? As far as climate change, maybe I’d believe Al Gore and the rest if a single one of their predictions came to be. https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/50-years-of-failed-doomsday-eco-pocalyptic-predictions-the-so-called-experts-are-0-50/ EVs are just the newest way for that crowd to line their pockets. @custombossAlso, you can get the Hummer EV which is extremely off road capable. Be sure to enjoy that EV tax credit while the manufacturers just happened to raise their prices by that same amount. Scam.