5w 20 or 5w30

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WaRam2012

WaRam2012

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Thanks for all the great info
I will go with RL 5w 30 & RP filter
Since you brought up amsoil, look at their sheets. 5w30 operates at 10.3 visc, 5w20 operates at 8.8 visc, now look at the next weight up which is 0w40 that operates at viscosity 14.8. The point is 5w20 and 5w30 are thin oils not much difference either way, the 5w30 will give you a little more film strength. You can see when you jump to 40 weight you have a real heavy duty oil, whereas 5w30/5w20 are just your basic passenger vehicle oil. For a 2012 no doubt you want to be thicker, as tolerances widen you don't want thin oil. If you get a used oil analysis sometime, post it in blackstone thread in 4 gen performance section for feedback on what your engine is doing.

EPA uses CAFE standards to force manu's to use thin oils. Since CAFE is impossible to make the goals of, manu's need to prove they tried everything. It has been posted ad naseum. FCA engineers made hemi specific oil 0w40 for a reason, but they literally cant use that oil in a 1500 non HD vejicle.




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Thank you some good info
 

dapepper9

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I respectfully disagree that the engineers recommendation is for CAFE only. I'm basing my opinion on an entire fleet of cars over a long period. Again, I respect your opinion but don't share it.
You’re still assuming that recommendation is an engineering call and not a finance guy’s
 

1979PowerWagon360

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You’re still assuming that recommendation is an engineering call and not a finance guy’s
I also stated I was basing it on personal experience from a large sample group of fleet vehicles. And, the engineers don't want large amounts of engine failures.
 

dapepper9

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I also stated I was basing it on personal experience from a large sample group of fleet vehicles. And, the engineers don't want large amounts of engine failures.
It doesn’t matter what engineers want though. When the money guys ask “Will this thinner oil get us X number of miles 98% of the time and get us X amount better fuel economy across the fleet?”
It doesn’t matter that the engineer says
“well yes but this thicker oil will reduce wear particulate in the long run” because the money guys quit listening at “well yes”
 

Plexiglass

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I saw the refrence to use Fram filter as a backup. Caution that these often leave the seal on the vehicle! I've had it happen several times and have switched to Mobil 1 without issue. As most know, the seal should be checked at every change regardless, but again, more common than not for me to see seals left on vehicle with the Frams, even the full on premium version.
 

Dginn69

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~edit
 
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David James

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I have just put a new engine in my 2012 Ram 5.7 I live in the North West and I have been debating on going to 5w 30 on my first oil change I have always ran Amsoil in my other vehicles I’m sure this oil debate has been ran to death but just would like some input
Thanks in advance
Why? Manufacturer calls for 5w20. I live in the mid Atlantic area, have over 100k miles on my 2016 Hemi, several road trips in excess of 5 k miles, no issues, no unusual consumption. I typically do a 5 k OCF using whatever name brand OEM spec is on sale and a quality filter that rated beyond 5 k just in case. Lab analysis of the Shell Rotella Gas 5w20 at 100 k with 5600 miles on the oil showed nothing undue and plenty of additive out through about 9 k miles.
 

Dginn69

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Since you brought up amsoil, look at their sheets. 5w30 operates at 10.3 visc, 5w20 operates at 8.8 visc, now look at the next weight up which is 0w40 that operates at viscosity 14.8. The point is 5w20 and 5w30 are thin oils not much difference either way, the 5w30 will give you a little more film strength. You can see when you jump to 40 weight you have a real heavy duty oil, whereas 5w30/5w20 are just your basic passenger vehicle oil. For a 2012 no doubt you want to be thicker, as tolerances widen you don't want thin oil. If you get a used oil analysis sometime, post it in blackstone thread in 4 gen performance section for feedback on what your engine is doing.

EPA uses CAFE standards to force manu's to use thin oils. Since CAFE is impossible to make the goals of, manu's need to prove they tried everything. It has been posted ad naseum. FCA engineers made hemi specific oil 0w40 for a reason, but they literally cant use that oil in a 1500 non HD vejicle.




.
So would it be better to run 0w40 in an older hemi?
 

Burla

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sure
 

Sherman Bird

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I know this is a controversial topic; my response to this question is always "the manufacturer's recommendation". Personally, I don't ever think it's a good idea to try and outsmart the engineers who designed an engine.
The engineering departments of OE car manufacturers have hundreds of millions of dollars for R&D and prototype testing cars. SO many people seem to think that the OE manufacturers are easily outsmarted.

A number of years ago, a seemingly intelligent customer brought his GMC 2500HD with a 6.0 Liter engine and was unhappy that the behemoth snarfed gasoline like cheap ale. In hand, he had a device with magnets to "straighten out fuel molecules" if placed on the metal fuel supply line . It was all I could do not to burst out laughing at the ludicrous idea that a 20 dollar thing could double one's fuel mileage, as he was thoroughly convinced it would.

Maintaining my professional demeanor, I tried to convince him that the device would not work... but he would have no part in that thinking. So, I put it on.

A few weeks later, I saw him ride by on a motorcycle.
 

MontanaHandyman

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The engineering departments of OE car manufacturers have hundreds of millions of dollars for R&D and prototype testing cars. SO many people seem to think that the OE manufacturers are easily outsmarted.

A number of years ago, a seemingly intelligent customer brought his GMC 2500HD with a 6.0 Liter engine and was unhappy that the behemoth snarfed gasoline like cheap ale. In hand, he had a device with magnets to "straighten out fuel molecules" if placed on the metal fuel supply line . It was all I could do not to burst out laughing at the ludicrous idea that a 20 dollar thing could double one's fuel mileage, as he was thoroughly convinced it would.

Maintaining my professional demeanor, I tried to convince him that the device would not work... but he would have no part in that thinking. So, I put it on.

A few weeks later, I saw him ride by on a motorcycle.
How does the old saying go? Something like 'no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of people'?
 

Whiskerfish

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I did not stay at a holiday in express last night and I am not an oil expert, my question is "are these engines prone to oil related problems/ failures?"
I see a lot of discussion regarding types and viscocity of oils. I see the same thing on my Motorcycle site and the bikes we focus on have extremely low incidence of oil related issues.
 

DA Smith

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Interesting thing to me about the oil debate is this, my fifth gen Ram 5.7 Hemi calls for 5w 20 my Challenger 6.4 392 SRT calls for 0w 40. I noticed in the thread that someone has a 2500 6.4 Ram that runs 5w 30 I believe. I know that the 6.4 truck engine is surely built stronger internally than the SRT Challenger but why the different oil recommendations. I use mobil one 0w 40 for my Challenger and 5w 20 Penzoil in my Ram, they both preform well.
 
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