My next oil change for my 2016 RAM 1500 5.7 HEMI (no oil cooler)

[Rod Knock]

I'm about to change my oil and I wanted to ask you guys what you think my next oil change should be. I have a 2016 RAM 1500 Big Horn with 3.21 rears, and a 5.7 HEMI that doesn't have a factory oil cooler. I live and drive in a hot climate and sometimes I drive even further south.

Keep in mind that Mobil 1 FS 0W-40 has tons of AW additives and Calcium and 80ppm of moly, so there might be some additive clash with Lubegard. Never the less, I wanted to put that option in there. Castrol EDGE has no Moly at all though. Per the recommended dosage, Lubegard adds 200ppm of Moly to any motor oil that doesn't have any Moly at all.

I also threw in RGT because it's formulated differently than PUP and has more Moly than PUP. PP and PUP are ideal for smaller vehicles, and though some use them in the RAM 1500, personally I don't think they're the best choice.

 

[kurek]

The manual cautions that the MDS is calibrated for 5w20 so I don't really see any value in deviating from that.

But anyway OIL THREAAAAAAAAD!!!!

 

[fijicorey]

Can you mix all of them together and do a UOA of it? I'll pay for your UOA if you do

 

[Rod Knock]

The manual cautions that the MDS is calibrated for 5w20 so I don't really see any value in deviating from that.

But anyway OIL THREAAAAAAAAD!!!!

They had this little white lie in older manuals, my 2016 manual doesn't mention anything about it. Neither does it say why it's missing the dang oil cooler when I'm supposed to be able to tow 9000 without any issues. I wouldn't attempt that without an oil cooler.

Currently it's running Mobil 1 FS 0W-40 and I got issue with MDS. Just like with the 5W-20, oil temp is influenced by ambient temperature. On a hot day I get 224F easily just cruising down the highway. So no, MDS is not a concern.

Can you mix all of them together and do a UOA of it? I'll pay for your UOA if you do

Unfortunately no much would come of it. They will all mix together and depending on the ratios I will get anything from a thin 5W-30 to a thick 5W-30 with a lower pour point. Project Farm, for what it's worth, mixed 10 oils together in a motor and ran them for several thousand miles. Did an UOA and had something like a 5W-30 with a reasonable additive pack in there. Now, Project Farm is mostly entertainment, but still fun to watch. His oil test aren't that good or accurate though.

 

[Wild one]

The manual cautions that the MDS is calibrated for 5w20 so I don't really see any value in deviating from that.

But anyway OIL THREAAAAAAAAD!!!!

Read the note at the bottom.You'll also notice nowhere does FCA state 5W-20 is best for engine longevity,and if FCA thought 5W-20 was best for engine longevity,they'd be touting it to the moon and back.This is from the 700 page printed manual for my 14,the engines haven't changed since then,so if 5W-30 is okay to use in a 14,it's okay to use in a 19

 

[Rod Knock]

Read the note at the bottom.You'll also notice nowhere does FCA state 5W-20 is best for engine longevity,and if FCA thought 5W-20 was best for engine longevity,they'd be touting it to the moon and back.This is from the 700 page printed manual for my 14,the engines haven't changed since then,so if 5W-30 is okay to use in a 14,it's okay to use in a 19

Looking around, the other two motor oils that I have found in 5W-30 grade that are not 5W-20 in sheep clothing are Rotella Gas Truck 5W-30 and Rotella T6 Multi-Vehicle 5W-30. Funny enough, the T6 5W-30 is actually thicker than the Mobil 1 FS 0W-40.

Crysler/FCA kept playing shenanigans with that wording over the years. I guess it's to appease the EPA. For 2016 my owner's manual says to use 5W-20 for the 5.7 HEMI and 5W-20 or 5W-30 for the 3.6 Pentastar. It doesn't mention anything about MDS. Back to the EPA issue, the law says that the manufacturer has to recommend the same viscosity that they used for the EPA test cycle. If they try to weasel their way out of it they will face steep penalties and fines. Some Asian manufacturers like Toyota and Mazda found a clever way to throw a wink-wink inside the owner's manual for certain bigger motors or DI motors. Toyota, in their 4Runner manual, says that if you're in the US you HAVE to use 0W-20 motor oil. But, if you are in Puerto Rico you can use any motor oil up to 15W-40 (HDEO), which is nuts. They even give you a nice chart. Mazda says that if you are in the US you HAVE to use 0W-20 in their 2.0L and 2.5L SkyActiv DI motors, but if you're somewhere else, it's okay to use 5W-30. Now, why would they print that in a US owner's manual, when owners manuals in other countries are printed in their respective languages? Wink-Wink

@kurek my MDS is working fine, it engages smoothly without any issues, just like it did with 5W-20. That being said, it's a completely and utterly useless piece of technology that can and will cause headaches down the line and I will delete it as soon as I can. In the meantime, I just disable it. With it disable, I get 15 city / 22 highway on Mobil 1 FS 0W-40 and cheap gas. This me keeping my foot out of the pedal. It's just another scare perpetrated by Crysler/FCA to avoid EPA penalties and fines. Since RAM trucks are sold officially only in North America, they can't throw a wink-wink in the owner's manual like the Asian manufacturers do telling you that it's okay to use a thicker oil so you don't obliterate your engine when you tow something heavy and you don't have an oil cooler, like me for example.

@Wild one do you know if you have an oil cooler? If you have an oil cooler you should have some piping and hoses exactly above the oil filter.

Thank you.

Maybe I should have titled this thread better to get more votes

 

[Wild one]

Looking around, the other two motor oils that I have found in 5W-30 grade that are not 5W-20 in sheep clothing are Rotella Gas Truck 5W-30 and Rotella T6 Multi-Vehicle 5W-30. Funny enough, the T6 5W-30 is actually thicker than the Mobil 1 FS 0W-40.

Crysler/FCA kept playing shenanigans with that wording over the years. I guess it's to appease the EPA. For 2016 my owner's manual says to use 5W-20 for the 5.7 HEMI and 5W-20 or 5W-30 for the 3.6 Pentastar. It doesn't mention anything about MDS. Back to the EPA issue, the law says that the manufacturer has to recommend the same viscosity that they used for the EPA test cycle. If they try to weasel their way out of it they will face steep penalties and fines. Some Asian manufacturers like Toyota and Mazda found a clever way to throw a wink-wink inside the owner's manual for certain bigger motors or DI motors. Toyota, in their 4Runner manual, says that if you're in the US you HAVE to use 0W-20 motor oil. But, if you are in Puerto Rico you can use any motor oil up to 15W-40 (HDEO), which is nuts. They even give you a nice chart. Mazda says that if you are in the US you HAVE to use 0W-20 in their 2.0L and 2.5L SkyActiv DI motors, but if you're somewhere else, it's okay to use 5W-30. Now, why would they print that in a US owner's manual, when owners manuals in other countries are printed in their respective languages? Wink-Wink

@kurek my MDS is working fine, it engages smoothly without any issues, just like it did with 5W-20. That being said, it's a completely and utterly useless piece of technology that can and will cause headaches down the line and I will delete it as soon as I can. In the meantime, I just disable it. With it disable, I get 15 city / 22 highway on Mobil 1 FS 0W-40 and cheap gas. This me keeping my foot out of the pedal. It's just another scare perpetrated by Crysler/FCA to avoid EPA penalties and fines. Since RAM trucks are sold officially only in North America, they can't throw a wink-wink in the owner's manual like the Asian manufacturers do telling you that it's okay to use a thicker oil so you don't obliterate your engine when you tow something heavy and you don't have an oil cooler, like me for example.

@Wild one do you know if you have an oil cooler? If you have an oil cooler you should have some piping and hoses exactly above the oil filter.

Thank you.

Maybe I should have titled this thread better to get more votes

The oil coolers didn't come into play till i think 2018.I run dual remote filters on my toy,they dropped my oil temps down far enough,i quit worrying about adding a stand alone thermostatic oil cooler. Redline 5W-30,alot of us run it with good success

 

[2016Bighorny]

FWIW...
I run Rotella Gas Truck 5w20 with 15oz of Lubegard, and my truck runs and idles smooth as silk...
And, I was able to buy a CRAP load of the oil CHEAP through Advance Auto Parts!

 

[kurek]

Read the note at the bottom.You'll also notice nowhere does FCA state 5W-20 is best for engine longevity,and if FCA thought 5W-20 was best for engine longevity,they'd be touting it to the moon and back.This is from the 700 page printed manual for my 14,the engines haven't changed since then,so if 5W-30 is okay to use in a 14,it's okay to use in a 19

View attachment 220830

I just will never understand the urge to run a higher viscosity oil... There are two hurdles here first there is whether it does any harm and second is whether it does any good.

We've got a 18 year old car in the garage my wife drives to work every day that's only ever had 5w20 oil as specified, it continues to have no engine problems year after year makes no weird noises doesn't burn oil or leak it. What harm is supposed to be afflicting it? What benefit would it see from 30w oil?

I know that lower viscosity oil is specified to save fuel and thereby save me money. Sounds pretty cool to me.

Like I said I'll never understand people's oil superstitions.. Weird AF if you ask me.

 

[Rod Knock]

I just will never understand the urge to run a higher viscosity oil... There are two hurdles here first there is whether it does any harm and second is whether it does any good.

We've got a 18 year old car in the garage my wife drives to work every day that's only ever had 5w20 oil as specified, it continues to have no engine problems year after year makes no weird noises doesn't burn oil or leak it. What harm is supposed to be afflicting it? What benefit would it see from 30w oil?

I know that lower viscosity oil is specified to save fuel and thereby save me money. Sounds pretty cool to me.

Like I said I'll never understand people's oil superstitions.. Weird AF if you ask me.

Believe me, I am not crazy about running higher viscosity motor oils than I need to. It's a coincidence that I ended up with 0W-40 in all our vehicles. The 2017 SF SE 3.3L likes thicker oil. Probably it would be fine with RGT 5W-30 or Rotella T6 5W-30 because they're both on the thick end of 30 oils, but it doesn't like watery thin oils like PUP 5W-30 or Castrol EP 5W-30, which are like 0.1 ~ 0.2 apart from a 20 oil and even less when above 100C operating temp. The manual allows for up to 5W-40, so it's okay though. The 2018 SF Sport has a 2.4 GDI was never spec-ed for 5W-20, except in the US. For the rest of the world that motor is supposed to run ACEA A3 0/5W-30 or 0/5W-40 oil because it has fuel dilution issues, not to mention it's based on a Mitsubishi design from the late 90s.

As far as the RAM 1500 is concerned, I'm just trying to protect the motor. I was actually playing with the idea of going to RGT or RedLine for my next oil change, that's why I started this thread. If I had an oil cooler, I would run RGT 5W-20, no questions asked. It's dirt cheap, and it's good oil with a healthy dose of Moly (160~180ppm IIRC).

FWIW...
I run Rotella Gas Truck 5w20 with 15oz of Lubegard, and my truck runs and idles smooth as silk...
And, I was able to buy a CRAP load of the oil CHEAP through Advance Auto Parts!

It's an awesome oil, and I bet you don't have an oil cooler, but you drive in a colder climate than me.

The oil coolers didn't come into play till i think 2018.I run dual remote filters on my toy,they dropped my oil temps down far enough,i quit worrying about adding a stand alone thermostatic oil cooler. Redline 5W-30,alot of us run it with good success

View attachment 220836

Sweet setup, where can I get one? To what did you attach it? That is awesome! With that setup, plus an oil cooler I bet I could run 0W-16 in my HEMI without any worries

 

[Wild one]

I just will never understand the urge to run a higher viscosity oil... There are two hurdles here first there is whether it does any harm and second is whether it does any good.

We've got a 18 year old car in the garage my wife drives to work every day that's only ever had 5w20 oil as specified, it continues to have no engine problems year after year makes no weird noises doesn't burn oil or leak it. What harm is supposed to be afflicting it? What benefit would it see from 30w oil?

I know that lower viscosity oil is specified to save fuel and thereby save me money. Sounds pretty cool to me.

Like I said I'll never understand people's oil superstitions.. Weird AF if you ask me.

It seems like 5W-30 has less cam/lifter failures then 5W-20 does,take that as you will.I've ran 5W-30 Redline in my truck since it's first oil change at 500 miles.When we did the cam swap on it,the original cam and lifters were still in perfect shape.My original cam and lifters are now in another truck that ate the original cam on 5W-20 PUP at 100,000 clics(62,500 miles),she has since switched to 5W-30 Redline,and the last time i talked to the girl she'd put another 90,000 clics on her truck with no issues.To me that adds testimony to the argument to run 5W-30

 

[Wild one]

Sweet setup, where can I get one? To what did you attach it? That is awesome! With that setup, plus an oil cooler I bet I could run 0W-16 in my HEMI without any worries

It's just a Transdapt dual filter set-up,that i upgraded the hoses on to -10 (5.8"). I did spend some time with a die grinder cleaning up casting flash and removing any internal sharp edges.I'm not a fan of sharp edges in an oil system,i think they contribute to oil shear and turbulance in an oil system.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/trd-1227

 

[Rod Knock]

It's just a Transdapt dual filter set-up,that i upgraded the hoses on to -8 (5.8"). I did spend some time with a die grinder cleaning up casting flash and removing any internal sharp edges.I'm not a fan of sharp edges in an oil system,i think they contribute to oil shear and turbulance in an oil system.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/trd-1227

Thank you so much for this information. Where and how did you attach it to the truck? I got a 2016, so they are probably identical unless you have a 6-speed transmission. Mine came with the 8 speed.

It seems like 5W-30 has less cam/lifter failures then 5W-20 does,take that as you will.I've ran 5W-30 Redline in my truck since it's first oil change at 500 miles.When we did the cam swap on it,the original cam and lifters were still in perfect shape.My original cam and lifters are now in another truck that ate the original cam on 5W-20 PUP at 100,000 clics(62,500 miles),she has since switched to 5W-30 Redline,and the last time i talked to the girl she'd put another 90,000 clics on her truck with no issues.To me that adds testimony to the argument to run 5W-30

Would you agree that if one doesn't have Red Line 5W-30 handy or the cash to spend on it, a 0W-40 oil like M1 or Castrol EDGE would be a good alternative, and maybe add Lubegard to it?

Thank you so much.

[Full disclosure]

Currently, I'm running M1 FS 0W-40 + 15 oz. Lubegard Bio/Tech. My plan was to switch to Castrol EDGE 0W-40 + Lubegard to avoid MoDTC (moly that's in the oil) and MoDTP (lubegard moly) additive clash.

 

[Wild one]

Thank you so much for this information. Where and how did you attach it to the truck? I got a 2016, so they are probably identical unless you have a 6-speed transmission. Mine came with the 8 speed.


I just drilled and tapped the frame for 5/16" studs.Only reason i used 5/16" studs is i have a bunch of 5/16" ready rod laying around that i've been trying to use up for the last few years,lol.You could probably get away with drilling and tapping the frame for 1/4" bolts though.My truck is an 8 speed 4X4. I figure i picked up a good 1 to 2 psi of hot oil pressure with the dual set-up compared to my old single remote set-up,and my oil temps took a noticable drop.Old set-up was a Transdapt 1127 kit with just the single remote filter

 

[Wild one]

Would you agree that if one doesn't have Red Line 5W-30 handy or the cash to spend on it, a 0W-40 oil like M1 or Castrol EDGE would be a good alternative, and maybe add Lubegard to it?

Thank you so much.

[Full disclosure]

Currently, I'm running M1 FS 0W-40 + 15 oz. Lubegard Bio/Tech. My plan was to switch to Castrol EDGE 0W-40 + Lubegard to avoid MoDTC (moly that's in the oil) and MoDTP (lubegard moly) additive clash.[/QUOTE]

I'll defer that one to Burla,lol. He's our resident oil go to guy.I run 0W-40 PUP (pennzoil ultra platinium) in the wifes 6.4 Challenger with a bottle of LubeGuard.Just started running that combo a few weeks ago,but i'm not disappointed in it.On straight PUP,the car had a bit of valve train noise,adding the Lube Guard does seem to have quieted it down some.Only reason the cars on PUP,is they threw in 4 free oil changes when she bought it,after they're up,depending on how pleased i am with PUP and Lube Guard,it might stay on that combo,if i'm not still pleased it'll probably get switched over to Redline,but i have a lifetime supply of Lube Guard on hand that i'll want to use up ,so that's one selling feature to the PUP combo,lol

 

[Murphy Slaw]

The only option on your list I like is Redline.

Why no Amsoil?

 

[Gero]

I run pennzoil ultra platinum 5w30 because it's much cheaper than redline 5w30 and more readily available. My oci is 10,000km and I change my wix (non xp) every 5,000km. I've been keeping a close eye (ear rather) on piston slap during the winter but so far so good. I also try to avoid excessive idling. Sitting at 53,000km and running strong.

 

[crazykid1994]

@Burla where are you?
I run 5w30 pup or redline. I’m curious about the rotella. Does anyone have a uoa of it? I can get rotella at my Walmart. I’ve always run 5w30. Had annoying lifter tick and startup tick from dealer oil. Always annoyed me. I ran 5w30 after 10,000 miles and I’m at 33,000 miles now and no issues whatsoever. Even with mds. I’ve just recently disabled mds as well. I’m running a filter kit similar to @Wild one exceot it’s a single filter and -10 an hose. Dropped my temps about 6°
edit: forgot to mention my oil cools off a lot faster as well while idling and takes longer to heat up.

 

[Rod Knock]

Why no Amsoil?

What's special about Amsoil?

 

[kurek]

What's special about Amsoil?

Not a thing but because it gets marketed by "independent dealers" the unique distribution model somehow generates its own mysticism about the product.