Oil Weight

[Willie Mosher]

Yes, back in the Old days ( 60s to 80s) pennzoil an Quaker State
Was pretty much wax . paraffin base Oils, but they long gone now Arnold Palmer granddaddy tractor. Had not running in years. New kids running show now. An one or two maybe educated.

 

[Jane S]

Thanks, already done.

How's that oil pan?

 

[Wyo72]

Ahhh nothing like an oil thread to get people at each others throats. LOL

OP- yep 0W-40 is correct. I've never had a vehicle that used that weight either until I bought my ram.

 

[quickster2]

Manufacturers also contract with oil suppliers for whoever gives them the best volume deal. It's why every so many years a manufacturer will switch from whatever they are using to a different brand. I wouldn't read in to brand all that much. Or even oil weight.

You also have to take in to consideration that manufacturers are pulling every trick in the book to scrounge up every last fraction of a percent of fuel efficiency. That means moving to lighter weight oils. Just look at the Pentastar 3.6 over it's life span. Having started with 5w30, then moved to 5w20 in 2014, then 0w20 in 2017. Not much changed on the engine itself except for the addition of VVT. Internal part numbers changed, but the parts are interchangeable. As in the pistons from a 2023 will work in a 2012. Lighter oil, less resistance, more efficiency, higher failure rate. The move to 5w20 saw an uptick in lifter failures. When they moved to 0w20 is when we saw a significant increase in lifter failures.

Point being. Don't read too much in to what a manufacturer recommends. As a large part of that comes down to their bottom line on cost and meeting fleet wide fuel efficiency requirements. The whole "tighter tolerances" is complete bullshtuff. They're as tight as they can be, and have been for 15+ years, without having thermal expansion interference. Go ask any machine shop or reputable engine builder.

You are correct in that tolerances have not improved much, but clearances have. This is at least partially driving the need for "thinner" oils at startup and in colder temperatures.

 

[Riccochet]

You are correct in that tolerances have not improved much, but clearances have. This is at least partially driving the need for "thinner" oils at startup and in colder temperatures.

I agree, the thinner cold weights make sense. It's the operating weights that are getting out of hand. Not for the 6.4, specifically, since it uses 0W40. But a lot of engine platforms are moving to 0W20, 0W10. All in the name of efficiency, at the cost of reliability. Those oils are so thin at operating temp that they lack the shear strength to prevent failures. As most of these newer engine platforms operate at higher temps. Instead of investing in technologies that would provide a cleaner, more efficient burn of fuel they're taking the easy road by increasing operating temps, and in turn increasing thermal expansion, which requires lighter oils to be able to get in to those bearing journals. Among other shady tricks, like low friction rings, lightening of rotating internals.

 

[ramffml]

You are correct in that tolerances have not improved much, but clearances have. This is at least partially driving the need for "thinner" oils at startup and in colder temperatures.

That's actually backwards? Tolerances have improved, clearances haven't. A clearance is a spec, a tolerance is how much variation from that spec you will tolerate.

Our production lines have improved in that the tolerances/precision manufacturing has improved, but there are guys on bitog who are basically saying clearances haven't changed on engines in like 30+ years because of the physics of different metals; we can't get away from the fact that iron/aluminum/copper all expand and contract at different rates, so the clearnances in an engine need to account for that.

 

[Sherman Bird]

Thanks, I figured I was reading it right. It just kind of surprised me. Where have you found that weight? I was in WM last week and thought I'd go look, but none of the brands had that.

Being that you are in Arkansas, 0W is largely unnecessary, considering the time of year it is. The first number is reference for oil flow at zero degrees. Read the owner's manual again and see if they allow for "severe" duty oil at a different weight. Seeing as how we are all in warmer weather, the first number doesn't apply.

 

[Tulecreeper]

Being that you are in Arkansas, 0W is largely unnecessary, considering the time of year it is. The first number is reference for oil flow at zero degrees. Read the owner's manual again and see if they allow for "severe" duty oil at a different weight. Seeing as how we are all in warmer weather, the first number doesn't apply.

No, it says "Engine Oil - Mopar API Certified SAE 0W-40 Full Synthetic Engine Oil...MS-A0921. Equivalent 0W-40 oil can be used but must have API Donut trademark".

 

[Jane S]

Being that you are in Arkansas, 0W is largely unnecessary, considering the time of year it is. The first number is reference for oil flow at zero degrees. Read the owner's manual again and see if they allow for "severe" duty oil at a different weight. Seeing as how we are all in warmer weather, the first number doesn't apply.

IADR - the 6.4L recommended oil is 0w40 - the additive package is of equal imporatance to the 0w. So, it is important for th OP to use PUP 0w40.

 

[Riccochet]

That's actually backwards? Tolerances have improved, clearances haven't. A clearance is a spec, a tolerance is how much variation from that spec you will tolerate.

Our production lines have improved in that the tolerances/precision manufacturing has improved, but there are guys on bitog who are basically saying clearances haven't changed on engines in like 30+ years because of the physics of different metals; we can't get away from the fact that iron/aluminum/copper all expand and contract at different rates, so the clearnances in an engine need to account for that.

This is exactly the reason why "engines are built to tighter tolerances" is mostly b.s. I say mostly because materials have improved, but enough to where clearances have really been reduced. We've had the machining capability to produce engines with precision for decades. But we still have to take in to account thermals. Thermal expansion is a b**ch. You can negate it a point with enough cooling, but then you are killing the efficiency of the engine with reduced head/combustion chamber temps.