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Old 06-09-2018, 10:03 PM   #1
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DT466 Synthetic Oil recommendation?

Hey all, we're getting ready for our first oil change and there's a giant sticker under the hood, from the school district, that say's SYNTHETIC OIL ONLY. Ok, I can take a hint!


Question is, which synthetic oil? From what I gather it needs to be diesel rated oil. I found some Schaeffer 5W-40 on Amazon in a 5gal pail. I had thought 15W-40 would be better, but I'm having a hard time finding that weight in a synthetic.
I supposed I'd need 2 pails though, as (according to the manual) the capacity is 28 quarts. I'd be fine with having a couple/few gallons on hand for when it's necessary.


I've got a school bus mechanic coming over next week to walk me through some stuff, oil change being one of the things. I'd like to have oil on hand at the time.....just not sure which oil to get. Is Schaeffer a quality oil?



Any suggestions/words of wisdom?




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Old 06-09-2018, 11:19 PM   #2
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Drew Bru,

Depending on the milage you plan on driving and the temperature you will be driving in you may or may not need synthetic oil. The engine would be fine with conventional oil unless its being operated frequently in the cold (air temp less than around 30 F) or hot air temp (over around 90 F). There should be oil grade vs air temp charts for you engine. Synthetic oil provides better consistacy of viscosity over large temperature ranges. Synthetic oils also allow longer periods between oil changes because the oil doesn't break down as quickly as conventional. If your not operating in extreme temperatures or puting on high milage I would use conventional 15w40 oil and change it more frequently. If you want to use the synthetic a 5w40 would be fine. The schaffer should be fine. For oil purchase I would locate a local bulk oil supplier to purchase your 5 gal buckets. They should be cheaper than amazon as they usually fill the buckets on-site out of their bulk tanks. Popular diesel oils are Shell Rotella, Chevron Delo and Mobile Delvac.

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Old 06-10-2018, 07:34 AM   #3
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Drew Bru,

Depending on the milage you plan on driving and the temperature you will be driving in you may or may not need synthetic oil. The engine would be fine with conventional oil unless its being operated frequently in the cold (air temp less than around 30 F) or hot air temp (over around 90 F). There should be oil grade vs air temp charts for you engine. Synthetic oil provides better consistacy of viscosity over large temperature ranges. Synthetic oils also allow longer periods between oil changes because the oil doesn't break down as quickly as conventional. If your not operating in extreme temperatures or puting on high milage I would use conventional 15w40 oil and change it more frequently. If you want to use the synthetic a 5w40 would be fine. The schaffer should be fine. For oil purchase I would locate a local bulk oil supplier to purchase your 5 gal buckets. They should be cheaper than amazon as they usually fill the buckets on-site out of their bulk tanks. Popular diesel oils are Shell Rotella, Chevron Delo and Mobile Delvac.

Ted

Thanks Ted! We plan on full-timing around the country, so I'll probably stick with synthetic oil....that's also what the mechanic at the local bus barn recommended. We have no real clue about what temp extremes we'll encounter, but I really like the fact that we can wait a little longer between oil changes. I wasn't even aware of the existence of bulk-oil suppliers, but we live outside of Chicago so they're probably not too difficult to find. There's a lot of trucking companies and repair shops around here!


In theory this seems as easy as changing the oil in my compact car.....but some things (like finding bulk oil suppliers, and having to use a giant filter wrench and 5-gal buckets to drain the oil) let you know that it's a whole different beast. Everything's just.......bigger. At least there's a lot more room under the hood!
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Old 06-10-2018, 07:38 AM   #4
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You'll likely need more than a 5 gallon bucket.
I change my own oil on DT466's you're looking at about 6-7 gallons.

I do the oil and filter for about $40 but I don't run the fancy stuff.
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Old 06-10-2018, 07:47 AM   #5
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You'll likely need more than a 5 gallon bucket.
I change my own oil on DT466's you're looking at about 6-7 gallons.

I do the oil and filter for about $40 but I don't run the fancy stuff.



Yup, I've got 2 buckets at the ready. I'm expecting 7 gals, but I've never done this before so whaddo I know?
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Old 06-10-2018, 08:04 AM   #6
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Yup, I've got 2 buckets at the ready. I'm expecting 7 gals, but I've never done this before so whaddo I know?
how do you plan to swap buckets while a stream of hot oil the diameter of a half dollar is flowing?
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Old 06-10-2018, 08:17 AM   #7
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how do you plan to swap buckets while a stream of hot oil the diameter of a half dollar is flowing?

I like to think I've got lightning-fast reflexes and asbestos-like skin, but honestly, I have no idea. I usually end up with some puddles on the floor without having to swap vessels . I think I've got a 10gal. Rubbermaid tote too.

I've got a mechanic from the bus barn that's going to walk me through the oil change, but I'm definitely open to suggestions if you've got any?
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Old 06-10-2018, 08:54 AM   #8
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I dig a hole, put a big trash bag in as a liner, then a 7 gallon bucket. I drive over the hole, and then drain the oil into the bucket.
It comes out fast and furious!
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Old 06-10-2018, 09:13 AM   #9
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I dig a hole, put a big trash bag in as a liner, then a 7 gallon bucket. I drive over the hole, and then drain the oil into the bucket.
It comes out fast and furious!

That's funny, just before I checked the thread I says to myself, I says "What about digging a big pit under the engine?" Great minds think alike! Alas, the storage yard where the bus is will probably have a problem with that. It looks like I'll need a low-ish profile vessel too....at least according to the video I just watched. How much room is there to work under the oil pan?
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Old 06-10-2018, 09:32 AM   #10
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That's funny, just before I checked the thread I says to myself, I says "What about digging a big pit under the engine?" Great minds think alike! Alas, the storage yard where the bus is will probably have a problem with that. It looks like I'll need a low-ish profile vessel too....at least according to the video I just watched. How much room is there to work under the oil pan?
Plenty of room under the pan.
I also have a 7 gallon oil pan from Rural King I use when I'm in town. Fits nicely under there.

This may start a flame war, but I feel its worth mentioning anyhow-
Don't run Fram filters. Run Wix or Napa (made by wix).
And if you're going to run expensive stuff may as well go with this-
https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-produ...?code=DMEQT-EA
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Old 06-10-2018, 10:02 AM   #11
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Lightning fast reflexes not necessary with this little guy...

https://ezoildrainvalve.com/index.html

Works like a charm. I actually just collect a bunch of 1 gallon milk jugs a few weeks before a change and fill them one at a time. The drain takes a little longer, but the drain/disposal process is a lot cleaner and faster in total.
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Old 06-10-2018, 11:42 AM   #12
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I've seen those before but I'd really hesitate to add something that if it malfunctions could lead to my oil being dumped. The lowest part of most buses is the oil pan.
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Old 06-11-2018, 10:47 AM   #13
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Schaeffer's has good oil. Those that use it recommend it. I've read of stiction issues with their 700 series oils when used in heui engines, nothing with the 9000 series though.

I've been told fram has improved their quality. I don't know, after seeing engines ruined because of collapsed media I'm not trying them.

Wix filters are fine, we use them on cars and pickups.

We use baldwin filters for the MD and HD stuff. Some shops use fleetguard, others donaldson. Those companies are more catered to the HD market.

We use rotella oil, because the distributor is half a mile away.

If you're going with a synthetic, use a 5w40. We use that exclusively in all heui injected engines, and we've experienced nothing but positive results from it. Startability and pumpability is improved over 15w40 at all temps.

Use an api CJ4 oil, as ford just came out with a bulletin stating the newer CK4 doesn't provide adaquate protection for their engines. I'd assume that would also apply for all engine makes IMO.
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Old 06-11-2018, 11:21 AM   #14
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Schaeffer's has good oil. Those that use it recommend it. I've read of stiction issues with their 700 series oils when used in heui engines, nothing with the 9000 series though.

I've been told fram has improved their quality. I don't know, after seeing engines ruined because of collapsed media I'm not trying them.

Wix filters are fine, we use them on cars and pickups.

We use baldwin filters for the MD and HD stuff. Some shops use fleetguard, others donaldson. Those companies are more catered to the HD market.

We use rotella oil, because the distributor is half a mile away.

If you're going with a synthetic, use a 5w40. We use that exclusively in all heui injected engines, and we've experienced nothing but positive results from it. Startability and pumpability is improved over 15w40 at all temps.

Use an api CJ4 oil, as ford just came out with a bulletin stating the newer CK4 doesn't provide adaquate protection for their engines. I'd assume that would also apply for all engine makes IMO.
I can't tell you how relieved I am after reading this response! Just last night I ordered some Rotella T T6 full synthetic 5w40. I also went with a full arsenal of Baldwin filters, as that's what the school district had been using and they seemed to have really taken good care of their fleet.

Now....about Transmission oil? Any thoughts, anyone? Dexron III C4, from what I gather, is what I'm looking for. We've got a MT643. Am I shopping for brands or am I shopping for price? I'm not even 100% sure it needs to be changed, but we're planning on hitting the road full time in the not too distant future and I'd like to start with a nice, fresh rig.
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Old 06-11-2018, 03:20 PM   #15
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I've seen those before but I'd really hesitate to add something that if it malfunctions could lead to my oil being dumped. The lowest part of most buses is the oil pan.
+1 on that worry. Also, you never remove this so it appears to me that you lose the magnetic scavenging that most drain plugs give you.

Nice idea, though. I'd buy into it 100% if it could be side-mounted low on the oil pan and had a turn-it-90 degrees-out-of-the-way feature.
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Old 06-22-2018, 09:58 PM   #16
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I just used Dexron 3 with a new spin on filter to change the trans oil, but again, a synthetic would be better and cost more!
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Old 06-23-2018, 07:01 AM   #17
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I just used Dexron 3 with a new spin on filter to change the trans oil, but again, a synthetic would be better and cost more!

Yeah, I'm leaning toward sending it in for an analysis to see what condition it's in and whether what's in there is synthetic or Dexron.
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Old 06-25-2018, 08:35 AM   #18
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My atf recommendation depends on the mileage you plan on travelling.

There is no doubt that the newer synthetic oils are light years ahead of the old stuff. But the cost is also higher and the better fluid just ins't needed if you won't be travelling regularly.

Another thing I'd like to add is that I've seen numerous transmissions that were seemingly fine before, start to leak after they've been upgraded to a synthetic fluid.
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Old 06-25-2018, 08:56 AM   #19
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My atf recommendation depends on the mileage you plan on travelling.

There is no doubt that the newer synthetic oils are light years ahead of the old stuff. But the cost is also higher and the better fluid just ins't needed if you won't be travelling regularly.

Another thing I'd like to add is that I've seen numerous transmissions that were seemingly fine before, start to leak after they've been upgraded to a synthetic fluid.
The wrinkle here is that under the hood of the bus is a sign that says "USE SYNTHETIC OIL ONLY". I'm not sure if that has ever carried over to the trans fluid, and although the service records show regular trans filter changes, none of the service records say anything about the trans fluid itself. I figured I'd be able to determine, based on price, if it's Transynd or Dexron III. No such information exists in the records though.

I plan on sending it in to Blackstone Labs for an analysis anyway.....any idea if they'll be able to tell me if it's synthetic or not? We'll be full-timing, so we'll probably rack up the miles. I think I can do the fluid change myself if regular changes are necessary, but if it's got synthetic in it that might not be an issue for who knows how long.
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Old 06-25-2018, 09:55 AM   #20
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The wrinkle here is that under the hood of the bus is a sign that says "USE SYNTHETIC OIL ONLY". I'm not sure if that has ever carried over to the trans fluid, and although the service records show regular trans filter changes, none of the service records say anything about the trans fluid itself. I figured I'd be able to determine, based on price, if it's Transynd or Dexron III. No such information exists in the records though.

I plan on sending it in to Blackstone Labs for an analysis anyway.....any idea if they'll be able to tell me if it's synthetic or not? We'll be full-timing, so we'll probably rack up the miles. I think I can do the fluid change myself if regular changes are necessary, but if it's got synthetic in it that might not be an issue for who knows how long.
Transynd is around $50 a gallon. Unless its a 2000 or 3000 series I doubt that they were using that stuff.
I'd just use Dex3 and always make sure its fresh and clean.
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