Can I Use Regular 10w30 Diesel Oil in my Ranger

[Angry Possum]

I have been using regular 10w30 car oil in my 93 Ranger 4.0 for several years now, it has 146k original miles on it...I just noticed a few companies make 10w30 oil for diesel engines. Can I use this instead,, it's way more affordable. $16 for a gallon.

 

[Angry Possum]

 

[pentode]

You’ll get a lot of different opinions about this I’m sure- as with all oil discussions. I use diesel oil (Rotella) in most of my cars. Diesel oil has more detergents in it so I think the worst that might happen is you loosen up sludge deposits which normally shouldn’t hurt anything. If you’ve done regular maintenance on the engine your probably don’t have much sludge anyway.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

^^^ I agree

 

[bobbywalter]

rotella is not what it used to be. nothing is. because they want our old junk dead......dead like dinosaurs.


ohv 4.0......loves it.

 

[pentode]

rotella is not what it used to be. nothing is. because they want our old junk dead......dead like dinosaurs.


ohv 4.0......loves it.

I haven’t noticed any major changes but I don’t do oil testing on my vehicles. I did look for info a while back because I was curious how Delvac compared because it’s so much cheaper around here. Can’t remember if it was Project Farm or somewhere else but they had the oil analysis of both and Rotella looked quite a bit better, seemed like pretty good numbers.
As far as products going downhill… can’t argue there at all. Seems to be the rule these days.

 

[bobbywalter]

I haven’t noticed any major changes but I don’t do oil testing on my vehicles. I did look for info a while back because I was curious how Delvac compared because it’s so much cheaper around here. Can’t remember if it was Project Farm or somewhere else but they had the oil analysis of both and Rotella looked quite a bit better, seemed like pretty good numbers.
As far as products going downhill… can’t argue there at all. Seems to be the rule these days.

government mandates changed the formulation of rotella.

there is nil compared to prior zinc in it along with some new detergent issues that change under heat load...

even so it was and remains my go to oil in all of my captain cave-pig stuff. in my motorcycles....lawn mowers and anything that run 10-30.

my 4.0 and 6.x diesel obviously. my royalstar gets v twin mobil one.....the two stroke yamaha 250 and ktm gets type f in the trans.....the rt 100 gets rotella in the trans just like my klx 650. bobs yamahas....250 and 450 4 stroes get yamaha oil.

so rotella really keeps it simple. the 350z has a ls engine.....so that bastard gets dexos-----and the new fords get that new ford crap in full synthetic.


overall....the rotella is the fleet maintainer volume wise.

 

[Curious Hound]

I just switched to Rotella in my Ranger 3.0l. We'll see how it goes. I also changed to 15w-40. I don't think that should be an issue for me running a high mileage engine in the hot south. My biggest reason for switching is simplicity and economy. My Superduty uses that. It's compatible with my motorcycle and I don't think it will hurt the Ranger. So, 1 oil for all 3. Buy in bulk and save money. Fleet maintenance.

 

[pentode]

I just switched to Rotella in my Ranger 3.0l. We'll see how it goes. I also changed to 15w-40. I don't think that should be an issue for me running a high mileage engine in the hot south. My biggest reason for switching is simplicity and economy. My Superduty uses that. It's compatible with my motorcycle and I don't think it will hurt the Ranger. So, 1 oil for all 3. Buy in bulk and save money. Fleet maintenance.

View attachment 115451

Dang it, now I need that pump lid.

 

[Curious Hound]

Dang it, now I need that pump lid.

Northern Tool.

And the bucket dolly came from Walmart.

 

[Shran]

I've run it many times. No prob.

I have noticed that the two trucks I drive the most often - probably my 92 Explorer and my '88 Ranger (2.3 truck) - both burn a lot more oil if I run conventional oil rather than synthetic. Diesel oil seemed to compound that issue in the 2.3... I probably burned at least 2 quarts on my last 6000 mile oil change and it started smoking occasionally. Especially when pulling away from a dead stop when the engine is warm... does not do that on synthetic. My Explorer will burn almost none between changes if I run synthetic. Maybe a quart between 6000 mile changes on conventional oil.

 

[racsan]

I run it in my old (gas) tractors, no issues.

 

[Angry Possum]

I just switched to Rotella in my Ranger 3.0l. We'll see how it goes. I also changed to 15w-40. I don't think that should be an issue for me running a high mileage engine in the hot south. My biggest reason for switching is simplicity and economy. My Superduty uses that. It's compatible with my motorcycle and I don't think it will hurt the Ranger. So, 1 oil for all 3. Buy in bulk and save money. Fleet maintenance.

View attachment 115451

I was thinking of using 15w-40 in the summer months, is this safe for my 4.0.

 

[bobbywalter]

there is a distinction here i did not bring attention to. 15/40 over 10/30

i run 15/40. definitely not the same as 10/30. i run the 15/40 in a gasoline 10/30 10/40 application.




shran,

i would never change oil on a old school turbo gas engine at 6k. good to know it is possible a lima wont eat or burn oil with a lima at 6k. i have never seen a turbo lima that did not eat oil but they are also mostly higher performance application and catch canned so it is a given in general. that is a tight engine. very impressive. we have had oem birds and stangs in the family and they would be getting to the add mark before 3k and gobble oil after....just like my windsors....and that was running mobile 1 full synthetic.

it is one of the criticisms of the ls platform and gen 6 gms. they eat oil with those atrocious pcv systems...seems that would not be emissions friendly... the ring packaging ect is why i dont run the rotella and stay with the full syn 5/30 dexos. and the reason i only use the rotella in a older 10-30/ 10-40 application...

 

[pjtoledo]

^^ what he says,,,,check the specs, 10-30 is not SN rated, 15-40 is. T4 that is.
"S" is for spark ignition, the "N" is the latest specs package.
YMMV