General Maintenance ?

[STLCHEVYHD]

How often do you change your oil in your diesels? What oil and filter do you like to use? I have Rotella T 15w-40 in mine. Also, I haven't changed the fuel filter in my truck yet. I've heard of people having troubles with getting their truck started afterward. Any tricks or suggestions?

[PoPo Man]

It is best to change your oil and filter every 5k miles. Rotella is great oil for diesel engines. I would use an ACdelco filter. On the
duramax motors they take 10.5 qts. oil with filter. The fuel filter
needs to be changed every 15k to 20k miles. The best way to get to
the fuel filter on your truck is to take out the pass. side fender
plastics. much easier to remove and install filter. Now to get the truck to start after changing the filter is to have someone pump on the top of the fuel filter adapter until the pump gets tight. Then you start cranking on the motor until it starts. It may die a few times but while you crank on the motor have that person pump on the filter adapter until it starts and stays running.

[STLCHEVYHD]

Thanks for the reply. I just bought my truck back in Feb. and it didn't have the owner's manual in it. The fuel filter change doesn't sound too bad. I've always used the AC Delco filter for all my trucks.

[IH8FORD]

there is a bleeder screw next to the pump on the top of the filter housing just open it and pump until fuel comes out and the truck will start right up. and you can do the filer from the engine compartment thats the quickest way ive found.

[Mud Light]

on the 6.5's and 6.2 its on the back of the motor real easy to get to. After you replace it, just unscrew the bleeder valve and turn the key on. the lift pump will fill up the filter. then close it down and your ready to run.

[red suburban]

on my old 89 f250 i just had to open my water seperator, crank turn the fuel pump on until fuel came out of the seperator, close the valve, then crank it up. might be putting that motor in my suburban. almost as good as a 6.2 on gas (minus 1-2mpg), slightly more power (stock), and i cant find a 6.2 or 6.5 locally around me for dirt cheap (or even reasonable).

[oldred95]

This applies to any diesel. Pump the primer pump until you can hear fuel returning in the fuel tank and then it should start and run in most cases. Sometimes you will have to prime it again or if available have someone prime it upon first startup and it will go ahead and take and keep its prime.

[CCChevyZ]

rotella is good diesel oil. changing the fuel filter is so f'n easy, and it takes like 10 minutes. priming it is the exact same thing as bleeding brakes...close the bleeder screw, pump about 20 times, then open the bleeder, then do it again, until a solid stream of fuel comes out.

[FloridaZ]

I may be wrong, but I just wait for the oil change indicator to go to 0% before I change the oil. Filter indicator usually get's to 0% a little sooner.

[CCChevyZ]

Originally Posted by FloridaZ

I may be wrong, but I just wait for the oil change indicator to go to 0% before I change the oil. Filter indicator usually get's to 0% a little sooner.

you can if you want, but i would still stick to changing the oil every 5,000 miles or there about...

[dozerboy]

Changing the oil ever 5K is overkill go by the DIC. And I would change the first fuel filter at 10K and cut it open to see how much of the element is used up and go from there.

[CCChevyZ]

Originally Posted by dozerboy

Changing the oil ever 5K is overkill go by the DIC. And I would change the first fuel filter at 10K and cut it open to see how much of the element is used up and go from there.

not really, specially for a new truck...its more like good practice...i knwo a guy at work who let his 05 go till the DIC said 5% and he ended up getting like almost 10k miles before it go to there. i would never go 10k without changing oil. he also noticed better startup/idle/overall performance after he changed the oil after so long...i still say do it every 5k OR SO.

[dozerboy]

You need to go to Bobtheoilguys site and do some reading. IIRC the base change interval on the Dmax is 9K and depending on the engine load, RPMs, speed, and etc that the dic all monitors it will give you an accurate oil life %. Now the only way to truly tell when you need to change your oil is by an analysis. And with the bypass oil filter I run I won't need to change my oil for at least 20K.

[CCChevyZ]

Originally Posted by dozerboy

You need to go to Bobtheoilguys site and do some reading. IIRC the base change interval on the Dmax is 9K and depending on the engine load, RPMs, speed, and etc that the dic all monitors it will give you an accurate oil life %. Now the only way to truly tell when you need to change your oil is by an analysis. And with the bypass oil filter I run I won't need to change my oil for at least 20K.

i dont believe everything i read...plus ill stick with changing it ever 5-6k miles

[the moose]

Originally Posted by dozerboy

You need to go to Bobtheoilguys site and do some reading. IIRC the base change interval on the Dmax is 9K and depending on the engine load, RPMs, speed, and etc that the dic all monitors it will give you an accurate oil life %. Now the only way to truly tell when you need to change your oil is by an analysis. And with the bypass oil filter I run I won't need to change my oil for at least 20K.

i hope you dont honestly wait 20k miles to change your oil ... that seems WAYYY long.

[dozerboy]

Thats funny, I hope I don't have to change my oil for 30K-40K. And I would bet my truck that my motor will be in way better shape than anyone without a bypass filter and changing there oil at 5K.

[CCChevyZ]

Originally Posted by dozerboy

Thats funny, I hope I don't have to change my oil for 30K-40K. And I would bet my truck that my motor will be in way better shape than anyone without a bypass filter and changing there oil at 5K.

suprized u even talk like that having an 06...almost seem a little stubborn, and i will take u up on that bet..a few of my co-workers laughed at your last post, and they have been in the diesel business for 10-20-30yrs, good luck with urs though man

[the moose]

Originally Posted by dozerboy

Thats funny, I hope I don't have to change my oil for 30K-40K. And I would bet my truck that my motor will be in way better shape than anyone without a bypass filter and changing there oil at 5K.

it just seems like going that long without a change is asking for trouble. and its so easily avoided by spending like 20 bucks on some oil and a filter to change it every 5k.

call me an idiot, but i think that changing your oil at 5k whether it "NEEDS" to be done or not, is just good sense in the way that you know you always have clean oil, and you can ne sure there are no problems like coolant in the oil or anything like that... i mean, what if something goes wrong with the filter? 40,000 miles is a LOOOONG time. i dont think anyone goes that long.

[CCChevyZ]

[dozerboy]

Originally Posted by the moose

it just seems like going that long without a change is asking for trouble. and its so easily avoided by spending like 20 bucks on some oil and a filter to change it every 5k.

call me an idiot, but i think that changing your oil at 5k whether it "NEEDS" to be done or not, is just good sense in the way that you know you always have clean oil, and you can ne sure there are no problems like coolant in the oil or anything like that... i mean, what if something goes wrong with the filter? 40,000 miles is a LOOOONG time. i dont think anyone goes that long.

You can see water in the oil on the dip stick, and besides that is what an oil analysis is for. From that I can see the problem be fore they cause a failure. Trust me there is nothing wrong with a good oil at 5K other than some soot that a bypass oil filter will filter out. I'm not trying to save a few bucks in oil changes. That would be nice but I don't think it will happen I'm doing this to make my motor last I plan on taking this truck to the grave unless I start getting power hungry and start drag racing and pulling.

I guess they haven't learned much for being "in diesel business for 10-20-30yrs". What the hell is the "diesel business" some idiot tech at a stealer.