We have a 97 Itasca MH with a 460 W/Banks pak and almost 60,000 mi.
We have been using MOBIL one Synthetic 10-30 about the last 15,000 miles and are using about a quart every 1100 miles. Would you guys recommend going to 10-40? Thanks for your help.
With only 60K miles I'd say no, but if using a little and depending on how it runs, maybe I'd go 10W40, just maybe. But since your using a quart every 1100 miles I'd fix the leak first. It's either leaking bad or you have some real bad rings in it and it's fixen to blow.
Bobby (USAF Retired)
2007 Chevy 2500 LBZ Duramax C/C, S/B 4X4
2006 Rockwood 8317SS
1973 Airstream Ambassador
Old Town Penobscot 16
BJ you do not have an issue that needs addressing because Adam is correct. Actually 500 miles used to be the cut off before GM would re ring a new engine. As mentioned look of any leaking and see if it is easy to address. Sometimes it is just the oil filter. Ford likes thin oil. A 11 year old engine is going to have some leaks/usage in many cases but that is WNL (within normal limits).
10w-40 will run just fine. If you're not starting it below 32 degrees, 15w-50 Mobil 1 would be even better. Both will cut your oil consumption some and provide your bearings a little more "cushion" under the heavy loads that MH operation puts on them.
I use Mobil 1 15w-50 in my V10 and it runs just fine with it, but it's parked during the winter.
Mark
2000 Itasca Suncruiser 35U on a Ford chassis
2003 Ford Explorer toad with US Gear brakes,
ReadyBrute tow bar, and Demco base plate.
I'm not sure about everybody else, or how they feel. And don't care!
But! A long time a go. I was told you never change horses in the middle of the race. Same for OIL!
If you start with one type of oil you continue with it. Oil lube metal parts don't take kindly to a new kid playing in the oil pan.
I ran a 1975 F-150, 390, 4-b for over 300,000, still have the engine, No Truck. Cal tried to get off the street's more than once. But! It just kept passing the smog police. Castrol 10w-50. Had the truck for 30 years.
My 1996 Ram 2500hd V-10 uses Castrol 10w-30, and its just shy of 200,000 (199,200). Add its been a lot further than the F-150 ever was.
Quote:
If you start with one type of oil you continue with it.
I've proved that statement to be total BS hundreds of times over the years.
On the other guestion, my 454 w/ 37,000 miles, burns nearly a quart in 1000 miles, always has, probably always will. Some experts will tell you that an engine will last longer if it uses just a little oil, like mine does.
Rich
'98 Flair, 454, Onan Microlite 4k, Intel PD 9155 w/ wizard, Sta-power 1500 watt Inv, 2 6v batts, ammeters, KingDome/sat, Oly Catalytic Heat, hauling 2 Bent Bikes and sometimes towing a Tracker F&S boat.
I have a 1997 Ford with Banks and I drove mine from California to Illinois before checking the oil level, and it was OK, so I checked it when I got back home 5,400 miles later and it was 1/2 quart low.
I can only wonder if the break in oil was changed to soon, and perhaps the rings never where set properly? Anyway it is to late to change that. I use 10W40 and it works great for me - Castro brand.
A friend did a "Smoke Test" with a simple soldering iron and old pie pan. She put in a tablespoon of oil, then added the soldering iron, and counted seconds until it started to smoke. Best oil? Castro.
Yes synthetics will work better than what she tested over 20 years ago.
If you are burning up that much oil, then try changing to 10W40 for the next year, and see if you start getting more miles per quart.
Yes GM dealers will tell you that 400 miles per quart is "Normal" to avoid covering something that they should have rebuilt under the warranty, but somehow after the warranty expires, the thing will not pass a smog test because of poor emmissions and burning oil has clogged the catalytic converter, and the engine now needs to be replaced at $$$$.
I used to think that 1,200 miles per quart was also normal, until I started driving work trucks by Ford and found I could go 4,000 miles between oil changes using only 1 extra quart (and 120,000 hard miles on the 3/4 ton van), and my motorhome engine is working hard, without using much oil at all! My old 6.2L GM diesel would use a quart of oil for each 16 gallon tankful of fuel!
The tighter tollerances of modern engines has helped a bunch.
Fred.
Money can't buy happiness but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche or Country Coach!
There is such a thing as an engine not burning enough oil. A healthy engine will use a small amount of oil down the valve guides which is proper. I use 10-30 in my 95 460 and it does great.
Retired Anesthetist. Pilot with mechanic/inspection ratings.1996 Jayco C 22 foot with 460/Banks Powerpak/Bilsteins.Wife and daughter. Two cats which control my life. 1975 Ford F-250, 84 Coupe Deville, Thorp T18, tons of tools and tons of junk.
My 1991 truck said not to use 10w/40w or the warranty would be voided..
The manual said to use only 10w/30w oils..
But, of course, that was back in 1991... so things may have changed since then..
John
John Harrelson
Carson City, Nevada
fulltime since 1977
93 Ford 350 4wd Diesel
95 Prowler 30.5 ft 5th wheel w/slide
TWO CENTS WORTH
The story goes that a man died and was approached by the Devil who told him that he could buy his soul back for a dollar. The man searched his pockets and could only come up with 98 cent. While begging the Devil to forget the two cent he was short, an Angel happened by and hearing the Devil laughing, asked the man, "Would you mind if I put in my two cents ?" The Devil got so mad that he exploded in a puff of smoke and the man's soul was saved. The moral: Sometimes putting in your two cents worth makes a difference.
JOHN "the cook" 1997
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