Duramax Maintenance Information

Just purchased a new crewcab 2500HD 4wd Duramax Silverado. Absolutely love it. I take really good care of my vehicles, both in appearance and mechanically. But I am having problems finding maintenance info for the engine. Even the news groups are pretty lean on Duramax info. So here are my questions.

OIL: Sounds like Shell Rotella is the oil of choice? I would consider synthetic but not sure if it is worth it and synthetics that meet the GM/Duramax specs appear to be rare. Suggestions? Compelling justificiation to go one way or the other? I do run Mobil1 in my Yukon (obviously a gas engine).

OIL FILTERS: I would like to run a good filter but it seems with the Duramax, my options are limited. Not all mfg's make a filter for the Duramax. Would consider Mobil1 or K&N filter. Suggestions?

FUEL ADDITIVES: I live in SW Michigan and we see some colder weather. When is it recommended to add anti-gelling agents or additives to increase the cetane? Should local truck stops (with high volume of fuel turn over) already have thier fuel prepped for our local climate?

COLD WEATHER PREP: Apparently you have to specially order the cover for the grill for decreased warm-up time in cold weather because my truck did not come with one. My plan is to try it without and see how it goes. Do most people use them in colder climates? Guess I will find out soon enough as we are in December already.

Thanks for the info!

Reply to
Brent
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Rotella is Great Oil. All I hear recommended for just about any diesel.

Delco always rates at the top of the comparisons. Anything but Fram and their knockoffs. Napa filters are made by wix and are good also.

They will have the right fuel at the pumps. When it gets below zero you start having gelling problems. Ask the guys at the truck stop what their fuel gels at when you buy the additive.

Plastic cardboard. Try a sign shop. They might have a color that blends well, or you can paint it. Put it in front of the radiator, rather than on the outside. Walmart sells it in white next to the posterboard, too. Also is a good use for old political signs found just about everywhere. Writing side in, of course.

Reply to
John Alt

Ok, dumb question from a spoiled Californian, Do you take the card board out after the engine is up to temp? or do you just leave it there for the winter season? do you leave the card board solid? or do you put holes in it for a little bit of air flow? It never gets cold here, so this is all new to me.

Its funny though. its getting "waaayyy" down to the 50s at night lately, and now all the heavy winter jackets are popping up everywhere here.

Reply to
Trey

You don't cover the entire radiator. Just a portion of it. So no, it's not removed. That's why truckers usually have a zippered cover over the grill, so they can adjust the amount of air they need. It's going to be trial and error. You put in a piece that covers about half the radiator. If it's enough, great. If not, add more. The plastic cardboard takes zip ties well. Diesels generally need a large radiator for the summer, but in the winter most big rigs have at least 3/4 of it covered.

Reply to
John Alt

Hi!

People who put cardboard in front of their truck's radiator here in Illinois don't take it out. It usually stays in for most of the winter season.

Usually around here people only put a whole panel of cardboard over a portion of the radiator. I've seen a few totally covered ones, but not many.

I've never seen anyone put holes in...

When I was actively driving my '84 Diesel GMC Sierra, I never bothered with the cardboard. There's a tranny cooler in the way and if I knew starting would be tough, I would plug the block heater in for the night.

William

Reply to
William R. Walsh

Hi Brent,

At the risk of being called a spammer I would like to offer my opinion on a few of your questions:

OIL: In your part of the country I would recommend AMSOIL's Series 3000 HDD Heavy-Duty Diesel 5w-30 (meets all current spec's). Yes, it will cost you more initially than Shell Rotella, however, you will make up the difference in extended drain intervals, better protection, performance, startability in cold weather, etc. Shell Rotella is a very popular oil for diesel engines, it has a fair TBN, viscosity index, etc. However, it is a Group II petroleum base stock and by the very nature of it cannot perform to the levels of a Group IV PAO base stock oil such as AMSOIL or Mobil 1. You are using a very good oil in your Yukon! How would you like to use an even better oil in it and your Duramax? The oil I recommended to you is exactly what I am running in my new 2003 Chevy Duramax. Other than being an AMSOIL Dealer, I have some very good creditials relating to lubrication/filtration along with a number of years experience. I am not using AMSOIL in my vehicles because I sell it, I use it because it is the best oil available.

OIL FILTERS: At the very least I would recommend an AMSOIL Super Duty Filter an SDF 52 is the correct part number for the Duramax. The SDF Filters have a nominal rating of 10 micron, most others on the market are 40 micron nominal, and a few top end full flow filters are 20 micron. Also, the AMSOIL SDF is a blend of cellulose, fiberglass, and synthetic media with deaper pleats for increased capacity. AMSOIL rates these filters for 12,500 miles/6 months. To run the very best filtration unit on the market you would go to an AMSOIL Dual By-Pass unit. This unit is remote mount and takes the place of the standard oil filter. It will polish the engine oil leaving it analytically clean. It is 98.7% effecient 3 micron and above, 100% effecient 5 micron and above. Engine wear occurs with 5-20 micron size particles. Anything less than 5 micron goes through the clearances, any particles 20 micron or largers can't fit into the clearances. So it is the particles that can get into the clearances and contact hard parts that cause the wear. The Dual-By-Pass unit will virtually eliminate engine damage due to three body wear.

FUEL ADDITIVES: Try AMSOIL's ADC Diesel Fuel Concentrate. I use this in conjunction with the AMSOIL Cetane Boost and picked up 1/2 MPG. The ADC will keep your injectors clean, improve combustion, Lowers diesel fuel gel point by 20° to 30° F, depending on mix ratio. Improves the performance, fuel efficiency and longevity of diesel engines while reducing deposits, black smoke, emissions and injector wear. a.. Performance Features a.. Improves fuel economy a.. Extends injector life a.. Increases fuel stability a.. Reduces emissions a.. Improves cold fuel flow a.. Improves cold start-ability a.. Controls injector wear a.. Compatible with AMSOIL Cetane Boost

COLD WEATHER PREP: Brent my 2003 Duramax came with a grill cover for cold weather operation. You should check with your dealer and see if they forgot it or something. I am in Mesa, AZ and it was delivered with the truck. You would need to have one up there far more than I ever would. I would deffinately check back with your Dealer on that.

If you would like more info on AMSOIL Products for your vehicles I would be glad to email you some literature. Just drop me a note to snipped-for-privacy@azoil.com

Good luck and take care,

Dave

Reply to
Lubricology.com

Thanks for the responses. I will check with the dealer on the grill cover (the dealer is only 5 miles away and I drive by daily anyway). But I think I like the plastic cardboard in front of the radiator better - if there is nothing to stop it in the way.

As far as the oil goes - I will look at the Synthetics once again (will drop Dave an e-mail). Kinda curious of the cost of Amsoil in comparison to Mobil1 anyway. But at 10 quarts per oil change (+/- a quart or so), I would have to do some serious justification for this. Maybe I am showing my age (and I am not very old...), but I just can't get excited about the driver information center oil monitor. I like to change my oil every 3000 miles and start losing sleep at 4000. I guess if I am going to have a quirk about my vehicles, this is one of the safer ones to have.

The jury is still out on oil filters. The response to my question kinda satifies my gut feeling out there. I don't think there are too many options for the Duramax - especially if one is looking for a "premium" filter. John mentions that the AC Delco rates at the top of the comparisons. I have been unable to find any objective comparisons (found a couple web sites that tore the filter apart and compared them

- but either it was very outdated info OR it was for motorcycle filters or something like that. Not apples to apples for automotive applications). Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

The cold weather prep makes more sense to me now. I have done some additional research in the mean time and see that I probably don't have too much to worry about until we get sub-zero. Even prior to that, it sounds like there are some very good additives/conditioners/cetane boosters that I can run year around.

Thanks again for all your input and I am open to further input!

Reply to
Brent

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I've seen a few others, but all say the same thing. There are Fram, and there are others. At the intervals you are planning on, don't loose too much sleep. My father's got a 350 that has 320k on it with the AC filters and Exxon Superflo. I put valve stem seals in it last year and it doesn't use even half a quart between changes.

Reply to
John Alt

With Amsoil you don't "change" the oil, you simply change the filter and top off the oil. so you are only buying one or two quarts after the initial change. since its a synthetic, the oil doesn't break down like dingo oil. so it just needs to be cleaned, and its good to go.

Reply to
Trey

Trey, tell us about the acids and other chemicals that accumulat in the oil. The shearing and breakdown of additives would also be interesting. Dale P..............

03 Duramax crewcab
Reply to
Dale Peterson

Dale,

AMSOIL formulates their Diesel oil with a very high TBN (Total Base Number) which conacts the acids that build up as a byproduct of the combustion process. Not only do they start out at a higher number, they are formulated to maintain a higher number over a much longer life cycle.

Dave

Reply to
Lubricology.com

"Brent" wrote

I don't have the info right at my fingertips...but I believe that GM does not recommend using any fuel additives for the Duramax Diesel. The tech that works right beside me works on the Duramax Diesel and we had this discussion last week. He's adamant that no fuel additives are to be used....as per GM.

Ian

Reply to
shiden_kai

"Trey" wrote

Please....you do not need any kind of "winter" front for your truck at those temps. Up here in Canada....that's short shirt sleeve weather.

Ian

Reply to
shiden_kai

if it was 50F outside here in Maine, (instead of getting 18-28" of snow at the moment) I'd be on my porch in shorts!

-Bret

Reply to
Bret Chase

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