Serious Oil Change

WILDEBILL308 wrote:
“Easiest and cheapest oil to use is Mobil 1 European Car oil 0-40wt from Wal-Mart for about $25 or less a jug.”
Well I hope you know that oil is not approved for use in a diesel with a particulate filter.
In the MSDS sheet for Rotela T-6 it states it meets the MB standard 228.31.
http://www.euris.rs/maziva/Rotela-T6.pdf
Bill

Sorry, I got the oil for my 5 cylinder T1N mixed up with what the NCV3 V6 with a DPF would use.

However, you cite 228.31 for the Rotella, but it is NOT one of the approved specs for the OM647 engine with the DPF, so the OP should not use it. 229.31 is an approved spec, however we are talking 228.31 for the Rotella.

For the OP's engine the oil commonly used by the View and Navion owners on the View/Navion forum on Yahoo is the Mobil 1 ESP Formula M 5w-40 (which I think is now out of production) or the Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30. Another oil that many use as it frequently is on sale at NAPA is Valvoline SynPower MST 5w-40

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/VAR966

It is $9.69 regular price per quart, but frequently is on sale for a price in the $7 something range.

If you really want to save some money on it, buy a 24 qt case for $6.25 a qt.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/VAR861430

Charles

Gonzo42 wrote:
Back in the 60's, I used to be able to buy reclaimed oil at my local market.

Since it was so cheap, I did the following: drain the old oil and fill up with the reclaimed oil. Then I drove for about 1/2 hour until the engine reached full operating temperature. At that point I changed the filter, drained the reclaimed oil, then filled with fresh new oil.

IMHO, my engines lasted a long time. Now I have my first diesel, made by M-B and they have a very restricted list of approved oils. In addition to that, I noticed that the fresh oil turned black in only about 5 minutes after changing the oil.

So I ask whether doing the above procedure would provide any benefit or is it just a waste of time and money?

It's a waste of time IMO. Diesel oil turns black after a few minutes; this is normal. Use the MB approved oils and don't over-think it.

“Easiest and cheapest oil to use is Mobil 1 European Car oil 0-40wt from Wal-Mart for about $25 or less a jug.”
Well I hope you know that oil is not approved for use in a diesel with a particulate filter.
In the MSDS sheet for Rotela T-6 it states it meets the MB standard 228.31.
http://www.euris.rs/maziva/Rotela-T6.pdf
Bill

If you go to the MB specification sheets, 223.2 lists the approved oils for the various MB engines.

http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/downloadf.php?filename=en/Spec_223_2.pdf

Look at the next to the bottom line of the first page, "VAN engines (Vito, Sprinter): OM 642, OM 646, OM 651" (you have a OM 642 engine, look at the sticker on the valve cover) There are four different approved oil specifications for this engine, 228.51, 229.31, 229.51, 229.52

According to this Shell Rotella T6 Spec sheet, it DOES NOT have MB approval for any of the above specificatons.

https://rotella.shell.com/products/t6-full-synthetic/_jcr_content/par/textimage_1335213348.stream/1388525673850/2c4570ceb0dcc96c0e045d7d6f3c7796f77a84ed6a3d6752bb50d245468c48b2/rotella-t6-brochure.pdf

Edit: the following statement is INCORRECT for a 2007 and up Sprinter chassis. Easiest and cheapest oil to use is Mobil 1 European Car oil 0-40wt from Wal-Mart for about $25 or less a jug.

For the OP the following would be suitable oils to use.

For the OP's engine an oil commonly used by the View and Navion owners on the View/Navion forum on Yahoo is the Mobil 1 ESP Formula M 5w-40 (which I think is now out of production) or the Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30. Another oil that many use as it frequently is on sale at NAPA is Valvoline SynPower MST 5w-40

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/VAR966

It is $9.69 regular price per quart, but frequently is on sale for a price in the $7 something range.

If you really want to save some money on it, buy a 24 qt case for $6.25 a qt.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/VAR861430

Here is the listing for the MB APPROVED oils for each of the above specs. Note that many of these oils are available only elsewhere and not in the US.

http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolistenmain.php?navigation_path=bevolisten&blatt=228.51&content_action=show

http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolistenmain.php?navigation_path=bevolisten&blatt=229.31&content_action=show

http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolistenmain.php?navigation_path=bevolisten&blatt=229.51&content_action=show

http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolistenmain.php?navigation_path=bevolisten&blatt=229.52&content_action=show

If you are interested in finding the approved lists for all MB specs for oils, fluids, antifreeze, etc, here is the master list.

http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolistenmain.php?language_id=1

Here is your owners manual, which lists the first three specs, the fourth was created after your vehicle was built, and is included in the current, up to date list that MB publishes. See PDF page 364.

Edit: sorry, had wrong year owners manual, here is the 2007 manual. No running page numbers so you have to go by the PDF page nos.

http://www.sprintermanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/2007_Sprinter_Owners_Manual.pdf

Charles

I change the oil when my driver's display tells me to: roughly every 12,000km.

Rotella T4.

I remember an oil that was highly regarded back in my early days of the car repair biz. I think it was Drydene brand, could be wrong but it was touted as having better lube specs because of the refining done the second time around.
That brings up another question. Why was waste oil going for $1 a gallon until the last crude price drop? Makes you wonder where it was going doesn't it? Heck, in the early 80's we used a waste oil drip in the shop wood stove just to get rid of it. That wood sure burned hot. In later years we paid good money to have it hauled away. Everything goes full circle I guess.

Oil, is no longer just oil.

It has gotten very good, and the manufacturer specs as to what oil is acceptable to that engine, should be followed, especially while the engine is stillunder warranty, and perhaps more so if one intends on keepin the vehicle.

5 quart jugs os oil at wal mart, are why I goto walmart, and the oil I use, M1, 0w-40 is not because i need a 0-w oil, it is because this oil needs to meet the pretty stringent specs of many German engines, and is Robust, with a high TBN, HTHS, and simply makes my engine quieter than the other oils I have so far used, and I change it once a year to 18 months.

The one time I got it analyzed by blackstone labs, the TBN, total base number/ acid fighting component, was still well into the green.

Will this oil make my engine last longer? Who knows, but it gives me warm and fuzzies for a few dollars more than other oils which would likely be "just fine"

Like a higher dollar oil filter rated for 15K miles. I will not get to 15K miles on an oil change interval, but I will spend the few extra dollars for a silicone antidrainback valve and a higher filter efficiency rating and a higher build quality I might never need.

Oil, is not oil. Perhaps it once was, but no more.

It likely didn't do anything back in the 1960's either but since you appear to be the type to keep up on maintenance, you didn't see any problems and incorrectly assumed it was the extra oil-flush.

Thank you all for your comments and information. My 60's procedure has not been followed for the last few decades, but I wanted to hear opinions.

I do all the maintenance on our first RV, and I got the M-B approved oil along with the filter and the filter wrench from Amazon for far less than the local costs.

Now that we've done our longest trip yet, I think that after the first of the year I will change oil again in anticipation of next year. I only have 34K on the engine.

Cydog15 wrote:
Other than the fun stroll through memory lane, I don't think any of you/us old dukers are going to see any benefit of anything but changing the fluids at recommended intervals.

Fwiw
Ive heard of some laboratory testing oil changed at 70.000 miles and found it to be perfectly ok to use stil..not sure what brand as this was loong time back..
I imagine new oils wouldnt deteriorate much either at longer intervals,,but for the 30$ it cost me to change 6 litres is not a chance Id care to take..


Now if some manufacturer made engines using these spherical rotary valves we wouldnt need to change oil that soon as we do now..


http://www.coatesengine.com/csrv-advantages.html

The CSRV System is comprised of only two moving shafts and does not utilize oil pressure fed bearings, or oil spray; in fact, no engine oil is present in the head of the CSRV Engine. This means the engine oil does not see the hottest parts of the engine, which was the exhaust Poppet Valves. These extremely hot components usually are engine oil spray cooled. This heat would breakdown the atomic structure of the engine oil, thus lowering the oil viscosity, therefore, oil changes are recommended every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. On the other hand, with the CSRV incorporated in the engine design, oil change intervals are extended to approximately 50,000 miles or more.