Detroit DD13 Addng Gear Oil

[bossboy2]

Based on everything I've read on this forum, I've decided to go ahead and try the gear oil in my truck. Rawze, I truly appreciate all the research you've put in to studying the different tests etc. regarding using gear oils, EP's, and NASA stuff. That said, the following are my oil sample results PRIOR to adding the gear oil although there will be one more sample coming that I just sent off yesterday. I will continue to sample at 10,000 mile intervals and base my oil change interval on that. The oil I put in is Shell Rotella T4 which is CJ4 compliant to keep the ash at a minimum (recommended for the 2013 DD13). If you have a newer DD series than the 2013, check your oil requirements but I believe the Rotella T4 is CK4 compliant also.

I reckon I should preface this with a little info regarding my workloads, driving styles, and truck. I own a 2013 Cascadia with a DD13 Detroit that now has appx 676,500 miles, still mandated although looking for someone who can rectify that. I do not have a bypass filter system yet, although I'm considering the Baldwin system, nor do I have a turbo boost gauge yet so I've been using the "fuel miser" in my truck where I have it set on the "fuel rate" function which reads in gallons per hour. I use this in tandem with my coolant temperature gauge and try to keep my temp reading below 210 degrees which requires a fuel rate at or below 7.7 gph. I consider it fortunate that my temp gauge is very responsive and lets me know within 5 seconds that the heat is coming up. When it starts to rise I downshift which cools it off (Rawze has stated several times that the heat comes from the fuel and the turbo). I've been known to upset quite a few drivers on I-65 near Cullman and Hanceville because I will be in 6th gear climbing the mountains near Dodge City Petro, but that temperature doesn't come up above 210. I also believe, but haven't proven, that much of the problems we have with newer engines are directly related to the heating/cooling of the EGR coolers. As a result, I try to keep my coolant temp within as narrow a band as possible.

I haul cryogenics (liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen) and I go to places like hospitals, steel mills, metal recycling plants, and catfish farms in and around Tuscaloosa, AL. Occasionally I venture into Tennessee and Georgia, but for the most part it's Alabama and Mississippi. My loads are generally 79,750# (driver on) with two or three deliveries per load. It's not uncommon for me to climb Sand Mountain and Lookout Mountain chains in Alabama going to county hospitals and smaller manufacturing facilities. I usually drive at 55-61 mph. BTW, I'm also attaching a couple of pictures of my gauge readings which are pretty normal for MY interstate highway driving as well as a pic of the gear oil I used. Also included is an interesting tid-bit from Detroit about oil changing, sampling and stuff.