IML: Diesel rated oils - where to get them, and my synthetic experience

[Mike Pittinaro <mechimike@xxxxxxxxx>]

Yes, you can find diesel oils in your friendly
neighborhood AutoZone, Pep Boys, et al.  I usually buy
the cheap stuff, Coastal, because its, well, cheap and
it claims to meet or exceed all manufacturer's ratings
anyway.  (I put it in my '82 Mercedes 240D, but after
reading these emails, I'll start using it in all my
oldies) It goes for around $7 a gallon around here. 
The Castrol Diesel is about $9 a gallon, and the
Rotell is about the same.  All are 15W-40 weight,
which I think is a good weight for these older
engines.  I have used 20W-50 "normal" oil, but feel
its a bit too thick, especially in the cold (Dick, you
don't need to worry here!)

As a bonus, you can feel extra good that by buying the
bulk 1 gallon jugs of oil, you are saving on packaging
and reducing waste.

I had limited experience with synthetic- Mobil1 20W-50
in this case- right before the 440 in my first
Imperial grenaded and snapped the camshaft in half.  I
do not know if/how the synthetic contributed to that,
but I've since shied away from them in my older cars. 
They are expensive, anyway, and the molocules are
smaller so they tend to cause/exacerbate leaks.  

> I buy it from Costco, but since Diesel engine trucks
> are getting so popular,
> I suspect most of the auto parts places carry it
> now. It comes only in 1
> gallon or larger containers.


--Mike Pittinaro

'To Engineer' was never meant to signify poking around with a mouse on a Nintendo-on-steroids computer system.

'It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars' 
-- Garrison Keillor

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