Diesel Engine Oil change interval?

[Isaac-1]

I am looking for some reasonable advice for what is an acceptable oil change interval in Running Hours and Years for our 125.0DYD, the engine is an Allis Chalmers 11000 Mk 2 / 685T with the optional dual oil filters with heat echangers. Information on this engine is very limited, I have a service manual I bought cheap ebay for the 11000 Mk 1, however it does not give any advice on service intervals and was likely printed in the 1950's. Using google I have found oil change intervals for similar sized modern units anywhere from 100 - 500 hours so that is little help.

thanks Ike

p.s. it is currently filled with Rotella T, the same oil we use on our diesel delivery trucks, I am not sure of the exact oil capacity of this unit as we filled it from a 55 gallon drum, but I would guess 6-7 gal, so not real cheap to change.

[Billy J Shafer]

Depends on the local conditions and how much you use it. I would go 500 hours before I changed it.

[Gunny]

250 hours or 1 year, whichever come first. Probably a year.

[BTPost]

I run ALL my Diesel Gensets on a 200 Hour LubeOil & Filter Change Regiment, with the caveat that if they run less than that, in a Year, they get an Oil Change & Filter during Winter Layup. This is what is recommended for my Prime Power Gensets, and I don't see any need to stretch that out for the backups. LubeOil is the CHEAPEST Insurance, against problems in Gensets, that MONEY can BUY. Change it often and use Good Oil, and you will have fewer problems than the guy who doesn't, and spend less money for your trouble. Fuel Filters are on a 600 Interval, both Primary and Secondary. Again, Clean Fuel will alleviate a lot of problems, that others run into. Air Filters for "Me" are on 1200 hour intervals, as I don't have much dust in the Winter, but change that to 600 Hours for Summer Operations. I run the Valve Lash adjustments once a Year, whether it needs it or not, and plan for Topends at 20K Hours and InFrames at 40K hours. This regime has worked well for "Me", thru 3 sets of Prime Power Gensets, with 250K+ hours Total, and I know that our local Telco uses the same Topend and Inframe Regiment, on their Prime Power Units with more than a couple of million Total Hours.

[Rodrigue Caron]

Hi,
Personnaly I recommande 15-45 grade oil (expect on extremely cold climate).
Run about two hundred hours and have and oil analyse check. If you don't know where you can have it, Cat dealers do that and they will return the report to you. (don't be affraid they know your engine...) Ask them for informations you need.
You have nothing to gain changing your oil and filter if not necessary.
Bye,
Rodrigue Caron

[Nubian]

Originally Posted by BTPost

I run ALL my Diesel Gensets on a 200 Hour LubeOil & Filter Change Regiment, with the caveat that if they run less than that, in a Year, they get an Oil Change & Filter during Winter Layup. This is what is recommended for my Prime Power Gensets, and I don't see any need to stretch that out for the backups. LubeOil is the CHEAPEST Insurance, against problems in Gensets, that MONEY can BUY. Change it often and use Good Oil, and you will have fewer problems than the guy who doesn't, and spend less money for your trouble. Fuel Filters are on a 600 Interval, both Primary and Secondary. Again, Clean Fuel will alleviate a lot of problems, that others run into. Air Filters for "Me" are on 1200 hour intervals, as I don't have much dust in the Winter, but change that to 600 Hours for Summer Operations. I run the Valve Lash adjustments once a Year, whether it needs it or not, and plan for Topends at 20K Hours and InFrames at 40K hours. This regime has worked well for "Me", thru 3 sets of Prime Power Gensets, with 250K+ hours Total, and I know that our local Telco uses the same Topend and Inframe Regiment, on their Prime Power Units with more than a couple of million Total Hours.

I hear you, but for me and some others, if you figure one to two hours a month say at worst 30 hrs a year would you you still recommend a yearly change?

[John Schwiebert]

I stopped at my local A-C (Agco now) dealer. We looked up that engine in a combine book that used that engine. Severe dusty application oil change every 50 hours and straight weight 30 oil. Our little (60 horse power)tractor probably gets used 30-50 hours a year still change oil and filter once a year and don't worry about it. Yes it is a diesel.

[BTPost]

"I hear you, but for me and some others, if you figure one to two hours a month say at worst 30 hrs a year would you you still recommend a yearly change?"

Absolutely, Lube OIl is the cheapest Insurance, and owner of diesel engines can buy. Once a year, means your ready for anything, and makes you run a couple of hours, just to get the LubeOil up to temp, so you can change it. Filters are also cheap Insurance.

[pegasuspinto]

Bruce is right-while you might get by with a longer oil change, you would really need an oil analysis to make sure it's still OK. About the worst thing you can do to oil is run the engine for a short time under no load, the oil is the last thing to come upto temp. Without being up to full temp, fuel and water contamination never has time to boil out, and the oil will start turning to sludge. IMHO, old oil tends to have a vastly increased cold temp viscosity index, which will cause both hard starting and delay oil pressure buildup on cold start. 15-40 is slow, but flows OK in freezing temps, but I've seen old oil in diesels where the oil that used to be 15-40, is now more like tar, and you have to run the poor thing up to temp to just get the oil to drain out willingly.

Robert

[ricks]

Issac-1, Could you tell me what oil filter number you are using? I friend of mine just picked one up (generator that is) and would like to get the numbers before cracking open the cans.
Thanks Rick.

[Isaac-1]

Sorry, I have not changed oil filters on mine yet, the oil filters that were on it when I bought it last August had just been changed according to the date/hour marking so I just refilled with fresh oil. I have changed out the diesel fuel filters (pair of NAPA 3351) , and fan belt, note the fan belts are a pair of Gates TR28649, not the common industry standard CX60 (these will go on, but are just a little too short to be useable), the only place I found that could order them was O'riely's Autoparts.

Ike

p.s. Mine came from a government auction, it spent its life at a waste water treatment plant on the nearby military base, I will never understand government maintenance, oil,air and fuel filters looks to have been changed every 6 months like clockwork, yet the belts and hoses still had Onan green paint on them. Also the cleanable mesh filter in the bottom of the electric fuel pump was so clogged with debris sunlight would not shine through it.