Clean Oil??? - Diesel Forum

mrhoppers · 07-01-2009, 06:05 PM

I recently bought a 2007 F350 with the 6.0 diesel. When I checked the oil at the dealer it looked clean on the dip stick, almost like new oil, not black at all. I did not think much of it, I just thought it had a recent oil change, which they said it did. I put several hundred miles on this oil and it still looked new on the dip stick, not black at all.

I then suspected that the dealer put the wrong oil in so I did an oil and filter change with Delo 400 15W40 oil and the Motocraft Filter. When I drained the existing oil it did look black as it drained from the pan, but again, it did not look black on the dip stick. I now have about a hundred miles on this oil and it still looks clean on the dip stick.

Is this normal for the 6.0 liter? I thought the diesel oil had additives to suspend the soot in the oil and it should get black very shortly ofter an oil change. Why would the oil look clean on the dip stick and look pretty black when I drained it?

Thanks for any input you have.

444-4D · 07-01-2009, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrhoppers

Why would the oil look clean on the dip stick and look pretty black when I drained it?

Because that is how a toned liquid looks. A thin layer is more transparent or clear than a thick one. Why does a swimming pool look blue. Why can't you see the bottom of the ocean?

mrhoppers · 07-01-2009, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 444-4D

Because that is how a toned liquid looks. A thin layer is more transparent or clear than a thick one. Why does a swimming pool look blue. Why can't you see the bottom of the ocean?

Yes, but with most diesels, as I understand it, the oil on the dip stick is black after driving less than 100 miles and mine is not. Has anyone else experienced this?

DRJ48 · 07-01-2009, 10:19 PM

Mine doesn,t start to look dirty on the stick until about 1000 mi.

bismic · 07-01-2009, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrhoppers

Yes, but with most diesels, as I understand it, the oil on the dip stick is black after driving less than 100 miles and mine is not. Has anyone else experienced this?

Yes, diesel oil has additives to suspend the soot. Even so, my oil has always looked nearly "new" on the dip stick, but black in the pan.

boomerbust · 07-01-2009, 10:23 PM

the longer you let the oil drain,and the hotter the oil is when draining will determine the amount of residuel oil that is left in the motor. The less old oil the cleaner the new, I know this from my experience and now try to let it drain overnight.

bismic · 07-01-2009, 10:29 PM

Even when you get all the old oil out that you can, there will still be 3-4 quarts left in.

mrhoppers · 07-01-2009, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRJ48

Mine doesn,t start to look dirty on the stick until about 1000 mi.

Thanks for the input. I will keep an eye on it.

mrhoppers · 07-01-2009, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bismic

Yes, diesel oil has additives to suspend the soot. Even so, my oil has always looked nearly "new" on the dip stick, but black in the pan.

Does your oil ever look dirty on the dip stick or does it still look pretty new even at 5000 miles?

Does anyone understand why on some diesels the oil will look black on the dip stick and on others it will not. Is there something different in the engines?

bismic · 07-01-2009, 10:37 PM

Even at 5k, my oil does not look black on the dipstick. Past that, I do not know - I do not go past 5k miles on an OCI.

Cessna · 07-02-2009, 12:27 PM

mrhoppers,

I have owned eight Ford diesels, all of which after an oil change with just a trip around the block will show black oil on the dipstick. Never after a 100 miles has the oil shown clear, on any diesel I have owned.

Given that diesel oil is formulated to suspend soot particals, it would seem logical to me that black oil would be normal. However, your's being clear would say to me some system in your 6.0 is not working properly. My first guess would be some emission system.

Smokeywren, do you have any thoughts on this issue?

SmokeyWren · 07-02-2009, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cessna

Smokeywren, do you have any thoughts on this issue?

No, sorry. I don't have any experience with a 6.0L engine.

30 years ago I owned a '79 Audi 5000S diesel. The motor oil was awfully stinking black within one mile after I changed it with a new filter. My 7.3L didn't turn really black for over 1,000 miles after a change. So I assumed that better fuel control because of the computer-controlled engine was helping in that regard.

On a 7.3L there is at least a quart of oil in the high pressure oil reservoir (HPOR) that won't drain. So when I change the oil, I'm changing only 15 of the 16+ total quarts. If that quart or so is really black oil, then I'll have over 6 percent old black oil in the crankcase within a very short time of changing the oil. So there will be some black in the new oil as soon as I crank it. I suspect the 6.0L is the same, but again, I don't claim to know anything about a 6.0L.

bismic · 07-02-2009, 02:02 PM

As I said before 3-4 quarts are always left in. The "dry" fill capacity is 18 quarts.