not bitter are we atomarc???
my 216 does have the oil filter option on it. honestly i don't put enough miles on my truck in a year to warrant changing the oil that often but i do it anyway (typically i put about 1200 miles on my truck in a year, and i change the oil about every four months, even though i drive it daily). if i have to contribute a few dollars to chevron, or whoever, to make my truck last a little longer, well...it's a small price to pay.
as john mentioned, there is very little of the "daily" oil that actually passes through the filter system under this low of pressure. however, my feeling is that any contaminants that are caught by the filter is one less piece of crap that is trying to destroy my babbit engine.
as far as type of oil? i'd have to agree with john and brendanm720. 30 weight, non detergent seems like the best way to go. my 50 3/4 ton is working on 90,000 miles and is not showing any signs of degradation. of course i take better care of it than my kids and they're spoiled rotten...
