The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Detroit Diesel 6V92TA

I know this isn't the norm for this board, but here it goes....

I'm planning to put a 1982 GMC Brigadier tractor back to work. The Mack E7 motors I run use Chevron Delo 400LE 15w40 motor oil, but from what I've read only a straight 40w motor oil is to be used in 6V92's. In the past we have used 15w40 oil in the Detroit 238's and 318's we ran back in the 70's and 80's without a problem. I'm looking for advice/opinions here.

As for my reasoning to putting this truck back to work, well it's just a project that I want to try. I bought two 1982 GMC Brigadiers from the State of NC's Forestry Department with under 70,000 miles apiece. Both have 6v92TA Detroits and are tight, well kept, (both under shelters) and have no rust or damage history. I hope to have one running soon.

James

You better stick with straight weight oil for your 2 cycle just like Detroit recommends. ...I suppose you could use any oil you want, but not good for engine life.

Here's a condensed version of their recommendations and where to find the info straight from Detroit/MTU

Grigg

all I know is if it is a detroit you will need lots of oil, if they aren't throwing oil, they aren't running.

Not true.

The Detroit 4-53T in my truck has been together and running for a couple years now and not a single drop of oil to be seen. I'll admit I am surprised and impressed, but none the less it hasn't leaked yet.

If you're careful and use the right sealants when you build the engine they can be leak free.

Grigg

Back when the 2 cycle engines were in their heyday, they had mechanical tachometers with hour meters. It was actually calculated by total revolutions of the engine instead of time. Leaks usually didn't show up several thousand hours. With a Cummins, 100 hours a week was common. A Detroit would show more hours because they operated at higher RPM. Although multi vis oils might meet Detroit specs, I would put in a straight oil. 50 wt used to be common in the summer in Texas.

I had a silver 8v92 and was told to run 15-40 in it. The older 71 series were suppose to have low ash straight weight oils.

OK, from that first link I posted, here's the info on oil Detroit published.
No difference in oil requirements for any of the two cycles, 53, 71, and 92 series all use the same stuff.

and here's where to find the most up to date info
http://www.mtu-online.com/fileadmin/fm-dam/mtu-global/pdf/valuecare/A001061_34E.pdf

Again, the answer is straight weight oil in most all cases.

Grigg

Many thanks for the responses! Grigg, you're quite the DD 2 cycle expert and I've enjoyed watching your utube videos on your truck. One more question, the oil jobber we use is not up to speed on early Detroit D oil requirements and he's suggesting Chevron Delo 400LE 40w, can this be used or should I stick with the available Chevron Delo 100LE 40w? We soon will have this truck running and it'll be a regular unit to our small fleet of Mack tractor trailers. I'll post pictures soon.

FYI Grigg, I've noticed a 1979 GMC truck with a 4-53T that's listed in truckpaper.com. The truck is located in Zionsville, NC . I don't know if these are rare, thought it maybe of interest. The truck looks clean, has cast spoke 10x20, air horns, and is advertised having the motor recently rebuilt. In the ad its listed incorrectly as a Chevy C80 and is priced high.

Thanks Again, James

I don' have a copy of it but read a DDA service buletin 15 years ago that stated it fine to run 15-40 oil in the silver 92,s and other 2 stroke Detroits. I was building engines full time working for Nevada D.O.T. at the time and never saw any problems as a result of this practice. One of our bridge inspection trucks, an 86 IHC had this same engine and is still using 15-40 to this day and is extremely overworked. We used Kendal, and Delo 400 during this engines life.

James, I can't tell you the difference between the Delo 100 and 400. I suggest you print the most recent two cycle oil recommendations from MTU and provide them to your oil distributor, with the applicable info let him help you make the decision.

Several years ago the key to finding a suitable Detroit two cycle oil was it had to be "low ash" but today with the new diesel particulate filters on diesels you'll find most all oil for diesel engines is low ash, which is nice for us Detroit folks, it's easier to find the right oil now.

Again I'd run straight weight oil unless Detroit currently and specifically tells you otherwise, it is what they have most always and consistently advised us to use.

A 4-53T in a 78-80 or so GM truck is not that rare, in fact that's where I got my first 4-53T. Prices on the whole trucks are usually less than the engine alone is worth, so a good source for an engine if you can disassemble and part out or scrap a truck.

Grigg, what oil are you using? Same weight summer and winter?

I worked on many 2 cycle detroit and also 4 cycle and the only thing I have ever put in them is Rotella 15w40. It works real good and has not failed me yet. But in rental equiptment they tend to tear it up and the oil gets changed early for some reason or anouther. But it works good. New and old they all seam to work. Rotella Has a high zinc content as well. Thats my experiance with it. Good luck.

They used straight 40 weight no matter what the temperature? I don't see how this could work at below zero temperatures.

I use Rotella SAE 40.
Haven't needed different oil in the winter but would use SAE 30 if I needed to.

The couple year old recomendation from Detroit says if below freezing and starting is a problem SAE 30 is ok, and so is 15W-40 but either "must be replaced with SAE 40 as soon as ambient conditions permit"

Again, don’t just go by what I or anyone else says, go by what the engine manufacturer, Detroit Diesel MTU, says to use.

Grigg

AAHH, something I know about. 30-odd years driving any tractor trailer you can think of. 318's were my favorite, that idle (baabaabaabaa)just music to my ears.I owned an 8 car hauler with an 318 and GM 13 speed, the kind you could drive from here (Buffalo NY) to new Jersey without clutching, just pop the fuel for every shift,fun to drive,or at least give your hand something to do along the way.You could wind them up to 3100rpm and they'ed buzz all day long.As to oil, I had a 55 gallon drum of straight 30WT oil, and when home would fill 5 to 6 gallon jugs and put them between the frame and fuel tanks,getting about 11oo to 1200 miles between fuel fills i'd just put in a gallon while fueling.Straight 30 or 40, NOTHING ELSE.at your next cookout,let her idle about an hour,then floor it and kill every mosquito within 20 miles to blow out the airboxes,neighbors may be [censored] when the house,dog,and children turn black, but what fun!. I'd love to find a single screw brig or 6500 and trade my '62 Chev shortbed fleetside, It's the only thing I'd trade my truck for, good luck with yours,keep those racks tight,and watch your blower bearings- agian no multi-vis oils, trust me.

We used 15-40 Kendall in a 1987 silver 92, 6v92ta that was in an extremely overworked Aspen aireals UB 50 under bridge inspection truck (very heavy!) for years with no problems. I'm sure the Delo or Rotella multi visc. would be fine also. I also read a DDA service bulletin to this effect at least 15 years ago.

We still have those Detroit two strokes in service with our Fire Engine fleet. They are a race horse. We started them off on DELO Series 30. Later due to government contracts changes we went to a Mobil diesel engine oil. Later I found out that Mobil (which was Socony) had a close relationship with Standard oil. SOCONY was an acronym for Standard Oil Company of New York. We have never had any issues with either of these oil products and the engines just keep hauling the mail code 3 to the next call. Four of those rigs have over 250,000 miles on them and have never been rebuilt yet.
Normbc9