0w-30/5w-30 in a 2024 crosstrek and subaru timing chains

SubieRubyRoo said:
You do realize that 75w gear oil is thinner than 20 grade motor oil, right?

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Nope. Was just thinking of some pretty thick gear lube. I take your word and chart for it though. The point was , they are not gonna blow their engines or degrade timing belts , chains or engine parts by using a different viscoity motor oil the public can easily purchase.
 
PP 5w30 is on the thin side for a 30wt.. might be a good oil if you want to go thicker but not 12+cst Euro 5w30 thick.

Or pick a nice stout 0w20 with VW 508, MB and other approvals. such as M1 0w20 esp x2
 
Rand said:
PP 5w30 is on the thin side for a 30wt.. might be a good oil if you want to go thicker but not 12+cst Euro 5w30 thick.

Or pick a nice stout 0w20 with VW 508 and other nice approvals. such as M1 0w20 esp x2
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There’d be absolutely nothing wrong using PP Euro L 5w30 @ 12.3cSt. It’s also rated API SN along with several Euro approvals. Fine for the Subarus.
 
RAVL said:
Pretty confident based on personal experience and logic. First goal is to get the customer and then retain the customer, otherwise regulatory compliance becomes moot.

400k out of the engine is great/. The rest of the car will need a lot of work to ensure it is roadworthy and not an exercise in faith.

The data on car age belies the argument that newer cars are less reliable and don’t last as long, on average. I believe that the average age is now around 12 years.

I think the quality losses have been in the premium makes but those are not sold in high enough numbers to really impact average age.

Take care.
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There was an engineer from (Ford?) who said that they try and do the best with things like OCI’s and oil type but they ultimately have to yield to what the epa and government wants, and sometimes that means that long term longevity isn’t the concern of engineers.

People are keeping their vehicles longer because they can’t afford new ones. Has nothing to do with reliability of the vehicles of the 2000’s or 2010’s

Ymmv
 
PhilloBeddow said:
When I was shopping for my 2014 legacy (FB25) the Subaru rep said they had just changed from belts to chains, so production began late 2013 / early 2014. Produced in Indianapolis.
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FB25(B) has been in the Legacy since 2012, the engine actually debuted in 2010 as a 2011. The factory is in Lafayette, not Indy. 👍🏻

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_FA_engine
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_FB_engine
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_of_Indiana_Automotive
 
The EJ 253 has the best personality and high rpm zing with a stick when it is not blown up yet. They have a "sort of" VTEC system with a solid roller cam and no tappets. Dry belt timing.

FB25 and 20 are a yawn. the FB20 is pretty reliable. Still pretty dang rackety motors. Decent fuel milage with AWD
 
I drive my EJ253 very gingerly, I've never even used the paddle shifters. I don't want to give the used CVT any reasons to make it's way into the front seat.
 
Redhawk454 said:
Could a 30 weight cause a spun bearing or rod knock in an engine that’s spec’d/recommended for a 16 weight?
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no, bearings spin when the viscosity of the lubricant is too low: for example 0 because there isn't any. They don't spin bearings when starting at -30°F and the oil is 6000 cP (or 2000 times the hot viscosity)
 
Had an EJ253 in an 08 Impreza OBS. Bullet proof vehicle until it was totaled in 2018 at @145K miles. I had done timing belts at @2018 with an Aisin kit. Ran 5W-30 in it, consistent with recommendation. Current Subaru vehicles relative to this thread include a 2017 Outback (@54K miles) with 2.5, and a 2021 Crosstrek Sport (@45K miles). Used to run 0W-20 and 5W-20 routinely on these two. Switched over to Mobil 1 0W-30 ESP during last oil changes. My butt (feel) cannot tell the difference in mileage. Cars continue to impress for what they are.

Separately, a relative in the PHX area drives an 18 Crosstrek Premium with 6 speed. For the initial @50K miles this CT used 0W-20 PUP. No issues, but valve train was a bit rattely during pick-up. For the past couple of changes, this car is seeing a 50/50 mix of PUP 0W-20 and 5W-30; butt feel indicates that the valvetrain noise is a bit subdued; again this is PHX.

In summary, I have no issues with running a quality 0W-30 in our Subaru's, other than my 87 Brat. No issues running the recommended 0W-20 on the '17 and '21 vehicles either.
 
Engine bearing failure is common due to a few conditions, but the most common reason is engine bearing clearance. With any Suby engine installing a quality oil pressure gauge can help in determining what viscosity oil is working best in a particular engine.
These engines use an aluminum split case with an iron crank running in the middle, no main bearing caps. When the engine gets to operating temp the bearing clearances increase and depending on how much RTV sealer the machine applied clearances can vary quite a bit. Using an aerobic sealer or Hylomar instead of RTV on rebuilds will result in a slight increase at hot idle with no other mods.

The fact the oil pressure switch does not illuminate the low oil pressure light until it is at 2.1 psi (FA/FB 14psi), that is pretty darn low but the driver remains oblivious to it. I have seen FA/FB engines running xw20 running low pressure at hot idle. I run a Euro 0w30 in all of them and 0w40 on older ones that have some higher miles, oil pressure is still low at hot idle with a stock pump even on new engines but it is safe . If someone feels they must run an xw20 it is possible to prevent low pressure damage or excess wear by installing an upgraded pump on FA/FB motors and 11mm on EJ motors.
 
following @Trav comments - a couple visuals from motoiq
for the non-VW, Porsche, Subaru and Honda bike crowd :)

Screenshot 2024-12-26 113534.webp


Screenshot 2024-12-26 114110.webp


The piston wrist pins are full floaters, so one side (pass) gets two pistons drooped in, then the pins slid in through ports at the block ends F/R, then the remaining two circlips are installed

-Arco
 
Redhawk454 said:
I know its been talked about a lot but my new 2024 crosstrek calls for 0w-16 or a in a pinch 0w-20. I changed the factory oil out at 1,300 miles and put in 0w-20.

I Know the recommendation for thinner oils in owners manuals is usually CAFE related and I want to to put 0w-30 in but ive been told subarus do better with thinner oil because of subarus timing chains.

I know the turbocharged subarus recommend 5w-30 and I cant imagine any tighter clearances between the 4 cylinder NA engines and the turbocharged 6 cylinder engines. But I dont know. The car is under warranty. A technician at the dealership said 0w-30 is fine.

Would it be wise to switch to 0w-30? my concern is the effect of thicker oil on the timing chains.
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A fun exercise is to research what your model Year Crosstrek recommends for oil in Australia , Kuwait , Saudi Arabia , Spain , etc. where thicker oils may be recommended in the owners manual versus what North America owners manuals recommend. They use the same engine , so that will show you what viscosity oil your engine can safely use .
 
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