hey there. is anyone using a 10w40 oil these days? i know it's a large spread and that they used to get a bad rap. i was wondering have they improved much if any? it seems like it would be a great "middle guy" between the touters of the thinner easier flowing and the fans of the thicker, albeit, better protecting? lubricants? ready, set, go!!!!!
10w40 oils
- Thread starter penzdude
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I believe some 10W-40 dinos are still suspect for basically the reason you state. (no further comment)
Some syn. 10W-40's are very good oils, but even a 30 pt spread can "test" an synthetic. I use Amsoil 10W-40 full syn in my newer Volvo. The car really likes this vis over 5W-30.
Some syn. 10W-40's are very good oils, but even a 30 pt spread can "test" an synthetic. I use Amsoil 10W-40 full syn in my newer Volvo. The car really likes this vis over 5W-30.
Patman
Staff member
Instead of using a conventional 10w40, another alternative is to run one of the 10w30 high mileage oils, as these are at the very top end of the 30wt range, and often maintain their viscosity better too.
I'm using Castrol 10w40 Syntec Blend - $1.98 on-sale price at advanceautoparts. My tuck seems to like this vis too, less noise(tick) and consumption.
The spread has me worried too so I just do the OCI around 3.5k.
The spread has me worried too so I just do the OCI around 3.5k.
thanks for the reply guys. still kinda wondering about the regular 10-40 though for summer use. you can still catch it on sale for 99cents alot of times. the high milage and semi syns tend to cost double of that at least. i assume that the cst of the 10-40 would probably be about the same as a "high milage" 5 or 10-30? penz
I like the way that Chevron-Texaco's website puts oil weights into a historical context, as well as a use context: "SAE 10w-30 is recommened for many older vehicles and a few late model cars and trucks, often those with larger 6 cyl. and V-8 and/or high performance engines. SAE 10w-30 provides improved fuel economy relative to heavier visciosity grades."
"SAE 10w-40 is still a very popular viscosity grade in warmer climates, thought it is not recommended by most auto manufacturers for their late model North American vehicles. It is often recommended for older model cars that see regular high temperature operation." They also have a few rhymes for 5w-20, 5w-30, and 20w-50 weights as well.
"SAE 10w-40 is still a very popular viscosity grade in warmer climates, thought it is not recommended by most auto manufacturers for their late model North American vehicles. It is often recommended for older model cars that see regular high temperature operation." They also have a few rhymes for 5w-20, 5w-30, and 20w-50 weights as well.
Seems odd that 10W40 is thought to be a weak oil do to the wide spread. But most motorcycles call for 10W40 oil and they beat up oil in their transmissions ans clutches.
One of the most popular oils in AU and possibly the most popular and very heavily marketed is Castrol Magnatec 10W40. Available in 10W40 only.
I know that folks here don't like blend due to lack of(preception or not) synthetic in it. But, ya know, $10 for an OTC oil rated A3 does not bother me and this oil WORKS FOR MY TRUCK!!
Adding one drop of synthetic per supertanker-worth of conventional makes it a blend, right?
That's my biggest hang-up with blends - even Schaeffers. We just don't know how much of it's what. I think most people assume a 50-50 mix, given the mid way price point, but I suspect this is a great marketing scheme to sell conventional oil at inflated prices. We don't know if the oil really is "the best of both worlds" (if you believe some of the hype around blends) if we don't know how much of each is in that bottle. If, as I suspect, it's blended at a ratio of 1 drop of synthetic per 10,000 gallon rail car, then I fail to see how you're getting any benefit from the synthetic portion of the blend.
OBTW, yes, I do use 10W40 - in my motorcycle. The owners manual specifies 10W40 for operating conditions below 100F, and 20W50 for operating conditions above freezing (yes, there is an overlap - between freezing and 100F, either oil is fine). In both cases, a 30-pt spread. I use Amsoil's AMF "motorcycle" oil. I haven't done an oil analysis on this bike, but I drain every 3K miles. Some may argue overkill, but it seems to me contaminants build up just the same in a synthetic oil than in a conventional oil. Sure, the oil filter removes the solid contaminants, but the disolved contaminants (like acids and combustion gasses) flow right through. When engineers figure out a way to remove the disolved contaminants, I'll start extending my drain interval.
So I'm thinking of abandoning synthetic, and going with a conventional oil. Chevron Supreme 10W40 looks promising, although the Chevron-Texaco Havoline has gotten a lot of good reviews here, and is much more easily to buy locally. I'm even thinking of Shell Rotella 15W40, as in Florida, I doubt I'm really going to need severe cold weather performance for my (water cooled) motorcycle.
- Arved
[ October 24, 2003, 08:20 AM: Message edited by: Arved ]
I'm not totally against trying a homemade 50/50 blend of say a good brand of syn and a good brand of dino. Just use knowledge and analysis.
Soon I will do a test of my own blend, but it will be 15W-40....
Soon I will do a test of my own blend, but it will be 15W-40....
Well the regular GTX of the same weight is only rated SL while the Blend is A3. Don't you think that there is more just a few drops of synthetic in it for it to pass this criteria or are you saying that the regular GTX is a superior oil to begin with(but they don't want to advertise it)?
Patman
Staff member
With Schaeffer's, we do know how much synthetic is in it though! Their head chemist revealed to Bob that Supreme 7000 10w30 uses 20-25% PAO and 75-80% group 2+, while the Supreme 7000 5w30 uses 20-25% PAO and 75-80% GROUP 3! (so their 5w30 "blend" actually contains more synthetic than most of the oils on the market which call themselves full synthetics!)
I guess here's where I need a little more education. Is the A3 rating a result of the base stock of the oil, or can it be achieved with the additive package?
After some bad experience with Castrol Syntec 10 years ago, I'm left with a bad taste in my mouth for thier sythetic products. I truely believe that Castrol GTX is better than thier synthetic oils. In fact, there's a dated Motorcycle Consumer News article that shows Castrol GTX to be supperior to every other oil, conventional or synthetic, with the exception of Amsoil (#1 rated) and Mobil 1 (#2 rated).
The problem with the MCN article, however, is that it only considered viscosity retention. As anyone who's even casually followed this board for any time knows, there's a lot more to oil analysis than viscosity retention. So while the premise of the article is flawed, it has opened my mind to the possibility that a conventional oil can be better than a synthetic (and by extrapolation, a blend).
Based on my experience with Castrol Syntec, and the relatively low opinion I see otheres here have of that specific synthetic oil, blending GTX with thier synthetic base stock, IMHO, isn't improving it any. I suspect that the A3 rating is being achieved through the additive package.
Respectfully,
- Arved
Thanks. That's the first I'd heard of it. I stand corrected.
I've learned, through this board, that not all synthetics really are synthetics. I'm really greatfull for all the information here. And this point really clouds the issue on blends - if an oil that's called a sythetic, but really isn't truely a synthetic oil, is blended with a conventional oil, then how much synthetic base stock can there really be in a blend?
Conversely, Schaeffers claims that it's blend is better than full synthetics because by blending it has the best of both properties, yet in the final analysis, has more synthetic base stock than many so-called full synthetics? Isn't Schaeffer then a better oil because it's more synthetic than other synthetics?
I guess the only way I can really resolve this, for myself, is to abandon the manufacturer's labels of "synthetic" and "blend."
Becomming, and staying, an informed consumer is SOOOOOOOO hard these days!
- Arved
IMO, the answer is both but without real data/knowledge or resources to find out. I say we call it a draw
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