2021 Odyssey oil spec

It's not purely an engine thing nor purely an oil thing. It's possible to have an engine condition no oil can lubricate. (Crank grinder burn perhaps), yes. But it's also true that there are oils that will fail were other oils succeed. It's really about making the two work together.

GM made an engine that doesn't work well on 0w20. Their public statements suggest they think it will work on 0w40. Yes, we're skeptical, but it's quite clear that GM seems to think the thicker oil is sufficient to remedy whatever condition made the 0w20 insufficient.


Viscosity is one of those classic "price-is-right" kind of things-- as long as you don't go too far, you're still in the game. Here, as long as you don't go too thin for the load, you're OK. But go just a tiny bit too far and it's game over.

Thicker oils have more margin but at the penalty of efficiency.
Well said. (y)
 
And amusingly, things went the other direction on piston fitment, tolerances were loosened up (the allowable piston-to-wall clearance range grew) to allow for bulk-fit slugs rather than hand-fit. This, combined with short skirts, is how we ended up with a lot of engines with piston slap in the early 2000's.

I took the OP as taking a jab at the "tighter tolerances" error oft made when the person really means clearances, a myth that refuses to die. Bearing clearances really haven't changed much since the beginning, but per your point, an old 60's Windsor would have similar crank and rod clearance specs as well as their tolerance range to what we see today. What we DID end up with was far more rigid bottom ends, which was a necessary change to allow long-term durability on thinner lubricants.
Long rods with long strokes in low deck-height engines that require super short compression heights don’t help either.

Take the Ford 302. Stock compression height about 1.6”, thick rings… no flutter and no consumption if good oils were run. Stroked & poked 347s have a comp height of 1.2” and thin rings and have oodles more issues with oil burning and ring flutter.
 
This was from 2005 from an old Toyota R&D article I had posted 20 years ago:

"Lowering the viscosity of engine oil is effective in reducing the fluid friction. However, it decreases the oil film thickness, and causes the increase in the wear of engine parts. Through the engine wear tests using an radioisotope tracer technique, it was clarified that an HTHS viscosity of 2.6 mPa¥s was the lower limit to prevent the increasing wear. It was also found that the influence of the lowering viscosity on the wear of piston rings was larger than that on the wear of the cams and connecting rod bearings.

Addition of friction modifiers is effective in reducing the friction under boundary lubricating conditions. MoDTC was determined as an excellent friction modifier, after evaluating its effects on the friction of valve train and on the fuel consumption of engine. The effect of MoDTC on the friction reduction was considered to be caused by both of the MoS2 film formed and the rubbing surface smoothness that decreased the metal contact.

From the results of these investigations, it was concluded that the points of designing low friction engine oil were lowering the HTHS viscosity to 2.6 mPa¥s and the addition of MoDTC. Based on this guideline, a low friction engine oil has been developed, and it contributes to the improving fuel consumption of automobiles."

"It is also important to note that, contrary to what many take for granted, higher viscosity in and of itself does not translate into better engine protection. Extensive testing has shown the opposite to be in fact true. As long as a lower-viscosity oil is formulated to resist evaporation and provide high film strength, this lighter oil will actually deliver more complete protection to the engine parts, since its more rapid circulation delivers both better lubrication per se, and far better cooling characteristics…a critical advantage, given that oil flow furnishes up to 30%"
 
This was from 2005 from an old Toyota R&D article I had posted 20 years ago:

"Lowering the viscosity of engine oil is effective in reducing the fluid friction. However, it decreases the oil film thickness, and causes the increase in the wear of engine parts. Through the engine wear tests using an radioisotope tracer technique, it was clarified that an HTHS viscosity of 2.6 mPa¥s was the lower limit to prevent the increasing wear. It was also found that the influence of the lowering viscosity on the wear of piston rings was larger than that on the wear of the cams and connecting rod bearings.

Addition of friction modifiers is effective in reducing the friction under boundary lubricating conditions. MoDTC was determined as an excellent friction modifier, after evaluating its effects on the friction of valve train and on the fuel consumption of engine. The effect of MoDTC on the friction reduction was considered to be caused by both of the MoS2 film formed and the rubbing surface smoothness that decreased the metal contact.

From the results of these investigations, it was concluded that the points of designing low friction engine oil were lowering the HTHS viscosity to 2.6 mPa¥s and the addition of MoDTC. Based on this guideline, a low friction engine oil has been developed, and it contributes to the improving fuel consumption of automobiles."

"It is also important to note that, contrary to what many take for granted, higher viscosity in and of itself does not translate into better engine protection. Extensive testing has shown the opposite to be in fact true. As long as a lower-viscosity oil is formulated to resist evaporation and provide high film strength, this lighter oil will actually deliver more complete protection to the engine parts, since its more rapid circulation delivers both better lubrication per se, and far better cooling characteristics…a critical advantage, given that oil flow furnishes up to 30%"



Most xW-20 are around 2.7 HTHS. Add in some fuel dilution, some shear and you are under 2.6 very quickly.
 
Show of hands ...
How many "thickies" think oil viscosity will overcome design shortcomings and manufacturing flaws such as:
- Chrysler MDS
- Honda VCM
- Kia Theta 2 cranks
- Toyota 3.4L TT machining debris
- Saturn SL2 engines with no oil drain back holes in the rings
- etc ...
My 2015 Acura doesn’t have vcm, yes I’m a thickies. Only time the engine makes power is 3800-7000. Yes I much rather have a HTHS >3.5. The S2K when it first came out had a redline of 9200. Honda recommended 10/30. They had some valve spring issues running that high rpm
 
In the case of GM it could very well be a design issue, however it is also possible bumping up to a 40 grade could save them a ton of money in warranty claims. If that wasn't the case they would have never considered bumping up to a 40 grade, and bringing a lot of vehicles to do so. So imo there is something about viscosity playing a role in protecting an engine better than the CAFE thin oil push. Time to hide again.
 
Show of hands...
How many Hondas are on the road still with a lifetime of 0w20.
How many production engines are more power dense than the M139 which specs a 0w20. Ps thats 208 hp/liter. The new zr1 is sub 200.
 
The Chrylser MDS is not a flaw. Lifter and cam failures on the hemi are not due to MDS as hemis without the MDS system can also experience lifter failure.

But yes we see cams with rough surfaces on the hemi, no reason to think that higher viscosity wouldn't help there just like it helps in GM's 6.2 case with the rougher surfaces.

What would also help is sticking to Chrysler's oil specs that target valvetrain wear in their engines specifically.
 
Thicker oil works just fine, the foreign manuals are confirming it. There is absolutely no issue running it. Thinner oil is better for fuel economy, that is the only benefit of thinner oil. Engine tolerances have not changed in past 20+ years
Thinner oils run cooler.

*Until a certain point.
 
That’s not how it works

Bearings aren't supported on oil pressure. The oil pressure replenishes oil squeezed out. Too thin results in lower pressure because the flow can't keep up, resulting in a bearing no longer supported.

Pistons and cylinders are lubed with crankcase mist. Thinner oil makes more mist.

The rest, such as rocker tips or valve caps, are splash lube. Thinner oil gets between the surfaces better.

Thicker oil results in less lubrication and more parasitic losses.

You want the "minimum maximum". Minimum viscosity to replenish the journals. That's how it works. The boundary layer breaking down to allow metal-metal contact, assuming sufficient oil supply, is dependent on other factors than viscosity.

Wasn’t 15w50 the recommended grade for Corvettes on track days?

A high viscosity option instead of 0w40 in the 6.2L would be 5w50.

Track days the oil gets hot. Higher viscosity to offset the thinning due to heat.

Obviously GM has discovered that their engines have hotspots where the oil gets too thin. Viscosity, pressure, flow. That's all. It's not that thicker oils protect better on their own. Thicker oils only protect better if it's a high heat zone where viscosity decreases to the point that oil is squeezed out at a higher rate than can be replenished.
 
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It's the lower rod bearing that is having the problem which I've never seen. After thinking on this for a while I'm thinking the clearance in the lower bearing is out of spec. Closer to the crank than the upper bearing starving the lower bearing from adequate oil circulation.
 
Do nothing OR Hail Mary, with hope. 😬
My 2017 Hyundai Theta II 2.4L had 5W20 in the sump when new and I used QSUD 5W20 for one OCI before switching to 5W30 (allowed by Hyundai in USA OM). The engine ran a bit more free with 20 weight oil but quieter with the 30 weight oil .
 
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