20W50 for all. All thick oil recommendations here

[ammolab]

Originally Posted By: Klutch9
Agreed, 20w-50 in warm temps won't kill your engine. But is it optimal? No. And yes, 10w-30 in a Honda engine = gravel

Don't tell that to a "Digger"..the Aussie Honda manual has no mention of those oughtW-20 oils!

 

[CATERHAM]

No it's not all bad, as long as your never have to start the engines cold unaided.

 

[Cristobal]

I agree with Caterham's advice that it is mostly an old time oil weight. As for SH, that would work fine in my car, but I hardly ever see it on the shelves these days. I live in an area where it is usually warm enough, and there are old cars enough, that 20W-50 SH got sold/used out. Around California, though it would be less useful in the winter as you might drive up to the Sierra/Big Bear, for instance, where in winter it will often get rather below freezing at night.

It would be fine for tool and shop use.

 

[Whimsey]

In my pre BITOG days I thought thought that "thickerer is betterer". So in a 5W-30 spec'd 2.0L Ford Zetec I went from 5W-30 Mobil 1 to Castrol 5W-50 Syntec. It didn't destroy the engine. I'm in northern NJ and cold starts in the winter were slightly noisy and sluggish. Overall my seat of the pants acceleration felt more sluggish and my mpg was definately significantly less by 4 to 5 mpg. Went back to synthetic and synthetic blends 5W-30 and all is well again. More rapid acceleration and much better mpg, and flawless cold starts, as it was before trying 5W-50. Not all engines work well with thicker oil.

Whimsey

 

[Klutch9]

Originally Posted By: Whimsey
In my pre BITOG days I thought thought that "thickerer is betterer". So in a 5W-30 spec'd 2.0L Ford Zetec I went from 5W-30 Mobil 1 to Castrol 5W-50 Syntec. It didn't destroy the engine. I'm in northern NJ and cold starts in the winter were slightly noisy and sluggish. Overall my seat of the pants acceleration felt more sluggish and my mpg was definately significantly less by 4 to 5 mpg. Went back to synthetic and synthetic blends 5W-30 and all is well again. More rapid acceleration and much better mpg, and flawless cold starts, as it was before trying 5W-50. Not all engines work well with thicker oil.

Whimsey


I used to own a Zx2 Escort with the 2.0 Zetec engine. I bet that thick oil made the motor quiet, but I'm sure those injectors pulsing was still loud as heck

great motor, btw. I always used 5w-30 Kendall GT-1 synthetic blend when I owned that car. It had already been back-specced by Ford to 5w-20 when I owned it, but I didn't know that at the time.

 

[addyguy]

I just used VWB 20W-50 to top-off my Tribute, as it is starting to use oil.

I figured during the summer it won't hurt. We'll see how it does.

 

[fdcg27]

It seems as though 20W-50 is regarded in Australia as 10W-30 is in the US.
That is, as a grade that can be used safely, if not optimally, in any application.
My old BMW's OM lists 20W-50 as a virtual all climate oil, recommended down to 14F.
Bet the engine wouldn't like that on a cold winter morning.

 

[FFeng7]

I used to run 20w50 in my old Jeep Cherokee with a 2.8 V6. I used it year round for years because of what a good friend told me about how thick oil is better. Of course this was well before I learned so much on BITOG. Never had any issues and I still see that Jeep driving around. Those cold starts couldn't be good for it but it didn't kill it either.

 

[GMorg]

With the VIIs in 20W50, I would think that it would serve your cars better than your mower. The temps that build up in air cooled engines can be tough on VIIs.