I've ran 20W50 in my 87 Dodge D 100 with the 318 since it was new. Always been in Southern Illinois with temperatures ranging from -16 to 100+F. No problems yet.
20w50 - what is the coldest temp you'd run it?
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Originally Posted By: Silk
BMW says 20w50 is good to -10c in my bike, we only get to -3c here, and it starts and runs fine at that...choke off at the bottom of the drive. I guess I've used it in other vehicles around here too.
The manual for the 633CSI my son is restoring uses the same oil weight chart as my R65, 20W 50 seems to be the oil they preferred back then. I'm using T6 in 5W 40 in it now, we don't have really high summer temps and I don't ride in the winter.
BMW says 20w50 is good to -10c in my bike, we only get to -3c here, and it starts and runs fine at that...choke off at the bottom of the drive. I guess I've used it in other vehicles around here too.
The manual for the 633CSI my son is restoring uses the same oil weight chart as my R65, 20W 50 seems to be the oil they preferred back then. I'm using T6 in 5W 40 in it now, we don't have really high summer temps and I don't ride in the winter.
Probably in the 30s F.
Back in the 80's I had an 82 Toyota pick up, I only ever used 20w-50 in that vehicle, because that was what we used to use back in the UK.
The truck saw -10c many times, and even -15 more than once.
I never had a problem. I had that truck for about 500k miles before giving it away.
The truck saw -10c many times, and even -15 more than once.
I never had a problem. I had that truck for about 500k miles before giving it away.
Originally Posted By: tig1
I tried one change of Mobil 1 15w50 in a Ford in the mid 90's, and noticed the engine was more sluggish than the 10-30 I was using.
What is your point?
I tried one change of Mobil 1 15w50 in a Ford in the mid 90's, and noticed the engine was more sluggish than the 10-30 I was using.
What is your point?
Wow, all this time, I thought 20w-50 was solid at room temperature.
Down to 0f from manuls I've got handy.
If it was a full season of cold weather, I'd limit 20W-50 to 0*C and put something else in there if colder. There are some real nice 10W-40's out there. However if the puddles don't freeze, 20W-50 is fine
Originally Posted By: Stelth
Wow, all this time, I thought 20w-50 was solid at room temperature.
Thankfully, they are getting away from that type of hysteria rgarding 10-30's and up. Thankfully.
Wow, all this time, I thought 20w-50 was solid at room temperature.
Thankfully, they are getting away from that type of hysteria rgarding 10-30's and up. Thankfully.
In the 90's we (Ford dealer where I did my apprenticeship) ran 20w50 in everything that came through the door - from F150 V8 ambulances to 1.3 litre Festivas - never a problem. Plenty of those vehicles lived in areas that often see -5*c. So I'd say anywhere you're likely to go, it'd be fine. But, as SR5 pointed out, for 15 bucks you could swap to 15w40 and know for sure that it won't be a problem.
Originally Posted By: FordCapriDriver
Originally Posted By: tig1
I tried one change of Mobil 1 15w50 in a Ford in the mid 90's, and noticed the engine was more sluggish than the 10-30 I was using.
What is your point?
My point. Well my engine ran free and easy with thinner oils vs the 50wt oil I tried. Just haven't seen a reason for 50 wt oils in the average grocery getter. Unless the engine is worn badly and consuming oil.
Originally Posted By: tig1
I tried one change of Mobil 1 15w50 in a Ford in the mid 90's, and noticed the engine was more sluggish than the 10-30 I was using.
What is your point?
My point. Well my engine ran free and easy with thinner oils vs the 50wt oil I tried. Just haven't seen a reason for 50 wt oils in the average grocery getter. Unless the engine is worn badly and consuming oil.
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All this 20W50 talk is making me wanna head to Walmart and grab a jug
I look at 20W50 oils and am reminded of Arnie's line from Terminator Genisys...
'Old, but not obsolete!'
'Old, but not obsolete!'
How an oil performs depends on it's application, in more modern cars it can make the engine run terrible, whereas for soeme engines it's just the perfect oil, my Capri ran great on 25w60, would i run it in my 1999 Peugeot? no way in [censored]
Okay guys so I ended up emailing a technician at Valvoline and had a fair decent chat with him!
He sent me a PDF file on Maxlife (which my phone doesn't want to open) and explained that Maxlife 20w50 is high in Zinc and Calcium, and as we all know contains 'special additives' to prevent leaks.
He did however talk me out of using it whilst visiting colder snowy areas and recommended Durablend 10w40 because the start up viscosity of the Maxlife is double to what Ford recommends. He also didn't recommend a 20w50 below 5c (40F) which is much warmer than what a lot of people have run it at, but then again when I ran it in winter last year it did turn over very slowly when the temperature was around freezing point compared to a 10W, but he did say I can run it year round in my climate without issues, and 10W40 would be good year round also.
I have a feeling Maxlife oils are always on the heavier side of the stated viscosity too!
I'm going to chuck the 10w40 in before I head off, as well as 1/2 bottle of MoS2, and if the weep on the front doesn't get much worse then I'll stick with 10w40 year round and reap the benefits of a thinner oil!
He sent me a PDF file on Maxlife (which my phone doesn't want to open) and explained that Maxlife 20w50 is high in Zinc and Calcium, and as we all know contains 'special additives' to prevent leaks.
He did however talk me out of using it whilst visiting colder snowy areas and recommended Durablend 10w40 because the start up viscosity of the Maxlife is double to what Ford recommends. He also didn't recommend a 20w50 below 5c (40F) which is much warmer than what a lot of people have run it at, but then again when I ran it in winter last year it did turn over very slowly when the temperature was around freezing point compared to a 10W, but he did say I can run it year round in my climate without issues, and 10W40 would be good year round also.
I have a feeling Maxlife oils are always on the heavier side of the stated viscosity too!
I'm going to chuck the 10w40 in before I head off, as well as 1/2 bottle of MoS2, and if the weep on the front doesn't get much worse then I'll stick with 10w40 year round and reap the benefits of a thinner oil!
As i said previously i have run 20w50 when outside it was -35c, the car was kept inside a heated garage though. If the car or engine is not heated then i'd say -5c is the coldest temp i'd run it to be safe
Sounds like a good plan 19jacobob93. The old Falcon really won't care either way, but you'll feel better
Durablend 10w40 is a nice drop. I like it.
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