5W-20 second thoughts

[ekpolk]

 Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite

Well, there is the power and smoothness issue too. And fuel dilution. My Yaris wont rev with the stuff(20). Sounds like a bucket of nuts and takes FOREVER from 4000-6000RPM. UOA aint everything - just a tool. You can have sweet UOA then - BANG! Spun rod bearing.

Yes, you certainly can. But on the other hand, we all know that UOA can, and often does, provide valuable early warning of an impending disaster. My point is that, while "silent failures" do happen, we should very clearly be seeing mountains of evidence of harm if 20 wt oils were truly inadequate lubricants.

 

[StevieC]

I agree, never ignore a noise... This is why I use Syn in my engine in the winter because it's the only thing that keeps it quiet... But the 20wt causing it to rev slowly or causing excess wear when used in an application that warrants it or that it is spec'ed for I don't buy.

 

[Bill in Utah]

 Originally Posted By: ekpolk

But the only conclusion I can draw is that the vast majority of anti-20 sentiments I see here are simply not grounded in reality.

Agree 100% (Like MOST things discussed here)

 

[ARCOgraphite]

 Originally Posted By: StevieC

The sounding like a bucket of nuts I might be able to see, but the revving slower I don't buy at all. JMO though!

When the engine sets up bad harmonics and they get all "Tesla" out of control - there go the revs in the toilet. Piston slap and crank wobble. I live next to a drag strip - do I need to do back to back runs? Maybe I dooo!

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I have not had an engine last more than 45K miles in the past 10 years on 30wt never mind 20wt. But My commute is the equivalent of 20 1/4 mile drag runs and 5 laps WOT of Watkins Glen EVERYDAY. Poor flogged yaris. I'm harder on my cars than just about any sane person. I even blew a motor in the first hour of ownership(KIA RIO5 1.6L)

 

[StevieC]

 Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite

I have not had an engine last more than 45K miles in the past 10 years on 30wt never mind 20wt. But My commute is the equivalent of 20 1/4 mile drag runs and 5 laps WOT of Watkins Glen EVERYDAY. Poor flogged yaris. I'm harder on my cars than just about any sane person. I even blew a motor in the first hour of ownership(KIA RIO5 1.6L)

Huh?

 

[tig1]

 Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite

I have not had an engine last more than 45K miles in the past 10 years on 30wt never mind 20wt. But My commute is the equivalent of 20 1/4 mile drag runs and 5 laps WOT of Watkins Glen EVERYDAY. Poor flogged yaris. I'm harder on my cars than just about any sane person. I even blew a motor in the first hour of ownership(KIA RIO5 1.6L)

Say what? What's the story?

 

[Jim 5]

 Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite

I have not had an engine last more than 45K miles in the past 10 years on 30wt never mind 20wt. But My commute is the equivalent of 20 1/4 mile drag runs and 5 laps WOT of Watkins Glen EVERYDAY. Poor flogged yaris. I'm harder on my cars than just about any sane person. I even blew a motor in the first hour of ownership(KIA RIO5 1.6L)

Sounds like there isn't an oil on the planet that can solve your engine problems. The problem might be the nut behind the steering wheel.

 

[StevieC]

Let's not start another thread about nuts, there was far too much information in an M1 thread recently!

 

[tuckman]

 Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite

I have not had an engine last more than 45K miles in the past 10 years on 30wt never mind 20wt. But My commute is the equivalent of 20 1/4 mile drag runs and 5 laps WOT of Watkins Glen EVERYDAY. Poor flogged yaris. I'm harder on my cars than just about any sane person. I even blew a motor in the first hour of ownership(KIA RIO5 1.6L)

If you are a so called engine guy, why are you beating on 1 litre motors in ways they were never designed to be operated? Then telling anybody who will listen how bad they all suck on 5W-20 or 0W-20. It is obviously the driver causing the problems not the oil or the design of the engine. I will stick to the "right oil for the right application".

 

[demarpaint]

 Originally Posted By: StevieC

Let's not start another thread about nuts, there was far too much information in an M1 thread recently!

 

[Bryanccfshr]

 Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite

I have not had an engine last more than 45K miles in the past 10 years on 30wt never mind 20wt. But My commute is the equivalent of 20 1/4 mile drag runs and 5 laps WOT of Watkins Glen EVERYDAY. Poor flogged yaris. I'm harder on my cars than just about any sane person. I even blew a motor in the first hour of ownership(KIA RIO5 1.6L)

Doesn't seem like you value safety or the things you own much.

 

[tuckman]

 Originally Posted By: Bryanccfshr

 Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite

I have not had an engine last more than 45K miles in the past 10 years on 30wt never mind 20wt. But My commute is the equivalent of 20 1/4 mile drag runs and 5 laps WOT of Watkins Glen EVERYDAY. Poor flogged yaris. I'm harder on my cars than just about any sane person. I even blew a motor in the first hour of ownership(KIA RIO5 1.6L)

Doesn't seem like you value safety or the things you own much.

Thank goodness he doesn't drive something with some real weight behind it or have BIG power under the hood

 

[Bryanccfshr]

I feel bad for those who share the road with him.

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

 Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite

I have not had an engine last more than 45K miles in the past 10 years on 30wt never mind 20wt. But My commute is the equivalent of 20 1/4 mile drag runs and 5 laps WOT of Watkins Glen EVERYDAY. Poor flogged yaris. I'm harder on my cars than just about any sane person. I even blew a motor in the first hour of ownership(KIA RIO5 1.6L)

Remind me never to let you drive any of the cars in my fleet.

 

[sciphi]

I'm running whatever cheap 30 weight in my LeSabre. Happens to be syn right now because that's what was on sale. The fiancee's Honda Fit will get the recommended 5w-20. Probably Pennzoil YB since it's cheap and has produced good analyses in everything under the sun. Also, with gas likely going to over $3/gallon this summer, any reasonable measure to save fuel, lighter-weight oils included, is A-OK in my book.

 

[Ben99GT]

 Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite

My bullit lost BIG power on the 30 and ran like a dog. like running 50 on a 30 engine.

Pretty amazing, I've owned, built and raced numerous 4.6s (even a Bullitt intake 2V) and swapped between 5W-20 and 5-30 in all of them and can tell no difference whatsoever in power or fuel economy. They do tend to run ever so slightly quieter on 5W-30 though.

 

[AdRock]

 Originally Posted By: Ben99GT

 Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite

My bullit lost BIG power on the 30 and ran like a dog. like running 50 on a 30 engine.

Pretty amazing, I've owned, built and raced numerous 4.6s (even a Bullitt intake 2V) and swapped between 5W-20 and 5-30 in all of them and can tell no difference whatsoever in power or fuel economy. They do tend to run ever so slightly quieter on 5W-30 though.

My GT is much quieter on 5w-30 and runs a bit smoother. There was quite a bit of valvetrain noise with the 5w-20.

 

[Gary Allan]

 Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite

I have not had an engine last more than 45K miles in the past 10 years on 30wt never mind 20wt. But My commute is the equivalent of 20 1/4 mile drag runs and 5 laps WOT of Watkins Glen EVERYDAY. Poor flogged yaris. I'm harder on my cars than just about any sane person. I even blew a motor in the first hour of ownership(KIA RIO5 1.6L)

While I don't like to join in on any gang tackles, I could really use a bit more detail on this. I'm trying to figure an hour equivalency to determine if you're trumping water craft fatigue/refresh times with how you're driving the thing. I'd say that you're harder on cars than most less than sane people too There are a few things that are puzzling. To do that much carnage to an engine, you would be buying cars quite often. That usually runs out of steam as you progressively get upside down as you move forward. If you can continue to do this, that implies a fatter wallet, which usually means you buy more robust cars than a Yaris. That would be the last thing most people buy if they have a wallet fat enough to scoff at bi-annual trade ins with blown engines (or thereabouts)

 

[HalfHappy]

 Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah

 Originally Posted By: ekpolk

But the only conclusion I can draw is that the vast majority of anti-20 sentiments I see here are simply not grounded in reality.

Agree 100% (Like MOST things discussed here)

+1 The so called experts kept me from signing up for a long time. After lurking for a while you figure out who spreads the melarky and who knows their stuff. So I decided to give it a try.