5w30 in a Generator

[64bawagon]

We inherited a bunch of generators at work that had mostly Honda engines and had been neglected for years. Most had frequent use with no oil change done in 3-4 yrs. Unknown what they had in them but all were fine after a fuel filter and some fresh oil. As much as I and other stress about oil in small equipment I think we worry about it way more than the engines do.
Acknowledging that I run 10W30 syn in mine.

 

[Lubener]

I use 10w-30 in my generator. It's is a good weight for Ohio's summer and winter temperatures which I encounter.

 

[mpgo4th]

changed the 5w30 out at 8-9 hours. It wasn’t low but it was dark. Not black but definitely darker than it should have been. Filled it with the 30w and ran it until the carb ran dry.

 

[wag123]

Am I wrong 0W-30, 5W-30, 10W-30 and SAE30 weight all meet the same high temperature SAE spec for SAE 30?

So in reality it shouldn't matter?

The ones with better cold pumpability tests may have more VII so may not last as long?

What Am I missing - they should be interchangeable no?

The amount of VII in the oil can be problematic in an air cooled engine. For this reason you should avoid 0wX and 5wX grades.

 

[dlundblad]

The amount of VII in the oil can be problematic in an air cooled engine. For this reason you should avoid 0wX and 5wX grades.

I use 0w40 in all my OPE including a tired ~20 year old push mower. Zero issues.

 

[Cujet]

There is no downside to choosing a robust oil for hard working air cooled engines. There is risk of failure with inadequate viscosity. Some engines do not manage oil temps well and will fail if overheated.

An example of a situation where an air cooled engine can overheat it's oil is 24/7 generator use after a South Florida hurricane. Hot stagnant, humid air is less than ideal when running a 5000W generator to power a 4500W water heater for hours on end. The number of generator failures after a storm is epic. I use M1, 15W-50 in my air cooled generator here in Jupiter, FL.

 

[repairman54]

Oil choice should be temperature zone based. Southern heat needs higher top numbers for sure in summer usage. Northern choices are more low temperature based. I could not pull start a 5600w BS at zero with 5-30w synth. in it even though the chart said it was OK, needed to switch to 0-30w to get it to pull over fast enough to fire up in the cold. Highs rarely get over 85f in that area.
When you're lifting the gen set off the ground with the recoil and it still will not spin over fast enough to start your oil is slightly too heavy. In my middle zone in NW NJ the 5-30 works fine in an identical gen set. No real oil usage in summer runs and winter starts are fine.

 

[64bawagon]

My big gen is stored in the garage and my portable 4500 inverter gen is in the barn. Neither one gets anywhere near freezing so I have much less worry about oil weight.

 

[FordSVTGuy]

My big gen is stored in the garage and my portable 4500 inverter gen is in the barn. Neither one gets anywhere near freezing so I have much less worry about oil weight.

Yeah, that’s a great point. I keep my Firman generator in my garage where it doesn’t generally go below freezing. I tend to need the generator after summer storms, so I use VP 10w-30 full syn…

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Mine sits in my shed. Could be really cold in winter or really hot in summer. I just took out I think Rotella T6 5W-40 with some fuel dilution. I put M1 15W-50 after reading some other threads on line with the hot temperatures and generator failure like Cujet said. I'll have to see how the pull start does when it gets cold. I have used my car jump pack clipped to the battery cables (and wife/kids have also). That cranks well.

 

[Rogueman2016s]

In a pinch 5w30 syn blend is fine just keep an eye on consumption. Afterwards run a 10w30 conventional or synthetic.

 

[spasm3]

I'm thinking about putting some No VII 5w30 in my small genset at the next change.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

I'm thinking about putting some No VII 5w30 in my small genset at the next change.

I asked Dave about this, and he actually advised me to use the Small Engine 5w40 Cold Climate, which is a CK-4 that’s loaded with extra antioxidants. Same starting but better running protection in hardworking air cooled engines

 

[Rogueman2016s]

Just about every outdoor power equipment engine I’ve come across takes a 0w & 5w30 usually this is snow blowers. 30wt or 10w30 tillers log splitters lawn mowers generators and as of recent 5w30 full synthetic.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

Just about every outdoor power equipment engine I’ve come across takes a 0w & 5w30 usually this is snow blowers. 30wt or 10w30 tillers log splitters lawn mowers generators and as of recent 5w30 full synthetic.

JMHO, but OPE manufacturers have a vested interest in selling more equipment. Most people don’t lose their minds over a $400-800 purchase every 5 years, but there’s no reason they can’t last longer. Unless it’s splash lubrication only, there’s no real downside to a slightly thicker oil for improved protection.

 

[Rogueman2016s]

JMHO, but OPE manufacturers have a vested interest in selling more equipment. Most people don’t lose their minds over a $400-800 purchase every 5 years, but there’s no reason they can’t last longer. Unless it’s splash lubrication only, there’s no real downside to a slightly thicker oil for improved protection.

I inherited a 20 yr old yard machines snow blower and I used it for a few years until I sold my home back in New York it ran on 5w30 conventional for many years until I started using full synthetic. same with my generator inherited that off my brother in law don't know If he ever changed the oil especially after hurricane Irene and sandy. he said he just changed the initial 50 hrs of run time. that machine still runs strong and I use whatever 10w30 you could find at Walmart or the local auto parts store. manufacturers aren't deceitful, sales people and bad mechanics are.

 

[spasm3]

I asked Dave about this, and he actually advised me to use the Small Engine 5w40 Cold Climate, which is a CK-4 that’s loaded with extra antioxidants. Same starting but better running protection in hardworking air cooled engines

I don't see that oil on the site. I see the CK-4 cold climate , but nothing labeled small engine.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

I don't see that oil on the site. I see the CK-4 cold climate , but nothing labeled small engine.

It’s a call-in oil. Mary Jane’s got the hookup.

 

[spasm3]

It’s a call-in oil. Mary Jane’s got the hookup.

Gotcha, how many other oils are there, that are not site listed?

 

[cptbarkey]

5w30 would have been just fine. T4 15W40 or Supertech 15W40 is probably the best/value choice.