5w30

I just got a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 3..6 liter 4 valve engine. It with Pennzoil full synthetic 0-20 and I will keep it on that for warranty and free oil changes for 60,000 mi. It seems to run just as well and quiet as my daughters Caravan that is a 2015 and it called for 0-30. I don't really care for pennzoil but whatever is free is OK with me. If it were out of warranty I would use 5-30.I think I read somewhere when at normal engine temp most oil runs about like a 25 to 30w.
I used M1 for many years from 15-50 to 10-30, but it just isn't the same anymore. The last two vehicles I used it it were noisy at start up and then quiet down. Going to try Rotella synthetic gas engine truck 5-30 in my 04 GMC Envoy. Heard great reviews on it and the car calls for 5-30. It tested a bit better than M1 5-30.
 
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Originally Posted by rokwldr
I just got a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 3..6 liter 4 valve engine. It with Pennzoil full synthetic 0-20 and I will keep it on that for warranty and free oil changes for 60,000 mi. It seems to run just as well and quiet as my daughters Caravan that is a 2015 and it called for 0-30. I don't really care for pennzoil but whatever is free is OK with me. If it were out of warranty I would use 5-30.I think I read somewhere when at normal engine temp most oil runs about like a 25 to 30w.
I used M1 for many years from 15-50 to 10-30, but it just isn't the same anymore. The last two vehicles I used it it were noisy at start up and then quiet down. Going to try Rotella synthetic gas engine truck 5-30 in my 04 GMC Envoy. Heard great reviews on it and the car calls for 5-30. It tested a bit better than M1 5-30.

My manual okays 5w30 so I'm good even with warranty. I mainly wanted to use 5w30 cause all lawn equipment as well as 2 other vehicles I take care of are all 5w30 and got 4 5qt container for 13 apiece
Win win
 
And this doesn't even touch the "5W-30" truck I just bought. assuming the quick lube joint the PO took it to actually used a good 5W-30.

I went to Castrol 0W-30 European and the engine became all but silent.

I'm a sucker for silent engines.

With all the expertise in this world I'm surprised that "quality of build" isn't a 1 to 10 part qualification.

EXAMPLE: I'll bet the Mazda 1998cc (Skyactiv) engine is built to tighter tolerances than a Chrysler 3.6. "Tighter tolerances" would be one qualification.

The Skyactiv in the family gets it's 0W-20 without variation.

Of course I do not know what I'm speaking of. How can I?
 
Update. I got two 5 qt jugs of Shell Rotella Gas Truck 5-30 at Amazon for $18 and change each. It was here in 4 days shipped free. Changed the oil and the engine is much quieter at start up and after 2 minutes super quiet. It could be the new oil VS old used oil. It rates pretty good and comes at a great price. I will run it till the oil light says to change it, usually around 7 to 8 thousand miles. I also use this vehicle to tow a 3,800 lb boat.
 
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Originally Posted by dubber09
Originally Posted by tiger862
Originally Posted by OilUzer
just curious , what brand of oil are you using now and then?
Your new oil could have more moly or ester.

It came with Pennzoil then I have ran Valvoline, Napa, Havoline all in 5w20. This oil change was Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 so I don't think name on bottle had anything to do with it.


Well, if you find yourself missing the noises, use Mobil1 5w-30 next time...
lol.gif



haha that's why i got rid of the mobil 1 in my wrx and put PUP.

Although mobil 1 5w30 works perfect in my LT4.
 
Originally Posted by Kira
And this doesn't even touch the "5W-30" truck I just bought. assuming the quick lube joint the PO took it to actually used a good 5W-30.

I went to Castrol 0W-30 European and the engine became all but silent.

I'm a sucker for silent engines.

With all the expertise in this world I'm surprised that "quality of build" isn't a 1 to 10 part qualification.

EXAMPLE: I'll bet the Mazda 1998cc (Skyactiv) engine is built to tighter tolerances than a Chrysler 3.6. "Tighter tolerances" would be one qualification.

The Skyactiv in the family gets it's 0W-20 without variation.

Of course I do not know what I'm speaking of. How can I?


Almost all the tolerances for the Pentastar are around 0.0002". At that tight of a measurement, simply holding it in your hand or putting it in the fridge for a few minutes will change the size.

Source: I hold those types of tolerances every day, requires a climate controlled shop.
 
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Well after 2 tanks of fuel I think I have found that going with Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 will be my go to oil for this vehicle. I ran Platinum in my Vue with 130k as well as mother's Impala and both uses a qt within 5k so I was looking for an oil to run in Caravan that it liked. Nothing wrong with all the other oils just this oil change seems to make vehicle quieter both cold and hot now if it don't start losing oil. Only thing I noticed was when I had a load (1100 lbs) of garden bricks it pinged getting on interstate at a steady increase in speed which hasn't done it again so I say normal. I went to pass a vehicle on a 2 lane rd today that was doing 40 in 55, hit gas got to 6k and 80 mph quickly before I got pass several cars and the slow poke with no ping.
 
Tiger862:
IIRC, PP 5w30 is on the thinner side of the 30 weight scale....like... 9.7 cSt@100*C....so it's pretty close to a 20 weight anyway. I have thought about using it in my 20 weight spec'd Ford's.
 
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Almost all the tolerances for the Pentastar are around 0.0002".


A tolerance is an acceptable range for a clearance.

This info is from the 2018 3.6L Engine Assembly manual that supplements the Sequence IIIH Certification test. Forgive the spacing as the copy/paste didn't work out well.
Pretty typical clearances for most any engine made in the last 50 years. The 5W20 recommendation may have more to do with the VVT system and CAFE than internal clearances. For example, the crankshaft main journal ideal clearance for the 302 in my '75 Bronco is 0.0015.

Crankshaft Main Bearing Journals
Metric Standard
Diameter
71.996 ± 0.009 mm 2.8345 ± 0.0035 in.
Bearing Clearance 0.024 †0.050 mm 0.0009 †0.0020 in.



Connecting Rods
Bearing Clearance (With Crush)

Metric Standard
0.023 †0.064 mm 0.0009 †0.0025 in.
 
Originally Posted by Zaedock
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Almost all the tolerances for the Pentastar are around 0.0002".


A tolerance is an acceptable range for a clearance.

This info is from the 2018 3.6L Engine Assembly manual that supplements the Sequence IIIH Certification test. Forgive the spacing as the copy/paste didn't work out well.
Pretty typical clearances for most any engine made in the last 50 years. The 5W20 recommendation may have more to do with the VVT system and CAFE than internal clearances. For example, the crankshaft main journal ideal clearance for the 302 in my '75 Bronco is 0.0015.

Crankshaft Main Bearing Journals
Metric Standard
Diameter
71.996 ± 0.009 mm 2.8345 ± 0.0035 in.
Bearing Clearance 0.024 †0.050 mm 0.0009 †0.0020 in.



Connecting Rods
Bearing Clearance (With Crush)

Metric Standard
0.023 †0.064 mm 0.0009 †0.0025 in.



Glad you posted that, I was not looking forward to trying to explain the difference between tolerances and clearances this morning.
 
Originally Posted by ka9mnx
Yea. When I was rebuilding gas engines we always lived by the ".0020" rule.



thumbsup2.gif
The old rule of thumb!


I just looked at the crank bearing spec for my '59 Willys F-Head engine. 0.0003" to 0.0029" !!! Wiggle room

Connecting rods - 0.001" to 0.0019". Not bad for 61 years ago.
 
Originally Posted by Bryanccfshr
Glad you posted that, I was not looking forward to trying to explain the difference between tolerances and clearances this morning.


I had my coffee at 05:00. LOL

All right, I'm out - have to get back to the yahd - work. It's supposed to be 70* and the Mrs just gave me the eye.
 
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
Any engine "specified" for xW-20 is going to run fine (if not better) on xW-30. If only 5W-30 was available in the world, it would run fine in 99% of the cars on the road.

When someone or some article says an engine was "designed for a specific viscosity of oil", it's full of bull.


Unless some feel the horsepower deficit using thicker at temp, which isn't better...
 
Originally Posted by Zaedock
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Almost all the tolerances for the Pentastar are around 0.0002".


A tolerance is an acceptable range for a clearance.

This info is from the 2018 3.6L Engine Assembly manual that supplements the Sequence IIIH Certification test. Forgive the spacing as the copy/paste didn't work out well.
Pretty typical clearances for most any engine made in the last 50 years. The 5W20 recommendation may have more to do with the VVT system and CAFE than internal clearances. For example, the crankshaft main journal ideal clearance for the 302 in my '75 Bronco is 0.0015.

Crankshaft Main Bearing Journals
Metric Standard
Diameter
71.996 ± 0.009 mm 2.8345 ± 0.0035 in.
Bearing Clearance 0.024 †0.050 mm 0.0009 †0.0020 in.



Connecting Rods
Bearing Clearance (With Crush)

Metric Standard
0.023 †0.064 mm 0.0009 †0.0025 in.


Tolerance is the permitted variation from nominal, clearance is an intentional "space" between 2 parts. Tighter tolerance allows for tighter clearance if that is desired for a particular application.

Clearances have not changed much, but tolerances have gotten better/tighter with newer tooling, CNC's, and metrology.
 
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Pretty much what I stated in greater detail. Thank you.

I'm curious, where did you obtain the two ten-thousands of an inch tolerance spec for all the bearings in a 3.6L? Unless you misplaced the decimal?
Thank you.
 
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
Originally Posted by BlueOvalFitter
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
Any engine "specified" for xW-20 is going to run fine (if not better) on xW-30. If only 5W-30 was available in the world, it would run fine in 99% of the cars on the road.

When someone or some article says an engine was "designed for a specific viscosity of oil", it's full of bull.

Which brand oil and weight do you run in your Z06 Vette?


Mobil 1 5W-30 full synthetic ... as specified by GM. If I was going to track it, I'd probably bump it up to a xW-40.

If 5W-30 is good enough for a Z06, it's good enough for just about anything normally driven on the road IMO.

Passenger car engines are not "designed around" an oil viscosity. Journal bearing clearances have been basically the same for the last 40+ years.


I use 5w30 in my 76 350 Olds, 83 Caprice with a 305, 2005 Silverado 4.8 and it also goes in my girlfriend's 2013 Hyundai Sonata. It's definitely a pretty universal grade. If there was only one choice, that or 0w30 would be it. I use 0w30 or 0w40 in the Caprice in the winter.

They only one I've been able to see a real difference with viscosity is the Oldsmobile. The engine is completely silent on anything xw30, conventional or synthetic. Anything xw40 I get very slight valve train noise. Even German Castrol 0w30 would give a bit of noise and it was nearly a 40 weight. The worst was 5w50.
 
Good discussion here. My 12 Fusion 2.5L has always had some valvetrain noise; seems a touch louder when cold, but is there when hot too. I have always run MC SB 5W20. I have about 110k miles now I think. This thread got me thinking that maybe I should try 5W30 next time. A couple other thoughts though:
I had a Blackstone UOA done last change, 8k miles, 20% OLM. The results were excellent across the board, no issues what so ever. (It is posted, in that section, if interested.) I plan on going to zero on the OLM this time, should maybe be around 10k miles.
There was a lot of good discussion here about engines being "designed" for a particular weight of oil. Most of that discussion focusing on lower end, main and rod bearings. I agree, little to no changes there over decades. What about the top end though? I think that one person briefly touched on VVT. That is my concern. Are these VVT systems not "designed" to run with thin oil?
There was a post on a different thread (third party additives, I think) about a guy putting Restore (thick stuff) in an Acura and then it throwing codes right away for the VVT system. He changed the oil (no Restore) and problem was solved.
 
As with my Hyundai GDI VVT engine , i wonder if 5W20 was "acceptable" for meeting US CAFE requirements versus using 5W30 which may be more "ideal" for the same engine offering longer life and better protection ?
 
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