Any additives that thicken the oil?

[redtan819]

So I've had good luck with going with a slightly thicker oil in my GM 3.1 engine to quiet the noises, but I have a whole stash of 0-30 GC oil and would like to use that up before buying new oil. I know that the 30wt GC is actually closer to a 40wt, so that's good. But I just worry about the 0wt of the oil when cold and the excessive noise it will create in the engine before it warms up.

I was looking around and read about highly regarded VSOT and SLOB additives, but I really don't know what they each do exactly, or whether or not they actually thicken the oil like I want.

So is there anything I can add to give it a little more viscosity, especially at startup? Prefferably something that I don't have to add every 100 miles or so.

 

[Colt45ws]

Uh. A 0w30 will still be thicker cold than when hot.

 

[pp_rp]

0w is what you need/want at start up. More so when it's cold out. I use 0w30 in the winter and 5w30 in summer.

 

[redtan819]

Quote:

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0w is what you need/want at start up. More so when it's cold out

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Thanks for your response and reccomendation, but I understand that, and I have used a 10wXX oil just fine in New England winters. My question is not what I need/should for winter oil, my question was about additives that help thicken the oil.

 

[Laminar Lou]

redtan,


Unless I totally misunderstood your post, You've stumbled upon a common misconception that the 0W30 designation makes the oil thinner at startup then at running temperature. Oil viscosity is given in centistokes (cSt). For instance, Amsoil 0W30 is

56.4 cSt at 40C
10.4 cSt at 100C

The lower the number the "thinner" the oil. As you can see, as oil heats up it thins out. This happens with all engine oils, regardless of it being a 0W.

 

[pp_rp]

It is not advised by most including Blackstone Labs. to use an oil additive.

 

[redtan819]

Ok well I guess I did have it backwards. I always thought that oil was thinner at startup to allow for better flow and then thicker at operating temps to protect better against heat. Good to know.

But regardless of that, I am right to think that a 0w oil is thinner at startup than say a 10w oil? If so, back to my question, is there anything I can add to thicken it?

 

[Laminar Lou]

Quote:

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Ok well I guess I did have it backwards. I always thought that oil was thinner at startup to allow for better flow and then thicker at operating temps to protect better against heat. Good to know.

But regardless of that, I am right to think that a 0w oil is thinner at startup than say a 10w oil? If so, back to my question, is there anything I can add to thicken it?

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No worries, that is what this site is for.

Generally speaking, yes, the 0W will be thinner at startup then 10W. I am sure there is evidence out there to the contrary (especially across different brands).

The question is, why do you want to make your oil thicker at startup? Are you thinking it will protect better? It is actually the contrary. Cold oil is not as pumpable and will not flow through your engine as well as oil at operating temp. One of the reasons for "startup wear" is this phenomena of oil. In my humble opinion, this is why the 5W20 oils do so well in oil analysis reports. They flow better when cold and produce less startup wear.

 

[dwendt44]

The advice you've been given is sound. No need to worry about GC being thin.

IF you are bound and determined to thicken anyway, add a quart of straight 30 weight oil with the GC.
I don't know if Castrol has a 30 weight oil avialable in the US, but any quality brand would do as well.
Most all oils are compatable.

 

[BrianWC]

If you HAVE to have something thicker a bottle of VSOT is about the least harmful/most beneficial thing you could put in.

But I agree with the others in thinking you don't need anything for your stated purpose

 

[TallPaul]

0w30 already is a big stretch, albeit synthetic. Adding VSOT or any VIIs is going to make a bigger stretch. Rather why not add some straight weight oil. A couple quarts of straight 30 maybe. Alternately use the 0w stuff for winter and if the OCI carries into spring top up with straight 30 or 40. I just bought some Kendall straight 50 (for lawnmower though) which is SJ or SL rated.

 

[TallPaul]

Oh yeah, if you want to stay synth, the Synpower 20w50 is a good bet if MSDS is true (says the 20w50 is 80% PAO). That would be a good mix with GC, PAO with PAO.

 

[Rick20]

I would think the the 0W30 would get pumped to the top end real fast on cold starts, when compared to any attempts to raise its weight and viscocity. But is slightly out of mfg. recomendation for the 3.1. I think that Tall Pall has good recomendations for using up the 0w30. But I am not sure that it will help the loud chrus during cold starts.

 

[bruce381]

you need a VII to get a thicker HOT oil and still pump well and the cold end try ?? lucas stuff do not know name like OLD style STP which was a VIII with some ZDDP.
bruce