At which temp range would you switch from 5w to 0w?

[oil pan 4]

Staying thinner than 6,000cP is all you need.
Most 5w oils are getting pretty close to 6,000cP at -20f.

 

[Adkcedarman]

Staying thinner than 6,000cP is all you need.
Most 5w oils are getting pretty close to 6,000cP at -20f.

That’s the Brookfield rating eh? I think my Valvoline Restore and Protect 5W30 is just over 6k

 

[AdmiralYoda]

Just stick with 0W-XX year round. Or if you do multiple oil changes per year just put 0W-20/30 in there when you change it in the fall and use 5W-20/30 when you change it again in the spring.

 

[oil pan 4]

Just stick with 0W-XX year round. Or if you do multiple oil changes per year just put 0W-20/30 in there when you change it in the fall and use 5W-20/30 when you change it again in the spring.

Yeah if its only going to get changed once a year i say do it right before it gets cold.
One of the first thing oil seems to lose is its cold pumping abilities.
I'd rather run fresh 5w then a burned up year old 0w.

 

[kschachn]

Yeah if its only going to get changed once a year i say do it right before it gets cold.
One of the first thing oil seems to lose is its cold pumping abilities.
I'd rather run fresh 5w then a burned up year old 0w.

How do you know it starts losing its pumping ability? How would you even begin to test that?

Actually there is a way to test it, but it involves a seized engine.

 

[Adkcedarman]

How do you know it starts losing its pumping ability? How would you even begin to test that?

I think it’s based on viscosity changes from heat cycling…

 

[kschachn]

I think it’s based on viscosity changes from heat cycling…

I don’t understand that either. What does heat cycling do to the viscosity that causes it to change? And then affects the pumpability?

 

[edyvw]

The thing with OTS 5W20 is that they are bottom of the barrel base stock.
Go Mobil 1 ESP 0W20.

 

[CleanSump]

I use 0W-x because, as @edyvw pointed out, the 0W-x oils generally have better base stocks (as reported and often discussed on BITOG).

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Temperature range to switch? Somewhere between 25F to 90F all depending what oils I have in my stash so could be 0W-20 to 5W-30 at any point. I usually don't do the oil changes outside those temperature ranges. Getting to old and with the oils I have in them, I can normally wait a couple days/week. I won't do it if windy and rainy either. Oh wait, that's a different interpretation.

 

[oil pan 4]

How do you know it starts losing its pumping ability? How would you even begin to test that?

Actually there is a way to test it, but it involves a seized engine.

Its so simple even you can do it.
Take a fresh quart of oil and a used quart of the same oil, put both in a freezer and see how much thicker the used oil is. You'll see the used oil is significantly thicker.

 

[kschachn]

Its so simple even you can do it.
Take a fresh quart of oil and a used quart of the same oil, put both in a freezer and see how much thicker the used oil is. You'll see the used oil is significantly thicker.

You also don’t know what pumpability
means.

The goofy freezer test notwithstanding.

 

[oil pan 4]

You also don’t know what pumpability
means.

The goofy freezer test notwithstanding.

Not being able to do the pump ability test doesn't mean mean I don't know what it is. Try another strawman.
Have a link to pump ability tests of used oil compared to new oil?
Seems like you would have lead with that if you did.

 

[kschachn]

Not being able to do the pump ability test doesn't mean mean I don't know what it is. Try another strawman.
Have a link to pump ability tests of used oil compared to new oil?
Seems like you would have lead with that if you did.

Indeed.

 

[CleanSump]

If there's a Q, use 0W-x. This is one of those made up problems.

 

[KrisZ]

Not being able to do the pump ability test doesn't mean mean I don't know what it is. Try another strawman.
Have a link to pump ability tests of used oil compared to new oil?
Seems like you would have lead with that if you did.

Then why did you bring up a freezer and pour test?

Some of you talk with such authority and how easy it is to test oil pumpability, so some follow up questions were quite relevant IMO to test that knowledge.

 

[Urshurak776]

I would have to live (-128.6° F) at the former Soviet Vostok Station in Antarctica. That being said, my son wants to run it on his new Mazda 3. It should be fine, because Mazda said so and the last thing they want is me back in the dealership buying another one in 5 years. Gas mileage will be great though!

 

[Urshurak776]

Project Farm is an expert at pumpability testing. You noobs!

Hey, if Lickity split 10 speed is an expert, so is PF.


I'll show myself out.....

 

[TheMAN]

Just stick with 0W-XX year round. Or if you do multiple oil changes per year just put 0W-20/30 in there when you change it in the fall and use 5W-20/30 when you change it again in the spring.

There's no problem running 0W-XX year round as you said. They're good even for very hot summers. The best thing about them is better cold start flowability compared to 5W-XX oil, even in the dog days of summer

 

[kschachn]

There's no problem running 0W-XX year round as you said. They're good even for very hot summers. The best thing about them is better cold start flowability compared to 5W-XX oil, even in the dog days of summer

Not necessarily. A grade with a 0W rating may be thicker than the 5W except at the testing temperature for the rating. Above that there is no guarantee.

And it’s not about flow either.