Engine Durability & w20 oil before & now

[wolf_06]

Well,

My dad told me he had a 1968 Chevy Chevelle, with the inline 6.
He was using strait 10w10 for winter and strait 20w20 for summer, both Havoline.

He had the car for 8 years, 400 000 miles, sold it to his brother, he drove it for another 4 years, sold it to a young guy that ended the life of this car in an accident.

Is the w20 of that time is same viscosity as today? If w20 was good then, why having doubt about it today?

 

[Artem]

Many have doubts because we are all stuck on 10w30, if not 15w50 oils but until a HUGE epidemic of engine failures begin to surface where 5w20 was used and changed at proper intervals, I see no reason to fear it.

I did back to back UOA on my 07 Civic EX with Mobil 1 5w30 vs 5w20 and didn't see any difference. That means that both oil viscosities got the job done in HOT Florida weather.

 

[CATERHAM]

10W-10 and 20W-20 grades are still available in diesel oils.
The 20W-20 straight weight oil will have the same high temp' viscosity as a PCMO 0W/5W-20 but with a very low VI rendering it obsolete viscosity grade.

 

[Doog]

Originally Posted By: wolf_06

Is the w20 of that time is same viscosity as today? If w20 was good then, why having doubt about it today?


Silly is why. If xw20 caused engine wear then used oil analysis would show the elevated wear metals. If you are worried do 4 5000 mile OCI's with xw20 and a used oil analysis after each change. If you are getting elevated wear there will be elevated wear metals detected in the oil. You can't hide the wear metals. Pretty simple really.

 

[RiceCake]

Especially with engine oils getting better, the viscosity plays less and less into the overall scheme of things.

Awesome though. I've seen 10W at the farm store before. I've even seen manuals saying for extremely low temperatures to start cutting your engine oil with kerosene in some equipment.

Wouldn't wanna do that in a desert of course but, hey, must've worked back then in the cold!

 

[tig1]

The whole 30vs20 is new age thinking, without experience or knowledge. I used straight Valvoline 20HD in the late 60s and early 70s after sludging a slant 6 Valiant engine badly with Quaker State 10w30. Later, in 78 I switched to Mobil 1 5w20. 20wt oils worked well back then and still do today.

 

[Oregoonian]

Originally Posted By: tig1
The whole 30vs20 is new age thinking, without experience or knowledge. I used straight Valvoline 20HD in the late 60s and early 70s after sludging a slant 6 Valiant engine badly with Quaker State 10w30. Later, in 78 I switched to Mobil 1 5w20. 20wt oils worked well back then and still do today.
Originally Posted By: tig1
The whole 30vs20 is new age thinking, without experience or knowledge. I used straight Valvoline 20HD in the late 60s and early 70s after sludging a slant 6 Valiant engine badly with Quaker State 10w30. Later, in 78 I switched to Mobil 1 5w20. 20wt oils worked well back then and still do today.

+1....20w oils work perfectly. I think the saying is "thin is in".

I very pleased with the 0w20 in my 03' Ford Focus...and will continue to use it.

 

[aquariuscsm]

What about using a 20wt in an engine that`s not spec`d for it,or even in one that says not to use it?

 

[electrolover]

I think back in the day it was normal to switch to a sae 20 oil in the winter, especially up north. They much of a choice.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
What about using a 20wt in an engine that`s not spec`d for it,or even in one that says not to use it?


I'm not sure any engine says not to use 20wt., but I used it in engines calling for 30-40 wt oils.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: wolf_06
Well,

My dad told me he had a 1968 Chevy Chevelle, with the inline 6.
He was using strait 10w10 for winter and strait 20w20 for summer, both Havoline.

He had the car for 8 years, 400 000 miles, sold it to his brother, he drove it for another 4 years, sold it to a young guy that ended the life of this car in an accident.

Is the w20 of that time is same viscosity as today? If w20 was good then, why having doubt about it today?


Because older cars generally ran a 180* thermostat so the oil generally never got as hot it does today... Back in the 1950s & earlier, they often ran 20W with 160* stats in summer...

400K, eight years eh??? 50K mi year??? No doubt that's a stretch... Anyway that old stuff rarely ran more than 150K mi without a overhaul... Piston rings were stiff and wore themselves and/or the cylinders far sooner than today's engines, lack of O/D was also a big factor... If it went 400K mi, it was on its second overhaul or third engine...

 

[crazyoildude]

Lack of third gear?? If it was an automatic... It was a two speed powerglide. Those old 230 and 250 strait 6 engines were good engines.