Engine oil sump size influencing your oil selection

[OilUzer]

How does the sump size influence your oil selection? Viscosity or otherwise?

The only thing that I have ever considered was a shorter oci.

Curious if others improvise or try to compensate for example by using a different viscosity grade and/or a better oil classification than specified by the owner's manual?

 

[userfriendly]

No, I put 15w40 in everything.

 

[ABN_CBT_ENGR]

How does the sump size influence your oil selection? Viscosity or otherwise?

It doesn't. The work and tribological regime of the machine influences lubricant selection.

The sump size does influence my selection of cooling technique and settling time

 

[demarpaint]

It doesn't influence me. I bumped both my Jeeps up from 5W20 to 30 grade oils, sump size did not influence my decision.

 

[Lubener]

How does the sump size influence your oil selection? Viscosity or otherwise?

The only thing that I have ever considered was a shorter oci.

Curious if others improvise or try to compensate for example by using a different viscosity grade and/or a better oil classification than specified by the owner's manual?

The sump size does not have any influence on viscosity. Myself, I might try extending an oil change an extra 1000 miles if the sump held six quarts versus four.

 

[bbhero]

No, I put 15w40 in everything.

I put that number2 in/on everything....

 

[Donald]

The sump size does not influence my oil choice. But 14 QTs of synthetic for my PSD sure costs more than the 5 for my Subaru.

 

[4WD]

Lower capacity is only more likely to encourage me to change it ahead of the OLM … And having a top shelf stash takes selection out of it for a good while …

 

[Snagglefoot]

I choose a synthetic motor oil that is on sale and use 5,000 miles as my OCI, regardless of sump size. An interesting case is when GM increased the sump size of their V-8 engines in 2014, and decreased the average OCI from about 10,000 miles to about 7,000 miles. Here are excerpts from the owners manual of a 2008 Silverado and a 2020 Silverado. The 2008 required 6 quarts and the 2020 requires 8 quarts.

 

[dadto2]

I choose a synthetic motor oil that is on sale and use 5,000 miles as my OCI, regardless of sump size. An interesting case is when GM increased the sump size of their V-8 engines in 2014, and decreased the average OCI from about 10,000 miles to about 7,000 miles. Here are excerpts from the owners manual of a 2008 Silverado and a 2020 Silverado. The 2008 required 6 quarts and the 2020 requires 8 quarts.

View attachment 32858View attachment 32859

I wonder if that change is mostly due to the change from PFI to DI in 2014?

 

[pbm]

When Ford increased the 2.3 Duratech to 2.5 (in 2010 I think)....they increased the sump from 4.5qts. to 5.7qts.
This approx. 25% increase in sump capacity would give me confidence if I wanted to extend my OCI a bit or if I went over my intended (conservative) interval....

 

[Oildudeny]

None what so ever. What my engine uses is what it gets in the quantity the sump should have in it.

 

[Zee09]

If your truck takes 13 qts it may influence you to pick a cheaper oil or one that is on sale.

 

[OilUzer]

Sorry, I failed to mention small sump size. Not sure how I missed that.

for example I have a v6 that takes a quart (iirc) less oil than my smaller 4-cyl.

 

[Trav]

How does the sump size influence your oil selection? Viscosity or otherwise?

The only thing that I have ever considered was a shorter oci.

Curious if others improvise or try to compensate for example by using a different viscosity grade and/or a better oil classification than specified by the owner's manual?

There are a few engines that had sludge and deposit issues due to their high output and small sump eg first gen ecotec had 230 HP stock with a 4qt sump the later version had 207HP stock with a 6.5qt sump.
Going by the owners manual the early one could use 5w30 dino (and sludge like crazy using the manufacturers recommended OCI) but the later one spec'd synthetic. So yes depending on the engine the smaller sump certainly plays a role in the oil used, the early one gets HDEO 5w40 or ESP 5w30 every 3K max and the later ESP 5w30 every 5K.

Using these oils and PCI intervals the engines stay clean and varnish free. Keep in mind that with older vehicles the oil spec is also old and possibly obsolete.

 

[4WD]

I choose a synthetic motor oil that is on sale and use 5,000 miles as my OCI, regardless of sump size. An interesting case is when GM increased the sump size of their V-8 engines in 2014, and decreased the average OCI from about 10,000 miles to about 7,000 miles. Here are excerpts from the owners manual of a 2008 Silverado and a 2020 Silverado. The 2008 required 6 quarts and the 2020 requires 8 quarts.

View attachment 32858View attachment 32859

Yes … owned them all and still do now. GDI and 0w20 started with 8 quarts …

 

[BLND1]

It doesn't influence me. I bumped both my Jeeps up from 5W20 to 30 grade oils, sump size did not influence my decision.

I look at the history of each engine and it’s applications and Manufacturer recommendations in other places in the world.

I bumped my 2002 GT from 5w-20 to 5w-30 (due to the original spec from ford) and 5w-50 for track time.

I’ve used 5w40 in my Toyota Tacoma when I was using it for work and idling/running non-stop in 100+ degree heat (and based on Toyota Australia’s oil specs for the same engine).

 

[demarpaint]

I look at the history of each engine and it’s applications and Manufacturer recommendations in other places in the world.

I bumped my 2002 GT from 5w-20 to 5w-30 (due to the original spec from ford) and 5w-50 for track time.

I’ve used 5w40 in my Toyota Tacoma when I was using it for work and idling/running non-stop in 100+ degree heat (and based on Toyota Australia’s oil specs for the same engine).

I've done similar checking as well. Then talked with people who know a lot more than I do before I bumped up a grade. The general census was it was a smart move for me.

 

[Jimmy_Russels]

Sump size affects how much I pour in, also depends on if I cut the dipstick or not.

 

[Graham Piccinini]

Assuming a 6 month 5000-mile OCI with 50/50 city/highway usage for both scenarios I would do the following:
- My Volvo has a 8qt sump. I would put synthetic Supertech 5w30 without thinking too hard about it. With that amount of OIL vs MILES the oil will be perfectly fine, probably with very satisfactory UOA. Even the conventional Supertech 5w30/10w30 will do fine in that capacity, and usage.
- My friends Nissan Xterra has 3.5-3.8qt oil sump capacity on a V6. With that small sump, and OCI/usage listed above, I would only use Amsoil or Redline, most likely in 5w40/0w40 flavor. And even then the oil could be sheared quite a bit. From oils available on store shelves - Castrol 0W40, Mobil1 0W40, or Mobil1 15w50 if weather allows.