Anyone know which synthetic 5w-20 is thickest? I love PP but hear their 5w-20 is among the thinnest of all. Any ideas? Thanks.
Highest vicosity 5w-20?
- Thread starter gfh77665
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the thickest occurs when you mix 50:50 5w20 and 5w30. that's what i do, and the engines love it. that way you can buy what's on sale, and not have to pay through the nose. i often will use a synthetic 5w30 with a conventional 5w20, because the 5w20 conventional is already a group 2+. some people refer to this mix as a "scooby snack". it works well even for engines that call for 5w30, because you end up at the very thin end of a 30 weight.
in terms of just the straight 5w20, valvoline, or Napa (Ashland) is pretty thick. i'm sure there are thicker one, but i bypass the whole argument entirely by running a 5w25 - this results in a really awesome pour point, a good thin oil, but still robust enough to satisfy any worries that a 20 weight is "too thin and watery". Just be sure that both oils are of the same manufacturer and both are SM, and then there are no worries. if i plan on a really long OCI, and it's a long summer holiday drive, then start with a 5w30 synthetic. it will shear down to the 20 weight range by the time you're ready to change it out anyway.
in terms of just the straight 5w20, valvoline, or Napa (Ashland) is pretty thick. i'm sure there are thicker one, but i bypass the whole argument entirely by running a 5w25 - this results in a really awesome pour point, a good thin oil, but still robust enough to satisfy any worries that a 20 weight is "too thin and watery". Just be sure that both oils are of the same manufacturer and both are SM, and then there are no worries. if i plan on a really long OCI, and it's a long summer holiday drive, then start with a 5w30 synthetic. it will shear down to the 20 weight range by the time you're ready to change it out anyway.
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The differences are so minimal why bother with it? Castrol & Amsoil are thicker but by how much really. Go for price.
Off the top of my head, Redline 5W20 and Amsoil ASM 0W20.
If you want to go a bit thicker, maybe try M1 0w30 Advance Fuel Economy. It's designed to flow easily through the engine and should offer the best of both worlds, cold performance and a bit thicker at operating temps than 5w20.
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