My Hustler with gxv620 has flickering oil light after cutting 2 acres in 100 degree heat. What oil to use?
Honda oil too thin.
- Thread starter gescha
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Yes and by my evaluation it's quite effective. I expected to see 220F temps not 170.
Yes....it has forced air.....but, I've thoroughly cleaned cylinder fins and the 30w just doesn't seem to cut it at idle after a 5hr. Cut with temps over 90-95.
I agree...but where i live.....I could never cut grass.100f is way too hot for your poor mower. For it's sake you should park it in the shade while you drink cold beverages.
Many good recommendations already posted so I am not bringing any new suggestions. You should switch to a thicker oil in your warm season and see what happens. Let us know what you see when you go to a heaver multi-visicosity or straight weight. My suggestion would be as follows based on air cooled engines without exhaust after-treatment operating above 60F are:
15W-40 HDEO - available and low cost. I like Mobil 1 Extreme available at Walmart for around $24. Many lower end 15W-40 HDEO are below $16 per gallon jugs. Mobil 1300 super is an example. I like the Mobil 1 Extreme just to get the higher level of anti-wear additives.
20W-50
15W-50
Straight weight 40
Post your results so we can see if had success eliminating the hot idle oil pressure switch light flicker with thicker oil. It could also be the oil pressure indicator system as well.
Bet regards
Yeah, a ton of air moves across that cooler. Wonder if you can get a temp off the inlet line to the cooler?
The Honda owners manual for your engine states "10w-30 for general use" then it lists straight 30W for temps above 55F but it also has 5w-30 and 10w-30 on the line right below the 30W.
I cut 11 acres in temps like you, not all the time, but July/Aug can get there. I usually run a Euro 0-40 but I have ran 5-30 in the past without issue. If I were you and were having your issues I might try Mobil 1 15w50 in it.
Thanks so much for your time and suggestions. I have a lot of air cooled motorcycles...so I have synthetic 10w40 and 20w50 motorcycle oils.
Would they be ok since they protect air cooled engines. That 30w Honda and Rotella non synthetic just won't work in this heat.
Yes absolutely. But I’d use the 50-grade.
Im in South Louisiana also, Lafourche Parish. Where are you?
Absolutely no 30 wt in anything air cooled here. 15W40, 15/20W50 and call it a day
I would be comfortable with 4 cycle motorcycle oils as they tend to have good additive packages in MC specific oils). They just cost more then the HDEO (use for diesel CK-4) 15W-40 i use in our air cooled outdoor power equipment engines. I also use the same oil in my Buell with a HD engine instead of the 20W-50 Harley Davidson oil the manual calls for
I would start with the 10W-40 and see if it corrects the hot idle oil pressure light blinking. Reason for starting with the 10W-40 is that it is closest to the Honda manual recommendations and only Honda know how they designed bearing clearances, oil pump, and oil flow.
We have a few commercial mowers with V-twin Kawasaki and Kohler engines from 18 to 38 HP. The older engine manuals called for 30 weights and mult-viscoity 30 weights but many of the same engines now recommend 20W-50 so over time as the trend seems to have gone thicker recommendations. I suspect some is for reduced oil consumption and better wear characteristics.
I'm relatively confident that bearing clearances are determined primarily by journal size.
There are outliers of course, like big power engines where clearances get fairly big, but that is for a specific reason.
The rod and main journals in that engine will be within a mil or two of other engines in its displacement class (which spec 50 grade oils in high temps), and therefore a 50 grade will work just fine.
Got it.
I'm in WBR Parish....and you are right. 30wt. Just doesn't get it done in our heat. Thanks for your input.
Thanks for reply.
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