Is 5w-30 recommended in hotter climates?

[TooSlick]

I do have to admit, I have a wheelbarrow with a solid axle ...

Straight weight oils are excellent for industrial or marine engines that operate in a very narrow ambient temp range. I just can't imagine using them in Canada where the summer is about two weeks long.

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by sbc350gearhead:
Hey now.......don't be talkin smack about solid axles.

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No kidding! I've got one too!

And if you look at all the hardcore 2003 Mustang Cobra guys, they've been converting their cars to solid axles due to breakage of the original setup at the dragstrip, and the solid axle is more durable.

 

[sbc350gearhead]

Yep.......slicks and halfshafts don't mix.

 

[Gary]

BMW dealers sell 5W-40 synth for $4/qt. It is one of the Euro Castrol formulations, not Syntec. I don't know why I haven't just used this instead of Amsoil or GC.

 

[userfriendly]

I guess the fact that some mono-grade minerals have VIs of 110-130 now have escaped a few, but thankyou for illistrating my pack-mentality comment so very well.
Sprintman: Try my NA BP flow chart.....
Anglo American<>British American (BA)<>Gulf Canada<> Petro Canada<> Castrol NA.
Oh yea, and Czech Republic Castrol.

[ October 27, 2003, 09:47 PM: Message edited by: userfriendly ]

 

[Ken2]

quote:

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Originally posted by sprintman:
Doesn't make sense. Why would one of the worlds largest oil companies (BP) ignore the largest consumer block (NA) on the planet? Strange indeed.

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BP owns Castrol. In North America, they use the BP, ARCO, Castrol, and Amoco brand names.


Ken

 

[Flimflam]

quote:

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Originally posted by userfriendly:
Dr T;
True, but most people it seems would rather use a light weight oil with a bunch of VI improvers in a hot climate than a shear stable single grade SAE 30 or 40 that has better lubricating properties.
As soon as someone mentions mono-grades the pack mentality becomes evident.
Perhaps there just isn't enough single grade oil to go around if everyone switched from their multi-grades to seasonally adjusted mono-grade viscosities, which are the industrial workhorses.

I'm quite sure that multi-grade engine oils are cheaper to produce than single grades.
Multi-grade engine oils, even the "synthetic" ones
are like wienners and spam....
If you knew really what they were made from, you probably wouldn't eat them.

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Userfriendly, I salute you. This is one of the very few really intelligent posts I've seen on the internet in about 5 years.

When considering oils, it is useful to apply the comparison to treacle. If it is soft, runny, free-flowing and manageable all of the time, then it is no longer treacle. So, if an oil is thin when cold, and thick when hot, people should consider this: is it oil? Or is it V.I. polymer?

You said it best in your last sentence: "If you really knew what they were made from...."

 

[sprintman]

userfriendly that's as good a post as I've seen. And now I know why there are straight weight oils on the shelves here.

 

[userfriendly]

My rule of thumb is:
High flash points for high temperature operation.
High viscosity index for cold enviroments and low temperature performance.
You may notice that flash points go down when VIs go up in consumer engine oils.
Maybe a change of thinking is in order here.
If you view a high viscosity index as an engine oil's resistance to thickening when chilled your with me.
If you view a high flash point and low volatility as an oil's resistance to thermal breakdown and degradation from heat.
I think that is on the right track too.
When choosing an engine oil or lubricant for cold temperature performance, look for high VI numbers.
When choosing a lubricant for high temperature stability, look for high flash points and low volatility numbers.