I have a 35 horsepower carb kawasaki engine on my Hustler. I change the oil yearly, usually around 50 hours. Currently around 430 hours. Should I use Kawasaki oil, Amsoil, or something else? Located in south central Alabama so summers get HOT. I have some 15w-50 Mobil1 left over from servicing my hydros. Is it good to use in the engine as well or do I need an oil designed more for air cooled mower engines? What about filter, is kawasaki 49065-7010 a great filter to use?
Kawasaki 35 HP oil
- Thread starter Rutwad01
- Start date
The Mobil 1 15W50 will be fine. A 10W40 or 15W40 Diesel oil will also work.
Alternative oil filter: FRAM TG4967
Alternative oil filter: FRAM TG4967
Small engine oils are going to be very close in formulation to 4 stroke motorcycle oils.
Small engine oils are usually high in zinc and phosphorus. You also get high zinc and phosphorus levels in 4 stroke motorcycle oils and many conventional and semi-Synthetic 15W40 Diesel oils. The motorcycle oils will have modifiers added to meet JASO requirements for wet clutch.
The “something special” in small engine oil is the added price.
Small engine oils are usually high in zinc and phosphorus. You also get high zinc and phosphorus levels in 4 stroke motorcycle oils and many conventional and semi-Synthetic 15W40 Diesel oils. The motorcycle oils will have modifiers added to meet JASO requirements for wet clutch.
The “something special” in small engine oil is the added price.
I think some small engine oils, like Amsoil small engine, are no VII oils. @Pablo could confirm.
That would be the 10W-30. I run that here in my 23HP Kawasaki, but I don't even mow when it's over 85°F hahaha
But we talking about SAE 40 or 50 range oils for Alabama summer. All XW-40 or 50's have some VII.
For the 35HP Kawasaki: https://www.amsoil.com/p/amsoil-15w-50-100-synthetic-small-engine-oil-sef/?zo=515729
Mobil1 15w50 is a good solid choice for your application. Available at any Wal-Mart for 28 ish bucks for 5 quarts. Mobil 1 15w50 was the factory fill for many Hydro Gear series hydros for many years and of course it holds up to heat and wear like no other. Is there better oil to use? Maybe, however, 50 hours a year isn't tough on any oil. Perhaps Amsoil, LE, or another boutique oil are "Better" however at 2 or 3X the cost. Regular 15w40 diesel oil is the best low cost oil to use period. Heavy on detergent and anti wear additives it's designed to keep carbon, soot, and contaminates in suspension while providing good lubrication where it is needed. M1 does the same and additionally resists oil thinning out from heat which is what most air cooled engines produce when in use. Keep your air filter clean and check your oil level before you start that engine for the day.
I just bought 5 gallons of Mystik JT8 10w30 for my OPE changes. I would have used 15w40 but my lawn tractor gets a snow blower on it for winter. IMO, pick a 15w40 HDEO and motor on. Way cheaper than many passenger car oils that will give you the same viscosity.
Just my $0.02
Just my $0.02
I now have a Kawasaki FX921V 31 hp engine also. I bought it yesterday. Getting ready to service it and looking at oil I have on hand. Y'all mentioned conventional or semi-synthetic diesel oil. Should I not use synthetic? I have some T6 15W40. If conventional is better, it's no problem for me to pick some up.
Perfect. I have 15w40 T5 in my 726cc Kawasaki Kubota T2290 and #3600 filter.
Same engine in the X320, 5w40 Euro because it’s gonna blow snow this winter and a ph8A size Champion filter. It holds 3 quarts now so I win.
It's likely not because it's better, it's because they're cheap
That's not saying that syn is better for your application or that they're wrong for selecting a conventional or syn blend oil either.. Syns tend to hold up better over long drain intervals and are better for some applications like very high ambient/oil temps. Choose what brand and type of oil you like and be happy.- Joined
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I have a preference to Amsoil as it's a legit PAO Group IV oil that resists oxidation & breakdown better than Group III hydrocarbon-based oils like M1. But you're honestly not going to kill a Kawasaki engine using it, especially if you're making sure to change the oil every 50 hours.
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Oh... and I just saw a video on the Kawasaki filters. They look serviceable at worst. I'm currently using an Amsoil EA15K53 which, to the best of my knowledge, is the sythetic equivalent to the Kohler/Kawasaki/Briggs short-version filter along with the Kohler extended life. Got it for 15 bucks on Amsoil.com without shipping as an Amsoil preferred customer. Not Super Tech prices, but compares favorably with what you'd pay for a K&N, Mobil 1, or Fram Titanium at someplace like Advance Auto.
There are so many good choices, that it's would be easier to list what NOT to use. Is this big Kawa water cooled? If so, then any PCMO or HDEO oil will work well and you'll never tell the difference one from the other. The high zinc oils used to be the thing, but two things make it moot. 1) small engines don't have high valve spring loading, so no real need for high zinc. 2) Additive technology has changed so much, even if they did have higher spring loading, it likely wouldn't matter the new oils would protect it just fine.
I use either 30 wt HDEO in my water cooled Kawa or HDEO 5w40, and have for over 900 hours.
I use either 30 wt HDEO in my water cooled Kawa or HDEO 5w40, and have for over 900 hours.
dnewton3
Staff member
The Kawasaki FX series V-twin engines are not finicky about oil brands, bases or grades. Pick a vis listed in the manual for your expected temps and find something else to worry about.
They do like oils in the 12-14 cSt range when hot.
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So basically any multi'grade that ends with a 40.
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