Kohler Generator Oil - Gaseous Fueled

[Blue1920]

Anyone used these oils?
I have Kohler 20RCA Stand By CNG fueled.
Mobil 1 5w30 now. 42 hrs.
Kohler 10w-40 caught my eye.
I had planed on Mobil 1 FS 0w-40 if operating oil temps approached 240F. Appears it may not get that high.

Any ideas who make these oils.
I don’t like that Specs almost don’t exist.
Most likely want use.
I sure hope these are not already onsite.
If so I am sorry I never seen or found them.

https://resources.kohler.com/power/kohler/industrial/pdf/OilLiterature_SellSheet_EndUsers_update.pdf

 

[jhellwig]

https://resources.kohler.com/power/kohler/industrial/pdf/genuine_oil_faq.pdf

 

[MParr]

I would avoid the 10W40. My reasoning is winter start up. I am currently running Shell Rotella T6 5W40 in my Generac. Generac specifies 5W30 synthetic. It gets pretty hot here in the summer. I also use the same oil in my Kawasaki Mule. I don't have to have as many grades of oil on hand.

 

[BrendanC]

Mobil 1 0w-40 is the only oil i dump in standby generators and OPE now.

 

[2.7ecoboostFordBronco]

This isn't the 10W-40 but it's a used oil analysis of the Kohler brand 5w30; it was drained out of a 2013 38RCL which has a GM Vortec V6 engine. Maybe it can give you some idea of part of the additive package in the 10W-40 as well, but that's just a guess. This was only run for 8 months and about 16 hours of run time. I swapped to HPL Premium Plus PCMO 0W-30. I'm hoping the cold weather/cold start properties of the HPL Plus will allow me to run the block heater less in winter, which is costly on electric bills. It sometimes gets down to -30F where I'm at though, and the standby generator could be asked to turn on and go right to 1700 RPM from cold in a power outage. Maybe the HPL will perform about the same as the Kohler but the cost was only an extra $3 per quart to use HPL. If you are going for the 10W-40 it sounds like you probably aren't too concerned with the cold weather, and if it doesn't get much below 0F where you live it would probably work OK. It did say in the above linked document that their 10W-40 was formulated for diesels though.

Just a single datapoint from a cheap $30 spectrographic analysis but it seemed to do OK on the short run in this generator. I will probably do a used oil analysis on the HPL but it will be a year or so.

 

[MParr]

This isn't the 10W-40 but it's a used oil analysis of the Kohler brand 5w30; it was drained out of a 2013 38RCL which has a GM Vortec V6 engine. Maybe it can give you some idea of part of the additive package in the 10W-40 as well, but that's just a guess. This was only run for 8 months and about 16 hours of run time. I swapped to HPL Premium Plus PCMO 0W-30. I'm hoping the cold weather/cold start properties of the HPL Plus will allow me to run the block heater less in winter, which is costly on electric bills. It sometimes gets down to -30F where I'm at though, and the standby generator could be asked to turn on and go right to 1700 RPM from cold in a power outage. Maybe the HPL will perform about the same as the Kohler but the cost was only an extra $3 per quart to use HPL. If you are going for the 10W-40 it sounds like you probably aren't too concerned with the cold weather, and if it doesn't get much below 0F where you live it would probably work OK. It did say in the above linked document that their 10W-40 was formulated for diesels though.

Just a single datapoint from a cheap $30 spectrographic analysis but it seemed to do OK on the short run in this generator. I will probably do a used oil analysis on the HPL but it will be a year or so.

View attachment 282352

Your water cooled unit is easy on oil. The big bore air cooled units will trash the oil pretty quickly.
I treat mine like my zero turn mower engine.

 

[UNC054]

What’s your climate like, summer highs & winter lows would dictate what weights would be preferable for your region.
I’m running Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 in my 18Kw Generac currently, I also have Mobil 1 0w40 on the shelf if needed.

 

[Blue1920]

Hey Thanks for UOA.
South Louisiana Hot!
Low 25f ish.

I mainly was just curious having never them & saying for gaseous fueled engines.

I would only run Mobil 1 0w-40 or big maybe this Kohler 10w-40 during multi days 7-24’s running in very hot weather. Also depending on IR gun temp at oil filter before oil cooler.

The unit has auto shut down @ 250f. But temp sensor is at intake (cool) end of the enclosure not engine. I may dead wrong……..

 

[Blue1920]

What’s your climate like, summer highs & winter lows would dictate what weights would be preferable for your region.
I’m running Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 in my 18Kw Generac currently, I also have Mobil 1 0w40 on the shelf if needed.

Just notice your Mobil 1 ESP 0w-30

From what I just look up that’s the all around ticket. Of course this is per my very limited knowledge at best.

SL spec covers Kohler requirements.
3.5 HTHS
<_.8% Sulfated Ash
NOACK <_10

Anybody know of a reason Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 or 5w30 should not be used in CNG fueled air cooled stand by generator engine?

 

[BrendanC]

Just notice your Mobil 1 ESP 0w-30

From what I just look up that’s the all around ticket. Of course this is per my very limited knowledge at best.

SL spec covers Kohler requirements.
3.5 HTHS
<_.8% Sulfated Ash
NOACK <_10

Anybody know of a reason Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 or 5w30 should not be used in CNG fueled air cooled stand by generator engine?

i run Mobil 1 0w-40 in our propane forklift and change it every 6 months. comes out looking exactly like it went in. considering this is basically OPE that runs extremely hot and you’re also in louisiana, why are you favoring a 30wt?

 

[kschachn]

i run Mobil 1 0w-40 in our propane forklift and change it every 6 months. comes out looking exactly like it went in. considering this is basically OPE that runs extremely hot and you’re also in louisiana, why are you favoring a 30wt?

Plus with ESP the grade is a bit irrelevant. Not quite the same HT/HS as the 0W-40 but not a lot different. I’d still run the 40-grade though and consider a 50-grade as well.

 

[Blue1920]

i run Mobil 1 0w-40 in our propane forklift and change it every 6 months. comes out looking exactly like it went in. considering this is basically OPE that runs extremely hot and you’re also in louisiana, why are you favoring a 30wt?

Kohler says 5 or 10w30.
I think it said SL or SJ. Old api spec.

I only change it once to get break in out etc.

I have Mobil 1 0w-40 ready to go.

 

[BrendanC]

Kohler says 5 or 10w30.
I think it said SL or SJ. Old api spec.

I only change it once to get break in out etc.

I have Mobil 1 0w-40 ready to go.

API specs are backwards compatible per API itself other than some high speed diesel spec.
https://www.api.org/products-and-se...d-classifications/oil-categories#tab-gasoline

as far as weight, generac won’t do a used oil analysis. if it makes you feel better, purchase some correctly spec’d oil, scan receipt and keep in record then return the other oil.

 

[GJ1951]

Just notice your Mobil 1 ESP 0w-30

From what I just look up that’s the all around ticket. Of course this is per my very limited knowledge at best.

SL spec covers Kohler requirements.
3.5 HTHS
<_.8% Sulfated Ash
NOACK <_10

Anybody know of a reason Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 or 5w30 should not be used in CNG fueled air cooled stand by generator engine?

I have been researching to find the best oil for my generator and have some info. Fuchs GT Flex C23 5W30 includes recommendations for natural gas engines as well as Mercedes 229.51 and 229.52. According to Generac tech support, the natural gas engines require low ash oil and additives to counteract nitration, moisture, and acid, all of which they claim are more prevalent in CNG powered engines. The Fuchs oil meets those requirements and is low ash at .7%. Amsoil tech support said they recommend their OE synthetic 5W30 because it is lower ash than their Signature oil. Schaefer tech support provided the YouTube video at the following link. Apparently Briggs & Stratton tested their generators in a comparison between Mobil 1 and Schaefer Oil. I settled on the Fuchs oil but if you do some research it is not a simple topic.

 

[kschachn]

I have been researching to find the best oil for my generator and have some info. Fuchs GT Flex C23 5W30 includes recommendations for natural gas engines as well as Mercedes 229.51 and 229.52. According to Generac tech support, the natural gas engines require low ash oil and additives to counteract nitration, moisture, and acid, all of which they claim are more prevalent in CNG powered engines. The Fuchs oil meets those requirements and is low ash at .7%. Amsoil tech support said they recommend their OE synthetic 5W30 because it is lower ash than their Signature oil. Schaefer tech support provided the YouTube video at the following link. Apparently Briggs & Stratton tested their generators in a comparison between Mobil 1 and Schaefer Oil. I settled on the Fuchs oil but if you do some research it is not a simple topic.

The reason it isn't simple is because people try to make it more complicated than it is. Mobil 1 ESP is fine for that engine. $28 for five quarts at Walmart, no $11-$12 quart Fuchs needed.

 

[MParr]

The reason it isn't simple is because people try to make it more complicated than it is. Mobil 1 ESP is fine for that engine. $28 for five quarts at Walmart, no $11-$12 quart Fuchs needed.

Yeah, it's not that hard. Plain old 5W30 synthetic oil is what the Generac service guy is going to use. I currently have Shell Rotella T6 5W40 in mine. Why? Because, that's what I had leftover from an oil change on a Kawasaki Mule SX.