Mazda 6 , 20W-50!
- Thread starter FCD
- Start date
Back in the 90s I used 20w-50 in my Hondas in the summertime down here in Texas. Worked fine. I would switch to 10w-30 for the winter.
I'm not surprised. While the USA is only about 4% of the world's population, we "sometimes" tend to think that the rest of the world's oil choices are not based in reality. What is true: Oil viscosity in hotter climates is almost always much higher. And that the current trend here is to choose an "energy conserving" oil, even if it reduces engine lifespan.
Again, chains last longest with a viscosity around 30. Cylinders and rings too. Bearings last just fine with almost any viscosity, right up until the load exceeds the film strength.
Again, chains last longest with a viscosity around 30. Cylinders and rings too. Bearings last just fine with almost any viscosity, right up until the load exceeds the film strength.
In Mexico, Central America, South America, the Carribean, Africa and the Middle East, 20W-50 and 25W-60 were until relatively recently or still are the most common grades.
Last edited:
Thought these had the Mazda MZR which Ford rebranded Duratec? Only exception being the V6.
It would depend on where the engine was built. I don’t know that answer. Mexico and Flat Rock would have been closer obviously.
So you are saying OEM's specify oils based on what is available in the local market, and not what is best for the engine???
The Duratec 2.0/2.3/2.5 and 2.0T Ecoboost is based on the Mazda L engine, which is part of the MZR family.
The Duratec 2.5L and 3.0L 6 cylinder had primary engineering input from Porsche.
Both great engines.
Edit: sorry, meant to quote Bailes1992
What is best for engine life, is not 0W-20, in most circumstances. Oil makers simply acknowledge that these oils are for fuel economy, while providing adequate protection. Most of us won't drive, and don't expect to get, 900,000 miles in an inexpensive vehicle.
Film thickness (not film strength) ... ie, when MOFT goes to zero. This is why MOFT headroom matters.
With many misconceptions spread around.
Wonder how far that 439k Subaru would have made it on 10w40 before ventilating the block…
900K miles.Wonder how far that 439k Subaru would have made it on 10w40 before ventilating the block…
Exactly, sorry for being casual with my words. It is an exceedingly complex subject, and the testing results are somewhat difficult for the average guy to accumulate, then draw conclusions. That's what makes BITOG so incredible. I was never an oil test engineer, only a removal and reinstallation tech that was involved in gas turbine (aviation) oil (Mobil 254) and grease testing and also 2 stroke race outboard engine testing (removed and installed powerheads and drove boats) and a tech involved in camshaft development for turbocharged 2.3L engines. My curiosity drove me to a career in aviation, with a background in engineering, flight and maintenance. Second career in turbocharged race cars and engine building.
So my oil experience is "hands on", working with some of the best engineers around.
In the end, bearing life is just one aspect of engine life. Today's engines may or may not contain parts designed for a very long service life with the manufacturers oil choice. Low tension piston rings may not wear much, but the oil consumption that results from that miniscule wear is still problematic to the car's owner and may in fact result in a teardown.
My current Jag F-Type V6 has 380HP and requires the very best 0W-20 around, Castrol royal deluxe II. (a joke). With a number of known oil related engine failures already, my plans to push the engine to nearly 500HP will involve something more robust than 0W-20. The rod bearings will thank me. MOFT is directly related to bearing life.
This is a good point. As we have seen here, some engines can't be "fixed" with the choice of oil or oil viscosity. Some engines are just not designed or manufactured well, and use inferior materials or lack good metallurgy to last as long as engines that are designed and made well.
