Moble 1 5W30 Synthetic in B&S Kool Bore Engine

[boraticus]

Thanks for the input but I must reiterate, the engine has only 60 to 70 hours on it in three seasons of use of which Mobil 1 synthetic has been in it for all but the initial five hours.

If, as you say, Mobil 1 is "perfect" for this engine, then, how could all of your suspected potential engine failure symptoms have occurred? Oil was changed with an average of 20 hours on it and it was topped off with several oz. of fresh oil throughout the season due to consumption.

Other than the oil consumption issue, there are no signs of engine being tired or worn. It starts easily, is strong, not smoking, smooth running and fuel efficient.

What you refer to as a "breather" is actually the crankcase ventilation line that exits from the engine valve cover and goes to the carburetor intake area.

Excuse my ignorance but I've never heard of it being referred to as a "breather". The term "breather" usually applies to the carburetor intake apparatus which is usually the intake housing and air filter.

The crankcase ventilation line is perfectly fine and NOT showing any tell tale signs of bypassing excessive oily residue into the carburetor intake area. Therefore, the suggestion that the valve guides are shot, is shot.

Cold engine compression is 150 psi. Therefore the suspicion that rings are shot is also... shot.

The head gasket is also fine.

There is nothing to fix on this engine.

As difficult as it may be for some to accept, Mobil 1 synthetic may not be suitable for this engine. I'll be able to confirm that once I put some hours on the machine with the Castrol oil in it.

 

[flatlandtacoma]

Suit yourself.

 

[spasm3]

switch to rotella t5 10w 30 or t-5 5w 40 and see how the consumption is. This is an HDEO oil and will be tougher than the mobil 1 in this application.

 

[spasm3]

Unless i'm wrong, the kool bore is an aluminum bore, not a cast iron sleeve. It may not hold up as long. but with only 60-70 hours i would not expect it to be that worn yet. Try some Hedo oil like rotella or any diesel oil and see if that helps.

 

[kbowley]

The cool bore will hold up longer than the machine as long as its maintained.

That said, I've said it a thousand times...do not use SM SEA rated oil in these engines...read your manual and i am certain it will state that SL oil is recommended. moly and zinc have been removed from sm oil for emission reasons and does not provide the required lubrication for flat tappets and slide cams. Nor does it cool as efficiently as SL as it cannot remove heat as well. here are some SL rated oils;

1; Kohler oil, any viscosity, a very stout oil

2; Briggs oil

3; Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w30

4; Valvoline full synthetic high mileage 10w30

5; Amsoil 10w30/30 small engine oil

6; most single grade straight 30w

7; Craftsman small engine oil (identical to Kohler specs and msds)

8; If you cant find an SL, use an ACEA A3/b4 oil even if it is SM it is pretty stout

9; change to a hotter plug...for instance if you are using a cj8 change to a ch10...that plug is either to cold and/or you are consuming to much oil. However, you state you are not see visible smoke so im inclined to recommend a step up to a hotter plug

10; dont use a 40w oil in a blower, the oil never reaches operating temp in the cold weather and it will not lubricate well.

Kevin

 

[Bror Jace]

In my experience, engines that tend to consume oil will guzzle "regular" Mobil 1. It is also not a good choice for engines that need a robust anti-wear or extreme pressure add-pack.

If you insist on the brand, step up to their EP or High-Mileage formulations.

 

[tig1]

The picture of your plug is oil fouling. Oil is getting past your rings(overhaul is due). Without an overhaul I would go with the cheapest heavy oil out there. 20-50 or something.

 

[boraticus]

Thank you all for the guidance and suggestions.

The oil I have switched to for comparison purposes is Conventional Quaker State high mileage with is SM, SL and SJ rated. I chose QS because it was the only oil on the shelf in the 5W30 range with high a mileage add pack. My objective is to reduce oil consumption and the label on this particular oil claims that what it does.

For experimental purposes, I will leave the existing spark plug in the engine to see if it fouls. Being an air cooled engine, I'm confident that there is sufficient combustion chamber heat to prevent plug fouling providing everything else is normal.

If oil consumption drops and plug fouling no longer occurs, I think it would safe to conclude that Mobil 1 is not suitable for this engine.

I say "Bring on the snow!"

 

[boraticus]

Originally Posted By: tig1
The picture of your plug is oil fouling. Oil is getting past your rings(overhaul is due). Without an overhaul I would go with the cheapest heavy oil out there. 20-50 or something.


Not to be rude, but it would appear that you haven't read any of my previous posts. The engine is virtually new.

It has between 60 and 75 hours on it.
Cold engine compression is 150 psi.
It does not smoke at start up nor during operation.
There are no oil leaks, failed gaskets or any other observable defects.
The engine is impressively strong, smooth and relatively quiet.

I'd say that your suggestion to overhaul the engine might be a bit premature. I'll wait for the results of the test.

My original post was not to seek advice for a problem. I have no concerns about the mechanical condition of the engine.

The reason I started the post was to notify participants that Mobil 1 5W30 synthetic oil might not be a good choice for Kool Bore engines. At the very least, not mine.

 

[flatlandtacoma]

Originally Posted By: tig1
The picture of your plug is oil fouling. Oil is getting past your rings


Leave him alone, he insists he is not burning oil, he refuses to clean out his breather. There is nothing to fix

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: boraticus
Originally Posted By: tig1
The picture of your plug is oil fouling. Oil is getting past your rings(overhaul is due). Without an overhaul I would go with the cheapest heavy oil out there. 20-50 or something.


Not to be rude, but it would appear that you haven't read any of my previous posts. The engine is virtually new.

It has between 60 and 75 hours on it.
Cold engine compression is 150 psi.
It does not smoke at start up nor during operation.
There are no oil leaks, failed gaskets or any other observable defects.
The engine is impressively strong, smooth and relatively quiet.

I'd say that your suggestion to overhaul the engine might be a bit premature. I'll wait for the results of the test.

My original post was not to seek advice for a problem. I have no concerns about the mechanical condition of the engine.

The reason I started the post was to notify participants that Mobil 1 5W30 synthetic oil might not be a good choice for Kool Bore engines. At the very least, not mine.


Didn't mean to be a critic, but the plug does seem to be oil fouled. I have never seen a plug look like that, that wasn't. Sure would like to know what's causing this plug condition. Keep us up to date.

 

[boraticus]

I don't know what the reason for it is either.

I have a theory that the oil gets too thin, doesn't adhere well the aluminum bore and small amounts also bypass the oil ring.

Some of the oil vaporizes inside the combustion chamber and either burns or condenses on the spark plug and I suspect possibly on the engine head and exhaust valve as well.

The strange thing is that there is no visible indication of burning oil. Exhaust gas is perfectly clear with no observable smoke of any kind. That's why I'm having difficulty accepting the possibility that the oil is being burned and thinking more along the lines of oil vapour condensing within the combustion chamber and being baked onto the surfaces with combustion.

That theory also has a flaw. The top of the piston is virtually clear of carbon or any other deposits. The reason for that might be that the piston doesn't reach the critical temperature for the oil vapour to bake onto it.

I'd like to make a correction to a previous post where I said that I changed oil to Quaker State. It's not. It's Castrol high mileage 5W30 SM, SL and SJ rated.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: boraticus
I don't know what the reason for it is either.

I have a theory that the oil gets too thin, doesn't adhere well the aluminum bore and small amounts also bypass the oil ring.

Some of the oil vaporizes inside the combustion chamber and either burns or condenses on the spark plug and I suspect possibly on the engine head and exhaust valve as well.

The strange thing is that there is no visible indication of burning oil. Exhaust gas is perfectly clear with no observable smoke of any kind. That's why I'm having difficulty accepting the possibility that the oil is being burned and thinking more along the lines of oil vapour condensing within the combustion chamber and being baked onto the surfaces with combustion.

That theory also has a flaw. The top of the piston is virtually clear of carbon or any other deposits. The reason for that might be that the piston doesn't reach the critical temperature for the oil vapour to bake onto it.

I'd like to make a correction to a previous post where I said that I changed oil to Quaker State. It's not. It's Castrol high mileage 5W30 SM, SL and SJ rated.



Just becausae it is burning oil doesn't necessarily mean it will smoke. Sometimes it definitely will, like hte Chrysler 2.7L V6, and the Saturn with the OHC engines, I see them blowing smoke out the exhaust with some regularity. But most of the time it wouldn't be noticeable.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: Bror Jace
In my experience, engines that tend to consume oil will guzzle "regular" Mobil 1. It is also not a good choice for engines that need a robust anti-wear or extreme pressure add-pack.

If you insist on the brand, step up to their EP or High-Mileage formulations.


This is the best advice you will get.

The kool-bore engines are good for 200 hours I have heard. You may have accelerated that by using an automotive oil in an ope engine.

 

[boraticus]

"The kool-bore engines are good for 200 hours I have heard. You may have accelerated that by using an automotive oil in an ope engine."

That's actually humourous.

May I ask where you sourced this information?

You may be confusing mandatory EPA emissions compliance hours with engine life. I've yet to see any manufacturer actually advertise hours of engine life.

Mobil 1 5W30 Synthetic is what the dealership put in the engine.

With 150 psi compression, I'd say that your suggestion of premature wear, may be somewhat inaccurate.

 

[tig1]

It may not be premature wear. It could be a defect of some sort. Valve guide, broken ring,etc. If the dealer puts M1 5-30 in then I'm sure there is a long track record to go by. Just a thought.

 

[boraticus]

One would think that they have done their homework regarding oil. The engine's manual recommends synthetic for temps below 32F although it also says that if synthetic is not available that B&S brand 5W30 may be used.

If there was something mechanically wrong with this engine, I'm certain that it would have manifested itself in s more substantial way by now. I've worked the machine very hard on occasion and it has never shown any signs of hesitation or fading.

I was never much of a B&S engine fan until I put a couple years on this thing. I'm actually quite impressed with it other than the oil consumption issue. Which I think may possibly be the engine just not liking Mobil 1 synthetic.

I'm looking forward to getting some snow so that I can put the machine to work. It didn't take too long for it to start sipping the synthetic. A few hours of work with the Castrol mineral oil will reveal one way or the other it will continue to consume oil.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: boraticus


May I ask where you sourced this information?

You may be confusing mandatory EPA emissions compliance hours with engine life.


The EPA emission life is very close to what life you will get from an engine. Why do you think the emissions fail at that point? Its because the engine is worn and can no longer produce efficient fuel combustion.

The fact that your dealer uses the 5W20 M1 means nothing. Most of them are not oil experts. That engine is a common snow blower engine, and most see 10 hours use per year resulting in a 20 year life for the unit. That's all you can expect. When I was a kid we had mini bikes that had B&S aluminum bore engines and they lasted 40-50 hours and were done. Although that would be considered extreme use in my opinion, and those were an older engine with the side valve design. Keep in mind that because you have good compression, that does not mean that your engine is not worn and burning oil.

 

[boraticus]

Yeah.... alright... Thanks for that.

I personally own two riding mower engines rated for 150 EPA hours and they presently have over 400 hours on them and are still going strong. I know of many others who own engines that have exceeded the EPA rating many fold. I've got a 30+ year old push mower with untold hours on it's still running like new. Actually, I don't know anyone who's had an engine that has NOT exceeded the EPA rating. And most exceed by many times and are still running strong.

Not sure where you're getting your information but it's considerably different than what I've experienced.

It would be interesting to know if other participants have had engines that expired within the limits of the EPA rating.

 

[Audioshot]

Hello, I have been reading these forums for quite a while and wanted to chime in. That plug doesn't look right and it is definitely not the oil's fault. I have a B&S Intek Snow 12hp kool bore on my simplicity blower and have been using regular M1 5w30 since 2005. There is at least 100 hours on this machine and the plug has a very light tan color and consumes no oil. I do change the oil once a year. Other than skid shoes and the occasional shear pin, that's all this machine gets.