Oil Dilemma...

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rummy

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I've read many posts where people argue that certain oils are too thick for small engines, and thus should not be used...
These same blogger's state that you should only use what the manufacturer states in the owners manual. This is not bad advice at all but...
In the USA, most manuals recommended 10W-30 or straight 30.

After some research, I found this owners manual on Honda's United Kingdom web page. It states that these other viscosities are just fine in our small engines.
Interesting that these viscosities do not find themselves in our USA manuals. Maybe due to the CAFE regulations? Who knows...

I'm happy with the Delo 400 15W-30 that I'm using but can rest assured that if I want to use Rotella 15-40 T5 in my Honda GX340 it will be just fine.


 
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I run a 5W40 or 0W40 HDEO in all my OPE. I will continue to do so even when all CK oils are no longer gas (API) rated. I have some small engines with over 2000 hours on them and run as good as they did new. My air cooled Briggs outboard engine on my Jonboat and my HF Chonda generator have darn near 3000 hours on them using non recommended oils. Just my experience. Though I have never ran a UOA on my OPE.
 
Based on the chart, anyone running that engine in the summer in the southern US should be on a 40 weight. There are some places where the nightly lows only dip into the 80*F range.

But CAFE only applies to passenger vehicles right? Wouldn't think that would have any impact on oil recommendation for small utility motors.
 
Originally Posted By: rummy
Maybe due to the CAFE regulations? Who knows...


CAFE standards have nothing to do with lawn mower engines.
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: rummy
Maybe due to the CAFE regulations? Who knows...


CAFE standards have nothing to do with lawn mower engines.


Thanks for that info. Was not aware.
 
Those engines and their derivatives are popular in go-karts in the UK where 10w40 is used almost exclusively because it covers all ambient temps and is about the cheapest multigrade available.
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: rummy
Maybe due to the CAFE regulations? Who knows...


CAFE standards have nothing to do with lawn mower engines.


^True.

They have to meet California Air Resources Board (CARB) and/or United States Environmental Protection
Agency (USEPA).
 
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All this drama over oil viscosity is mute.
Engines will not even care.
It's like comparing whole milk to skim milk. Alot of people will never deviate from the rules while others will never follow them. In reality, 10w30 will be fine in 99.9 percent of all engines.
 
Not necessarily CAFE, but small engines do have to meet emissions standards in recent years. If you look at the shrouds, they will usually have a sticker with some kind of emissions standards info. Usually it will state what standards the engine meets or how clean it is on a pollution scale.

Personally I think it depends on usage. Small engines run a bit hotter, so there is more risk for oil burn off. This increases as the engine wears and allows for oil to slip past the rings. Running a lighter viscosity SN rated synthetic oil will allow for less emissions and a slight gain in fuel economy. This isn't a problem for most newer engines that might be used to mow a quarter acre of lawn once a week with routine oil checks.

The problem is most people don't check or change the oil, and they use equipment for long periods of time where oil burn off is more likely.

My grandfather's Scag 61" mower has an 18hp Kohler V-Twin with 750 hours. He mows a few acres a weekend for about 5 hours. The grass is usually high and thick. With a synthetic 10w30, it will burn maybe 1/4 quart after a few uses. Not a problem if it is looked after, but he isn't the greatest with checking the oil. I run a HDEO 15w40 in it, and that has eliminated the oil consumption. I can sleep well at night knowing my Grandpa won't have any oil related engine problems due to the oil burning off.
 
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
Not necessarily CAFE, but small engines do have to meet emissions standards in recent years. If you look at the shrouds, they will usually have a sticker with some kind of emissions standards info. Usually it will state what standards the engine meets or how clean it is on a pollution scale.

Personally I think it depends on usage. Small engines run a bit hotter, so there is more risk for oil burn off. This increases as the engine wears and allows for oil to slip past the rings. Running a lighter viscosity SN rated synthetic oil will allow for less emissions and a slight gain in fuel economy. This isn't a problem for most newer engines that might be used to mow a quarter acre of lawn once a week with routine oil checks.

The problem is most people don't check or change the oil, and they use equipment for long periods of time where oil burn off is more likely.

My grandfather's Scag 61" mower has an 18hp Kohler V-Twin with 750 hours. He mows a few acres a weekend for about 5 hours. The grass is usually high and thick. With a synthetic 10w30, it will burn maybe 1/4 quart after a few uses. Not a problem if it is looked after, but he isn't the greatest with checking the oil. I run a HDEO 15w40 in it, and that has eliminated the oil consumption. I can sleep well at night knowing my Grandpa won't have any oil related engine problems due to the oil burning off.


Thanks for that info.
 
I run the cheapest 15w-40 HDEO I can find, which is usually SuperTech or Harvest King. No reason to use anything else.
 
Most people could regurgitating what they have read with out knowing what they read was fact or fiction. The owners / shop manual is the best place to start.
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
Most people could regurgitating what they have read with out knowing what they read was fact or fiction. The owners / shop manual is the best place to start.
That said 15w-40 is a great choice and I use it in all my ope. The consumption is less especially when run hard.
 
Originally Posted By: rummy
I've read many posts where people argue that certain oils are too thick for small engines, and thus should not be used...
These same blogger's state that you should only use what the manufacturer states in the owners manual. This is not bad advice at all but...
In the USA, most manuals recommended 10W-30 or straight 30.

After some research, I found this owners manual on Honda's United Kingdom web page. It states that these other viscosities are just fine in our small engines.
Interesting that these viscosities do not find themselves in our USA manuals. Maybe due to the CAFE regulations? Who knows...

I'm happy with the Delo 400 15W-30 that I'm using but can rest assured that if I want to use Rotella 15-40 T5 in my Honda GX340 it will be just fine.





I used to be go by what the owners manual says till I came to BITOG. Its hard to say why Honda doesn't put that in US manuals, because Kawasaki has about the same recommendation put in there US manual. I have concluded that 30, 40, or 50 weight of oil are perfectly fine to use in any small gas engine. Even Briggs and Stratton has a 15w50 full synthetic recommendation.
 
Originally Posted By: NH73
Originally Posted By: rummy
I've read many posts where people argue that certain oils are too thick for small engines, and thus should not be used...
These same blogger's state that you should only use what the manufacturer states in the owners manual. This is not bad advice at all but...
In the USA, most manuals recommended 10W-30 or straight 30.

After some research, I found this owners manual on Honda's United Kingdom web page. It states that these other viscosities are just fine in our small engines.
Interesting that these viscosities do not find themselves in our USA manuals. Maybe due to the CAFE regulations? Who knows...

I'm happy with the Delo 400 15W-30 that I'm using but can rest assured that if I want to use Rotella 15-40 T5 in my Honda GX340 it will be just fine.





I used to be go by what the owners manual says till I came to BITOG. Its hard to say why Honda doesn't put that in US manuals, because Kawasaki has about the same recommendation put in there US manual. I have concluded that 30, 40, or 50 weight of oil are perfectly fine to use in any small gas engine. Even Briggs and Stratton has a 15w50 full synthetic recommendation.


Exactly.
 
Electric pump motors are my problem today - so I have ordered a skid unit with a CAT Diesel engine ...
How's that ?
 
Originally Posted By: Reddy45
Based on the chart, anyone running that engine in the summer in the southern US should be on a 40 weight. There are some places where the nightly lows only dip into the 80*F range.

But CAFE only applies to passenger vehicles right? Wouldn't think that would have any impact on oil recommendation for small utility motors.


There is nothing special about the southern U.S. than the upper midwest many times in the summer months. It gets just as hot and humid in the midwest many times during summer as it does in Alabama or Mississippi. It gets well over 100F in the upper midwest many days, and nights can be hot an muggy. All I have ever used in decades is 10w30 in my OPE. My JD Zero Turn air cooled does 2.25 acres mowing at each shot. Has for a few years just like the previous mower that did about 12 years before being replaced by the current one, and that was mostly because the previous was a regular lawn tractor and the zero turn does a more efficient job on our property. And oil is only changed once a year in the spring. 40w would work fine also. Just that 10w30 works fine for me year round in my various OPE needs.
 
Originally Posted By: Nissan101
Most people on this site knows nothing about an engine -_-
Half of them call it a motor which is technically incorrect.



So do many technical rags like MotorTrend, etc. So what? By your reckoning, they should be called EngineTrend. And racing shouldn't be called motor sports, but engine sports.
 
Originally Posted By: Nissan101
Most people on this site knows nothing about an engine -_-
Half of them call it a motor which is technically incorrect.




So explain why all my bottles of oil in the garage say "motor oil" on them? Also why did Chrysler coin the phrase Mopar or "motor parts" for their company?
 
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