Oil for Generator After Breakin

[Oli20]

Hello - Finally got tired of all the power outages at my cabin so I bought a new generator. It's a Gererac XG7000E. It has the OHVI engine with full oil pressure and a filter. They say break it in with the provided SAE 30, which I will do. After that however I don't quite know what I should use. It will see mostly spring/summer/fall usuage with a chance of getting used once in the winter. The oil guide says over 40 to use 30 between 10 and 40 use 10-30 and below 10 use a synthetic 5-30. Based on my usual pattern seems like 30 would be he most common but boy would that suck for those cold November and once a year February usages. Thought maybe just use the 10-30 year around, was leaning toward T5.

BTW - this is my first generator so I don't have experience to rely on in what oil would work and such.

Any advice is welcome.

 

[Trav]

I use a 0w40 in mine, it works well in air cooled engines that can run for hours at a time, cold start protection and can handle high summer heat.
Mobil 1 or Castrol Edge 0w40 will do fine in that engine.

 

[Bgallagher]

Use Rotella T6. Synthetic and 5w-40. Change it every other year depending on how much use it gets.

 

[Oli20]

So the 40 weight shouldn't cause any issues even with this model having an oil pump? I have a lot of T6 on hand for my ATV's so if I could use that it would be very nice.

 

[UNC017]

I'd go with T6 5w40, but you could get by with T5 10w30 too.

 

[ToadU]

Use what's spec'd in the owners manual. There is a reason they spec what they do. Don't go off label.

 

[Ethan1]

T6 5W40 is perfect. I use it year-round in my tractor and it's never failed to start even when I wanted to plow snow in -20F

 

[tig1]

I use Mobil 1 10w30 in my generator with good results.

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: ToadU
Use what's spec'd in the owners manual. There is a reason they spec what they do. Don't go off label.


Right! Its called making sure it doesn't last longer than X hours with these small engines.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: Oli20
So the 40 weight shouldn't cause any issues even with this model having an oil pump? I have a lot of T6 on hand for my ATV's so if I could use that it would be very nice.
It's my understanding that the oil is only pumped through the oil filter to clean the oil. As for the rest of the engine, it's splash oiled. Correct me if this is wrong.

 

[cronk]

T6 would work great, used it in some my small engine stuff for a while.
Currently been using the Amsoil HD30/10w30 Small engine oil and it works great.
T5 10w30 would be a solid choice as well.

Avoid 5w30 passenger oil, if you had a long outage it just doesn't seem to hold up. Starts shearing down and burning off.

HDEO or good synthetic.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: Oli20
So the 40 weight shouldn't cause any issues even with this model having an oil pump? I have a lot of T6 on hand for my ATV's so if I could use that it would be very nice.
It's my understanding that the oil is only pumped through the oil filter to clean the oil. As for the rest of the engine, it's splash oiled. Correct me if this is wrong.


I just found this on the three ways a Briggs engine is lubricated. Interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAJZve1U8Lw

 

[Oli20]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: Oli20
So the 40 weight shouldn't cause any issues even with this model having an oil pump? I have a lot of T6 on hand for my ATV's so if I could use that it would be very nice.
It's my understanding that the oil is only pumped through the oil filter to clean the oil. As for the rest of the engine, it's splash oiled. Correct me if this is wrong.


I just found this on the three ways a Briggs engine is lubricated. Interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAJZve1U8Lw


That is very interesting, it appears mine is the full pressure lubrication. There has been a lot of votes for T6, with the full pressure in mind is that still okay going to a heavier oil?

http://www.generac.com/for-homeowners/portable-recreational-power/generac-ohvi-engines

 

[ToadU]

No. It's not. Why would you trust people off the internet with no verifiable credentials, no engineering departments, no testing grounds??? The manufacturer and engineers that make the product actually have tested and tested and tested snd engineered their units for specific oils. You and no one on here are smarter than the people who deigned, built and tested their own product. Why the obsession to not follow the directions? Because it works in a one off antidotal testimonial should somehow outweigh hard facts written in the owners manual is just really silly

A comparison would be you can use a 30amp breaker with #14 wires. It works. A lot of people have done it. But, the science and engineering prove this is a horrible idea because #14 wire is only safe with a maximum Of a 15amp breaker. It's also the National Code too.

You can put a 100 watt bulb in a max 40 watt socket. It works. Doesn't mean it's a good idea.

Don't risk you valuable investment by literally performing a science experiment with it. Follow the directions. Use one of thr oil weights reccomended for your temperature range.

Someone has to agree with me here? It's such common sense.

 

[NH73]

Originally Posted By: Oli20
Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: Oli20
So the 40 weight shouldn't cause any issues even with this model having an oil pump? I have a lot of T6 on hand for my ATV's so if I could use that it would be very nice.
It's my understanding that the oil is only pumped through the oil filter to clean the oil. As for the rest of the engine, it's splash oiled. Correct me if this is wrong.


I just found this on the three ways a Briggs engine is lubricated. Interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAJZve1U8Lw


That is very interesting, it appears mine is the full pressure lubrication. There has been a lot of votes for T6, with the full pressure in mind is that still okay going to a heavier oil?

http://www.generac.com/for-homeowners/portable-recreational-power/generac-ohvi-engines
When oil is cold, even a 0w, it runs thicker than 40 weight hot does. So if your engine can handle cold oil, it can handle 40 weight oil hot.

 

[ToadU]

If that was correct don't you think the owners manual would have listed that as an option? I feel like I'm the voice of reason but no one gets it. What's your theory on it not being an option?

The owners manual is like a multiple choice test in school.....one of the choices IS the right answer

 

[NH73]

Originally Posted By: ToadU
No. It's not. Why would you trust people off the internet with no verifiable credentials, no engineering departments, no testing grounds??? The manufacturer and engineers that make the product actually have tested and tested and tested snd engineered their units for specific oils. You and no one on here are smarter than the people who deigned, built and tested their own product. Why the obsession to not follow the directions? Because it works in a one off antidotal testimonial should somehow outweigh hard facts written in the owners manual is just really silly

A comparison would be you can use a 30amp breaker with #14 wires. It works. A lot of people have done it. But, the science and engineering prove this is a horrible idea because #14 wire is only safe with a maximum Of a 15amp breaker. It's also the National Code too.

You can put a 100 watt bulb in a max 40 watt socket. It works. Doesn't mean it's a good idea.

Don't risk you valuable investment by literally performing a science experiment with it. Follow the directions. Use one of thr oil weights reccomended for your temperature range.

Someone has to agree with me here? It's such common sense.
Electricity and engine lubrication are two totally different science. They don't compare. OPE Engineers often aren't into lubrication as you might think, as there recommendation are fairly common motor oils and fairly general. They only recommend what they been tested on. As far as what Generic has listed in motor oil, they are not picky. But there are better oils they could have used. Using a motor oil that will hold up to hours on hours of continuous use is important. Using the most commonly available HDEO synthetic 5w40 motor oil is better than anything Generac has listed. If your not sure, Kawasaki has now motor oil recommendations from 30 to 50 weight and there is not much difference in how Generac and Kawasaki engines treat there motor oil.

 

[ToadU]

Ugh

 

[ToadU]

Your smater than the OPE engineers. You missed the point with my comparison. Just because something works, a lot of people have done it and say it's great doesn't mean you should. Ugh. Just because Kawasaki recommends X doesn't mean it's ok for Generac. Would you take a Ford owners manual and use its maintenance recommendations and fluid specs for a Toyota?

 

[NH73]

Originally Posted By: ToadU
If that was correct don't you think the owners manual would have listed that as an option? I feel like I'm the voice of reason but no one gets it. What's your theory on it not being an option?

The owners manual is like a multiple choice test in school.....one of the choices IS the right answer


Because the engineers didn't bother testing it. There goal was to come up with a product, not what is the best lubrication for it. And really, about all lubrication failures is about the lack of it.