Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: ecobalt
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
My 1985 Olds 88 with 5 Liter Gas engine that has 168K miles will stall if I use a XW-30 in it on a hot day, but it ran fine on Xw-30 for many years. I now run 20W-50 in it and have no problems except that the 20W lower number limits me to not starting it if ambient is below 15 F.
Never had that happen.
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
My 1985 Olds 88 with 5 Liter Gas engine that has 168K miles will stall if I use a XW-30 in it on a hot day, but it ran fine on Xw-30 for many years. I now run 20W-50 in it and have no problems except that the 20W lower number limits me to not starting it if ambient is below 15 F.
Interesting. I've run everything from 0w20 (winter) to 5w50 in my similar vintage 302's and they don't "respond" in any manner that affects how they drive. They are a bit quieter on the heavier grades and so I use 0w40 or 5w40 in them now. Both have over 200,000 miles on them.
Thats the Ford 5.0 is it not? Olds was 307. They had a 350 too that was 5.7L but the 5.0 was great, didnt need nor want more.
Originally Posted By: SS1970chrysler
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
My 1985 Olds 88 with 5 Liter Gas engine that has 168K miles will stall if I use a XW-30 in it on a hot day, but it ran fine on Xw-30 for many years. I now run 20W-50 in it and have no problems except that the 20W lower number limits me to not starting it if ambient is below 15 F.
I had probably the same car, an 85 Delta 88 w/307 4bbl. At around 90k, it started running rough at idle with 10w-30 after the 1st couple thousand miles each OCI. I switched to 10w-40 or 15w-40 and the problem never recurred.
1. Never had that happen.
2. Thats the Ford 5.0 is it not? Olds was 307. They had a 350 too that was 5.7L but the 5.0 was great, didnt need nor want more.
3. (bolded)
5.0L Olds "Rocket" V-8
4bbl 307 cu. in.
Unknown HP
GRADE OF OIL USED YEAR-ROUND was 10W-40.
Never an issue
350,000+ plus on car
replaced/rebuilt Trans once
Drove car into tree in the early 90s.. only replaced hood and grlle. nothing else...
Will buy this car again
Saw a white 85 for sale for $700
Did not buy because the white paint showed off rust.
This engine liked its 40-weight oil very much and was very tolerant of MOST fuels, though ran better on higher grades probably due to the 4-barrel carb
What a great car. Put the equal year Caprice to shame IMHO! And gave the 5.7L Cadillac a run for its money. (Value and quality, not speed. This car was always sluggish but it WAS a tank. Thats a good thing.)
Yes, mine are Ford's, my remark was more with the heavy oil at a given mileage than anything to do with brand.
We owned an Olds 307 in an '86 Custom Cruiser wagon. It was pretty tired by the 225,000Km mark when we got rid of it.
Oh yeah the Olds we had was very tired but it didnt quit!
Definitely NO pep left, though. I know exactly what you mean. Same with our 1970S K5 GMC Jimmy converted to a Sierra with 35" mudders on it and a lift kit. That V-8 got even tired-er at 170,000 miles
I also think it is relevant that back then we had SG-rated oils that were more prone to degradation. I think the fact that they probably WONT do that (except for certain superlight oils) is another thing that has been glossed over or perhaps not metioned at all in the posts of CATERHAM and Doug Hillary, though they have in fact presented excellent information. They may not do that anymore, but they used to. I also do not think it is a "myth" to use heavier oil in an older engine.. if you must go up a grade to maitain oil pressure, then it is certainly warranted. Also people liked to use a heavy oil (40 and 50) in HEAT with the old SG oil. Perhaps the rules have changed a bit with the new SN stuff, even SM and SL..
I also feel that Dr. Ali E. Haas is a cosmetic surgeon first and that the motor oil theory, while mostly correct and impressive, is his plaything with his money from said cosmetic surgery a la Nip/Tuck. Also, the 20-weight oils he mentions, if goign by HTHS, are actually 30-weight oils, and with that in mind if youread his posts, they will make vastly more rational sense, since he is exaggerating and not using "20 weight" oils in 40-weight and 50-weight applications, but 30-weight oils labeled as 20-weight oils (how?) if going by HTHS. As CATERHAM has said, "The good doctor likes to exaggerate." The problem is is that nobody would KNOW that iff they just surfed in and read. That said, if you read it knowing that the oils he uses are basically 30-weights just not in name, its not AS hard to digest, and actually makes some sense. It is interesting that he made the jump from cosmetic surgery to motor oil, however. Very much so, and very much a question of "why," if you know what i mean. It doesnt make sense nor add up. Its certainly a puzzle, though he presents information respected by enough people that there is something to it and its not just hot funk. Its an interesting read, for sure. Now. Would someone actually DO it? .. thats up to them.
Others use a thicker grade and swear by it, no "engine failure" results but then they put a thin oil and they know how the engine felt on thick and it may in fact cause a problem on a well-aged old tired engine that has had some issues not raising their head due to thick oil.
There is a post on here of when someone switched their VW 2.0L AWAY from 20W-50, the ngine failed. It was related to a TSB with Volkswagen for that year of the 2.0. Thick oil masked the problem that led to its failure. This was a rare occurance, but not unheard of.
You want to run the thinnest you can, but thick enough to protect the engine. Hope that helps.
