One week on straight 30 in my 300M

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G-MAN

G-MAN

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Well, I changed my oil last Saturday. I'm in the middle of an Auto-RX treatment, so what's in there now is the rinse phase. Since my latest "bug" regarding motor oil is VI improvers, I decided to go with a straight 30. I did my research first and was surprised to find only one readily available SAE 30 in my area that is blended to meet SM specs: Valvoline. I've already posted about this oil's relatively high VI and my freezer test of it, so I won't repeat all that.

Here are my "seat of the pants" impressions after one week on SAE 30:
  • Start up noise: I've posted before about how the PCM on Chrysler 3.5 HO engines is set to immediately rev the engine to about 1500 rpm when you start it up. The revs drop to normal idle speed within 1/2 second or so, but it's still seems like a poor way to wake up a cold engine. It always produces moderate to sometimes severe bearing rattle at start up, and has on every grade of engine oil I've used, from Rotella T 5w40 to GC 0w30 to Mobil 1 10w30 to Pennzoil and Havoline 5w20. Guess what? With Valvoline SAE 30 there is no bearing rattle at start up. Zero. Nadda.
  • Gas mileage: I've not seen any significant difference in gas mileage.
  • Performance: I've not seen any difference in performance.

  • So at this stage, I'm quite pleased with SAE 30 in my engine that calls for 10w30. I've got some Amsoil ACD straight 30 and for the winter I'm considering doing a 60/40 blend of Valvoline 30/Amsoil ACD, though I honestly think for 99% of the winter here the Valvoline SAE 30 would do fine.
 
Quote:

....I honestly think for 99% of the winter here the Valvoline SAE 30 would do fine.

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I agree. Most cars in the SE USA would run fine year-round on SAE 30. Sure, wear might be increased marginally, but not enough IMO to ever make a real-world difference.
 
I use the Delo 30 in a lot of cars and I add MLEP most of the time. I do this only in warm temps. Overall, it's a lil more slugish than a higher-tech 5w-30, but quite tolerable. Burn-off is minimal indeed.
 
I live in Nebraska and a lot of old farmers still run 30w all year long...cause they got a drum of HD 30w on the farm for the tractors and the cars and pickups always ran it and did fine...why change?...G-Man you will be fine running straight 30w all year in South Carolina I can't hardly imagine it being as could as it gets here in Nebraska...Bearing noise on my 78 Pontiac also seemed to disappear when running 30w...
 
How would this plot work if us Honda owners decided to run staight 20 weight as opposed to the 5w and in some cases 0w20 as far as the base oil not needing any VI's?

Is it true that some base oils need VI's just to "make the grade" so to speak viscosity wise, or is that just for the wider ranges desired?
 
Modern engines are controlled to raise the idle when starting cold, for a brief time. This is a GOOD thing, as it get the oil flowing. Virtually all newer cars are like this.
I really don't think straight 30 is smart. Your poorly designed engine knocks a bit on starting - so be it.
 
1500 RPM is on the slow side of a cold start. If I recall correctly, the Lincoln LS is close to 3000 RPM. A lot of owners came into the dealership i worked in at the time and wanted it adjusted down. Of course, it isn't adjustable. It's programmed into the computer.

The same car has a very low rev limiter for when the trans is in neutral or park. You couldn't rev the engine very much higher without hitting the rev limiter, also raising a lot of customer questions.

A very common cold start RPM is in the range of 2000 to 2500 RPM.
 
SAE 30W will be fine for use in SC.That 3.5 is not a bad design it is a really good design in my book. My Toyota rev's fairly high on start up as well. When it is realy cold out it stays high but when it is warm out it drops right down in about 3 seconds.
 
I like this thread; the SAE30 is finally getting the recognition that it deserves.
getdown.gif
 
Is it just possible that 30w does not drain down as fast as multi grades and when you start cold there is thicker oil protection around valve train. I had the same experience using 15/40 in 2.5 4cyl.A little noisy around valvetrain with5-10 /30 but with 15/40 quiet.I know everybody says thin oil is better.Engine rebuilder once told me engines would sound nosier with 5/30 than 10/30 but he said the 5/30 might lubricate better.
 
I have a gallon of BP 15W40 and was going to pick up a gallon of their SAE30 as well. Their is a gas station in Imaly City wich is the last of civilization when I have to go see my inlaws. It has BP's full line of non-synthetic oils. I plan on useing them for my Auto-Rx clean and rinse. I am planing all this for next summer. It is a shame that the only think I can look forward to on when forced to go up to the inlaws is to check out various oils in the farmers barn's and local stores. Just so eveyone knows my car is a 2003 Camry it is a very modern, high tech low friction clean running engine. It does use cam phaseing that works of of oil system and use's a simple actuator to open and close a vale in the circuit. It does not care what oil I run it functions flawlessly! SOme people seem to think that all cam phaseing systems are picky about the oil but to date only a few European designs seems to be particular about viscosity. Most of the Japaneese and Domestic designs in the USA could care less what viscosity you use.
 
I don't have valve train noise. This is main bearing rattle, pure and simple. And it's not the product of a poor design. Virtually any engine started cold and immediately reved to 1500 rpm is going to rattle for a split second until the oil pressure gets up unless there is a thick enough oil film on the bearings to prevent it. I think that's what's happening with the SAE 30 in my engine.
 
On second thought, the mere notion of the BITOG Big Cheese having success with a plain Jane straight 30 weight in his Chrysler is a bit overwhelming to me; I think I need to go lie down.
shocked.gif
 
Just as side note years ago wife had a Chevette bought it 2nd hand off dealer exlease car, dealer had serviced from new the oil they used was Petro -Canada 20-20 , straight 20 weight year round I did the same never any problems.
 
Quote:

I like this thread; the SAE30 is finally getting the recognition that it deserves.
getdown.gif


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Does anyone else find that particular graemlin simply hilarious.
laugh.gif


Reminds me of that Mojito commercial.
 
I just came back from AutoZone to pick up a can of R134a. I glanced at the price of Valvoline SAE30 and it was $3.09 a quart; not exactly a cheap oil.
shocked.gif
 
So enough of the 30 wt oil hangs on the bearings to instantly develop hydrodynamic lubrication at cold startup... while a 5w oil would drain out of the bearings so they rattle till the oil is pumped up? That seems to go against all the thinking about using a light weight oil that can flow quickly through the oil galleries at start up.

I assume that if you waited a few days between starts on your 30wt it would eventually drain down and result in the familiar bearing rattle? Could I conclude that if I start my car every day that it may actually be better to run a straight 30? Could I be causing more start-up wear by using my 5w-30 oil that drains down?
 
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