Question about 20w50 oil?

[CARGUY40]

I have 20w50 semi synthetic high mileage oil in my car now and was wondering will it be fine to use in temps between the 50f-70s? I use it in my 1986 toyota which has a 2.8 inline 6 motor because my car is burning oil and it helps with that plus it has 170k miles and the manual says its ok to use.

But honestly 20w50 and stop smoke additives arent helping with the smoke comming out the exhaust and i dont got money to fix the issue now which im sure is engine work thats gonna cost.

 

[Lead Shoes]

It won't sound very smooth the colder the temps get with 20w50 in there, it is probably time to start saving for another car or serious engine work.

 

[CARGUY40]

well is there a additive i can try that will stop the smoke from comming out my exhaust cause of the oil burning?

 

[Lead Shoes]

And when you say "smoke" when does it happen? at start up, under any load, or just high rpm's??

How many miles does it take to burn off a quart of that 20w50?

The only main stream "stop smoke" additives are extreme oil thickeners that I wouldn't use with 20w50.

 

[CARGUY40]

it smokes when im idling and when i take off from a stop i get a poof of smoke that comes out the exhaust but when im driving i dont see any at all and the motor sounds good and the car drives smooth so i dunno.

 

[Shannow]

20W-50 is used down to 15F in Oz fairly regularly, and won't do anything bad.

I'd check the crankcase ventilation system first, and seen if that's working right.

 

[RF Overlord]

Originally Posted By: boostedtsiawd
it smokes when im idling and when i take off from a stop i get a poof of smoke
Sounds like bad valve seals which, while not a simple easy fix, is far less serious than bad rings or worn cylinder walls.

Like Brenden, I wouldn't put any thickeners in a 20W-50, but you might try 10W-60...it's used in a lot of BMWs and may help until you get a proper repair.

 

[CARGUY40]

about the crankcase ventilation system someone did a rig job and put a pcv valve elbow from the crankcase to the intake pipe when really it should be a hose going from crankcase to the throttle body so does that matter cause im sure my intake has oil in it?

 

[The_Jeff]

Originally Posted By: boostedtsiawd
about the crankcase ventilation system someone did a rig job and put a pcv valve elbow from the crankcase to the intake pipe when really it should be a hose going from crankcase to the throttle body so does that matter cause im sure my intake has oil in it?


Should be both, a PCV valve on the vacuum side (inside) of the throttle body and a fresh air hose on the air filter side. If you want to ghetto rig it, put a breather filter on the fresh air hose and position it so it drips elsewhere. This will at least keep some gunk out of your TB, assuming you have lots of blowby.

In theory the fresh air hose has a vacuum on it except at WOT but if you have tons of blowby it'll come out there all the time.

If 20w50 isn't cutting it you have issues. No smoke/ motor honey is nasty stuff, just shake a bottle in the store to see.

 

[Zaedock]

I would look at the valve stem seals.

Check out this guy: Cressida Valve Stem Seals

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: Zaedock
I would look at the valve stem seals.

Check out this guy: Cressida Valve Stem Seals


I did check that out...ugh...what a frustrating thread to read.

The guy with the car just wouldn't/couldn't understand or get it...even after being told several times what was wrong, and how to fix it, and what oil to use (5W30 or 10W40), he goes and dumps more 20W50 in it...and wonders why that doesn't fix the blue smoke...

Some people don't want to be helped...

 

[Provi]

I am not sure if it is valve stem seals, I had a motor rebuilt and it would consume a lot of oil at idle (smoke) but on a long roadtrips it did not consume at all (no smoke), come to find out it was the low tension oil rings, op may just have worn oil rings.

 

[Astro14]

Fair enough...but dumping 20W50 in the engine (hey...why not a monograde racing 50?) isn't going to help determine the mechanical cause. Pull the valve cover, look at the seals...check PCV operation.

Sometimes, you can't fix a car by pouring something in the crankcase...you actually have to turn a wrench....

 

[RF Overlord]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
The guy with the car just wouldn't/couldn't understand or get it...even after being told several times what was wrong, and how to fix it,
Sounded like that kamesama980 guy knew what he was talking about, though...he should be a member here.

 

[Charlie1935]

Surely you jest! LOL

 

[Nickdfresh]

What kind of 20W-50? Has the OP tried a HM like MaxLife?

 

[mechtech2]

Originally Posted By: boostedtsiawd
about the crankcase ventilation system someone did a rig job and put a pcv valve elbow from the crankcase to the intake pipe when really it should be a hose going from crankcase to the throttle body so does that matter cause im sure my intake has oil in it?


This could be a part of the problem. No matter what,, fix it - put it back to standard.
That heavy oil is not the best thing to do for a bunch of reasons. Winter is high on the list. Extra drag for ower and economy are two others.

 

[CARGUY40]

im using castrol gtx high mileage part synthetic 20w50 oil.

 

[CARGUY40]

but how lots of cars have there pcv running from the crankcase to intake and dont smoke at all but originally thats not how it should be with my car.

 

[CARGUY40]

is it possible its smoking alot from using 20w-50 cause its too thick maybe try goin down to 10w-40 high mileage and see what happens?