Short trip VS Viscosity

[PimTac]

I would venture to say that the 0w20 oils today are superior to the SAE30 oils of 50 years ago and beyond.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I would venture to say that the 0w20 oils today are superior to the SAE30 oils of 50 years ago and beyond.

In AW/AF additives to reduce wear (film strength) when rubbing between parts occurs ... but not in viscosity and resulting film thickness/MOFT.

 

[gregk24]

Technology changes, additives and engine design certainly also come into play here. Is 0w20 appropriate for ALL engine designs? NO! Is it appropriate for many modern vehicles in production today, yes.

You are looking for facts. So here is one, 20 grades have been around for 20 years now. Many of these vehicles have over 200K miles on them. FACT.

 

[gregk24]

A thicker film would coat any internal components for much longer, the thicker it is the less oxidation prone it is, friction between the oil helps accelerate moisture burn off , increasing the longevity of the oil, thicker oils such as a 15w40 have less viscosity improvers which can lead to less oxidation and decreases the eventual degradation of the oil due to less reliance on viscosity index improvers.

Be it diesel or gasoline based motor oil, similar 15w40's should still have relatively similar film strengths due to the base oils and other improvers added, although anti wear additives in diesel oils help maintain film strength much better than gasoline hdeo's due to additive packages and their difference because of the protection of emission components.

a 10w-30 has much better cold flow than a 15w40, 10w30 used to be I believe the standard motor oil for many vehicles.

Although depending on your environment, you should use the appropriate cold start weight, if its snowing, and very cold, a 5w or 0w will offer much better cold flow, at this point the oil is thicker a whole lot , I would not worry about timing chain protection in such coldness, as the oil will be somewhat thicker than the actual cold start weight as stated, so in the winter a 0w-x, or 5w-x , and maybe 10w-x is much better suited than a thicker oil, as coldness increases the viscosity of the oils, even the thinner ones, it should not sacrifice protection.

You have no business using such thin oils in warmer climates, ambient temperatures play a big role in engine temperatures, most vehicles are liquid cooled, and these radiators are cooled by air.

Your oil plays a big part in cooling an engine, using thinner oils in a warmer climate can lead to higher degradation of the oil, a thicker oil should absorb more heat due to higher friction, and a thicker oil has higher film strength, which is why thicker oils are much better suited in hot climates. This goes for short trips aswell, engines will heat up quicker, and hot engines can tolerate thicker oils than shearing oils that can accelerate wear.

It comes down to your ambient environment most importantly.

No business? The engineers / owners manual have something else to say. Also, ambient temperature has little to do with engine oil temperature.

 

[PimTac]

Technology changes, additives and engine design certainly also come into play here. Is 0w20 appropriate for ALL engine designs? NO! Is it appropriate for many modern vehicles in production today, yes.

You are looking for facts. So here is one, 20 grades have been around for 20 years now. Many of these vehicles have over 200K miles on them. FACT.

 

[GoToGuy_Ron]

Alot of experts stating alot of expert advice. Are any chemist, metallurgy engineers, petroleum refinery? Sounds like some hates cafe standards, so adapt and overcome, it has developed alot of progress along the way. Engines need oil for cooling, specifically friction heat reduction. Heat from combustion process it controlled through liquid coolant transfer. What does your factory handbook recommend for your engine type. And your location. You could use the lowest temp your area experienced as a guide to what multigrade to use. As I reside in California's central valley, today it reached 107° Fahrenheit. Five months ago it was 34°F in the morning. In the San Francisco bay it rarely gets above 82-85 in summer. So really a good quality multi covering the lowest temp you would experience. And when you drive it drive long enough to everything to normal operating temps. It best for the vehicle and good for you to anticipate any future mechanical needs. I use Mobil 1 synthetic in my vehicles. I used castrol 20-50 in Chevy dually four wheel drive. It worked hard and often towed two horse large trailer, or flat car haul trailer. For your stock, unmodified vehicle the info in your handbook is your best guidance first.