Straight 30 getting hard to find

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Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
Also, most straight 30s these days are low-budget offerings for mowers, etc, while multigrades carry stringent specs. It’s not an apples to apples comparison, as there’s far more that differs than just base oil viscosity and VII between straight 30 and multigrades on the shelf today.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s not a good/fair comparison, because there are far more variables that differ (beyond base oil and VII) between SAE 30 and a multigrades.
the oil I'm findinghas the latest api rating.
 
Originally Posted By: das_peikko
O'Reilly keeps Chevron 30 behind the counter in the back room. Super special stuff. Most people are unworthy of having such a special oil.


You have to uses the secret request: “ Gimme some of that 30 weight Dagnabbit. “

And they will reply with “ Here you go Grandpa”
 
Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
That’s because it’s only used by lawnmowers these days. Your average 10W-30 will outperform straight 30 across the board.

Wrong, but thank you for playing.
Many, many applications where a straight 30 will outperform a 10w30, and quite a few 5 and 10w requirements would be better served by a straight weight.
Straight 30's are still in farm type stores, John Deere dealers, and on the interwebs. Fleet straight 30 is still at some WalMarts.
Mobil 1630 is at Rural King. Sleeper oil.....
Brad Penn straight 30 is at Amazon... That's some straight up yummy stuff there. Good on salads too.
 
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I find it at REAL autoparts stores.

Jeepers I think Walmart has Rotella 30HD.

What hard to find is rotella triple 10w30

THAT was the go to "semi HD" and OPE oil for DECADES.

Great for Gennies and Mowers and Subaru EJ's
 
Originally Posted By: Dyusik
SAE40 is even worse. Far as I know around here only napa stocks it. And at 18 bucks a gallon ugh...


Tractor Supply, AAP, and even Home Depot carry it here.
 
Originally Posted By: beanoil
Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
That’s because it’s only used by lawnmowers these days. Your average 10W-30 will outperform straight 30 across the board.

Wrong, but thank you for playing.
Many, many applications where a straight 30 will outperform a 10w30, and quite a few 5 and 10w requirements would be better served by a straight weight.
Straight 30's are still in farm type stores, John Deere dealers, and on the interwebs. Fleet straight 30 is still at some WalMarts.
Mobil 1630 is at Rural King. Sleeper oil.....
Brad Penn straight 30 is at Amazon... That's some straight up yummy stuff there. Good on salads too.


Straight 30 for passengers cars (what this forum is about) is not the best choice. There is a reason the industry moved towards multi-grade oils... Most engine wear happens at and following start-up, and straight 30 isn't the best option to combat that.

If you could hold everything beyond basestock viscosity and VII-treat equal (additives, basestock quality, etc.), YES a straight 30 would outperform a multigrade in an engine up-to-temp... however, that's not really reality.
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
15W-40 is the new 30.


Right or wrong..........I have been using Rotella 15w-40 in all my mowers, tractors, go karts, etc for years.
 
There is no point hunting down 30 weight and paying a lot for it. Those OPE engines aren't that expensive or fussy. Use either 15w40 HDEO, 10w30 HDEO, 10w30 or 5w30 full synthetic, 15w50. 5w40 HDEO is about the best all around oil for OPEs. All these oils are commonly available and just look for a good deal and your good to go. I stocked up on M1 TDT 5w40 for my lawn mower when Wal-Mart had it for a good deal. Plus there was a rebate going on.
 
I found a 2 gallon jug of hd30 supertech at the Plymouth ma Walmart recently. 25 dollars. I use it in the trans am with bearing issues and it runs a bit quieter
 
Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
Originally Posted By: beanoil
Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
That’s because it’s only used by lawnmowers these days. Your average 10W-30 will outperform straight 30 across the board.

Wrong, but thank you for playing.
Many, many applications where a straight 30 will outperform a 10w30, and quite a few 5 and 10w requirements would be better served by a straight weight.
Straight 30's are still in farm type stores, John Deere dealers, and on the interwebs. Fleet straight 30 is still at some WalMarts.
Mobil 1630 is at Rural King. Sleeper oil.....
Brad Penn straight 30 is at Amazon... That's some straight up yummy stuff there. Good on salads too.


Straight 30 for passengers cars (what this forum is about) is not the best choice. There is a reason the industry moved towards multi-grade oils... Most engine wear happens at and following start-up, and straight 30 isn't the best option to combat that.

If you could hold everything beyond basestock viscosity and VII-treat equal (additives, basestock quality, etc.), YES a straight 30 would outperform a multigrade in an engine up-to-temp... however, that's not really reality.


Well the data shows just the opposite. Multi-grades are made for marketing and distribution reasons. No company wants to make 5 different regional products, when they can make pretty much one product for a world market ...

If SAE 30 HD were inferior, why would really expensive engines like aero and ships rely on it? And why would there be engines that will not tolerate anything else?




Lots of discussion here: SAE 30 Discussion
 
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Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
Most engine wear happens at and following start-up,


Most of it occurs during warm-up...and the oil is flowing all the way through it.
 
And a higher HTHS straight grade is likely to warm up a bit faster than a lower HTHS multi grade as well IMO.

I have run SAE 30 in several vehicles and as long as its at least 45F there is no perceptible difference whatsoever from a 10w30 at start up.
 
Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
Multi-grades are made for marketing and distribution reasons. No company wants to make 5 different regional products, when they can make pretty much one product for a world market ...


You state that multi-grades are made for marketing reasons and provided one chart. I can't say whether you're right or wrong, because I haven't done all the research myself, but I tend to side with companies that have invested billions in developing robust oil specs (such as MB 229.5 or LL-01) that spec multi-grades, even in the hottest of climates.

Curious, what would you say is a conservative minimum/winter temp you'd be safe taking SAE 30 to? I'd be worried about engines designed to suck up 0W/5W through the pickup tube trying to suck up SAE 30... even if it is considered "pumpable."
 
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Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
Most engine wear happens at and following start-up,


Most of it occurs during warm-up...and the oil is flowing all the way through it.


That's what I meant by saying "following start-up." There's additives that don't activate until a particular temperature is reached, and tolerances in an engine aren't perfect when cold.
 
Originally Posted By: 1JZ_E46
[...] I'd be worried about engines designed to suck up 0W/5W through the pickup tube trying to suck up SAE 30... even if it is considered "pumpable."


Yet another EPA thing....

Back in the days before EPA meddling with it, car manuals had a diagram showing a range of temperatures and several oil recommendations based on the expected temperature spread. Followed by a text saying something like "chose the oil that most closely covers the expected range of temperatures you would operate your vehicle in during your next OCI".

You didn't need to worry about pickup tubes or anything. You would just pick the best matched oil, and if your expected temperatures were 10-30 Celsius, and a SAE 30 would be covering that, you would just pour it into the engine.

These days you still see that diagram, but with only one 0W20 oil on it, covering everything from Alaska to Texas climates. Really guys? And, without any other information, you start worrying about everything.

My snowblower manual (not messed up by EPA yet) tells me to use 5W30 unless I expect temperatures under -25C at which point I should use 0W30. They do give preference to a 5W over a 0W if the 0W is not really called for. Why would that be? Wouldn't it had been easier to plaster a 0W30 on all temperature ranges and so be it?
 
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