Users of 15w40 or 20w50, check in please...

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My first new truck was a 1980 Toyota with the 20R or 22R motor (Can't recall).

I ran Esso XD-3 15W-40 in summer and Esso XD-3 "Arctic" 0W-30 in winter, same as my heavy equipment.

In 1984 I got a new Ford pickup with 302 V8. It ran Delvac 1, same as my heavy equipment. I still have that old beast, thanks to yearly rustproofing, and it has around 528,000km on it.

In 1990 I bought a Toyota 4Runner with 3.0 V6. It ran Delvac 1 except for the 5 years I lived in Salt Lake City, when I ran Mobil 1 15W-50 year round (Easier to find and cheaper). Never used oil even with 16,000km OCI's and hard driving in the mountains.

In 1992 I bought a Honda Prelude SR and ran Delvac 1 with good results. In 1995 I tried a summer fill with Mobil 1 15W-50 and drove it on a road trip from home to Salt Lake City, through the South to Orlando Florida, then back home. Very quiet, no oil use, no difference in fuel economy.

In 2000 I ordered a GMC Sierra pickup with Vortec 5.3 litre V8. I run Mobil 1 0W-30 winter, and have played around with different summer grades. My best result was summer 2001 running Mobil 1 15W-50: no oil use, very quiet, no difference in fuel economy.

I have no hesitation using HDEO's or thicker oils in warmer temps. They protect the motor much better, especially HDEO's as they have to deal with high soot loads. My 1984 Ford is testimony to what a HDEO can do for a motor.

I plan on using Mobil 1 15W-50 in my GMC Sierra as a summer oil from now on.

Jerry
 
I live in the Socal desert. Summer temps run around 110F to 125F. Winter is usually 40F, Although it snowed 1/2 inch 2 weeks ago.

I have 20w-50 in my old pickup. The oil consumption has dropped dramatically and oil pressure is up compared to the straight SAE30 I usually run in it.

I'm thinking of trying it in my 02, Jeep 4.0 .

Some folks on this board say that the Jeep engine gives better wear numbers with thicker oil.
 
buster, If you look closely none have complained of excessive oil consumption or drastic reduction in fuel ecconomy!

Just about everyone that run 5W30 especialy conventional ends up with crazy oil consuption past 120,000-150,000 miles! Then they try to switch to thicker oil to restore oil pressure, reduce consumption, quite noisy valvetrain!!!

If they would have used a thicker oil especialy when temps permitted they could have prevented alot of these issues before they got started! The one possable comprimise type product that migh just be close to a year round product are 100% synthetic 5W40 oils! I can not think of any place in USA or Western Europe that a 5W40 like Delvac-1 could not protect an engine.

On that same note a more cost effective way around this would be to run a good HDDO 15W40 in the warm months and then run a synthetic 5W30,10W30, 0W30, 5W40 dureing the winter. This would give you cold pumping in the winter when it is need but would reduce cost dureing the spring, summer and fall! You would not need to scarfice protection at all. If you change your oil ever 6 months that is two oil changes a year!
 
Nearly every available syn here only comes in 5W40. There are some notable exceptions though. The oddity is that 0W20 was probably available here before general availability in US/Canada. Fuchs Titan GT-1 0W20 been here since late 2000 they tell me. Even prised out of the guy it is ester based oil (they refused to tell me before)
 
For some time many have said that these type of oils with thier high phosphorus / zddp content will (poison) a Catalytic Converter.......

So has anyone here or do you know of anyone who has usd these oils ... that had to replace thier Cat con ??.... Thus far as I think back ( and 20W-50 ) is very popular oil around my area...I've never used it tho.... I cant think of anyone that had to replace their cat let alone anyone who could prove that oil poisoned their cat con....Anyone know anyone who had that problem ? Is it really a problem ?
 
IMHO, there is absolutely no reason to run a mineral-based 20w-50 unless you are suffering from abnormally high consumption rates.

The HDEO 15w-40's can protect better, give longer drain intervals, and offer much better engine cleanliness to boot.

I use HDEO 15w-40's (as long as they are appropriate for the engine) because they are a great value, and, although I'm repeating myself here...give great engine protection and keep it clean.

Calvin - I've stated a few times that I firmly believe that the catalytic converter issue is way overblow, and while the higher phosphorus level could possibly cause shorter converter life (hmmm, 100k vs. 110k), HDEO's, in comparison to other mineral-based oils, do not burn-off as much and pass oil-vapor through the exhaust system, thus, and increase in phosphorus is offset...dare I say running an HDEO could actually increase converter life in comparison to running a mineral PCEO?
 
I thought you stated that the 15-40 "brought the oil consumption down". Down from what 10k ago?
 
quote:

Originally posted by TR3-2001SE:
I have use the 20w-50 for about 5 years here in Eastern North Carolina. My toyota starting using oil about 150,000 and I switched from 10w-40 to Castrol gtx 20w-50. I have an additional 100,000 and it has protected the car well through two overheats where the radiator went and then a hose. Radiator shop said the headgasket was blown but I just put in a new Radiator myself and all is well. That was about 2 years ago.
I have used it in my TR3 for 30 years. The original engine went 100,000 and the rings went.
Rebuilt in 1990 and has gone an additional 28,000 with no problems so far.
I think it is an excellent oil for high milage
cars that surely have large clearences. It is recomended by Triumph in the owners manual.


Hey guys, this is a huge benefit that I have never before seen discussed here!
I too, have had water pump failures and AC compressor burn outs in Florida summers, and I believe only the heavier 15w-40 and 20w-50 oils that I ran down there, saved my engine from seizure.
This subject of film protection in an overheated breakdown, deserves a thread on it's own!
 
And I am adding my new ( to me) car.

A 89 S13 with a Silvia front end and (drum roll) a SR20DET!

Will see K&N filter with Mobil 1 15w-50.

Fred...
smile.gif
 
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