5W-20 vs. 5W-30 vs 10W-30

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quote:

Originally posted by Gary Allan:
This link has the real fat, skinny, and the moxie to do it for you Buford!No!! This guy has all of Buford's answers ...for real!

lol.gif
 
quote:

Originally posted by Buford T. Justice:
Bryanccfshr: Good info.

Triple_Se7en: Good point, but it might be clsoe. I have never seen 5W-40 poured, etc.

Rodbuckler: I am tempted to try it, but it sounds to me like it will burn oil. I guess our engines are too accustomed to 5W-30.

BlazerLT: Yes I know the W stands for weight, but it is still 5W weight meaning 5 winter weight right?


I never caught that obvious mistake. I meant that the W stands for WINTER. My bad.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Buford T. Justice:

quote:

Originally posted by Buford T. Justice:
Bryanccfshr: Good info.

Triple_Se7en: Good point, but it might be clsoe. I have never seen 5W-40 poured, etc.

Rodbuckler: I am tempted to try it, but it sounds to me like it will burn oil. I guess our engines are too accustomed to 5W-30.

BlazerLT: Yes I know the W stands for weight, but it is still 5W weight meaning 5 winter weight right?


I never caught that obvious mistake. I meant that the W stands for WINTER. My bad.


Ah, ok, that's cool.
 
Buford,

If I have offended you, I offer my apologies. My intent was complimentary when I commented on how civil the thread had been. As to answering your question, I thought that was done on the first page of the thread. If your question remained unanswered after the first page, then I still don't understand the question.

Your question seems to revolve around the idea that 5WX oils are nearly idendical at ambient temps. It was presented that the grade system descibes two extremes in temps and that ambient is not described in that system.

Curious about viscostiy? Here are a couple of 2002 threads. Neither thread is closed. However, I don't think that either thread can supply information that is not offered in this thread.

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000438#000007
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000549#000000
 
Can we please cut the crap and stop proclaiming, with a blanket statement that, "5w30 is better for a hot engine than 5w20"... (I'm paraphrasing some of Bufurd's comments in this thread)

There is absolutely no proof to this statement...

All you have to do is search through the UOA's on here for people running 5w20 dino for up to 7-8k miles and see that their oil is performing wondorfully.

If thicker is so much better why not just dump 2 pounds of bearing grease in the bottom of your oil pan? (joke of course)

I own 2 Honda's and will stick with the recommended 5w20. How many Honda engines have failed since the switch from 5w30 to 5w20 several years ago???

It is not a CAFE conspiracy to ruin your engines for the sake of gas mileage folks!!!
 
quote:

Originally posted by Buford T. Justice:
I think the point I have been trying to elude to is that I wonder why 5W-20 is now becoming the norm. Meaning isn't 5W-30 superb for today's cars? Meaning 5W-30 is pretty thin when hot and offers the same cold protection since both are 5W. In other words, how can a thinner version (5W-20) of an oil that is already pretty thin (5W-30) be any better?

How can 5w-20 offer better protection than a 5w-30?
That all depends on your engine! If the engineer "designed" the engine to run on 5w-20, then that is what it was made for. Thicker oil does not always give better protection.

There is one caveat to my answer.
Many argue that 5w-20 is only recommended for better fuel consumption. And that a 5w-30 is the better oil for these cars.
I cannot tell you if this is true or not.
 
I think I figured out how to use the search function effectively, lol. Just whatever topic you are trying to learn more about, be sure to search all the forums then go to the last page of results which are the oldest ones. When you click on a link, be sure to go to the first post in the thread and read the whole thread.

By doing that, I found these topics which answered a few of the questions I have asked here...

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=010687
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=010868
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=010832
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=010520
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=010499
 
Jay: For that same Honda, the European recommendation is 5W-30. I've even matched engine parts numbers with European and NA engines. They're equal.

"There is absolutely no proof to this statement..."
Jay: Your right, but 5W-30 has proven itself in those engines in all parts of the world (exept NA/Canada).
 
quote:

Originally posted by BlazerLT:

quote:

Originally posted by sinker73:
5W-20 and 5W-30 are both the same viscosity at room temp. They both start with the same base oil--what we designate 5W. The additives that turn it into a 20 or 30 only do so at warmer temps. The additives are little (plastic like) molecules that "unstretch" at warmer temps. When they do so, they "grab" the nearby oil molecules (which are smaller) and thus "thicken" the oil. (BTW, "shearing" is when these large molecules break and no longer "grab" the smaller oil molecules.)

At room temp, when the plastic-like molecules are not spread out, the oils from a can of 5-20 and 5-30 should run the same.


lol, so oil thickens when it gets hot.

That is weird, when I drain my oil out of my hot engine it is like water compared to what it is out of the bottle at room temp.

Ignorance is thick with the new guys.


No, Blazer, all oil thins when hot. But multi oils thin differently than straight. When that hot 200 degree oil comes out of your engine it's of course thinner than room temp 5 weight... But it's thicker than 200 degree 5 weight. In fact, it's about as thick as 200 degree 30 weight. =)

Perhaps you should learn a bit before you start with the names.
 
quote:

Originally posted by TomJones76:

quote:

Originally posted by sinker73:
5W-20 and 5W-30 are both the same viscosity at room temp. They both start with the same base oil--what we designate 5W. The additives that turn it into a 20 or 30 only do so at warmer temps. The additives are little (plastic like) molecules that "unstretch" at warmer temps. When they do so, they "grab" the nearby oil molecules (which are smaller) and thus "thicken" the oil. (BTW, "shearing" is when these large molecules break and no longer "grab" the smaller oil molecules.)

At room temp, when the plastic-like molecules are not spread out, the oils from a can of 5-20 and 5-30 should run the same.


Room temp isn't where the "5W" is calibrated.
The 5W refers to oil properties at -25 F or so.
Also, the base oil is NOT usually 5W.
It would be typical for a 5W30 to be a 10W or 20W, then have pour point depressants added to improve starting, and have more additives put in to improve its viscosity index and make the "30" part accurate.


I never said at what temp 5W is designated. It doesn't matter. It's a standard. 5W is the same oil whether we are at -40 or 110 degrees.

Yes, the base for 5W-30 is 5 weight oil. The additives "thicken" it as it warms. (Relatively)
 
quote:


Originally posted by Buford T. Justice:

In other words, how can a thinner version (5W-20) of an oil that is already pretty thin (5W-30) be any better?

One more thing in regards to CAFE. If it is being mandated for vehicle manufacturers to use 5W-20 or not they pay fines, why does GM and numerous other vehicles still use 5W-30?


Vote to Ban!
 
quote:

Originally posted by Auto-Union:

quote:


Originally posted by Buford T. Justice:

In other words, how can a thinner version (5W-20) of an oil that is already pretty thin (5W-30) be any better?

One more thing in regards to CAFE. If it is being mandated for vehicle manufacturers to use 5W-20 or not they pay fines, why does GM and numerous other vehicles still use 5W-30?


Vote to Ban!


You feeling OK?
 
quote:

Originally posted by Buford T. Justice:


3) My oil pressure gauge goes straight to the recommended pressure on start up which to me means that the oil is on the critical parts that wear down at start up when no oil is on them. It is instantaneous. There is no delay.

4) Thicker oils quiet engines. Engines will wear down no matter what. The thickest oil you can safely run (comparing 5W-20 to 5W-30) should be used.


I'm not an "oil guy" I'm a motor guy and want to correct some miss statements here on this thread that are not correct.

First off the 4.6 Will run on the "revised" oil just fine without oil burning. My 95 with the modular has 120K and does just fine.

Secondly, Buford, you do know your "oil pressure" gauge is nothing but an "idiot" gauge? It shows the same reading for 6 psi or 60 psi. And just because the sender has pressure it doesn't mean the cam caps have it yet. I can also bet the engine has a good rattle on start-up as the timing chain tensioners probably bleed off. It takes a little longer to quiet with the heaver oil. That can be hard on parts.

Thicker oils quiets them and also starves them of proper lubrication on cold start-up. You can believe what you want but running that oil in a 4.6 isn't needed.
 
quote:

Originally posted by BuzzCut:
I'm not an "oil guy" I'm a motor guy and want to correct some miss statements here on this thread that are not correct.

First off the 4.6 Will run on the "revised" oil just fine without oil burning. My 95 with the modular has 120K and does just fine.

Secondly, Buford, you do know your "oil pressure" gauge is nothing but an "idiot" gauge? It shows the same reading for 6 psi or 60 psi. And just because the sender has pressure it doesn't mean the cam caps have it yet. I can also bet the engine has a good rattle on start-up as the timing chain tensioners probably bleed off. It takes a little longer to quiet with the heaver oil. That can be hard on parts.

Thicker oils quiets them and also starves them of proper lubrication on cold start-up. You can believe what you want but running that oil in a 4.6 isn't needed.


I appreciate your post. I believe my car would probably be OK with 5W-20, but when the car was built the oil recommended was 5W-30 all year or 10W-30 for the summer. It has always used 5W-30 with no problems whatsoever.

The oil gauge doesn't have numbers on it, but it is an gauge regardless. It has a graph on it with NORMAL in the middle. Mine is usually between the R and M when full.

5W-30 is not much thicker than 5W-20 at startup. The difference is next to nothing.

Heck, I am thinking about running 0W-30.
 
Buford. What he says is true. Your gauge will read the same regardless of the pressure ..as long as it has pressure. It's a light with a needle for an indicator. It may change slightly due to the change in resistance of the wire as it warms.

It has two states ...no reading ..and where ever it ends up with current going through it. It's blind and numb/dumb.

(visions of Young Frankenstein "Was this a NORMAL brain?" "Yes" "...what kind of NORMAL?" "AbbyNormal"
grin.gif
)
 
quote:

Originally posted by Buford T. Justice:

quote:

Originally posted by Auto-Union:

quote:


Originally posted by Buford T. Justice:

In other words, how can a thinner version (5W-20) of an oil that is already pretty thin (5W-30) be any better?


>>

One more thing in regards to CAFE. If it is being mandated for vehicle manufacturers to use 5W-20 or not they pay fines, why does GM and numerous other vehicles still use 5W-30?

>>


Vote to Ban!


You feeling OK?




rolleyes.gif
 
It isn't that much thicker! That's the point!

So the EPA is not mandating CAFE standards? I need to research that a little more.

I am tired of hearing how 5W-20 is so great. It is not better than 5W-30. If you look at some Mustang GT and other performance car forums, you will see many guys ignore the 5W-20 recommendation and just use 5W-30 and have suffered no consequences by using it. NONE.

If you are tired of the same questions then stop reading them.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Gary Allan:
Buford. What he says is true. Your gauge will read the same regardless of the pressure ..as long as it has pressure. It's a light with a needle for an indicator. It may change slightly due to the change in resistance of the wire as it warms.

It has two states ...no reading ..and where ever it ends up with current going through it. It's blind and numb/dumb.

(visions of Young Frankenstein "Was this a NORMAL brain?" "Yes" "...what kind of NORMAL?" "AbbyNormal"
grin.gif
)


I find this suspect. An "idiot light" comes on when the oil is low. If not low, it is off. How can my oil gauge then be on all the time when the car is running? I would think the needle would go lower if the oil is going low. But my car burns nor leaks any oil so I can't say.
 
Since 1986 check out here too

Or ..just put Ford fake oil pressure gauge into google. You'll get everything from F150's to Mazda Miatas.

Enjoy the revelation, my friend
cheers.gif

(visions of The Summer of 42 when Hermy spent the entire movie having a firm grip on his girl's shoulder ..thinkin' he was getting lucky
grin.gif
)
 
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