Briggs and Stratton Lubrication

Status
Not open for further replies.
Literally millions of Briggs L-heads still running in the world on anything short of vegetable oil. 30w, 10w-30, 15w-40, they've all been used. Some consume more than others in certain conditions. I've personally seen an L-head that was run without oil, seized up, then was filled with oil and restarted. Ran without issue. They are NOT picky about lubrication provided they have some.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: FastLane
Small engines generally last forever. I buy a jug of M1 10W30 when it goes on sale. I’ve yet to have an engine die.


I worked on a lawnmower engine that had a thick grease like mass in the crankcase. Hardly showed on the dipstick and it still ran. Smoked quite a bit but ran well enough to cut grass. The last mower engine that I saw die was due to plastic governor gear breaking. Oil brand/grade is likely the last thing to worry about. Keep it filled with anything reasonable and the engine will not likely die from an oil related issue.
 
Originally Posted By: boraticus
This line sounds a bit off : "Air-cooled engines burn about an ounce of oil per cylinder, per hour." Never have I seen an engine consume that much oil. Should have said "may possibly" burn that much oil.

I recall reading that line too. As of last weekend my JD-140 with 22 HP 724cc B&S V-Twin had run 33 hours this season without an added drop of oil. Going by that advice the motor should have no oil at all by now. Perhaps that advice was formulated back in the days of 10w30 Group II oils? Somehow I doubt that it applies to synthetic oils with a suitable HTHS viscosity.
 
This may be against the spirit of this forum, so please forgive me...

..but, why not just follow the manufacturer's recommendations for oil? I mean, their engineers would know better than we do which oil should be going into their engines and under what conditions. That's why they provided us all with oil viscosity charts.

This makes the task simple. Determine under which temperatures your engine will be used, then open up your equipment's manual and read which oil should be used for that temperature. Too easy.

My "Quantum" "6.5 HP" B&S-powered Yard Machines push mower specifies the use of a straight 30WT oil above 40*F. I do not mow in temperatures below 40*F because the grass really doesn't grow at that time of year. So my mower simply receives a fresh change of B&S 30WT right on time, every time. 13 years later, it still runs like new and uses no more oil than it did when it was new.

Why over complicate things?
confused.gif
 
I am sorry but 15w-50 at 20 F in a splash lubricated engine defies all the logic, common sense, previous recommendations, anecdotal evidence and personal experience I have in me.

I am going to chalk that chart up to being made by some corporate employee sitting at a cubicle, who knows nothing about small engines or motor oil. In the meantime, I will keep using my $2.50 a quart conventional 10w-30 and sleep well at night. I don't have the time or the spiritual fortitude for that madness.....
 
So it is OK to use a 20w50 in a slow revving aircooled Harley...and at the same time it is mindblowing to repeat that in a lawnmover with a similar design?
smile.gif
 
It seems that B&S has two or more OIL VS TEMP charts out. Which is the latest and greatest? My John Deere L111 with a B&S 20 HP twin states to use 5w30 or 10w30 Synthetic or 30 viscosity. NO mention of a 40 Vis at all. This engine has a oil pump system with a filter. Ed
 
Seems many commercial lawn folks do … same with many commercial fisherman with 40 HDEO in use …
Been comments on here about stretching parts, hmmm …
 
A 15W-40 may pump at 20°F, that doesn't mean we/you/they
would use it thus.
Few people will mow at 20°F.
Here, we know that air cooled LM engines that run wide open
most of the time can use all the help it can get.
The shroud does a fair job of keeping the temps down, but as
had been posted elsewhere, the oil temp after an extended operating
run, an hour in August is around 275° or so.
Use what you want.

My 2¢
 
Originally Posted By: AMC
I am sorry but 15w-50 at 20 F in a splash lubricated engine defies all the logic, common sense, previous recommendations, anecdotal evidence and personal experience I have in me.

I am going to chalk that chart up to being made by some corporate employee sitting at a cubicle, who knows nothing about small engines or motor oil. In the meantime, I will keep using my $2.50 a quart conventional 10w-30 and sleep well at night. I don't have the time or the spiritual fortitude for that madness.....
Ok, straight 30 at 40 degrees, 10w at 0 degrees, 15w at 20 degrees sounds reasonable.
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Briggs Link

They recommend 5W-30 for anything UNDER 100°F.

They recommend 15W-50 for anything OVER 20°F.

Great link. I like the plunky optimism of Briggs thinking anyone will be mowing when the temp is 120 or higher.
laugh.gif
 
That would also confirm the thinking of sae 40 or 50 in high temps, like running generators in florida for hours and hours.
However, I trust Briggs with the sae 30 recommendation and it works, but I also don't see the difference in splashability that some are talking about. a 40 or 50 is not like syrup when warm, just heat it and look. Splashes just fine.
Even in Sweden, my ope is starting just perfectly with 15w40 in the not so Florida like temps here. I do run 0w30 in the snowblower Tecumseh though, as I would in a Briggs.
I have ran old briggs with old time sae 40 for many hours and they seem to like it just as much as sae30.
 
Originally Posted By: Kamele0N
So it is OK to use a 20w50 in a slow revving aircooled Harley...and at the same time it is mindblowing to repeat that in a lawnmover with a similar design?
smile.gif


Harley uses an oil pump and roller bearings.
 
Like some bigger OPE engines...
smile.gif


For those with plain bearings I use LM MoS2 additive....with anything in xW40 range..
 
Here is the Briggs oil recommendation chart. It supersedes ALL previous oil recommendations. So if your oil recommendation in your manual does not look like this, then it is not the currently recommended oil suggestion. I do find it curious that they recommend 30 weights, and now a 50 weight oil, but completely bypass the very excellent SAE40 and 15W40 oils. CLEARLY a 40 weight oil is fine in these engines, in hot temps, if a 50 weight oil is fine and recommended by the manufacturer.

Oil_rec_chart.jpg

* Below 40°F (4°C) the use of SAE 30 will result in hard starting.
** Above 80°F (27°C) the use of 10W30 may cause increased oil consumption. Check oil level more frequently.


This little blurb below from their website, wasn't there before. This is NEW information, as of this year. They got tired of warranty replacing engines early in Texas, Arizona, and Florida on commercially used power equipment, stationary pumps, and generators.:

"Outdoor temperatures determine the proper oil viscosity for the engine. Use the chart to select the best viscosity for the outdoor temperature range expected. Engines on most outdoor power equipment operate well with 5W30 Synthetic oil. For equipment operated in hot temperatures, Vanguard 15W50 Synthetic oil provides the best protection."


According to Briggs website, this is what they have to say about their Vanguard synthetic 15W50:

"Vanguard 15W-50 100% Full Synthetic engine oil was designed for demanding commercial engine applications. It is ideal for prolonged use work applications that require maximum engine protection and performance.

100% Full Synthetic
Reduced Oil Consumption
Longer Life
Zinc anti-wear additive
Operating temperature range 20° to 130°
Designed for commercial engine applications
Warranty-approved

Designed for use in commercial applications such as zero-turn mowers, pressure washers, ride-on mowers, etc., and can save on costly repairs while maintaining warranty coverage. "
 
Originally Posted By: mk378
Originally Posted By: AMC
Most briggs engines call for 10w-30 or SAE 30 and for good reason. The smaller briggs engines are splash lubricated and any xx-40 or higher oil may be too thick for the dipper(s) to throw and splash the oil around well enough.

Finally someone mentions this. Briggs used to be quite adamant in their instructions "Do not use 10W40 oil" or of course anything heavier. The lack of splash lubrication could be especially severe on a cold start. I always wondered how the top crank bearing in a vertical shaft lawn mower gets any oil.


That was from the 70's when certain 10W40 oils were terrible and would break down into a nasty goo. I am certain that any modern 10W40 would be perfectly fine in any small engines these days. Modern 10W40 is a MUCH better product than 1977 10W40.
 
Originally Posted By: JimmyChainsaw
There are no OPE engine manufacturers recommending 40 weight oils.


Alternative facts? Not true. Briggs now has 50 weight. As does Kawasaki. The last Kohler chart I saw had 40 weight on it.

Here is a Kawasaki small engine chart:
oil-chart.png
 
Straight 30wt in any thing connected with grass cutting, a total of 7 engines. 10/30 syn in the 3 generators because they can be used in
the winter but we seldom get too cold. 10/30 in the truck what ever is on sale. The BMW gets M1 HM 10/30 like the generators. The diesel tractor and the honda 4 wheeler gets 15/40. I use super tech 30wt becaue of the cost with out having to use rebates.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top