mater1964
Florida
New Member
Joined: 08/08/2008
View Profile
 Offline
|
I have been out of the loop for a little while, so I hope I am not asking a recently posted question or beating a dead horse. I find automotive oils pretty fascinating because of the technology that goes into them and the services that are required of them.
Anyway, my question(s) is this. How many TV owners use the manufacturer's recommended grade/weight of engine oil and how many feel the need to increase because of the extra stress and heat associated with towing? How many still use a straight weight oil?
I often hear and read that some suggest increasing the weight of the oil for towing. I use to think that the heavier/thicker oil was better but now I believe that the thinner, manufacturers recommendation is better.
For example, where I work, one of the biggest debates is the use of 5W20 in the gas engines of the F and E series vehicles. Most everyone says that between the towing and heavy hauling and the high ambient temperatures, the 5W20 is inadaquate.
Sure would like to hear some theories and experiences.
My work truck is a 2002 F250 SD with the 5.4 and has run on 5W20 for 70,000 plus miles with no engine troubles.
My TV is a 2002 Suburban with the 5.3 and has run on 5W30 FOR 140,000 plus miles with no engine troubles and surprisingly no infamous piston slap either. Also, neither vehicle requires oil added between changes, (every 7,500 miles) even when they get worked hard.
|
pulsar
Lewisville, NC
Moderator
Joined: 12/30/2001
View Profile
|
Moved from Forum Technical Support.
2002 Adventurer 32V - Workhorse chassis
1998 CRV toad - manual transmission
Have you seen the RV.Net Blogs? You can subscribe at Blog.RV.Net
|
Tvov
CT
Senior Member
Joined: 07/19/2003
View Profile
|
I have been kind of wondering the same thing. My 2008 F250 recommends 5-20, and no other weights. My older trucks had various weight recommendations for different temperatures.
_________________________________________________________
2008 F-250 CrewCab 5.4L,
2004 21' Forest River Surveyor
|
goodcruisin
Greenwood, IN
Senior Member
Joined: 04/17/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
If you look at most owners manuals they usually don't change the grade of oil based on normal or severe driving. They change it based on outside tempurature. For instance if you live in a moderate climate they may say use a 5W because it's a little thinner at start up which allows the oil gets moving quicker. If you live in a hot climate then it may state to use a 10W because the heat will have already thinned it a little. Every vehicle I've had in the past 15 years has run at 190-195 regardless of whether I'm towing or not. Oil is going to remain at a constant temp and in the proper area of the engine regardless of it's load. Therefore, I use the recommended weight in the manual. Going thicker may actually damage the engine because it can't get to some areas of the engines due to the tight tolerances in todays engines.
John (USN Ret) and Debbie
The Paw Pack (Freckles, Stinky & Ranger)
'96 Monaco Windsor 36' DP 8.3L Cummins
Ready Brake w/ Demco Excali-bar
'03 Ford Explorer (Toad)
'04 Honda Insight
'04 Volvo S80 AWD
'74 Dart Swinger Drag Car
14' Boat 9.9 Mercury
|
big_murph_279
Concord, NC
New Member
Joined: 05/13/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
I am now a auto tech teacher but for the past 10 years I was a GM tech. I don't always worry about the winter number(5w or 10w). Where we live it really doesn't matter. I always use the correct weight for the last number(20, 30 or 40) My Honda Civic calls for 5w20. I use to think that this was two thin, I did use though. When talking to my brother in law who builds Honda race engines, he said the reason for the thin oil was the tight clearances on the cams. My 07 Chevy calls for 5w30 and I use 10w30 just because I buy it in bulk for my other two cars. It has a 5.3 and I tow a 27RB Salem(which my wife packs full). I just got done with a 1600 mile camping trip. I drove it in drive not overdrive, most of it was 70mph and when I got home I checked the oil. It didn't use a drop. I belive that you should use the correct oil rating for the truck, make sure you use a good quality oil and follow the service recomendations. One other thing. I don't use synthitic oils. They are great oil, there is nothing wrong with you using them but if you follow the service recomendations of your car or truck I think that you are wasting money.
|
|
|
Capt Skup
Southern Maryland/Nantucket
Senior Member
Joined: 05/14/2004
View Profile
|
I use what is recommended in the owners manual of each vehicle I own. Only thing I use straight grade oil in is the walk behind lawn mower, even my garden tractor uses a multi-weight oil. Walmart sell the Motorcraft brand Semi-synthetic 5W-20 for a very good price, $2.28 a quart I think. Seems to be good oil, I use it in my commuter Toyota and the wife's Camry and Odyssey.
Capt Skup
AD-1(AW)USN Ret.
Wonderful Wife, 3 beautiful Daughters
"Never get in a battle of wits with an unarmed man"
2008 F-450 Lariat 4x4
2008 Honda Odyssey EX-L
SunlineF281SR
SeaRay215EC
http://community.webshots.com/user/CaptSkup?vhost=community
|
blt2ski
Kirkland, Wa
Moderator
Joined: 03/15/2001
View Profile
Offline
|
Another factor which I experienced for the lower wt oils, is less energy to move the part with 20 wt vs 40, so typically you get better mpgs, which for the manufactures to a degree, trying to meet the EPA regs, you will see for gas motors the lighter wts recommended. I used some 5-20 in a 454 I had, and got about .5 mpg better than the recommended 10-40 or 10-30. My ex's 89 astro, also got about 1 mg better with 5-20 than a 10-30/40 oil too.
marty
05 Chev CC D/A LS Dooley
92 Navistar dump truck, 7.3L 7 sp, 4.33 gears with a Detroit no spin
00 Chev C2500, V5700, 4L80E, 4.10, base truck, no options!
92 Red-e-haul 12K equipment trailer
3 Single axle utility trailers
Check RV.Net Blogs at: blog.rv.net
|
VintageRacer
Dundas, Ontario
Senior Member
Joined: 04/02/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
The correct weight of oil is influenced more than anything else by clearances in the engine - bearing clearances and the clearances in the oil pump. Modern engines have very tight clearances and so they can use thinner oil - which has a benefit that directly relates to fuel mileage, so it's a good thing. Thicker oil doesn't particularly give better protection, but better oil does. Using thicker oil in an engine that isn't designed for it can certainly harm the engine and result in a shorter engine life, so why do it?
Now, when it has a zillion miles on it and it's all worn out - then thicker oil might help prevent the inevitable...
Brian
2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab, Hemi, 5 speed manual, 3.73 gears, Tow Beast hitch with 24" extension.
28 ft race car hauler, Lola T440 Formula Ford, NTM MK4 Sports Racer
2004 Travel Hawk 8' Truck Camper - Roll at 16K combined weight
|
tatest
Oklahoma
Senior Member
Joined: 05/14/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
Higher viscosity oil doesn't lubricate better, it simply moves more slowly.
Oil lubricates journal bearings by building up a high-pressure hydrodynamic barrier that keeps the two parts separate. Too little viscosity, the barrier collapses. Too high a viscosity, the oil moves too slowly and the barrier fails to build pressure.
Thus the viscosity needs to be correct for the clearances in the most critical journal bearings. The engineers who designed and tested the engine specify what that viscosity is. Something "thicker" doesn't necessarily work better.
That being said, at operating temperatures, the difference in viscosity between a SAE 20 spec and SAE 30 is small; much less than the degree of viscosity change as the engine warms up.
Biggest risk of too much viscosity is failure to get the oil into the bearings when the engine is cold.
Tom Test
Itasca Spirit 29B
2001 Ranger Edge
|
ib516
Up here!
Senior Member
Joined: 04/18/2003
View Profile
 Online
|
Where I work, we have a fleet of Ford Crown Victorias. When the new ones came out requiring 5w20, all our garage had was bulk 5w30, and they didn't want more barrels of oil to work around. The fleet supervisor phoned Ford, and asked. The answer was that 5w20 is specd for EPA reasons, and 5w30 would work fine. They use 5w30 in all of the vehicles, winter and summer.
That said, my diesel specs 15w40 in summer, and 5w40 synthetic in winter (below 0*F).
I use 0w40 synthetic year round.
2004 Cougar 301 BHS 6580# Dry, 9000# wet, 9600# GVWR)
2007 Dodge/5.9L Cummins 3500 SRW Megacab 4x4/3.73
Hypertech Max Energy
"MEGACASPER" 10100# GVWR, 5200# FGAWR, 6200# RGAWR
PICTURES
ELIM 3000 Gen (still going )
Collision Reconstructionist
ScanGauge2
|
|
|
|
