NO!
0w20 in a JD F510 with Kawasaki PA540V 17 hp ?
- Thread starter SHOZ
- Start date
And why not? In an engine such as this MOFT is your friend. It is a very reasonable and factually sound recommendation.
Because I am not using it as designed and apparently you haven't been reading my post thoroughly enough.
It makes zero difference how you are using it here. A 40-grade oil is quite appropriate for your operating circumstances and that engine.
If you have problems starting in cold weather with that oil then there is something wrong with the machine.
Read a little more......
0w20 vs 0w40 or 5w40 is not going to make the difference you think it will. The oil doesn't create THAT much drag on the engine. You likely have another issue as others have mentioned.
Before swapping the engine on my grandfather's Scag mower, I had to start it and move it into the garage. The old engine had 15w40 Rotella in it, and low compression on one cylinder, along with some weak battery cables. It cranked slow but still fired up in 10 degree weather.
Going to 0w20 won't make a bit of difference for starting, when the battery is dead that quickly.
Why not if the battery is fully charged to start with? Does cold oil increase amperage pull when cranking? Does 20 weight oil cause less amperage pull? Is it better to run a 40w oil at 30F-100F or a lighter weight oil?
it has a volt meter on it and it runs at +14v above idle. It has an oil temp gauge on it and it never moves off cold (100F) when below 70F as I am using it now. I never run it at full speed as it's only used for towing.
The starter cable at the starter has never been touched in 23 years. I'll take that off to look for corrosion and measure to make bigger cables for when I have time this summer.
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It won't make the difference you are thinking it will.
Kind of a moot point now that winter has apparently gone. I will use it when I change oil the next time.Are you wanting us to say what you want to hear?
Yes, use the 0w20. You’re good to go.
I've been out working in this great el nino winter since December. Hasn't been a whole lot of cold this year. Been in the 70Fs last week.
I put a good used head, new gaskets on it last summer with a new carb and fuel pump. The exhaust valve was stuck open on the old one. I think it would benefit with a primer bulb for the fuel. First cold crank has always been long one. It starts no different than it always did.
I looked at the cables and they would appear to be plenty big. I'm going to do an amp draw on it when cranking cold.
What about the charging system on these things? Is that adjustable/upgradable?
I found some #4 cable with terminals already on them just the right length. Had to drill out one of the cables as the holes were too small. It sounded like it spun faster but was in the 50Fs and already been stated once. Sunday morning will be two days of cold and below freezing so I'll know then if that helps.
Good cables, good grounds/battery, and a good starter are key. I've replaced a few starters on those Kawasakis because even with everything else good they still didn't crank fast enough, and a new starter solved the issue.
My '98 Exmark walkbehind has a FC420V on it, and it always starts second pull even when it is cold out and I need to move it, and it currently has 15w40 in the sump.
My '98 Exmark walkbehind has a FC420V on it, and it always starts second pull even when it is cold out and I need to move it, and it currently has 15w40 in the sump.
Lawn and Garden batteries are in general pretty weak. Whenever I replace one I only use the 300+ CCA rating batteries, especially for a twin cylinder. Sounds like the charging system is working okay.
FWIIW I am about to begin season #6 with a 230 CCA battery from Walmart on a JD D140 with 22 HP / 724 vv V-Twin. I think the secret is keeping them charged in the off season. I am not certain that the 300 CCA U1 size batteries really make sense. The plates are probably thinner and thus more likely to fail.
Just out of curriosity, have you ever weighed a 230 and 300 CCA battery? Capacity in amp-hours is proportinal to the mass of the reactants. Starting power in CCA is proportional to the surface area of the plates. The only way to produce more CCA in a fixed U1 format is to make the plates thinner.
