ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
Heck I do it in the Caprice and Trans Am. As long as it isn't cooking oil...do it.
All true in theory, but it is a lawn mower with splash lubrication, not a complex automobile engine. The number of mowers I see every year that have been running with almost no oil, or the original oil and are fine is insane. Is xw20 optimal? No, and not recommended, but using it until the next oil change won't kill the engine, especially if he keeps up with the level, and that was my point. There are cars out there running 0w20 and 5w20 with much higher oil temps than a lawn mower.That's one key. The other (and at least equally important key) is to prevent metal-to-metal contact in the engine as the oil thins due to heat. An inadequate MOFT will kill the engine pretty quick. An engine full of oil at a temperature where the film thickness is insufficient won't prevent failure just because of the quantity.
Could be, maybe? For sure if you are running it near maximum output for extended periods of time, then something like a 15W40 is better. If you are mowing a few taller weeds on a dried out lawn, then anything is fine. Bogging through 8"+ of wet grass, or running 100% duty cycle on your pressure washer, probably a thicker oil more temperature tolerant oil is going to be a good idea.Running a 20-grade oil in air-cooled OPE in Houston is beyond foolish.
Why is Kawasaki recommending 50 grade oil in their engine's currently just because they must have a reason. 20 grade oil is absolutely foolish to run in Houston in a OPE.All true in theory, but it is a lawn mower with splash lubrication, not a complex automobile engine. The number of mowers I see every year that have been running with almost no oil, or the original oil and are fine is insane. Is xw20 optimal? No, and not recommended, but using it until the next oil change won't kill the engine, especially if he keeps up with the level, and that was my point. There are cars out there running 0w20 and 5w20 with much higher oil temps than a lawn mower.
Because Kawasaki engines are known to consume oil, especially the newer V-Twins, and they want to make it through warranty, not because 20 grade will blow it up on a hot day. If 5w20 couldn't stand up to high heat, Texas and Florida roads would be littered with Hondas and other vehicles with blown engines. It still amazes me that some on this forum believe OPE to have higher demands on engine oil than modern day automobiles.Why is Kawasaki recommending 50 grade oil in their engine's currently just because they must have a reason. 20 grade oil is absolutely foolish to run in Houston in a OPE.
Time for oil flushes and some @High Performance Lubricants no VII oil or Redline,Amsoil 30wtI disagree with jeepman on this. Mixing different brands and/or types of motor oil could cause problems with incompatible additive chemistries, and using 5w-20 or 0w-anything in an air cooled engine in the Houston heat is asking for trouble.
How many ounces of oil are in your lawnmower? This strikes me as an example of "trying to squeeze a nickel to make a dime". Dump the 5w-20 and install the oil that the factory recommends, 10w-30. You can also use 5w-30 synthetic (or even straight SAE30 in Houston).
Avoid motor oils with a wide Xw-X spread to minimize the amount of VII improver that is added to the multigrade oils. VII in an air cooled engine is not good. Synthetic oil contains less VII than dino oil, and SAE30 has NO VII in it.
Here are a few previous threads on mixing oils. There is also the Widman caclulator to determine your resulting grade.
Mixing Oils
I've learned enough from here and YT so that I will feel good about adding leftover new oils to my Ford Fiesta in 2020 when I do my next OCI. I have about 1 quart of leftover PYB 5w30, and about 1 qt of NAPA 5w30 SB, and will add 2 qts of Super tech 5w30 FS. That's going to be my oil cocktail...bobistheoilguy.comMixed Oil Debate
Can you mix 50/50 the leftovers for another fill, like Pennzoil 0w20 and Castrol Edge 5w40? Both exceed the service grade for the vehicle. What exactly do you get with this mix, a 2.5w30 ?bobistheoilguy.comMixing oil?
Is it ok to mix 2 different types of oil if they are the same viscostity? The reason I'm wondering is because my car takes 4.5 quarts to do an oil change. That leaves me with 1/2 quart. I guess I could start buying 9 quarts at a time instead of 5 and use the same brand of oil twice. 9/2=4.5...bobistheoilguy.comMixing Oils?
I was thinking about doing an oil change now. and just wanted some thoughts. would it be a good idea to mix convential oil with a synthetic to get the blend that I want or will it just degrade both oils that I mix? I am not sure you can even mix oils but just curious. Thank youbobistheoilguy.comMixing Oils for Desired Viscosity Index
Most people are aware that while oils are compatible, many use different detergent/additive systems and should not be mixed. It is best to stay within the same brand when possible. It does not hurt if you switch brands often, or occasionally mix in different brands, but you're not getting an...bobistheoilguy.commixing motor oil brands
Am i correct when i say you can mix different motor oil brands? you can mix different api service classes (sm, sl), you can mix dino, blend, and synthetic. as well as different weights there is a discussion on another forum i visit about how ... "30+ year chemical engineer and tribologist (do...bobistheoilguy.comMixing different Weights of oil
I'm new here and it's probably been addressed, but can you mix equal amounts of a 0w20 oil and a 5w30 oil and end up with the equivalent of a 2.5w25 ?bobistheoilguy.comMixing Oils
Hi All. Over the last 3/4 years I have gathered a few 1l bottles of oil from various places. I have the following all in the same 5w40 spec. Shell Helix Ultra Fuchs Titan GT1 Motul X-Clean 8100 Triple QX Full Synthetic I believe all of them are fully synthetic. I have enough if I mix all 4 to...bobistheoilguy.comMixing oils?
Not sure what to think of this and I apologize if this has been posted but I would like to hear the response from the collective wisdom of BITOG to the following link: linkybobistheoilguy.commixing oils
Can anyone tell me where to find the formula for mixing different viscosities of oil? Thanks Rogerbobistheoilguy.comMIxing Oils
Is there any problem with mixing 20w-50 oil from different manufacturers? What about mixing different viscosity? Like mixing 15-40 with 20w-50 or mixing a multi-viscosity oil with a straight-weight?bobistheoilguy.comMixing oils?
I saw here a few days ago where someone suggested mixing Mobil 1 10W-30 with 25% 15W-50. Or say, if you needed to top off oil in case of it being low between changes you might add the 15W-50 to the 10W-50. Does this go for any oil you use. For instance, I use Redline 10W-30. So, if I needed to...bobistheoilguy.comWhat exactly is wrong with mixing brands?
I've read in various places that mixing different brands of oil should be avoided whenever possible, sometimes even recommendations of choosing one brand and sticking to it. But why exactly is this? Is it the difference in additive packages? If anything I'd think that could be beneficial, as...bobistheoilguy.comMixing Oils
Due to the various sales that go on at any given time I have several quarts or half quarts of different brands that are all the same weight. What do you think about mixing them one oil change just to get rid of them?bobistheoilguy.comMixing viscosities...
When you mix, for example a 5w30 with a 15w50, what is the actual end result? Will I get a true 7.5w40 at a 50/50 ratio? I ask only because in Western Canada (Calgary South) I am unable to find 0w40 M1. I can find DOZENS!! of liters of GC 0w30 however. I have seen numerous mention of ...add a...bobistheoilguy.comMixing oils...again
Mixing AMSOIL ASL 5W-30 (PAO/ESTERS) and Motul 5W-30 300V (DOUBLE ESTER) harm your motor? Need the experts. Thanks.bobistheoilguy.commore mixing oils!!!
lol i have a few jugs of maxlife and 10 qts of napa syn. im thinking or running 5qts maxlife and 2 qts napa syn(7 qt sump) im not asking if its compatible, but im wondering what the oil would perform like. any hypothesis on how it the mix will perform or how if at all napa can boost the add...bobistheoilguy.comCan you mix viscosities of oil?
I have a leftover quart of Mobil 1 5W-30. I'd like to switch over to a 0W-30 or -40 for the next OC for better cold performance. Mobil 1 gallon jugs are on sale for $19.99. The Subaru takes 4.2 quarts. Can I put in 4 quarts of 0W-xx and top off the remaining 200 mL with the extra quart of Mobil 1?bobistheoilguy.comMixing viscosities and or brands OK or NO?
I have read through many threads on this subject. I am still unsure if this is an acceptable practice. Leaving warranties out of the conversation, is it OK to mix viscosities and or brands of oil. Example: Mix Pennzoil Platinum Euro L 5W-30 with Kirkland Full Synthetic 0W-20. or Mix...bobistheoilguy.commixing oil weights.
Is there a conversion or calculator I can use that would tell me what weight oil I would be using if I mixed weights? Ie. 5w20 with 5w30 and 0w30? or maybe 1 qt of 0w40 to 4 qts of 30 wt.bobistheoilguy.comMixing different oils
So for some reason the seal on my oil filter failed this morning and I lost about 6 qt's of oil in my driveway before I realized it. The filter and oil only have 3100 miles on it. I had another filter on hand so I changed it and topped off the oil. The sump was filled with Schaeffers 15w40 but I...bobistheoilguy.comMixing oil
Getting close to oil change on my Caravan so I will be using 5w20 Valvoline Advance Synthetic with Maxlife 5qt jug and 1qt of Valvoline Advance Synthetic 5w30. I have 5w30 PP in now and running good. Do you think it would have any effect on the 20 grade as both have same additives? I know...bobistheoilguy.comMixing oils of different weights..
I'm fairly new to this forum, but was wondering if mixing PP5w30 and PP10w30 at a 50/50 ratio yields a true PP 7.5w30 ? My 5.3 liter Silverado is a little noisy on 5w30 and our Impala 3.8 liter specs 10w30 (can use 5w30 if temps are only below 50 degrees). My question is whether they "dissolve"...bobistheoilguy.comBlending Kirkland and Supertech oils???
Both are Warren. I would like to buy the 5gt jugs at Costco and then buy individual quarts from Walmart to keep us easy. Anybody see an issue with this? Any idea how close these oils are?bobistheoilguy.comMixing different weighted oils
I understand the difference in weights of oils and why they make them that way, but what whould happen if you mixed like 1 qt 10w30 with 3 qt 5w30 and 1 qt 0w-30? or other combinations and such. I don't guess it would really be that different from 5 qt of 5w30, but i was just curious about the...bobistheoilguy.comFrankenoil - Thoughts on Mixing Viscosities
There are some folks here who mix their viscosities, but it seems that a much greater number don't. I'm curious about why people choose to mix or not mix, and if you mix, what benefits do you perceive? FWIW, I've just started mixing using 0W-20 and 5W-30 4:1. I feel I get a little more...bobistheoilguy.com
Not a valid comparison. Small air cooled engines use the oil as a part of the cooling system. Modern lean running E10 burning air cooled engines operated in high ambient temperatures (like Houston in August) at high loads (like mulching heavy grass) with a dull blade and a little grass build-up on the cooling fins for good measure can get the oil up to almost 400 degrees, WAY higher than in a water cooled engine in a vehicle. The VII in the oil will not tolerate that kind of heat before it breaks down, and the oil you are left with will not adequately lubricate the engine.Because Kawasaki engines are known to consume oil, especially the newer V-Twins, and they want to make it through warranty, not because 20 grade will blow it up on a hot day. If 5w20 couldn't stand up to high heat, Texas and Florida roads would be littered with Hondas and other vehicles with blown engines. It still amazes me that some on this forum believe OPE to have higher demands on engine oil than modern day automobiles.
I agree, but using 5w20 for one season if he keeps the oil full (by adding some assuming it burns it off) will not blow up or damage the engine like everyone here seems to think it will. Again, it's a LAWNMOWER.Not a valid comparison. Small air cooled engines use the oil as a part of the cooling system. Modern lean running E10 burning air cooled engines operated in high ambient temperatures (like Houston in August) at high loads (like mulching heavy grass) with a dull blade and a little grass build-up on the cooling fins for good measure can get the oil up to almost 400 degrees, WAY higher than in a water cooled engine in a vehicle. The VII in the oil will not tolerate that kind of heat before it breaks down, and the oil you are left with will not adequately lubricate the engine.
And that's the point really. Air cooled, operating at high ambient temperatures. It most certainly can damage the engine. As I noted, an engine kept full of oil that yields an insufficient MOFT will damage the engine regardless of the quantity.I agree, but using 5w20 for one season if he keeps the oil full (by adding some assuming it burns it off) will not blow up or damage the engine like everyone here seems to think it will. Again, it's a LAWNMOWER.
Some people on this site act like it's a sin to ask a question that's been asked before.Because sometimes questions with perhaps obvious answers, do not have obvious answers
It costs nothing to post and ask
Why don't you ignore the questions if they bother you so much?That may not be all they don't understand.
Why don't you ignore the questions if they bother you so much?
Or, you can just ignore me. Do I follow you around and complain about your posts?Why don't you ignore the questions if they bother you so much?
It's hard not to "follow you around" when you complain about so many people's posts and seem to spend a lot of time looking up people's past posts to point out they asked the question before or list 20 similar posts to embarrass them. If I think a post is a waste of time I ignore it. Also, the 'Search' function on this site leaves a lot to be desired.Or, you can just ignore me. Do I follow you around and complain about your posts?
I don't hesitate to mix viscosities or brands for the sump in an automobile or truck. But for a small capacity sump like in most OPE, why worry about using up a half quart of 5w-20? For your use, I'd go 10w-30 synthetic all day long.
I should have qualified by saying "in an older automobile or truck."I don't hesitate to mix viscosities or brands for the sump in an automobile or truck. But for a small capacity sump like in most OPE, why worry about using up a half quart of 5w-20? For your use, I'd go 10w-30 synthetic all day long.