My mechanic put 20w-50 in my car.

[aquariuscsm]

Leave it in. GTX 20W50 is one of the best oils,if not the best dino. It`ll be fine,and it`ll probably be a good oil to use for the life of the car. I ran GTX 20W50 in my `87 Olds Trofeo (3800 V6) and sold it when it had nearly 300,000 miles on it. I drove that car hard and fast,and it never leaked or used a single drop of oil. Engine ran smooth as silk!

You can always use mobil 1 15W50 if you want to use a synth,but if I were you,I`d stick with the GTX 20W50.

 

[Slick17601]

Run it 'till she blows.

 

[RF Overlord]

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
I had to go to something thicker than a XW-30 because it burned and leaked 30 too fast, and it would sometimes stall on a very hot day. With the 20W-50 I do not have to add oil as often, and I do not have to smell the leaking oil burning off, and it does not stall on hot days.
I'm curious how xW-30 made your car stall, but 20W-50 doesn't...?

 

[Norm Olt]

Any used motor with 160K can use all the protection it can get. This is a good opportunity to see what and how much oil this engine will consume. If you can go 3-5K without having to add more oil you'll know it is not burning (leaking?) much, and that would be a good thing.

If you truly wished to go with something "lighter" try a quality 10W-40 for the next OCI and see how that weight performs. If this is a toy for you (vs. a daily driver) you may not even hit 3-5K before "winter" ("winter" in Alabama being a little less stressful than in some other locations) don't get all OCD and change the oil out because of some mythical projections that 20W-50 oil is going to allow your motor to corrode overnight when the temps drop into the high 30's...

Another OCI with 10W-30 might be warranted if there are no consumption issues with the 10W-40.

Cheers!

 

[LeakySeals]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
I had to go to something thicker than a XW-30 because it burned and leaked 30 too fast, and it would sometimes stall on a very hot day. With the 20W-50 I do not have to add oil as often, and I do not have to smell the leaking oil burning off, and it does not stall on hot days.
I'm curious how xW-30 made your car stall, but 20W-50 doesn't...?


Know what he means. Its an example of "thinner isn't always better".

He's running very low on oil to the point it became sluggish even stalling. Not everyone wants to be constantly checking their oil, driving around with bottles, measuring, topping off all the time. For them a thicker oil may be better for the engine than running low on thin. I found in those low oil situations thin is unforgiving where thicker oils perform better. Assume its because the thicker viscosity makes up for the lack of oil.

 

[gfh77665]

20-50 is used extensively in Europe, the Mid East, Australia, and probably some other places without ANY issues. As long as you don't tell your car you are in Bama, you WILL be perfectly fine.

 

[expat]

Originally Posted By: gfh77665
20-50 is used extensively in Europe, the Mid East, Australia, and probably some other places without ANY issues. As long as you don't tell your car you are in Bama, you WILL be perfectly fine.



Exactly, that was why I was using it in my Toyota.
Not so long ago, if you were to pick a typical jug of motor oil up, at a typical service station in the U.K. Chances are it would have been a 20 w-50

 

[lt1man]

LT1 or any 350 Chevy, probably sludged to [censored].

 

[RF Overlord]

Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
I'm curious how xW-30 made your car stall, but 20W-50 doesn't...?


He's running very low on oil to the point it became sluggish even stalling.
Now I'm REALLY confused...are you saying he's running the oil so low that the motor is on the verge of seizing?? If not, I've never heard of a motor stalling simply because the oil was low...

 

[uart]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
I'm curious how xW-30 made your car stall, but 20W-50 doesn't...?


He's running very low on oil to the point it became sluggish even stalling.
Now I'm REALLY confused...are you saying he's running the oil so low that the motor is on the verge of seizing?? If not, I've never heard of a motor stalling simply because the oil was low...

Yep that's a strange one?

Perhaps the engine was so badly flogged that the blow-by was pushing too much oil through the crankcase ventilation and fouling the intake. Maybe the thicker oil alleviated it a little.

 

[LeakySeals]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
I'm curious how xW-30 made your car stall, but 20W-50 doesn't...?


He's running very low on oil to the point it became sluggish even stalling.
Now I'm REALLY confused...are you saying he's running the oil so low that the motor is on the verge of seizing?? If not, I've never heard of a motor stalling simply because the oil was low...


I was responding to this response only...

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
I had to go to something thicker than a XW-30 because it burned and leaked 30 too fast, and it would sometimes stall on a very hot day. With the 20W-50 I do not have to add oil as often, and I do not have to smell the leaking oil burning off, and it does not stall on hot days.


Then I provided a reason why it could be possible. That a larger volume and flow of thin is required to maintain a film between moving parts vs a thicker oil. Not enough film it could stall from being too tight, but not seize.

Or maybe its just as simple as hes not burning as much oil and catching it sooner. Either way its better than running out.

 

[Nickdfresh]

Leave it in until Autumn...

 

[mechtech2]

I'd leave it in.
Expect a peppier engine with the thinner oil next time.
I hope it does not need thick oil due to worn parts.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
I'm curious how xW-30 made your car stall, but 20W-50 doesn't...?


He's running very low on oil to the point it became sluggish even stalling.
Now I'm REALLY confused...are you saying he's running the oil so low that the motor is on the verge of seizing?? If not, I've never heard of a motor stalling simply because the oil was low...


I was responding to this response only...

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
I had to go to something thicker than a XW-30 because it burned and leaked 30 too fast, and it would sometimes stall on a very hot day. With the 20W-50 I do not have to add oil as often, and I do not have to smell the leaking oil burning off, and it does not stall on hot days.


Then I provided a reason why it could be possible. That a larger volume and flow of thin is required to maintain a film between moving parts vs a thicker oil. Not enough film it could stall from being too tight, but not seize.

Or maybe its just as simple as hes not burning as much oil and catching it sooner. Either way its better than running out.


You`re absolutely right. Engine runs critically low on oil,loses the compression it needs to run,therefore stalls. MUCH better than having it seize up!

 

[Nickdfresh]

In any case, Castrol lists 20W-50 as having an impressive -27F pour point:

http://www.castrol.com/liveassets/bp_internet/castrol/castrol_usa/STAGING/local_assets/downloads/p,q/pds_castrol_gtx_2010.pdf

I think that was pretty much roughly what an SH era 10W-30 was expected to pour at...

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: Nickdfresh
In any case, Castrol lists 20W-50 as having an impressive -27F pour point:

http://www.castrol.com/liveassets/bp_internet/castrol/castrol_usa/STAGING/local_assets/downloads/p,q/pds_castrol_gtx_2010.pdf

I think that was pretty much roughly what an SH era 10W-30 was expected to pour at...


Castrol GTX imo is one of the best oils. I`ve been told (by Doug maybe?) that Castrol GTX is the best 20W50 made.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals

I'm curious how xW-30 made your car stall, but 20W-50 doesn't...?


He's running very low on oil to the point it became sluggish even stalling.
Now I'm REALLY confused...are you saying he's running the oil so low that the motor is on the verge of seizing?? If not, I've never heard of a motor stalling simply because the oil was low...


I was responding to this response only...

Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
I had to go to something thicker than a XW-30 because it burned and leaked 30 too fast, and it would sometimes stall on a very hot day. With the 20W-50 I do not have to add oil as often, and I do not have to smell the leaking oil burning off, and it does not stall on hot days.


Then I provided a reason why it could be possible. That a larger volume and flow of thin is required to maintain a film between moving parts vs a thicker oil. Not enough film it could stall from being too tight, but not seize.

Or maybe its just as simple as hes not burning as much oil and catching it sooner. Either way its better than running out.


Quote:
You`re absolutely right. Engine runs critically low on oil,loses the compression it needs to run,therefore stalls. MUCH better than having it seize up!


That's a stretch if I ever heard one, seen several engines run without oil till pieces started flying out of the bottom end... A buddy melted the rod bolts on a couple cylinders of a Ford small block, had plenty of oil in the pan, but pump seized... That one got so hot it burned the paint off the oil pan down to the sump where oil level was...

 

[Malo83]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
20W-50 in a Chevy V8 ?

It's toast.

Yup 214K toasty

 

[Trav]

Quote:
You`re absolutely right. Engine runs critically low on oil,loses the compression it needs to run,therefore stalls. MUCH better than having it seize up!

What??? Who told you that?

 

[yonyon]

I could believe oil pressure dropping too low at idle and shutting the fuel pump off. Thick oil could certainly be a decent band-aid to deal with a dying engine there. Did that thing have an electric fuel pump?