Last year I changed the oil in all our ope after one of the guys ran a cut off saw w/o oil and blew it up. I used formula shell 10w30 from the shop. Just recently we had another engine failure this one was full of oil, One of the mechanics stated it may have been from the oil I used. He says the detergents in standard oil foams in small engines w/o pressure lubrication and causes lack of lubrication. Is he right? Do I need to change all them to something else? For rference they're all honda gx series engines, mainly 160, 270, and 390 series
have I made a mistake using shell 10w30 ?
- Thread starter JD4440
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incorrect. I went to OPE school. "non-detergent" oil is VERY old-school. 10W-30 sounds correct for a Honda. did the rod snap? although personally I run a 15W-40... of course, I will add that I am not an OPE mechanic by trade... but I have certainly used 10W-30 and 10w-40 Shell in my Honda and Honda ATV
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I say he is wrong. To my knowledge oil foaming in a small engine is due to the crankcase being over filled with oil, not the detergents. Foaming can cause lack of lubrication. Your engine failure was not due to using a 10w-30 oil, unless it was low on oil or overfilled. Which you indicate that it was "full of oil", but was it overfull? The failure may have been going to happen regardless of oil choice. Did the rod snap? What oil does that mechanic recommended for small engines?
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He is pulling your leg. Tell him the stuff you buy uses detergent like Palmolive not the stuff with dawn type detergents in it.
Any oil can foam when it gets whipped up, pressure system or not if the oil doesn't have sufficient anti foaming agents.
BTW. Nothing wrong with the Rotella, its a good oil in small engines. Over filling can cause foaming as the other poster said.
Any oil can foam when it gets whipped up, pressure system or not if the oil doesn't have sufficient anti foaming agents.
BTW. Nothing wrong with the Rotella, its a good oil in small engines. Over filling can cause foaming as the other poster said.
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The detergent info is incorrect. The 10w-30 is fine, although I prefer 15w-40 HDEO in my equipment. The key is to change it frequently. Change it after the first five hours of operation and then a maximum of 50 hours or annually if you don't hit that in a year.
Originally Posted By: Trav
He is pulling your leg. Tell him the stuff you buy uses detergent like Palmolive not the stuff with dawn type detergents in it.
Any oil can foam when it gets whipped up, pressure system or not if the oil doesn't have sufficient anti foaming agents.
BTW. Nothing wrong with the Rotella, its a good oil in small engines. Over filling can cause foaming as the other poster said.
Rotella works well in OPE because it is a robust, beefy HDEO. But, the OP didn't use Rotella, he said he used Formula Shell, Shell's PCMO, a different oil altogether.
We live on a farm, and have a few Honda GX engines on our equipement. A Honda lawnmower, a Honda GX engine powering our Troy-built Rototiller, and a couple of GX 390 engines, one mounted on our hay elevator, and the other on our go-kart. I have used the Rotella Triple Protection 10W-30, then T5 10W-30 in them with no issues.
This past year, I used Mobil 1 HM 10-30 and TDT 5W-40 because I wanted to run a full synthetic. I'm liking it better than Rotella, the engines are running smoother and quieter than with the Rotella.
He is pulling your leg. Tell him the stuff you buy uses detergent like Palmolive not the stuff with dawn type detergents in it.
Any oil can foam when it gets whipped up, pressure system or not if the oil doesn't have sufficient anti foaming agents.
BTW. Nothing wrong with the Rotella, its a good oil in small engines. Over filling can cause foaming as the other poster said.
Rotella works well in OPE because it is a robust, beefy HDEO. But, the OP didn't use Rotella, he said he used Formula Shell, Shell's PCMO, a different oil altogether.
We live on a farm, and have a few Honda GX engines on our equipement. A Honda lawnmower, a Honda GX engine powering our Troy-built Rototiller, and a couple of GX 390 engines, one mounted on our hay elevator, and the other on our go-kart. I have used the Rotella Triple Protection 10W-30, then T5 10W-30 in them with no issues.
This past year, I used Mobil 1 HM 10-30 and TDT 5W-40 because I wanted to run a full synthetic. I'm liking it better than Rotella, the engines are running smoother and quieter than with the Rotella.
Different application however I've got 16 5.5 gx160cc motors turning various air pumps from inline twins to triples,a couple have in excess of 15000 hours without a rebuild.
I got from 5w-30 in the winter to a 15w-40 hdeo in the summer.
I run the 5w-30 til mid-mayish before switching grades.
I don't understand how the oil failed. What broke?
I got from 5w-30 in the winter to a 15w-40 hdeo in the summer.
I run the 5w-30 til mid-mayish before switching grades.
I don't understand how the oil failed. What broke?
I own a variety of OPE and all of it calls for API SL or greater. Nowhere have I seen non-detergent specified. I use M1 10w-30 or Rotella T5 in all my splash lube OPE (no Honda engines though) with good results.
Considering Honda's OEM oil for OPE is an API certified 10W-30, I'd say it 's safe to say your "mechanic" doesn't know what he's talking about.
It's more likely that the failure was due to the ND slop he's been putting in rather than the quality 10W-30 that you used.
It's more likely that the failure was due to the ND slop he's been putting in rather than the quality 10W-30 that you used.
Originally Posted By: JD4440
Last year I changed the oil in all our ope after one of the guys ran a cut off saw w/o oil and blew it up. I used formula shell 10w30 from the shop. Just recently we had another engine failure this one was full of oil, One of the mechanics stated it may have been from the oil I used. He says the detergents in standard oil foams in small engines w/o pressure lubrication and causes lack of lubrication. Is he right? Do I need to change all them to something else? For rference they're all honda gx series engines, mainly 160, 270, and 390 series
Many (most) mechanics are not well schooled on oil.
Last year I changed the oil in all our ope after one of the guys ran a cut off saw w/o oil and blew it up. I used formula shell 10w30 from the shop. Just recently we had another engine failure this one was full of oil, One of the mechanics stated it may have been from the oil I used. He says the detergents in standard oil foams in small engines w/o pressure lubrication and causes lack of lubrication. Is he right? Do I need to change all them to something else? For rference they're all honda gx series engines, mainly 160, 270, and 390 series
Many (most) mechanics are not well schooled on oil.
You don't even have to be well schooled to know that an ND oil has no place in an ICE.
Originally Posted By: Donald
Many (most) mechanics are not well schooled on oil.
Originally Posted By: Donald
Many (most) mechanics are not well schooled on oil.
Mention to him that you are going to run 0W-30 and see what he says.
Originally Posted By: JD4440
Last year I changed the oil in all our ope after one of the guys ran a cut off saw w/o oil and blew it up. I used formula shell 10w30 from the shop. Just recently we had another engine failure this one was full of oil, One of the mechanics stated it may have been from the oil I used. He says the detergents in standard oil foams in small engines w/o pressure lubrication and causes lack of lubrication. Is he right? Do I need to change all them to something else? For rference they're all honda gx series engines, mainly 160, 270, and 390 series
Originally Posted By: JD4440
Last year I changed the oil in all our ope after one of the guys ran a cut off saw w/o oil and blew it up. I used formula shell 10w30 from the shop. Just recently we had another engine failure this one was full of oil, One of the mechanics stated it may have been from the oil I used. He says the detergents in standard oil foams in small engines w/o pressure lubrication and causes lack of lubrication. Is he right? Do I need to change all them to something else? For rference they're all honda gx series engines, mainly 160, 270, and 390 series
I've seen 2 Honda GX engines fail. One was run on so much of an angle that the oil wasn't being splashed on the internal parts and the rod snapped. The other one had the governor removed and was over revved. Both of these were full of oil when the failure occurred.
I wouldn't blame the oil unless its apparent on the engine bearings and other parts that there was a lack of lubrication. Small engines are somewhat easy on oil. The oil level is more important than the type used. I've seen them run for years with the original oil in them that is so diluted with fuel it has the consistency of water.
I wouldn't blame the oil unless its apparent on the engine bearings and other parts that there was a lack of lubrication. Small engines are somewhat easy on oil. The oil level is more important than the type used. I've seen them run for years with the original oil in them that is so diluted with fuel it has the consistency of water.
Yea o used the honda oil in the new ones I bought. Sm rated I believe.
Guess I'm gonna have to label everything. Went in the tool room today and there was 2qts of 30hd on the shelf one of them 1/2 gone. I wrote whoever it was a nice little note on the bottles. I'm pretty sure they put it in the 1 water pump that still has 30wt in it. Go figure no one ever checks anything then they finally do they don't call the one that takes care of the stuff.
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