Around 85-86 So Many Were Worried About 5w30

[crazyoildude]

Around 85 or 86 when 5w30 was used in the new engines of that era i had so many people asking me if it was really safe to put such a thin oil into their new engines my answer was if it was harmful to your engine they would not tell you to use it. I also mentioned that in the 20's 30's 40's 50's and 60's in the winter some people used 20 weights. Now people are sometimes asking me if 0w20 is ok... oneday it will be a zero weight..lol
I used 10w30 10w40 until around 1982 or so. When i bought my shop i only had 10w30 in cans then in drums today its 5w20-5w30 and 15w40 rotella

 

[daves87rs]

And we sweat these new oils.....

 

[ElastoHydro]

Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
Around 85 or 86 when 5w30 was used in the new engines of that era i had so many people asking me if it was really safe to put such a thin oil into their new engines my answer was if it was harmful to your engine they would not tell you to use it. I also mentioned that in the 20's 30's 40's 50's and 60's in the winter some people used 20 weights. Now people are sometimes asking me if 0w20 is ok... oneday it will be a zero weight..lol
I used 10w30 10w40 until around 1982 or so. When i bought my shop i only had 10w30 in cans then in drums today its 5w20-5w30 and 15w40 rotella


Yet you must have been around when Mobil 1 started out in 1975 thru 1981 only offering 5w-20. I was young at the time (high school and college) yet I was using that oil everywhere like a lot of people. I never heard of a reputation of it to spin bearings.

 

[simple_gifts]

Quote:

Yet you must have been around when Mobil 1 started out in 1975 thru 1981 only offering 5w-20. I was young at the time (high school and college) yet I was using that oil everywhere like a lot of people. I never heard of a reputation of it to spin bearings.


Did you use it their recommended 25K miles?

 

[ElastoHydro]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Quote:

Yet you must have been around when Mobil 1 started out in 1975 thru 1981 only offering 5w-20. I was young at the time (high school and college) yet I was using that oil everywhere like a lot of people. I never heard of a reputation of it to spin bearings.
Did you use it their recommended 25K miles?
Nope.

 

[ElastoHydro]

Looking back, it seems weird for big-Mobil to put out an oil that was thinner than speced everywhere. I mean, who speced 5w-20 back then? I trusted Mobil's judgement. I can't remember car maker objections if any.

 

[mongo161]

I remember in the early 1970's when Mobil 1 was first marketed and available for consumers. They had some really great commercials advertising Mobil 1 at that time. Many people, including myself, found the cost to be prohibitive to put into used/pre-owned vehicles. If a vehicle was still running at 100K miles, that was quite an achievement back in the day.

Too bad I neglected to use Mobil 1 in 1973, otherwise my 1971 Mercury Montego, V8, might still be on the road along with my reliable 1955 Chevy station wagon.

All I used, back in the day, was the cheapest 10w-40 oil, (or was it SAE 30/40).....year round...and of course a Fram oil filter. In hindsight I may have used API-SA since there was no BITOG to educate me about oils and their spec and grade and "Oil was Oil".

 

[ElastoHydro]

Originally Posted By: mongo161
I remember in the early 1970's when Mobil 1 was first marketed and available for consumers. They had some really great commercials advertising Mobil 1 at that time.


Best 'ad' for Mobil 1 in was Popular Science's April 1976 article Link Here . Its what got me to using Mobil 1, quoting Ray Potter using it in a '65 Lincoln for 4 years and 100,000 miles without an oil change (only filter changes), and the engine looked great when torn down at Ford.

 

[Chris142]

heck i was selling thick oils into the late 90's. 20w50 was the norm for summer here and 10w40 in winter. along with sae40'50 and 60 straight weights. used to fly off the shelves and the thin oils got dusty

 

[boundarylayer]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
heck i was selling thick oils into the late 90's. 20w50 was the norm for summer here and 10w40 in winter. along with sae40'50 and 60 straight weights. used to fly off the shelves and the thin oils got dusty


Coincidentally, I was running Pennz synthetic 5w-50 in a '90 Cadillac V8 Deville front wheel drive application in the late 1990's near Apple Valley CA, actually between Palmdale and Edwards AFB. At the time, I reasoned the Mojave Desert environment was hot enough, and the Cadillac engine's clearances were opened up a bit when I bought it used.

Heavy weights in hot deserts are common.

 

[SuzukiGoat]

Originally Posted By: boundarylayer
Heavy weights in hot deserts are common.


Slow speed offroading in Southern Louisiana...thick oils are the way to go.

I've had bikes start smoking like crazy running anything thinner than a 40w when the temps get too high.

If a new Honda, polaris, or yamaha will do it...no reason an auto engine wouldn't too.

Doesnt apply to the OP...xoubt he is running much high load low speed.

 

[Merkava_4]

I've got the best of both worlds in my engine:

The viscosity stability of 10W-30 along with the uniform sized molecules of a full synthetic.

I'm onto something while the rest of you guys are missing the boat.

 

[gregk24]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I've got the best of both worlds in my engine:

The viscosity stability of 10W-30 along with the uniform sized molecules of a full synthetic.

I'm onto something while the rest of you guys are missing the boat.

Nothing wrong with the 10w30, but there is no need for it. Todays 5w30's and even 0w30's have plenty of stability. I am running 10w30 in the Uplander, but only because I got it for $15 for a 5 quart jug, and its in the summer. Will be going back to a 5w30 after this OCI.

 

[OneEyeJack]

In years past, just after WWII 20w-20 was a popular oil.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
Around 85 or 86 when 5w30 was used in the new engines of that era i had so many people asking me if it was really safe to put such a thin oil into their new engines my answer was if it was harmful to your engine they would not tell you to use it.

We have people in 2014 with the same fears about the same grade.

 

[virginoil]

That was appropriate 28 years ago.

 

[Brian Barnhart]

I was one of those worried. Back then the manuals gave many recommendations over the outside temperature range. I was changing oil in my '84 Chevy S10 Blazer every 3 months back then. 5W30 in winter, 15W40 in summer, and 10W30 in spring and fall. The Chevy manual did say not to use 10W40 under any conditions. I think GM had some engine warranty problems years earlier that they believed were caused by 10W40 oil starvation at cold temps. Never had any oil related problems, though I imagine the then new 5W30 sheared a good bit.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Many thanks for the PS link Elasto. I remember that article well. It was the reason I started using Mobil I early on. Put it in a Chevy small block and a Ford 400 when we lived on the Navajo Indian Reservation. No problem with it being too thin.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
In years past, just after WWII 20w-20 was a popular oil.


True, but in today's BITOG world, it would be accused of beaing "really" a 30, as it's HTHS was a reflection of it's lack of VII, and temporary shear that comes with it.

I agree with he sentiment, but it's not apples/apples.

 

[crazyoildude]

i was in high school and a friend of mine was using it in a newer caddy eldorado that he used to drive to high school (his dads car) dont remember the weight but he used it for 25,000 miles the car got stolen so i dont know how it did. It was a really nice car Black on Black..