Let me start off by saying what a wonderful place this site is!!!!!!! OK, first off I work as a mechanic for a living and been through our distributor schools, which includes classes about oils. Well between the classes and this website, I have gotten to be quite familiar with many oils...but have found very little technical information on SAE 30 oils. My main use for the stuff would be for my growing small engine collection, both the ones I have and the ones I take care of for family. It seems all the heavy service 30 weight oils I want to try no longer carry the API gas rating, such as Rotella 30. I use the super tech for cleaning out engines that have sat up a while, then once it gets some hours on it, I change to what ever I used in my truck at the time. Is there an SAE 30 you guys buy in bulk by the gallon to service small engines at home? Should I just give up on the straight 30 weight and use something more readily available in my area? About the only ones I see locally are the super tech and the castrol, which are sold by the quart. I live near the gulf coast, so summer temps reach near 100 quite regularly. I tried running 10w-30, but the oil consumption was a bit high in the mid day heat. Is the use of SAE 30 oils for small engines just old technology, or are they superior and have advantages other oils don't? Looking forward to learn what you guys can teach me!!!!
a bit confused about straight 30 weights
- Thread starter mech_tech
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I have been using super tech in my and all my customers mowers for many years. It is good stuff, no need to change brands.
How about a 15w40?
It's the same situation here, no HD30 sold in 5-quart bottles; I wish there was. A lot of the old time service manuals recommend HD30 and warn against using 10W-30 because it might cause consumption. I use 10W-30 in my 1995 Craftsman push mower, but in my older small engines, 10W-40 Chevron Supreme has been working real good. I still like HD30 and I've been wondering how my older Briggs & Stratton engines would react to it after being run on 10W-40 for so long. There was one time that I tried some ultra rare MaxLife HD30 in my McLane edger with it's 1969 engine and it didn't seem to mind it at all. One thing nice about HD30 is you don't have to worry about it shearing out of grade.
I've seriously considered running Rotella or Delvac 15w-40 but am hesitant only because I am unsure how the 40 weight will act in a splash lube environment. I know things such as the valve guides in the cheaper aluminium block briggs are usually a tight fit. Do the 15w-40 oils have shear problems with say 60 hours on an oil change, which includes the hottest of summer days???? I do remember the briggs 30 weight oil that came with each mower becoming by far the darkest of any oil I have tried, which the super tech and valvoline remained quite clean for a very long time...which is the reason I am here to seek advice from the elders!!!! I obviously need something with a high detergent value like the diesel oils have. I refuse to pay the roughly $10 per 48 oz. bottle of Briggs and Stratton oil that the box stores sell.
Walmart SuperTech HD 30 two gallon jugs.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/SuperTech-HD30-Motor-Oil-2-Gallon/16474404
Got to looking, and it's cheaper to buy it in the quarts. $2.44 per quart in my area.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/SuperTech-HD30-Motor-Oil-2-Gallon/16474404
Got to looking, and it's cheaper to buy it in the quarts. $2.44 per quart in my area.
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Originally Posted By: mech_tech
I've seriously considered running Rotella or Delvac 15w-40 but am hesitant only because I am unsure how the 40 weight will act in a splash lube environment. I know things such as the valve guides in the cheaper aluminium block briggs are usually a tight fit. Do the 15w-40 oils have shear problems with say 60 hours on an oil change, which includes the hottest of summer days???? I do remember the briggs 30 weight oil that came with each mower becoming by far the darkest of any oil I have tried, which the super tech and valvoline remained quite clean for a very long time...which is the reason I am here to seek advice from the elders!!!! I obviously need something with a high detergent value like the diesel oils have. I refuse to pay the roughly $10 per 48 oz. bottle of Briggs and Stratton oil that the box stores sell.
the 15w40 oils can survive a 1000+ degree turbo for 10,20 even 30k and still be serviceable. Your briggs would be a walk in the park compared to that
I've seriously considered running Rotella or Delvac 15w-40 but am hesitant only because I am unsure how the 40 weight will act in a splash lube environment. I know things such as the valve guides in the cheaper aluminium block briggs are usually a tight fit. Do the 15w-40 oils have shear problems with say 60 hours on an oil change, which includes the hottest of summer days???? I do remember the briggs 30 weight oil that came with each mower becoming by far the darkest of any oil I have tried, which the super tech and valvoline remained quite clean for a very long time...which is the reason I am here to seek advice from the elders!!!! I obviously need something with a high detergent value like the diesel oils have. I refuse to pay the roughly $10 per 48 oz. bottle of Briggs and Stratton oil that the box stores sell.
the 15w40 oils can survive a 1000+ degree turbo for 10,20 even 30k and still be serviceable. Your briggs would be a walk in the park compared to that
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Buy a 5 gallon pail of either SAE 30 or 40 for about $2.00 a quart.
I'm sure that in Cajun Country you could use either one year round in just about everything you own and drive.
Except in winter when I need a 0Wxx, I use mono-grades all the time with UOAs to back up my opinion.
No-name SAE 40 is in my Duramax right now.
I'm sure that in Cajun Country you could use either one year round in just about everything you own and drive.
Except in winter when I need a 0Wxx, I use mono-grades all the time with UOAs to back up my opinion.
No-name SAE 40 is in my Duramax right now.
If you're an actual mechanic, doing work for paying customers, than be a professional and follow the manufacturers recommendations when servicing equipment. If you put 20 weight or 50 weight in my Briggs engine I will be ticked off as that is not what is specified.
So no 40 weights in Briggs engines. Kawasaki approves of 40 weight. SAE40, 5w40 or 15w40 are about ideal for Kawasaki engines on the Gulf coast and consumption will be too high.
Realise that synthetic 5w30 and conventional 5w30 act completely different in air cooled engines. Synthetic can go an entire season without consuming usually, while conventional will consume 1 ounce per hour on average.
On Briggs engines their number 1 oil recommendation is synthetic 5w30 followed by conventional straight 30 weight. Conventional 5w30 and 10w30 should not be used since you live on the Gulf.
So no 40 weights in Briggs engines. Kawasaki approves of 40 weight. SAE40, 5w40 or 15w40 are about ideal for Kawasaki engines on the Gulf coast and consumption will be too high.
Realise that synthetic 5w30 and conventional 5w30 act completely different in air cooled engines. Synthetic can go an entire season without consuming usually, while conventional will consume 1 ounce per hour on average.
On Briggs engines their number 1 oil recommendation is synthetic 5w30 followed by conventional straight 30 weight. Conventional 5w30 and 10w30 should not be used since you live on the Gulf.
BigD1, the two gallon supertech is not the same as the 2.44/at stuff. I use it and it is a CF rated hdeo.
A 15w40 can be used, it flows better cold, stout detergents and A/W package.
Remember oil is selected considering coldest start on fill.
I know Briggs listed 5w20 or 5w30 in winter for years. I have 15-20 older engines that's labeled as such.
-harvey
A 15w40 can be used, it flows better cold, stout detergents and A/W package.
Remember oil is selected considering coldest start on fill.
I know Briggs listed 5w20 or 5w30 in winter for years. I have 15-20 older engines that's labeled as such.
-harvey
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
If you're an actual mechanic, doing work for paying customers, than be a professional and follow the manufacturers recommendations when servicing equipment.
He'd have to have the corresponding owners manual to every single model number if he was gonna do that.
If you're an actual mechanic, doing work for paying customers, than be a professional and follow the manufacturers recommendations when servicing equipment.
He'd have to have the corresponding owners manual to every single model number if he was gonna do that.
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
He'd have to have the corresponding owners manual to every single model number if he was gonna do that.
There are only a few engine manufactures. Briggs, Kawasaki, Kohler, Honda are the bulk of what most people would work on. I know exactly what the engine manufacturer recommends. Don't care what the equipment manufacturer recommends, if they deviate from the engine manufacturers recommendations. Pretty simple to memorize...
He'd have to have the corresponding owners manual to every single model number if he was gonna do that.
There are only a few engine manufactures. Briggs, Kawasaki, Kohler, Honda are the bulk of what most people would work on. I know exactly what the engine manufacturer recommends. Don't care what the equipment manufacturer recommends, if they deviate from the engine manufacturers recommendations. Pretty simple to memorize...
I have no problem running supertech 30 HD, the problem I do have is finding an oil with the detergents of the oem oil. Do you guys ever add any detergent to the oil in certain situations for normal running? As I stated previously, the oils I have tried just don't seem to get as dirty and dark as the briggs oil did, but surely there must be something equal to that on the market. I did find out that the current briggs conventional 30 weight is made by Pinnacle, but I have never seen their brand anywhere before. Has anyone else ever noticed that the oil changes on small engines tend to remain cleaner when using off the shelf passenger car oils??? I suppose it's part of being a mechanic, but when I feel there is something I am overlooking, I can't help but over analyze the problem and find out as much as I can...not to mention these little engines when new are getting ridiculously priced, so I want to make them last.
There are reports on three HD-30 oils here(other oils are ND)...
Doesn't change the fact I'll continue using M1 0W-40 in mine...
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs120/1103404816784/archive/1121095269313.html
Doesn't change the fact I'll continue using M1 0W-40 in mine...
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs120/1103404816784/archive/1121095269313.html
I use T6 in all my 4 cycle OPE with no problems.
Originally Posted By: mech_tech
I did find out that the current briggs conventional 30 weight is made by Pinnacle.
It has been made by Olympic Oil in Cicero, IL for years, unless that has changed recently. Where did you get the Pinnacle info from.
I did find out that the current briggs conventional 30 weight is made by Pinnacle.
It has been made by Olympic Oil in Cicero, IL for years, unless that has changed recently. Where did you get the Pinnacle info from.
I have asked the difference between SAE 30, 5/10w30 etc. and never received a satisfying answer. I do know the consensus here is that any xxw30 oil will work in gas OPE engines. As long as long as the oil level is correct and changed according to the manufacturer, you'll never have any issues.
Me being a BITOG'r, I enjoy using "high consumption" oils in my less valuable OPE but I check them before every use too.
The pressure washer with the 13 horse Honda gets a quality synthetic though so I guess I am a bit of a hypocrite.
Me being a BITOG'r, I enjoy using "high consumption" oils in my less valuable OPE but I check them before every use too.
The pressure washer with the 13 horse Honda gets a quality synthetic though so I guess I am a bit of a hypocrite.
SAE 30 is straight 30-weight or basestock. xxW-30 oils start with "lighter" weight basestocks and have viscosity modifiers so the oil "thins" down similar to a 30W oil at operating temps...
Unless the question is why NOT to use xxW-30 oils in OPE... I think almost every manufacturer approves of multi-weight oil. Too thin of an oil "can" lead to additional consumption and/or reduced load carrying capacity.
Unless the question is why NOT to use xxW-30 oils in OPE... I think almost every manufacturer approves of multi-weight oil. Too thin of an oil "can" lead to additional consumption and/or reduced load carrying capacity.
Originally Posted By: bmwpowere36m3
SAE 30 is straight 30-weight or basestock. xxW-30 oils start with "lighter" weight basestocks and have viscosity modifiers so the oil "thins" down similar to a 30W oil at operating temps...
Did you mean thin or thicken? I'll agree that you start with the lighter base stock, but I always thought the viscosity modifiers thickened the oil as temperature increases. The oil thickens to a 30wt.
SAE 30 is straight 30-weight or basestock. xxW-30 oils start with "lighter" weight basestocks and have viscosity modifiers so the oil "thins" down similar to a 30W oil at operating temps...
Did you mean thin or thicken? I'll agree that you start with the lighter base stock, but I always thought the viscosity modifiers thickened the oil as temperature increases. The oil thickens to a 30wt.
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