20w50 - what is the coldest temp you'd run it?

[19jacobob93]

Hi guys,
What is the coldest temperature you would or have run a 20w50 oil?
I ask because that's what I recently added at my last OC since it is still warm here on the Gold Coast.
Australia is now heading into winter and although I'd have no problem running it year round here as the coldest mornings are only around freezing point, I am planning on driving down to the Australian Alps and possibly Tasmania in a couple of months to areas that see temperatures well below freezing. I am wondering if it is worth dropping it and filling with the 10w40 I have on the shelf?
Last time I was in the Alps the night time temps were between -7c and -13c, and this was around the same time of year. The 15w40 I had in the sump at the time seemed fine, but is it worth risking a 20w50 even just for a few days or so?
Cheers!

 

[Silk]

BMW says 20w50 is good to -10c in my bike, we only get to -3c here, and it starts and runs fine at that...choke off at the bottom of the drive. I guess I've used it in other vehicles around here too.

 

[OneEyeJack]

Red Line 20w-50 motorcycle oil

Pour Point, °C -45
Pour Point, °F -49

I would never ride a bike in weather anywhere close to that.

 

[SR5]

The J300 table I have gives the Low Temperature Cranking Viscosity (max cP):
5W is 6600 at -30C
10W is 7000 at -25C
15W is 7000 at -20C
20W is 9500 at -15C

 

[Shannow]

I've had 25W70 at -7 to -9C and there was no issues.

I'd run the 15W40, or if you need, a Penrite 15W50.

 

[19jacobob93]

Hmm thanks for all the info! I'm still in 2 minds then!
Will see how close I am to my next oil change when it comes to heading off, if it's only 1k away I might as well just give it an early change to 10W 40!

Wow 25w70 is making me cringe Shannow!! Nearly as bad as the 40w70 my dad put in his old Paj haha I made him drop it and fill it with 20w50 Maxlife that I'm using now, used much less than with the much thicker 40w70.
May I ask what you put that 25w70 in?

 

[Shannow]

19jacob93

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/36793/Shell_Helix_Sport_50_-_datashe

 

[SR5]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
19jacob93

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/36793/Shell_Helix_Sport_50_-_datashe


You had a Camira !!!

BTW J3000 gives
25W is 13000 at -10C

 

[bigt61]

I've run 20W-50 at 10F with no problems, just give it a little time to warm up before taking off. That's all we used to run in the 80's - V8 Camaros and 4 banger rice burners.

 

[Shannow]

Was my first ever car with air conditioning...throw that into an underpowered pussbox, and it's less than exciting.

(To our American Friends, that's the 2L J-Car wagon).

 

[SR5]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Was my first ever car with air conditioning...throw that into an underpowered pussbox, and it's less than exciting.

(To our American Friends, that's the 2L J-Car wagon).


Same here, my first car with air-con.

I had the JB with the 1.6L.

The choice was stay cool or make it up the mountain, but not both.

 

[FCD]

I would say -10c if the car is not heated in any way, used to have a heated garage in Finland and I've driven my Capri with 20w50 when it was -35c outside ( -25F or so )

 

[Silk]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Was my first ever car with air conditioning...throw that into an underpowered pussbox, and it's less than exciting.


They ditched them here in favour of the superior Isuzu version. The Camira leaked oil from every pore, 20w50 was too thin.

 

[19jacobob93]

Do you think that having a bottle of MoS2 in the sump too will help to negate any downsides of a thicker oil? Say it takes longer for the thicker stuff to get flowing in colder temps, will the plated moly help to lubricate the top end on start up and even the rest of the engine until the oil thins out?

 

[SR5]

My old Kingswood with 20W-50 did sound less "grindy" on start up, for about 10 seconds, with MoS2 in the sump over winter. It always started fine though, maybe -3C, so never that cold.

Don't forget your battery, is it in good condition ?

 

[SR5]

OP,

I posted this in the sales section:

At Repco from 14 April to 24 April

Shell HX5 15W-40 mineral, API SN, ACEA A3/B3
55% OFF, $15 for 5L, save $20

So only $15 to change to a better winter oil for the Snowy Mountains.

 

[19jacobob93]

Originally Posted By: SR5
My old Kingswood with 20W-50 did sound less "grindy" on start up, for about 10 seconds, with MoS2 in the sump over winter. It always started fine though, maybe -3C, so never that cold.

Don't forget your battery, is it in good condition ?

Ahh okay that's good news I guess, I kinda guessed it might leave a sacrificial layer that will protect even in the worst case scenario of components running dry for a second or two..
Yep battery was brand new last year! Starts strong, the old battery used to start fine on 10w30/40 but with 20w50 it definitely felt it and was much slower to turn over. With the new battery it seems to turn over at almost the same rate regardless of viscosity

 

[19jacobob93]

Originally Posted By: SR5
OP,

I posted this in the sales section:

At Repco from 14 April to 24 April

Shell HX5 15W-40 mineral, API SN, ACEA A3/B3
55% OFF, $15 for 5L, save $20

So only $15 to change to a better winter oil for the Snowy Mountains.

Cheers for that! That's a great price, HX5 is fairly average but have run it before and for that price you can't go wrong.
I need to start checking the catalogues again!

 

[Joe90_guy]

The 9500 cP max. CCS 'cranking' limit of -15C and 60,000 cP max. MRV 'oil pumping' limit of -20C sort of apply only if you have perfectly limited 20W50 oil. In reality, commercial 20W50's will have a CCS lower than 9,500 (I saw one recently which was around 5,600-ish) and MRV's will be much lower than 60,000 (often commercial oils contain way more Pour Point Depressant than is truly needed). This being so, I'd expect a brand new oil to be fully operable a few degrees below -15/-20. Also, if you are using the oil in temperatures this low, there's an odds on chance that you're going to have a bit of unburnt gasoline getting into the oil sump (aka fuel dilution). Thus will drop the low temperature operability numbers even further. Gas is extremely thin and even a small amount will disproportionately drop the KV/CCS/MRV of a thick oil like 20W50.

Notwithstanding the above (and my perverted love of 20W50's!), I'd suggest you stick with 15W40...

 

[aquariuscsm]

-2F. Valvoline wb 20W50. No problems whatsoever.