How many times have you switched sides on the thick vs. thin debate?
- Thread starter camrydriver111
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In other words, a centrist.
It depends on your definition of thick and thin.
To me Thick is 15W40 and above.
Thin is 5W20 and below.
The rest are, to me, middleweights e.g. 5W30 and 0W40.
I was a Thickie before joining BITOG using stuff like Penrite 20W60 mineral or Castrol Edge 10W60 synthetic.
After joining BITOG I changed and now mostly use middleweight oils.
To me Thick is 15W40 and above.
Thin is 5W20 and below.
The rest are, to me, middleweights e.g. 5W30 and 0W40.
I was a Thickie before joining BITOG using stuff like Penrite 20W60 mineral or Castrol Edge 10W60 synthetic.
After joining BITOG I changed and now mostly use middleweight oils.
I was a Thicky many decades ago. It was based on tests I did showing vast and rapid thinning of 20W50 motor oils.
As you know I am skinny now. 'Running 0W5 in the Navigator just now. I plan to test a 0W16 next. 5W30 is the spec lubricant.
I should have known I would eventually go thin. I started out that way:
Ali
As you know I am skinny now. 'Running 0W5 in the Navigator just now. I plan to test a 0W16 next. 5W30 is the spec lubricant.
I should have known I would eventually go thin. I started out that way:
Ali
Shel_B
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I've been running a version of 30wt since 1984. First, it was 10W-30 Red Line in the work Mazdas, and later I switched to M1 having met an engineer from Mobil who convinced me to switch. I'm now running 5W-30 M1EP and will be switching to HPL 5W-30 after my next change. I did run some M1 10W-40HM in the Buick to see if it would help any with the leaks ...
When I first saw 5w20 in the early 2000s I wasn’t a fan and continued to use 5w30. I bought into the 0w20 for about 6yrs when I got a new car in 2014, but later stumbled across much thicker Euro oils which in this one car of mine changes throttle control and cam timing drastically, and in another older car (backspec’d to 5w20, but ran 5w30 for the longest time) silenced a valvetrain snarl that had been annoying me forever. So to simplify oils kept on hand, Im just using 0w40/5w40 in both depending on what season it is.
I might switch back to thin if I got a hybrid in the future.
I might switch back to thin if I got a hybrid in the future.
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It blows my mind that you guys find deals like that. I even went to a local Autozone once and asked them about clearance oil when people here were getting deals on PUP there, and they looked at me like I was crazy and had no idea what I was talking about.
My AutoZone is pretty much the same way so I've pretty much stopped going there. The best deal I've gotten at AZ are Valvoline modern engine for $15 a Jug and RGT for the same. So only 4 Jugs in 3 years. It's been over a year since I've stopped there. Now my take on it is if I'm driving by and its close I may stop there if I've heard they are discounting their oil. I have enough in the stash its got to be a good deal!
I was comfortable running 0w20 in the non gdi Honda Civic for 382500 miles but the car prior and after I ran w30 because gdi fuel dilution.
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Is this really you Ali? That's a great picture!
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The question is whether too thick oils can also cause damage to the specific engine, i.e. lack of lubrication because the oil volume flow is too low. Then depends on the engine design or oil pump and bearing dimensions. I don't know if it is favourable, for example, to tilt 5w50 into an engine designed for 0W20.
Thick vs thin debate is silly. People should stick to recommended oil specified in owners manual, unless there is a good reason to use anything else.
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If an engine needs thick oil, you should always ask yourself why. When I think of the bmw naturally aspirated motors which even with a 10W60 let the bearing shells wear out well below 100000 and other motors with 0W20 can withstand 200000 without problems even with load, then you should look for a motor design rather than for the right oil outside the operating instructions.
Nevertheless, I would like to know if too thick oil can also lead to engine damage or if someone has ever had experience?
Nevertheless, I would like to know if too thick oil can also lead to engine damage or if someone has ever had experience?
My Turkish mother and myself, yes. Toms River, NJ during a vacation at the "shore". Now substituted by the old man on the beach in Florida.
The Breakers, Palm Beach last weekend. By the way, it was the wife, with her Murcielago, whom everyone wanted to test their new "sports" cars:
You would think that a 60 grade oil with its high MOFT would save the ill manufactured parts but it seems never to be the case. There must be more to it than a single measurement. Or that the highest HTFS would save the part. Guess again. The Renewable Lubricants Inc. oils I use have viscosity indices in the 200 range yet have given me the best results on high end oil analysis running even several grades below specification. Compression tests in some of the higher milage cars were always excellent as well.
Lab tests and mathematics are one thing. The best test is to put the stuff in a car and go for it!
ali
The Breakers, Palm Beach last weekend. By the way, it was the wife, with her Murcielago, whom everyone wanted to test their new "sports" cars:
You would think that a 60 grade oil with its high MOFT would save the ill manufactured parts but it seems never to be the case. There must be more to it than a single measurement. Or that the highest HTFS would save the part. Guess again. The Renewable Lubricants Inc. oils I use have viscosity indices in the 200 range yet have given me the best results on high end oil analysis running even several grades below specification. Compression tests in some of the higher milage cars were always excellent as well.
Lab tests and mathematics are one thing. The best test is to put the stuff in a car and go for it!
ali
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4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Clearly a lot of discussion on BITOG but I've never given it a lot of thought, I just use the 5w30 grade recommended by the manufacturer. However, the truck is approaching 200k miles and I am inclined to upgrade to 10w30 due to cold start piston slap ("cold" being 30F here in Northern CA).
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