Mixing same brand 5w30 and 5w50 to get 5w40?

[SL8R]

Motomaster Formula 1 synthetic is on sale this week at Canadian Tire. I have a 2004 Volvo V70R (300hp 2.5L turbo) and I plan on running 5w40 this summer. Do you think it would be a good idea to mix the Motomaster 5w30 and 5w50 to arrive at a 5w40 for use this summer?

Cheers,

J

 

[d00df00d]

Short answer: Just buy the grade you want.

Long answer: Best case scenario, the 5w30 and 5w-50 are formulated very similarly. But then, mixing them would be about the same as buying the right grade, so you wouldn't really gain anything. It's more likely that the different viscosity grades have different formulations, in which case the mix would not be as good as the right grade.

Hope that was clear.

 

[scoobie]

yes!!! i mix 50:50 Formula 1 synth 5w20:5w30 to get w25.
F1 is very nice oil, made by Shell. I bought my stash of F1 when they had it on 50% off, at 14.49 - lately I notice CT has been cheap in its "sales".

 

[Jetronic]

As I understand it mixing grades doesn't produce a new viscosity. Rather, the two molecular chains will exist next to each other....

So, one bearing could be lubricated by 5w30 and the other by 5w-50 at the same time...

Anyway, if I'm wrong I'd like to know...

 

[peterdaniel]

Originally Posted By: Jetronic
As I understand it mixing grades doesn't produce a new viscosity. Rather, the two molecular chains will exist next to each other....

So, one bearing could be lubricated by 5w30 and the other by 5w-50 at the same time...

Anyway, if I'm wrong I'd like to know...


You are correct.

 

[hate2work]

I think Jet is correct, technically.....sort of. I think what he meant to say is that each bearing will be lubricated by both 5w30 and 5W-50 at the same time.

However, keep in mind that people have been mixing/blending oils for years without any noticable detrimental effects.

So while I think you might not end up with a perfectly blended 5W-40 by doing this, it would probably work just fine if you did it.

But the best solution is to buy the correct viscosity and use that.

 

[Nickdfresh]

I doubt you have any negative effects using the 5W-50 in the summer...

 

[Johnny]

You won't have any negative effects using the 5w30 either. I personally would not mix them. No way you're going to blend yourself a 5W-40 oil in your garage. Blending oil is a science that takes a lab and the right conditions and equipment.

 

[SL8R]

Thanks for the input, everyone! I already have some of the 5w30 and was intending to run a 5w40 this summer, so I thought that picking up some 5w50 this weekend to blend with the 5w30 might be a relatively inexpensive way of doing that.

In light of everyone's comments, I'll most likely just go with my original plan, which was to run Amsoil Euro 5w40 this summer. I've been running the motomaster synthetic during my ARX clean and rinse.

Thanks again.

J

 

[Art_Vandelay]

Originally Posted By: Johnny
No way you're going to blend yourself a 5W-40 oil in your garage.


I heard you can hydrocrack it with a hammer. Is that true?
Sorry if this has been asked before. The search feature matched partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil to my inquiry. Is that the same thing?

 

[d00df00d]

You have to immerse the hammer in water first. That's where the "hydro" comes from.

 

[Art_Vandelay]

Lol

 

[peterdaniel]

Originally Posted By: Art_Vandelay
Originally Posted By: Johnny
No way you're going to blend yourself a 5W-40 oil in your garage.


I heard you can hydrocrack it with a hammer. Is that true?
Sorry if this has been asked before. The search feature matched partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil to my inquiry. Is that the same thing?


Nah, Ive been drinking motor oil for years, hasn't touched my triglyceride level yet!

I did however notice that with the new 5w20 oil's, my LDL levels have risen... Time to build up the HDL with some 15w50!

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: Jetronic
As I understand it mixing grades doesn't produce a new viscosity. Rather, the two molecular chains will exist next to each other....

So, one bearing could be lubricated by 5w30 and the other by 5w-50 at the same time...

Anyway, if I'm wrong I'd like to know...


No way will you have two bearings with different viscosities, it will all blend to a new viscosity. I don't see why the proposed mix would not fall somewhere in the ballpark of a 5w40 range. When the pros blend oil they use different weights, so what difference mixing two grades?

Garage blending is fun!

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: TallPaul
Originally Posted By: Jetronic
As I understand it mixing grades doesn't produce a new viscosity. Rather, the two molecular chains will exist next to each other....

So, one bearing could be lubricated by 5w30 and the other by 5w-50 at the same time...

Anyway, if I'm wrong I'd like to know...


No way will you have two bearings with different viscosities, it will all blend to a new viscosity. I don't see why the proposed mix would not fall somewhere in the ballpark of a 5w40 range. When the pros blend oil they use different weights, so what difference mixing two grades?

Garage blending is fun!

+1 I'll bet the mix would be close to the 5W40 the OP is looking for. There are a lot of garage blenders on BITOG that had some pretty impressive results.

 

[wannafbody]

I'd think in terms of a capital O vs a small o. Theoretically depending on amounts mixed could end up with...
OooOooOooOooO
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
oOOoOOOooOOoo

Correct?

 

[jldcol]

Dino base oil is usually a blend of 2 or more different ones, with different viscosities, to allow adjustment to get the desired one. This is one oil afterward. Syn will be usually a single base oil. Mixing a lighter with a heavier oil, the result will tend toward the heavier one more than the thinner one. You will move a 40wt. toward the bottom of the range mixing with 30wt., unless mostly all 30 wt.IMHOBTW.

 

[TallPaul]

You can use the viscosity blending equation (resulting vis is the weighted average of the logs of the individual viscosities). It is meant for base oil, so not sure how the viscosity index improver (VII) affects the equation. Figure, both 5w, though one may be a higher group (the 5w50 must be mostly synthetic to get that stretch). Anyway, you'll get a blend of the two base oils, both previously producing a 5w rating, and probably mixed together doing about the same, or at worst a 10w. then the VII from both oils will mix together to give the viscosity of the finished blend. I'd do it.

 

[FrankN4]

Originally Posted By: peterdaniel



Nah, Ive been drinking motor oil for years, hasn't touched my triglyceride level yet!

I did however notice that with the new 5w20 oil's, my LDL levels have risen... Time to build up the HDL with some 15w50!

I just came back from my quarterly diabetic clinic. My doctor said I needed to increase Calcium, Zinc, Magnesium, and Iron and reduce Sodium. I am thinking I should be drinking, maybe, a High Mileage 10w30 synthetic?

Can HM synthetic be mixed with Busch Light beer?

I can't drink HM beer because it will raise my blood sugar.

 

[jldcol]

Beer should not be mixed with anything, except perhaps a good thick steak, IMHO. As fellow diabetic, I wish you luck, although will power is perhaps of more use.