Originally Posted By: Garak
You don't need to eliminate everything except 0w-20. I doubt I'd consider a 0w-20 in my G unless it said "Red Line" on the bottle.
You mean to suggest that to eliminate all but your own personal favourite grades is unreasonable?
Because retailers making these decisions on behalf of their customers seemed to be something you'd favour.
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All I'm saying is that people ascribe way too much to the 10w-30 grade, particularly in the ILSAC varieties and in synthetic.
Well, what would those ascriptions be?
A tendency to higher HTHS, lower volatility, reduced polymeric VII content (and associated varnish/permanent shear opportunities) are hardly 'too much ascription', they're general characteristics; the yardstick, not the rulebook. There are too many examples of this in (even EC/RC) oil lineups to not be legitimately and modestly generalized as such.
Of course generalizing anything is bad practice, and enter our ability to make distinctions among the same-graded products.
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It has no significant advantage over 5w-30 at operating temperatures and none of the cold start benefits.
Including the word 'significant' instantly relegates the entire statement to personal interpretive subjection, unfortunately.
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If one wants a thicker oil, search for one with a higher HTHS, and you won't find it on the 10w-30 PCMO shelf, either.
Well I don't necessarily want a thicker oil, I want a more robust EC/RC oil most of the time so that I operate my engines in any way I please, not just in some "normal service" mode. I want to know that out of two choices, one will
inherently degrade less easily, leave less mess behind and demonstrates a higher HTHS in operation. "Inherently" being the key word, not specified for. Obviously not all 10w30 (for example) qualify for those inherent qualities as the blender can cheap way out, but only a 10w30 graded oil out of the EC/RC trifecta, could.
I could not possibly care less about -30C pumpability right now to completely ignore any of the prior concerns that could lead to varnishing or permanent wear in an overheat/breakdown situation. It's summer and I plan to complete an OCI before winter.