applications for 20w 50 oil

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Bought 5 qts. of Castrol 20w 50 hi-mileage semi-synthetic oil on clearance at a local store. Who uses this weight oil nowadays, and for what application? I see that most all the major oil companies still produce it. I will use it in my 30 yr old Murray push mower, and probably use it to top off my F 150 with 300 inline 6 engine.
 
If for some reason I can't get my hands on some 30, I've used 20W-50 in both my Roadmaster wagon and a couple of riding mowers. Old Pontiac engines seem to like it better than 30's and 40's. That's my experience anyway. Probably my preferred multigrade, if I have to use a multi. I prefer monograde 30.
 
GTX 20W50 was the first oil I purchased with my own money, way back.

Back in the day 20W50 was what everybody ran in Oz in everything. More recently I used it in my push mower and as a top up in my old oil burning Audi. The Audi is now gone and I now have a 2-stroke mower, so I don't keep 20W50 anymore.

It's also a decent motorcycle oil.
 
It's the recommended grade for my daughter's Subaru Omega, my other daughter's Laser Lynx, and my motorcycle. Always welcome at my place.
 
You bought this oil without having any use for it?
LOL!
This would be a fine oil for your OPE and would be okay as a top-off oil in anything.
It could also be used as is in your old Ford engine.
Not widely recommended these days outside of a certain brand of bikes, but still a grade that can be used in the right applications in the right ambient temperatures.
This grade is recommended for summer in my old BMW and was in old Mercedes cars we've owned as well and was once the default grade for a host of cars from the continent to the east of us.
 
Off road air cooled sand buggies and tricked out VW kit cars.
Sometimes you catch these guys at car shows.
 
20W-50 is a very good oil to use in any air-cooled 4-cycle engine in hot or warm climates.

It should not be used in winter climate.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Red91
If for some reason I can't get my hands on some 30, I've used 20W-50 in both my Roadmaster wagon and a couple of riding mowers. Old Pontiac engines seem to like it better than 30's and 40's. That's my experience anyway. Probably my preferred multigrade, if I have to use a multi. I prefer monograde 30.
I don't think wm stocks straight weights at all anymore. The auto parts store do and Napa has 30,40 and 50.
 
Police Package 80's Mopar M-bodies (Diplomat and Gran Fury) with the 318 and 4bbl called for 20W-50. The owners manual said you "could" use 10W-30 during the winter if there was hard starting.
 
They put their Supertech HD 30 with the "lawnmower oil". At least that's what they do here. Occasionally I'll catch some Quaker State or Pennzoil 30 in stock, but not year round. My local wm's do stock ST and Castrol 30 however.
 
Most common use I know of is within the Porsche air cooled crowd. Another potential use could be in a performance built engine spec'd with looser rod and main bearing clearances, around .003" usually.
 
Nick....come on now. Even a monograde guy like me can stomach using 0W-20 in a new Toyota. I think you'd find 20W-50 to work fine in your Jeep, especially in Arizona. I don't know that I'd use anything but mono and 20W-50 if I lived out there.
 
Thinning it out with some 5W20 and using it in regular cars would be a good application
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Red91
Nick....come on now. Even a monograde guy like me can stomach using 0W-20 in a new Toyota. I think you'd find 20W-50 to work fine in your Jeep, especially in Arizona. I don't know that I'd use anything but mono and 20W-50 if I lived out there.
It was 35 degrees this morning! Practically blizzard weather here. No way in heck I'd be using that stuff in the winter even here.
 
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