Originally Posted by mpack88
I messed up the oil pump on my 84 dodge Aries running 20w50 in the winter. It was in the teens. Car would barely turn over and when it started was ticking real bad. After that the oil light stayed on. That car was so easy to work on I changed the oil pump and rod bearing the next day. Replaces with 10w30
20º or so is about my lower limit to drive the MG, but I've noticed that it can be a bit reluctant to build oil pressure at those sort of temperatures.
There's no oil "light" in that car, but there is a real time pressure gauge(my year is electric, but most years actually have a pipe running from the side of the engine to the back of the gauge) and I have a good idea what is normal under different conditions.
I've often suspected that at low temperatures, the oil pump just has trouble pumping that syrup out of the sump.
I have at times run Delo or Rotella 15W-40 in the winter, something which seems to build pressure a bit faster and also makes cranking on a cold day a bit easier. I don't like what that does to my hot pressure, though, or my consumption(remember, worn rings-I have a bottom end that I'm planning on rebuilding this winter). I've also considered Mobil 1 15W-50. If it weren't expensive and difficult to find, I might run Castrol Edge 5W-50 year round.