Oil recommendations for HD portable generator

[Astro_Guy]

Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
The suggestion of "run any 5w30 synthetic" is a "Fool's Choice"
I agree.

Originally Posted by Nitronoise
I have been running 5w30 full synthetic quaker state QSUD in my gen sets with Briggs motors for years biggest run was a full week in 80-85 degrees F only stopping to refuel.
I am glad to hear that you have have had a long string of success with what you are doing here, but one of these days your luck may run out. There is a reason for Briggs recommending 15W-50 for commercial applications, and it's been discussed at length here before. That reason is HTHS viscosity. Generators running at 3600 RPM with a heavy load sounds like a commercial application to me.

 

[tundraotto]

I'd (and do) run a 15W-40 HDEO on all ope....maybe if I had a snowblower, I would use a 5W-40 HDEO. It's cheap and I only have high ambient temperature and air cooled OPE to run so I run an affordable robust oil that I can afford to change every season at least once..

 

[Astro_Guy]

Originally Posted by tundraotto
I'd (and do) run a 15W-40 HDEO on all ope....maybe if I had a snowblower, I would use a 5W-40 HDEO. It's cheap and I only have high ambient temperature and air cooled OPE to run so I run an affordable robust oil that I can afford to change every season at least once..
That's probably great advice for most OPE in hotter climates, but you would change your mind in a heartbeat if you ever had to pull start a snowblower with that oil at or below freezing. I had been running 15W-40 in my recently retired leaf vacuum with a 4.5 HP Tecuseh motor. Starting that thing below 40 degrees using that oil was challenging to say the least. I don't even want to think about pull starting a piece of OPE at 25 degrees with 15W-40 oil in the sump.

 

[GMBoy]

I've run Mobil 1 10w/30 in my portable generator, my RV generator and all my OPE - no noise, no issues and I change yearly.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by Kamele0N
Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite
Originally Posted by Nitronoise

My small one is 10 years old and still starts on the second pull m once a month


What engine? My generac 5500 (?) has some "chinese honda copy" 390cc OHV
and that would start knocking with a PCMO oil when hot.


You both need to adjust valves on your generator(s)....


Valves get tighter when hot and no loss of power so ... why Mr. K ?

I did have to adjust the valves on my new Toro 252cc snowthrower after about only 10 hours.

The ex. valve lash measured only 0.10mm and it should be 0.20mm ( 0.0008") !

I knew it needed something as The engine was spitting and popping when hot, had very loud exhaust and lost power

 

[Kamele0N]

In your case I tought knocking means spitting....

Since in cars with EFI you have "knock sensor" wich controls pre-ignition

 

[spasm3]

Anyone see a downside to running amsoil HDD?

 

[repairman54]

Full synth and adjust weight to operating temps. . -25f starts you better have a 0-30w in it, I've lifted the 7.5k off the ground with the recoil in -15 temps, no way it was starting with 5-30w in it. My Generac 10 kw gets 0-30w now to handle those temps along with a sump heater and a battery heater on a thermostat to kick on at 20f . My old Craftsman BS now lives in a slightly warmer climate and is on 5-30w diet to deal with 10f to 90f temps. .

 

[cronk]

Originally Posted by spasm3
Anyone see a downside to running amsoil HDD?

Seems like a good choice.
I have ran Amsoil ase 10w30 small engine in my generators for 10+ years as well.
Amsoil also just came out with a 5w30 small engine oil for cold weather use.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Bumping an old thread - hope that is OK here.

I purchased a 4000W generator that is a Chinese knock off of a Honda -212cc. OCI is 25 hours which I will follow. Oil suggestions are:

>40F SAE 30
< 40F 10w-30
5w-30 full synthetic any temperature.

I pulled the Honda lit for their generator and it says the same.

My most likely use of this thing will be more than 80F. Would there be any difference in these three oils, given the high temp viscosities are the same?

Will the Full synthetic provide better wear protection - better heat dissipation, or just last longer?

I see some people recommending 15w-40, which I wonder about for 2 reasons, one its a diesel oil and I have read the detergent additives can unseat rings and such - probably overly dramatic but you get the idea, and the other being almost every small engine failure I have seen from wear is in the cylinder / rings - since the bottom end is roller bearings and are sitting in the oil basically. So wouldn't a thinner oil be better since more will splash on the cylinder wall?

I already broke it in for a couple hours based on suggestions on a go kart racing site which said to break it in using standard SAE 30 - 1 hour no load - change oil, second hour light use change oil. I was going to run it one more time on 30 and then switch to synthetic if that makes sense?

 

[Dave Sherman]

Lots of folks here run heavy duty or diesel oils in small engines, they will be fine with it. Never heard of "unseating rings" with detergents. I've been running Rotella T5 10W-30 year round in my small engines. I added a magnetic oil dipstick to my 212 Predator engine, it usually picks up a coating of stuff between oil changes.