One oil for all engines

Mobil 1 5-40 diesel should work fine. I use Mobil 1 5-30 in everything but my little diesel Kubota tractor.

I'm sure that would work, but Mobile 1 costs way too much to put in my tractors. There might be a good debate on whether synthetic is worth it on high value engines but not on an old tractor.

Karl

Karl the clearances are much tighter on today's engine. Oil pressure is the indicator of "potential" flow, but it's all about flow. If the viscosity is too high, flow will be reduced, because when there is enough pressure to lift the ball from the seat in the regulator, that will represent an easier path and pump flow will be directed through the regulator and not the rest of the engine. Use the viscosity the factory recommended. They built the engine, not your son. Steve

I agree with Steve. In the short term you'll probably get away with it. In the longer term you might not. Not worth the risk in my view.

Best wishes,

Chris

I get a bad feeling about this.

"Karl Townsend" wrote: (clip) My new pick 'em up truck cost damn near 30K

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ It sounds like you have settled the question for everything but your new pickup. I agree with what others have said--don't risk a new engine worth thousands to save a couple of bucks per oil change. It may be possible to blend a light oil with the stuff from your drum, to produce the 5-20 you need, but:

1.) How much would you save? 2.) Could you match both the 5 and the 20 operating points? 3.) How much research would this take?

Delo 400 15-40

It's for better fuel mileage because with the thinner oil they could tighten up the clearances and improve efficiency. I'd use what they say just to avoid the heartache - engines are not cheap.

Might want to go shopping for a second drum pump and dispensing meter - One on 10W40 conventional for the implements, and one with

5W20 or 5W30 synthetic for the passenger cars and on-road vehicles.

For the passenger car oil you really don't have to run and spend a lot of money on another pump /right now/ for occasional use - while you wait to find a deal you can always go get a drum hand truck that goes horizontal for dispensing ($250 - but you can use for other things like {GASP!} moving drums), a drum faucet ($15), and one of those calibrated 1-quart pitchers ($12 - $15) with a spout to go in the fill port. (McMaster all.)

-->--

Go check the bearing clearance specs on the new engine and compare to an older engine of the same manufacture what spec'd the heavier oil. Will you find a difference in oil clearances? Betcha won't.

If you do publish them here.

** Posted from **

The tractor is critical to your business, is it not? It is indeed a high value engine if it's failure risks lost crops and/or substantial emergency replacement expense.

Back in the day when I drove v8 beaters, I used heavier oils to keep the pressure up.

With modern manufacturing, epa regs, engines are made a lot tighter. I use what the sticker says under the hood. In my case, 5w-30. 160K miles so far. No, I'm getting old noises yet.

I do think it helps mileage a bit but they have also tightened up oil specs also.

I don't think anyone here can tell you with authority that you can use 10-40.

Just use what is spec'd and change it often.

Oh, you can buy oil in gallon jugs for the truck, works out fine for my Saturn, only holds

4 quarts.

Wes

-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

Uh, you would be wrong.

Here are the numbers for the early 3.8 through the latest 3800 engine.

3.8 prior to 89 - .0012 -.0025

3.8 89-96 - .0010 - .0025

3800 96-98 - .0010 - .002

3800 from 98-08 - .0008 - .0018

Those are from GM themselves. Similar changes have occurred on the rest of the lines.

Was just having this conversation with a client who runs an autoshop the other day. He says that all modern engines that say 5W-something on them need a 5W-something oil. (I was fixing his alarm and phone systems).

If a tractor is critical you need a spare. I would rather have 2 old tractors than one new one ;)

Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/

** Posted from **

Take the risk! Because there really isn't any. Oil these days is pretty darn good and it's rare indeed for a motor to fail due to a problem with the oil. In fact, the problem is almost never the oil but the lack of changing it regularly enough. If you have a good quality oil it'll work fine with most engines. That said, I would go with Shell Rotella T Synthetic. It's a 5W40 oil and it's designed specifically for diesel engines but it just happens to be good for just about everything else too. Diesels have higher requirements than standard gasoline engines so the oils for them are better in general. The Rotella T Syn is great stuff. I use it for my motorcycle too. I read a long and complex article all about oils and aside from going with a full synthetic oil, which is very expensive, the best thing you can buy is Rotella T Syn. If I was going to buy a drum of oil that's what I'd buy.

Hawke

My old Willys truck had a very very well worn Buick 350 (came that way, I sure didn't do the swap...). I ran straight 50w and it still clattered, though not as bad as with 40w.

Jon

Nothing

I am way out of date since I retired 13 years ago, but then, the multi viscosity was all due to additives, not base oil. Blending a light oil in with regular oil will stuff it up. The lowest viscosity my employer made then was 20/40 but we do not have the low temperatures as in N America, so did not need a 5/* or 10/* at the time, it may have changed since due to engine technology improvements. I use 20/50 in my '95 Camry, the same in my '89 Patrol.

About 6 months minimum of lab work making different formulations and field testing.

If you run old Fords, like I do, you'd better have four.

Karl

While I have only been paid as a machinist for 15 years, They have been paying me to be a mechanic since 75 in various jobs from shipyards to Ferrari dealerships. Use the grades the factory says in your truck. Don't use an SM rated oil, (low zinc content) in a vehicle without a catalytic converter. It protects the cat, but doesn't protect camshafts. Don't use C rated (diesel) oils in a gas engine that has a cat, it will ruin it.. Don't use an "energy conserving" oil in a vehicle that has a wet clutch. I use Delo or Rotella in all of my fleet, but in grades appropriate to the engine makers specs, season, and mileage.