Does Thicker Oil Increase Oil Pressure?

In this video we answer a very common question about using thicker oil to help an older engine with low oil pressure.
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[@lordofwar9638]

I think you should consider teaching this stuff professionally at a trade school when you get older and don’t feel like working on engines anymore. You explain everything really well, you’d be a natural.

[@WackadoodleMalarkey]

He should do The Great Coarses classes on diesels for that matter xD

[@hankh.512]

Yea I definitely think so to! He's a great teacher

[@tydwill2009]

So I ruined my Pontiac G6 2008 by not understanding the importance, and complexities of engine oil viscosity, levels, and the fragile system the oil travels through. When some🙄 people pour in oil, the large opening leaves them to believe that there are no tiny holes that oil travels through. Giving them the false belief that oil flows through car engines like water through pipes, instead of blood thru microscopic veins.

[@builtforspeed5274]

Amsoil do classes that cover this area flow vs pressure

[@johnvlahidis_google]

In Greece, engineers often change the viscosity to thicker, especially in scooters, when they see that the manufacturer recommends, for example, 5W-40. They don't like this number and put in 15W-50, resulting in engines being destroyed without cause. Then they curse and blame the companies, saying that they not manufacture more durable engines like old times than they do today. In no job do they ever read what the manufacturer recommends because they believe they know better than anyone else. They do the same when an car engine burns oil. Instead of fixing the problem, they change to a thicker viscosity oil, resulting in accelerating wear exponentially. thanks for video i share to my dump meccanic friends

[@tectalabyss]

part 2 As oil is forced between a bearing and journal, many polymers have a tendency to align with each other, somewhat like nesting spoons. When this happens, viscosity drops. Then when the oil progresses through the bearing, the polymer molecules entangle again and viscosity returns to normal. This phenomenon is referred to as temporary shear. Because the Sequence VI-B test responds to reductions in viscosity, oil formulators rely on polymer shear to pass the test. A shear stable polymer makes passing the GF-3 fuel economy test much more challenging. New rules defining the cold-flow requirements of SAE viscosity grades (SAE J300) became effective in June 2001. The auto manufacturers were afraid that modern injection systems might allow the engine to start at temperatures lower than the oil could flow into the oil pump. Consequently, the new rules had a thinning effect on oil. The auto manufacturers now recommend thinner oils for their vehicles than in the past. Years ago, SAE 10W-40 was the most commonly recommended viscosity grade, later migrating to SAE 10W-30. SAE 5W-30 is most popular now, but Ford and Honda recommend SAE 5W-20. It is likely that more widespread adoption of SAE 5W-20 and other thin oils may occur to help comply with CAFE requirements. Because of the change in cold-flow requirements and the fuel economy test pushing formulators toward the bottom of the viscosity grade, today’s SAE 10W-30 oils are more like yesterday’s (GF-1 spec) SAE 5W-30 oils. On top of that, there is a trend toward auto manufacturers recommending thinner grades. This seems ridiculous. SUVs and trucks, with their inherently less-efficient four-wheel drive and brick-wall aerodynamics, need powerful, gas-guzzling engines to move their mass around in a hurry. In response, auto manufacturers recommend using thin oils to save fuel. Incredible! Viscosity and Wear Thinner oils have less drag, and therefore less friction and wear. Right? Perhaps in the test engine or engines that experience normal operation. But somewhat thicker oils may offer more protection for more severe operations such as driving through mountains, pulling a boat, dusty conditions, short trips, high rpm, overloading, overheating and overcooling. Figure 2. Ring Wear Any abrasive particles equal to or larger than the oil film thickness will cause wear. Filters are necessary to keep contaminants small. The other side of the equation is oil film thickness. Thicker oil films can accommodate larger contaminants. Temperature has a big effect on viscosity and film thickness. As a point of reference, one SAE grade increase in viscosity is necessary to overcome the influence of a 20°F increase in engine temperature. At a given reference point, there is approximately a 20°F. difference between viscosity grades SAE 30, 40 and 50. SAE 20 is somewhat closer to 30 than the other jumps, because SAE 30 must be 30°F higher than SAE 20 to be roughly the equivalent viscosity. In other words, an SAE 20 at 190°F is about the same kinematic viscosity as an SAE 30 at 220°F, which is about the same viscosity as an SAE 40 at 240°F. This approximation works well in the 190°F to 260°F temperature range. One might be surprised at the slight amount of difference between straight viscosity vs. multiviscosity oils with the same back number (for example, SAE 30, SAE 5W-30, and SAE 10W-30). If an SAE 50 oil at 260°F is as thin as an SAE 20 oil at 190°F, imagine how thin the oil film becomes when you are using an SAE 5W-20 and your engine overheats. When an engine overheats, the oil film becomes dangerously thin and can rupture.

[@awaisiqbal8934]

@tectalabyss from where you got that much useful information?

[@jd646]

Wow

[@markcrowell695]

Great video- love how he immediately opens the video with the answer to the exact question that was being asked.. 👍🏼👍🏼 Then immediately said it was a horrible idea. Within 10 seconds I had the answer and knew not to do it.. I HATE watching long videos to get to an answer.. thx bro - keep the videos coming! I’m subscribing

[@randyhoward4222]

just built a 383 old school got 60 lbs at first start up running 20/50 Yes your right watched 20 others and none were right he fix it in 5 minutes and saved me 500.00 at least

[@morebeer7673]

In most worn vehicles that have low pressure due to bearing wear, it's the second, or "operating temp" number you want to increase to compensate, BUT only incrementally. You never want to change the recommended first number, or the "W/cold crank" number, of your viscosity. It's usually okay to go from a 5W-20 to a 5W-30, or a 5W-30 to a 5W-40, but you would likely do great damage, as he described, if you jumped levels of viscosity and went for example, from a 5W-30 to a 20W-50. This is especially true for modern VVT engines.

[@efrahaimrn]

Yep. For worn engines a step higher in viscosity helps.

[@mooosestang]

Yet ford even recommends doing just that on their track pack equipped mustangs if you are tracking the car. Going from 5w20 to 5w50.

[@MartinAguilar213]

Thank you , you answered my question.

[@jamesinoregon1081]

Hmm. Then why does Chev recommend 5w30 daily and 15w50 for track events? You still have to start the engine and get the temperature to operating temp. I used 15w50 all the time in the summer in SoCal. And on track. All good. Factory recommended.

[@markwarnberg9504]

Changeing the Lower or Higher end of the viscosity depends on climatic conditions. If the air/oil tempature is above 0c the 0w - 5w - 10w 15w will still be fluid and pumpable as these weights can go down from 0c - -40c. At the higher end you get Thermol Break down to where the viscosity can no longer lubricate and protect the engine.

[@TravelingTech]

Good to see ya again Josh! Tech to Tech I love watching all your helpful tips. Nice to find a channel I can fully relate to.

[@richard7981]

Great videos man please dont stop!

[@stormyweather9054]

Thanks Josh this was VERY HELPFUL .have a 3126B (8YL ) that drops oil pressure after warm up . Switched to 20w- 50 seamed to help pressure stability . But now I better look into oil pump and associated components that you mentioned . Thanks again .

[@ivandeloera3163]

Hi, josh. I’m a big fan of your videos, thanks for the help!!!

[@johnnytsunami6185]

It really depends there is too many variables to say thicker is a bad idea. I ran my avalanche with 5w30 for 200 thousand miles and it had a loss of oil pressure due to bearing clearance and wear over time once I added 10w40 it runs better has oil pressure back to normal and makes less engine noise. I’m no professional but thicker in my case has fixed my small issues. I now have 240 thousand miles and still use the 10w40 with zero issues and better performance it runs like new again

[@johnnytsunami6185]

Also the kind of climate you live in is a major variable too what oil weight is best I live in the south where it rarely gets below 30 and I could run 15w40 if I wanted with no problem

[@AutodidactEngineer]

What I did is I replaced my MF 135 mechanical oil pump with an electric oil pump. Also I reamed out all the oil passages throughout the engine compartment, I also installed aftermarket under piston oil sprinklers and now I installed an oil pressure nob that goes from 12 PSI to1.2 bar, also the cool thing is that when I want to start up my tractor cold, I turn on the oil pump for about 20 seconds then crank the engine. The pump I am using is used in industri SCANIA trucks.

[@WADATMEDIA]

Dude u earned my sub in 3 seconds. You are awesome thanks for the info.

[@AdeptApe]

Thank you.

[@markm0000]

Very nice. I learned exactly what’s going on and got it in the first shot.

[@JT-qf4it]

You are absolutely spot on. I can't count the number of times Ive seen this done to high mileage engines.

[@pete1342]

I parted ways with the " thicker oil is better" crowd years ago. In my 40 years as a mechanic, I've never once seen an engine hurt from the oil viscosity being what the manufacturer recommended. OTOH, Ive seen quite a few damaged by the " thicker oil is better" crowd who think theyre smarter than the engineers who designed both the engines and the oil for them.

[@jd646]

Not even for worn out engines huh? For example one that is over 200k?

[@thatman4752]

Honest to god you would think these people never tried running thicker oil in an old engine before they decided it was a bad idea. It works.​@@jd646

[@brycebrandon100]

I am a truck driver who just subscribed to your channel, I am currently saving money to buy a KW W900, I want a CAT engine and I want to do most of the maintenance myself, maybe not at first but eventually I plan on moving to Wyoming with my family and buying a house with land. I've seen plenty of properties that have garage facilities that are big enough for a truck. I really appreciate that you are strictly CAT as I am also a fan of CAT. I hope to learn a lot from your channel.

[@AdeptApe]

Thank you for subscribing.

[@ghettygram]

Speed up 1.5 👌 exactly what I was looking for. Thank you

[@THERIGGEDONE]

Informative video-thanks!

[@brandonkruger3656]

you are a good teacher thanks man.

[@johnnysalazar1552]

Very well explained maestro

[@ericdulyon4601]

Good teaching bro 👍

[@kerrygleeson4409]

Great advice thanks for sharing 👍🇦🇺

[@sHoRtBuSseR]

One thing I noticed you didn't touch on in the video is a reduction of cooling capacity. Too thick of oil cuts down flow across the bearings and can cause the bearings to heat up too much. Excellent work as usual though!

[@morgansword]

When we were kids in the sixties and seventies, we didn't know any better and more by luck than by know/learning, I was broke and having kids means feeding them first. So when my oil pressure made a dramatic drop, I had oil, thirty weight but I didn't have money to grab some ninety weight and add to it. I had to work and that meant drive on at any cost.... I was very lucky as money, parts and time all came at same time as I tore it down to put which ever bearing it needed, not a set mind you but just ones needed. I pulled it out and pulled pan and timing cover and all the top off.... seen my timing chain was bad bad. I take the rockers loose, and pulled that cam that had a pressed cam gear out and looked back in the holes to see brass. lots of it and thinking bottom would be gone, took one to look and see how scared it was to find that sure it had miles but it was way usable. Going further and not losing their places, now being careful, I looked at the rest of them and conquered the bottom could still roll on if I had pressure. All kids have spare parts if they run same brand, etc and so grabbing another block that had a good cam knowing it was good but bottom was shy, I swapped my good crank and bearings in and kept bearings for good crank (one just pulled out) and swapped the mains with the crank and used the rods on the pistons in the one who was going to live again so the journals kept same same but just different pistons as it to me was a fifty fifty thing. New gaskets where I had them, pan, the timing chain was still good in the donor so just kept those gear and chain sets together. Next morning, I fired her up and seen the gauge jump up and what a difference having a good t chain can make any way. I actually ran that engine for a year being kind and not racing. It got pulled for a big bad motor and the limper was put under the bench for crap to fall on for a few years and when cleaning out garage, brother comes by and asked if I had a builder and I pointed at "limper" and said ran when pulled and will go to dump unless you take it. He takes it home, power washes, gaskets, cheap bearing set without micing or checking. He ran perfect circle rings in everything and he never even cleaned the junk out of the ring glands, just rings and bearings, t chain, seals with same heads no valve lap or other.... It ran great but perfect circle rings were soft and it needed rings again soon and then just got scraped. He drove hard and fast and should of been charged for engine abuse.

[@TolaTrucking]

Wishing you serviced my equipment. 2nd to none.

[@razaghumman2412]

Thanks man good info,I switched to 10w30 heavy duty 100% synthetic AMSOIL from 15w40 mobile delvec,improved mpg and engine sounds n run better,have a 2013 Volvo vnl with d13 750,000 miles nothing is been touched on my engine so far,

[@f-j-Services]

@@ProjectKneepads lol I put 98-140 gear oil in a DT466 thats in a 1066. mechanical rotar injection pump, not the inline p-pumps or any HEUI system, the origional DT466 for agriculture. It survived the winter with that thick shit, its time for it to come out. It was all I had while I was in the field, better than nothin right? lol. But yeah anything that is heui seems to not like the cold. GL with the MF466 lol.

[@viktortulbya2107]

Make sure you do a Overhead valve adjustment soon on that D13, i work very often, they are quite sensitive to that, but if kept well, ive seen some at over 1 mil. Which is quite something for these modern engines with the Current epa standards.

[@BULLYBLASTent]

Hello my friend, thanks for this video. your friend from BAJA CALIFORNIA MEXICO

[@davidwalle5025]

Good video. Great dogs at the end from a cat person.

[@thetowndrunk988]

2 things have changed a lot over the past 20 years- oil quality, and engine tolerance (especially with the newer emissions systems). Oils are far more advanced now, than even in the 90’s. A straight up conventional does a fantastic job at protecting engine parts, and takes much longer to degrade than it used to. Synthetics now are absolutely amazing. I personally am not a fan of extended drain intervals, but there are many instances semi engines going 1 mil+ without an oil change, using synthetics, bypass filters and consistent oil analysis. As far as engines, they’re not only built to much more precise tolerances than years ago, but material technology means those components wear at a slower rate on average. So, in my totally public educated opinion- stick with the manufacturers suggestion on oil weight, and avoid the snake oils. First off, that stuff that resembles boiled down honey has no additives in it, so you’re actually diluting the additive package in the amazing oils available. As for the ideas about gear oil- yes, technically a lot of them have additives in them, so you’re not necessarily diluting the additive package of the oil, but consider what that oil is made for, which is gearing, and think “hm, would they use the same additives for gearing as they would for an engine? 🤔”- I’m going with probably not. Worst of all, because tolerances are so tight, that oil is gonna have issues flowing in a modern engine, and you’re thereby increasing wear, which is the very thing you were trying to fight by adding the goop. Yes, it’s true that manufacturers have been using thinner oils for CAFE purposes, but those engineers didn’t just take fuel efficiency into account. They also took engine wear into account, and had to find the best balance between those 2 goals. As for diesels, well, the overwhelming majority still call for the same 15W40 we were using in the Stone Age, so not a ton of guess work needed there. My advice- put the recommended oil in, change it regularly, avoid the snake oils and old school advice (at least if it’s a modern engine), and focus on your driving habits. That’ll make the biggest difference in longevity.

[@afantini1]

I live in Florida and the winter is around the 50's for three or four days. High temperatures all the time. I start with 5W-30 and use 10W-30 after 50.000 miles

[@catapult182]

I purchased a 1998 Nissan frontier brand new at the time less than 3 miles on the odometer. For the first six months ownership I use the recommended weight viscosity oil, 5W 20. Every time I started that engine up it clattered made all kinds of noise until oil pressure was built up, after my warranty was gone, I put in 10 W-30. The start up clacking stopped and I put well over 300,000 miles on that engine with no issues.

[@keatonentze403]

Thank you thank you thank you and here I am thinking I knew enough but clearly I don’t and that’s why I asked the good question

[@th3phacee]

is 20w-50 oil bad for my old 1.6 turbo diesel golf mk 2 because i am running it with that viscosity and it runs great

[@zoomzoomgt]

- what cause low oil pressure (main bearing worn) (other option: Excessive bearing clearances are not the only possible causes for low oil pressure readings; others are oil pump-related problems, a plugged oil pickup screen, weak or broken oil pressure) - what cause high oil pressure. (Higher than normal pressures can be caused by too much oil, cold oil, high oil viscosity, restricted oil passages, or a faulty pressure regulator.) so low oil pressures = excessive bearing clearance what would you say for high oil pressure? my pick is restricted oil passage

[@heroheroin4718]

Thanks for information,

[@Brendanspackertalkandmore]

Literally explains how oil pressure works

[@johnnylightning1491]

Yep that's the right but I'm sure there will still be folks that argue with you. One thing you didn't touch on is that more freely flowing oil take heat away from components more quickly. Every motor is oil cooled to a certain extent, air cooled engines almost exclusively so flow is important to keep cool oil coming in and pushing the hot oil out. Keep the good stuff coming.

[@thatman4752]

Ya but the thin oils dissipate less heat too so your just making results up for tests you never ran.

[@contrerasj87]

I just had a recent overhaul on my 3406e. Started using synthetic blend and noticed a 10-13 psi drop on my oil pressure. Is this something I should be worried about? Although psi dropped I can feel the motor running smoother compared to 15W-40

[@daviduribe2560]

Hi Josh, I am having a problem with my dd13, which has 449k miles. I am getting low oil pressure of 14 psi when idling hot. I installed new O-rings, oil pump, oil pan gasket and still giving low oil pressure. Some mechanics have suggested to replace the bearings and others have said to replace the oil housing filter which is about $2600 at the dealer. Do you have any idea what it could be?

[@jasonhicks2578]

First I would like to say Thanks for all of the great info that you have took time and put out. Its been very educational. So what you suggest running in C-15 6nz roughly 400,000?

[@dimab8753]

I know it's a great KZbin channel but lack of response to comments is not. I wish Josh spend some time answering them. I ran 15/40 delvac in my 05 cat and I add a gallon of gear oil with each oil change. Why gear oil ? You can Google it

[@thewrightfamily369]

Great job

[@jameskrivitsky9715]

Thanks Josh, good info and presentation. I would imagine the old STP oil treatment with thicker viscosity could prove problamitic ? J K

[@CWAcres]

Good video.

[@michaelhorstman2603]

So I have a 2004 gmc with an LQ4. It has a million miles. A few years back I lost half my oil pressure. Ran like that for 2 years. Then 0 oil pressure. I changed everything. When I changed the bearings that got me half oil pressure back. No bearings were spun but there was a lot of scratches. The only thing left is the cam bearings. But at this point with a million miles and it runs great now, it’s not worth the $ and time to fix the cam bearings. On this situation would you go a lil thicker oil?

[@jnew6808]

Thank you, that's what I thought. This person recommended that I put 15w 50 in my Chevy van. It runs so sluggish, and my pressure gauge is over 50.

[@tectalabyss]

Part 4 final. Although thinner oils with less antiwear additive outperform more robust products in the 96-hour fuel economy test, it is not clear that such products save fuel over the useful life of the engine. Every fluid is a compromise. Oils recommended by the auto manufacturers seem to compromise protection from wear under severe conditions to gain fuel economy and catalyst durability. It is important to recognize that to use a product that offers more protection from wear will most likely compromise your warranty. Thicker oils also compromise cold temperature flow, which may be of concern depending upon climate and season. The best protection against wear is probably a product that is a little thicker (such as SAE 10W-30 or 15W-40) and has more antiwear additives than the oils that support the warranty. The best oil for your vehicle depends on your driving habits, the age of your engine and the climate you drive in, but it is not necessarily the type of oil specified in the owner’s manual or stamped on the dipstick.

[@Fee.1]

Manufacturers have no interest in sacrificing reliability for a ludicrously minor gas savings

[@bogusphone8000]

​@@Fee.1 Ever heard of VW?

[@awaisiqbal8934]

It is kind of trade off rather a compromise infact. I do agree with you although other way around can be using a high grade quality oil which meets most of trade off variables like friction viscosity flow heat etc

[@tectalabyss]

@@awaisiqbal8934 I agree. Thank you for your thoughtful take on these matters.

[@awaisiqbal8934]

@@tectalabyss being an engineer and having qualification in masters of business administration, I appreciate your in depth comment. I have rarely seen someone who has posted such a useful knowledge over KZbin

[@ezequielnassiaca861]

Hi, like the topic, but I have a question you may be familiar, cat c9 fault code 108 04 .. the engines runs when cold until it reaches 187 degree engine temperature and then cuts off with this fault..have u had this issue?

[@Richard-zc1cj]

I have a question about lawn mower oil consumption. This old mower leaks and smokes a tiny bit. 30 weight oils recommended. Would 40 weight help or destroy what's left of my good old mower?

[@masonkitchell2675]

Little off topic, but was looking at a 2000 peterbilt with c10 and when I started it and in high idle it had a weird knock clank noise, but when it went to low idle it went away, idk if it was a bad injector problem. Would like your opinion on it. Truck has 900,000 miles and owner doesn’t know if it’s been rebuilt or not

[@superdragon9293]

oh i get it now.....Man you are good thankyou .....

[@tectalabyss]

I liked and shared the video. And do agree. I have one question though? Why do they make thicker oils ?. Thank you for posting.

[@malcolm8065]

Oil changes viscosity due to environmental conditions. Where I live we can see a 120 degree tempature fluctuation in 6 months. Hence why we run a winter and summer oil in some pieces of equipment.

[@nickwhite6717]

Alsoo it depends on the tolerences designed into an engine. Looser tolerances generally require a thicker oil

[@nazzerite]

I just had a complete valve job done on 2002 4.3 v6 chevy. At start up great oil pressure but a little after reaching operating temp. pressure goes down. And at idle can lose almost all pressure according to dash board gauge. Did not do this before. Mechanic said there was a lot of sludge on top end. I have changed the oil a few times within 150 miles or so to help clean any remaining stuff from tear down. Still quite perplexed. thoughts??

[@trucks_n_tractors_6335]

Great video for modern engines but however this mostly does not apply to older like pre 2000 pushrod engines they have loser tolerances and high miles a slightly thicker oil will help in my opinion

[@cheorocha3116]

So do u not recommend using Lucas oil stabilizer on older engines with over 1 million miles?

[@robbwhitehead5486]

So you don't recommend 2gal of lucas to every 8 gallons of 15/40?

[@oscard.h5654]

Awesome info!! Thanks

[@viveksharma3272]

Sir can we use 5w40 synthetic oil instead of 5w30 recommended oil in petrol 998cc petrol engine

[@daneblackburn613]

Can you do a video on treating anti freeze and electrolisis

[@momowas]

We have a 265kw generator with a Scania engine running on biogas. The generator is currently running at only 170kw. At that output the oil temperature is at 97°C and the pressure at 3.55 to 3.7 bar. Over 170kw the temperature increases and pressures decreased to the point of too low oil pressure. If the pressure falls under 3.5 bar for more than a few seconds the Generator shuts off automatically. New barings and a new oil pump were installed a few hundred hours ago. Didn't fix the problem. Old barings had some wear. Oilpump seems to be okay but where replaced anyway. Otherwise the generator runns fine. The generator is running 24/7 and has nearly no cold starts. Every 600 hours we need to shut it off for an hour for service. Under those circumstances is it okay to choose a slightly thicker oil so the generator can run at max power? The Because it has to pay itself off it needs to run at near max output. Would love to hear your opinion.

[@TheBigdog868]

The oil flow is doing its job of cooling all those hot components. I'd try adding another oil cooler.

[@Dirt_Breaker]

Would an increase of 5 hurt? My motorbike got great flow and pressure as is. It’s just I don’t have the correct oil. And since I live in Australia, oil tends to thin out early.

[@martincanning2639]

100percent correct!👍💯👌

[@DonovanAP]

Ill start off by saying, I really dont know much about motors. I got a 78 ford 6.6 400 that Sat 9 yrs. after my father passed. Took a lot of work from someone that doesnt know what hes doing but the pressure gauge was spiking before then return to normal and spike again. I changed the oil and filter. No idea what was in it but I went with 10w30 (was told its better for older motors)...pressure is doing the same.. it spikes... then goes to normal after some time then spikes again... any ideas?

[@cjtroutt8092]

That was very good video oil by the manufacturer and viscosity during temperatures and climate change summer even desert temperatures artic weather has caused and effect. It also has an effect on prelude system like on our 420d or D4G or the 325.

[@chrisleggett685]

Back in the 70's my uncle worked for Gulf oil. He told me to use the thinnest oil that prevented excess consumption.

[@bobwhite3777]

I see thinner oil causing more consumption

[@JAMESWUERTELE]

Thinner oil moves more heat.

[@quewat3676]

@@JAMESWUERTELE That interesting

[@JAMESWUERTELE]

@@quewat3676 yes sir! That’s why gas turbine oils are so thin.

[@markwarnberg9504]

Restriction can also be caused from varnish build up in the oil channels.

[@efrogarcia1697]

And what is low oil pressure on a 3176 and idle warm engine?

[@jaynikk758]

Great video but on an older high mileage engine, wouldn't those bearing tolerances be higher than they would be brand new? Thus necessitating aslightly thicker oil to make up for the slightly larger gaps? Thank you

[@spencerminyo8590]

I think so. Older engines, like my 30 year old 350 small block, were simply built with looser tolerances than modern engines. Add 250k+ miles of wear on these bearings, and you are going to get even bigger tolerances. If you check the forums, thousands of folks have replaced the recommended 5W-30 with 10W-40, especially those who live in hotter climates. Personally I plan to run 10W-40 in the summer (regularly 95-100 where I live) and switch to 5W-40 in the winter for my 350 small block.

[@adolfohdez31]

Thanks

[@felixvelasco3484]

Saludos maestro

[@nicolasalvarado9327]

I need some help… I have a cat MXS c 15 ACERT ..was using shell rotella 15w40… decided to use mystik synthetic blend and when I start my truck it has low oil pressure about 20-30 minutes then goes away … should I just go back to rotella… and the reason I switched to mystik was bc motor would burn a gallon or so of shell

[@NikeMikey101]

I have a 2002 Honda with 200,000. Should I keep the same velocity (5w20) or increase to 5w30? The only small oil leak I have is oil pan gasket. Not sure if that will hurt the engine by going thicker oil to prolong the life of the engine.

[@scottp6761]

You can run 5w30 but it won't help oil pan gasket. Just replace the gasket and be done with it. It isn't a hard job. On a high mileage car. Running 5w40 is fine too. Also Lubeguard blue oil additive really helps protects engines. It has Liquid ester technology same crap they use in redline and Amsoil

[@Supanova70]

so for a 600 hp sbc with .003 bearing clearance what do you recommend?

[@tectalabyss]

Part 3 Ford is bumping up against its CAFE requirements and recommends SAE 5W-20 oil for most of its engines in the United States. It claims SAE 5W-20 is optimal for fuel efficiency and wear. To determine if SAE 5W-20 oils provide the same level of protection as SAE 5W-30 oils, Dagenham Motors in England, one of the largest Ford dealers in Europe, was consulted. SAE 5W-30 is required for warranty purposes in England, and SAE 5W-20 is not even available. If SAE 5W-20 were better for both fuel economy and wear, why would Ford not recommend it for its same engines in Europe? Antiwear Property Changes Another change that occurred in passenger car motor oils with GF-2 and GF-3 is a more stringent limit on phosphorus, which is part of the zinc phosphate (ZDDP) antiwear additive. The auto manufacturers are concerned that phosphorus will deposit on surfaces of the catalytic converter and shorten its life. This is a complicated issue, and the deposits depend on the specific ZDDP chemistry and the finished oil formulation. The industry was unsuccessful in designing an engine test for an oil’s catalytic converter deposit forming tendencies. Therefore, the auto manufacturers set an arbitrary limit for motor oil of 0.1 percent phosphorus. Antiwear additives are important in the absence of a hydrodynamic film, such as in the valve train. The antiwear additives are activated by frictional heat, which causes them to react with the hot surface and form a chemical barrier to wear. The mechanism by which phosphorus deposits form on catalytic converter surfaces is not fully understood. It does not correlate directly with oil volatility or oil consumption. On the other hand, if engine wear causes oil consumption to increase, the risk of forming phosphorus deposits in the converter would increase dramatically. It seems that preventing wear and oil consumption should be a priority. In the past, oil formulators could make a premium product by simply adding more ZDDP. A similar move today would result in an oil formulation that would not support new car warranties. Short-term Thinking As wear increases, the efficiency of an engine declines. Valve train wear slightly changes valve timing and movement. Ring and liner wear affect compression. The wear hurts fuel efficiency and power output by an imperceptible amount at first, but then the difference in fuel economy between an SAE 10W-30 and SAE 5W-20 is hardly noticeable. Efficiency continues to decline as wear progresses. Perhaps optimizing wear protection is the way to reduce fuel consumption over the life of the engine. Certainly engines that have experienced significant ring and liner wear benefit from thicker oils. Thicker oil use results in compression increases, performance improvements and reduced oil consumption. High-mileage oils are a relatively new category of passenger car motor oils. These products typically contain more detergent/ dispersant and antiwear additives than new car oils. They typically contain a seal swell agent and are available in thicker viscosity grades than most new cars recommend. “High mileage” seems to be defined by “as soon as your car is out of warranty.” What To Use

[@21gonza21]

Ok so could Lukas stabilizers increase pressure??

[@jmac1099]

for sure fixing your low oil problem is best, but as an engine wears, i don't think its a bad idea to go up viscosity.

[@SlikLizrd]

Actually, it's very rare when it's a good idea to go UP in viscosity. Modern lubrication technology gives us synthetic engine oils that lubricate and cool our engines better than oils that were popular just 20 years ago. We don't NEED thicker oils to protect our engines, because the thinner synthetics do the job much better, while adding the advantage of better engine COOLING.

[@georgigeorgiev7232]

And the funny part is that the low oil pressure is created by the thin oil idea not protecting when engine hot, prescribed by the manufactures to cover eco norms and to pay lower fines for pollution

[@andrewaikens5624]

So true man nobody understands especially with ram trucks with the 5.7 it calls for 0w20 wayyy to thin. It would lifter tic at least 5-10 times a day on start ups I didn’t keep it in anymore then 500km dumped it out thru 5w30 full synthetic in it and it never ticked ever again runs smoother quieter. And a coworker of mine who bought the same truck at the same time kept using the 0w20 in the same 5.7. He got the lifter tick wore the needle bearings in a few lifters and it ate his camshaft with less then 25000km lol dodge recommends the thin oil cause they know their Gettin good money doin motor jobs less fines with epa ratings.

[@georgigeorgiev7232]

@@andrewaikens5624 Im with 5w40 full synthetic in a warm climate in EU. 15 years old Honda 2.0l. Engine feels great, no oil consumption etc. Just dont rev it up when engine cold and go with a minute warm up before you go

[@ibrahimnasidi3987]

Hi Josh love what you do Am having some issues with my c7 Replaced fuel pump and everything good for about a month then suddenly as am driving check engine will come on and the won't go more than 55mph If I come to a full stop the light goes away and the truck drives fine after that,the check engine is reading fuel pressure,I replaced the sensor,it didn't fix it,anything you can think of can help.Thanks Ibrahim

[@sahilsangwan6371]

What if the car has done, 221422 kms My car has done more than 220 K can I use 10w 40 instead of 5w 30... It has slight noises, I changed expensive 5w30 but still some noise is there, noise is not loud from general perspective.. Thanks in advance...

[@lorenzowilson8336]

How much miles should you change your oil?

[@superdragon9293]

But what if you have a older motor...like a 88 tbi 350 chevy...is oil stabilizer a good thing or no?

[@georgestrobl6510]

What’s the easiest way to get more power on a 6nz cat

[@Stainless316L]

I get the bearing tolerance thing equals manufacture havings a recommended best oil. But bmw m5 has very tight tolerance gaps compared to say standard vag 2.0 and bmw recommend 10w60 ? 10w30 10w60 they both do the job in milder climates. 👍

[@carlm2590]

I think this guy is right but there are situations that a thicker oil may benefit. Let's say you have an older engine without vvt and high mileage. I think it would be ok to go from the reccomended 5w20 to 5-30.

[@neon922]

Correct me if Im wrong, but doesn't flow remain constant regardless of viscosity? The oil pump flows a given volume of oil per revolution. Increasing the viscosity would create more work for the oil pump, but I don't believe the volume it flows would change. Sort of like utilizing a floor jack to lift a car vs a lawn mower. One pump of the jack handle will move each vehicle up the same amount. The difference is that the the force required to move each vehicle is dependent on the amount of work the user applies.

[@nojunkwork5735]

The volume does change because you are trying to force a thicker liquid through the bearing. It's kind of like if you were to quirt water through your teeth, you have a good flow with limited pressure as opposed to trying to quirt molasses through your teeth where you get lots of pressure but very limited flow.

[@steamandsmoke97]

Engine Oil pumps typically are not a piston pump that works like a floor jack as in entirely positive displacement and the oil has no choice to be forced through, they're a vane or gerotor style pump in which even though they are considered positive displacement, some fluid can bypass especially when they start to wear, and some even have relief valves to prevent damage to other lubrication system components from too much oil pressure.

[@walterfunes8927]

Where is your shop located at

[@nathannagoor6202]

I have a Vw Caddy 2.0 TDI that has low oil pressure but only when the car gets hot , any idea how yo solve that issue

[@cruz-in9407]

I have a cat c7 and my mechanic put 15w40 oil in it ,my truck is stalling and is hard to start in a cold weather!

[@christineluke6429]

I dont get it, why dont they just use the same bearings in semi trailers tires in the pistons and other moving components. U know the beads. There also found in bike tires as well

[@ThomasFG]

It's like looking back to some owners manuals from 20 years ago that may have called for lets say... 10w30, 15w40 or 20w50 A newer equivalent with all the newer additives, synthetic oils, etc Well according to Penrite Australia A 5w40 is safe to use where prior 10w30 oil ratings were called for (using the older API index) A 10w40 might be a newer equivalent of 15w40, so on & so fourth.

[@YourMomsLover69463]

So out of curiosity my tucks manual says it can run 10w30 if 5w30 isn’t available I’m running 10w to help with the leaks would that be a no no?

[@delawarecop]

If it's all about FLOW & FILM STRENGTH, and a Diesel engine is designed to run 5W30 or 10W30, would it be better to run 0W20 to reduce startup wear, and substitute the weigh/viscosity difference at higher temperatures with a ZDDP like additive, or even something like Motorkote? Will the higher flow Oils also go through the Oil Pump & Oil Cooler better to provide better lubrication and more efficient cooling, whilst lowering the load on the engine?

[@simonwilkinson2133]

You need to consider oil shear along with oil life and start up conditions. It's not a straight forward question of just using a thinner oil for faster lubrication or cold start.

[@scottp6761]

I personally use 5w40 Mobil Delvac 1. It's money and has ester. For diesels. Quit worrying about all that and just run 5w40. It's suitable for all climates and oh I add Lubeguard blue heavy duty oil additive and that protects any cold start guaranteed

[@zodd1790]

i got bmw 750i with vavle stem seal leak thinking using thicker oil for stoping oil burn blue smoke

[@trucker2b]

so your talking about cold starts??? or op temp

[@lh98]

What about a worn hydrostatic drive couldn’t you use something like a 5w50 full synthetic oil to get the hydro pump/drive working properly? I’ve noticed when I first start tractor forward and reverse work but minutes later once the oil is warmed up drive is gone. Thinking about trying the higher in full synthetic and only 5w50 not like a 15w. Anyone got input?

[@tectalabyss]

has there are so many different views, I have been doing searches. Here is one and it's a long one. Fair warning ! Motor Oils - Fuel Economy vs. Wear Blaine Ballentine, Central Petroleum Company Conventional wisdom states that engine oils that increase fuel economy allow less friction and prolong engine life. The purpose of this article is to challenge conventional wisdom, particularly concerning modern (GF-3 ILSAC/API Starburst) engine oils. Fuel Economy: Does Anyone Really Care? First, we should face the fact that the American consumer does not typically care about fuel economy except during difficult economic times. The No. 1 selling passenger vehicle is the Ford F-Series Pickup. Five of the top 10 best-selling vehicles are trucks, and trucks outsell cars. Some of the trucks are called sport-utility vehicles, otherwise known as SUVs, because their owners don’t want to admit they are trucks. The mass (size, weight) of these vehicles is not conducive to great fuel economy. Figure 1. Bearing Wear Additionally, consider how most vehicles are driven. Anyone accelerating slowly or driving at the speed limit to conserve energy is a danger to himself and other drivers who are in a much bigger hurry. Auto manufacturers, on the other hand, are concerned about fuel economy. The manufacturer faces big fines if the fleet of cars it produces falls short of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements imposed upon them by the federal government. The March to Thinner Oils Thinner oils are being used these days for three reasons: They save fuel in test engines, the viscosity rules have changed, and manufacturers are recommending thinner grades. The Sequence VI-B is the test used to evaluate fuel economy for the GF-3 specification. The VI-B test engine is fitted with a roller cam where the old Sequence VI test used a slider cam. The old Sequence VI test responded well to friction modifiers, but the Sequence VI-B responds to thinner oils. The test oil’s fuel efficiency is compared to the fuel efficiency of a reference oil in the Sequence VI-B test. To pass, the test oil must improve fuel economy one to two percent, depending on viscosity grade. SAE 5W-20 must produce higher relative fuel efficiency than SAE 5W-30. It is interesting to note that the reference oil is fully PAO synthetic SAE 5W-30. To qualify for the GF-3 Starburst, ordinary mineral oils had to beat the fuel economy of the full synthetic reference oil. (It seems there is more to fuel economy than a magic base oil.) Another factor in fuel economy is temporary polymer shear. These polymers are additives known as viscosity index improvers (or modifiers). Polymers are plastics dissolved in oil to provide multiviscosity characteristics. Just as some plastics are tougher, more brittle or more heat-resistant than others, different polymers have different characteristics. Polymers are huge molecules with many branches. As they are heated, they uncoil and spread out. The branches entangle with those of other polymer molecules and trap and control many tiny oil molecules. Therefore, a relatively small amount of polymer can have a huge effect on oil viscosity.

[@greggb3079]

Bobby Tectalabyss holy cow! Man. You said a lot right there... Hahaha...!

[@greggb3079]

Bobby Tectalabyss holy cow! Man. You said a lot right there... Hahaha...!

[@tectalabyss]

@@greggb3079 : )

[@bighorn9119]

I live in California my dad has a 2018 ram 6.7 Cummins we always run 15 w 40 oil should we keep running that or should it be better at a lower viscosity

[@sHoRtBuSseR]

Rotella 5w40 is the best oil for Cummins if you ask me. 15w40 is fine, 5w40 if you have a cold climate.

[@hailtothe_rooster1572]

Came to see if this is an alternative to the hellcat oil pump for hemi engines…. I think I’ll just avoid it all together and get a 2500

[@GEAR_DRIVEN]

Do thinner oil cause higher blow by

[@alexm9872]

This is true in the event of an underlying issue. However this rule isn’t very useful when you are taking in to consideration operating temperature of the engine due to changes such as climate. You would not want to use the same oil in the same car that you would somewhere very cold as you would somewhere very hot.

[@ratspam7655]

When comparing the specs of 5W-30 to 20W-50 you will see that the viscosity (cSt) of the second number varies quite a bit less than the first. So, if you are using 10W-40, switch to 10W-50 as your bearing clearances increase from high mileage. Because of this, in general, a viscosity one grade higher or lower than what’s recommended for your engine likely won’t do lasting harm.