OT: Attn motorheads re: synthetic oil in a lawn mower

[Mighty Favog]

I ordered (on line) some Royal Purple motor oil for my lil' hot rod. Two minutes after I placed the order I see that it is for the wrong weight (I need 5W20 and the order said 10W30). I immedeatly e-mailed the co. to see if I could change the weight. They said they would but it would be an additional $6 per quart. I tell them that's rediculous and to cancel my order. They sent the order anyway but my credit card has not been charged (since I ordered it last Thursday.

I know.....so what.

So now if they tell me to keep the oil the only place I can see where I might use it is in two new lawn mowers we just bought a few weeks ago. Yes....I know....they take SAE30 but, hey, this is damn nice synthetic oil!! I won't do it till next year after the motors have broken in.

Both of our cars take 5W20 to I can't use it there. But has anyone here used 10W30 syntheteic in a 2-Cycle??

[Guest " "]

do not put synthetic 4 cycle motor oil in a 2 cycle motor.

if you have 10w30 that you can not use...sell it...where do you live...depending on shipping costs...I may be intrested....I have 4 cars that are all due for an oil change.

I have no problem using 10W30 during the summer months. I normally switch to 0/5W30/40 during the winter months.

[Jay481985]

its the summer why does the hot rod need 5w20? I mean the higher the number the better the lubrication is and I doubt you will see negative numbers during the summer.

[SilverSport]

My Mazda 6s need this weight oil as well...I'm going to guess it is a high revving motor that needs the thinner weight...

[colterphoto1]

DONT put it in your 2 cycle. I know an alternate use for it though- My Exmark commercial grade uses Mobil 1 for the hydrostatic drive. I think it's 10W30 but will check. So maybe there's a shop or neighborhood lawn cutting guy who could use it.

Michael

[oldbuckster]

I wouldn't put in a lawn mower. I don't see why you wouldn't use it in your car anyway. That blend 5W is for newer cars anyway, unless your HotRod has a New type engine(fuel injected) it won't hurt anything. No old type engine(carbed from the factory) ever called for 5W anyway, unless it was sub Zero weather. They will tell you, you can use synthetic even if you have been using regular oil, and it won't hurt it, Poppycock, I did that in my Vette, and she smoked wicked, couldn't get it out quick enough. Funny thing is, Oil is almost like exotic speaker wire, some say there's a difference, some will tell you it's Snakeoil.

[Guest " "]

oldbuckster re-read the question....he wants to know if it is OK to use 4 cycle synthetic in a 2 cycle lawn mower. 2 cycle engines use a speacil type of oil that has low ash and is designed not to foul the reeds in the engine (reeds take the place of valvles in a 2 cycle engine).

[capo72]

I don't think i've ever seen a 2-cycle lawn mower. I would be curious to see one though. I've owned 2-cycle weed eaters (Have a 4 stroke now!) but never a mower.

Jeremy

[jacksonbart]

Any of the two stroke lawn equipement I own, you mix the 2 stroke oil with the gas, (50:1 or 30:1 or some combination there of) there is no seperate reservoir for the oil. If that is the case I agree don't use it.

[colterphoto1]

WAIT a minute- if it's a 2 cycle lawnmower, it takes oil mixed in the gas- would it have a crankcase also????

[colterphoto1]

Also isn't there a difference between a single viscosity SAE30 and multi weight 10W30? I don't know if I'd substitute one for the other.

[Colin]

what difference does oil viscousity make for normal motors running under normal condtions anyway?

how much damage can blending a quality synthetic oil with gasoline make anyway?

(I say use it in your car)

[travisc]

put it on the shelf in the garage, or sell it. Mobile 1 is awesome high grade synthetic oil, amsoil is another(not as readily available). from now one just get the mobile 1.
at the local station.

I have been an auto tech for seventeen years so I think I am qualified to answer this question.I do not reccomend switching to synthetic after a vehicle has more than 60-80k on it. Carbon deposits are like hornets where synthetic oil is the stick, you being the engine.

dont drink it either...lol

[travisc]

bearing tolerances are less and more precise today. though I have never seen it I have heard stories of filters being blown off from using thicker oil where 5w-20 is called for. My father gave me great advice that I still use almost daily

"when in doubt.....dont"

except where sex is concerned ofcourse

[sunburnwilly]

Using that oil in a 2 cycle is a no no .

I used a 2 cycle Lawn Boy for years , they are great mowers . Don't muck em up .

No Crankcase .

[travisc]

oh ya and dont use it as two stroke either

[WS65711]

I don't think i've ever seen a 2-cycle lawn mower. I would be curious to see one though. I've owned 2-cycle weed eaters (Have a 4 stroke now!) but never a mower.

Jeremy

Look for an old Jacobsen or Lawn Boy. The absolute BEST mower we ever had when I was a kid was a 2-cycle Jacobsen. That mower had 4 small blades mounted on a (very heavy) disk that acted like a flywheel. Once you got that sucker up to speed you could cut through grass as high as your eyeballs.

[Jay481985]

what difference does oil viscousity make for normal motors running under normal condtions anyway?

how much damage can blending a quality synthetic oil with gasoline make anyway?

(I say use it in your car)

The higher the number the more protection it is and the more it congeals at low temperature. Hence the lower numbers for winter, higher numbers for summer. A good excerpt

5W30 versus 10W30

Virtually all new passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. use

either 5W30 or 10W30 oil. The difference between the two is that the 5W30 flows

better when cold, so if you live in a cold climate or operate your vehicle in a

cold climate during the winter months, you should use 5W30 if it is the

preferred oil for your vehicle. If you live in a sub-tropical climate and don't

operate your vehicle in cold climates, then 10W30 is acceptable as long as the

manufacturer specifies that it is permissible to use it.

Is there a disadvantage to using an oil that flows better when

cold, i.e. 5W30 versus 10W30?

Sometimes, but usually not. The crux of the issue is this: the

bigger the difference between the cold oil viscosity and the hot oil viscosity,

the more the volume of viscosity modifiers and the less the volume of base

stock. If you are good about following the manufacturer's recommended oil

change interval then stick with the 5W30 if that is the preferred oil for your

vehicle, even if 10W30 is acceptable in warmer climates. Older cars may specify

10W30 only. This is because they need a little more viscosity when cold to keep

a protective film on the cylinder walls. There have been instances where the

larger amount of viscosity modifiers that are present in 5W30 have broken down

due to excessive heat and have left carbon deposits on the valves, but this is

extremely rare. The proper fix would be to reduce the excessive heat, but the

workaround was to use an oil with less viscosity modifiers.

Why do many oil change places, even dealerships, use 10W30 instead of

5W30, even when 5W30 is preferred?

According to www.cartalk.com (see link

in the references section), as well as many mechanics who have posted on usenet,

10W30 is the closest thing to a one size fits all oil. Many older vehicles need

10W30, and most newer vehicles are okay with it in warmer climates. Since many

garages don't want to have multiple tanks of bulk oil they choose to carry only

10W30. The advice that Tom & Ray give is correct, 'it would not be a

disaster if you used 10W30, but given a choice, go with the manufacturer's

recommendation and use the 5W30.'

Thicker is Better Myth

The reason that oil viscosities have gotten thinner is because

bearing clearances have become smaller. Using thicker oils will interfere with

oil flow and the oil pressure will increase. In a worn engine it may be okay to

increase the viscosity of the oil because the bearing clearances have become

larger.

http://www.nordicgroup.us/oil.htm

more technical reading at http://www.micapeak.com/info/oiled.html

With the higher revving engines you do need heavier oil. Ferrari recommends Shell Helix® Ultra 5W-40 or Castrol 20W-50!

[Mighty Favog]

DP

[Mighty Favog]

O.k., O.k. so it's not really a "hot rod" as most people picture one. But it is a sports sedan in it's most literal desription.

It's an Acura TL Type-S (3.2L V6, 270HP front wheel drive with no turbo or supercharger). 5W20 is what Honda calls for so I'm not gonna second guess what they said since it's still under warranty (and only 17k miles) and my daily driver. Yes, I let the engine break in for 5k miles before I put the Royal Purple in.

The mower is a Craftsman with a Briggs 6.5HP. Nothing real fancy about it. If it were a four stroke that would be an awful lot of travel for only one pistion before it fires again.

I sent an e-mail to the company that sent the package to my but I haven't heard back from them yet. I may just give them a couple weeks before I decide what to do with it.

The quality of the oil is along the lines of Amsoil and in the store (if you can find it) runs about $7 a quart.

I'll keep it on the shelf for now an most likely sell it or give it to a friend to put in my old/now his 94' Eagle Talon that's had synthetic most of it's life (car now has 140+k miles).