Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 09:28:41 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <j_rodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <j_rodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Oil: 10w30? 20w50?
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.44.0309240051140.29978-100000@maroon.cs.uchicago.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Wesley, the main reason for keeping the heavier oil throughout the year
is that the engine lives at temperature most of it active life, not at
starting temperature. When the engine is hot..... even in winter, the
engine needs an oil of a certain viscosity. A thinner, lighter weight
oil just aids in reducing starting friction. After it warms up, the
thicker viscosity oil required by the specifications of the engine is
needed.
I lived in Alaska for many years, and once I understood about engines
and "Operating Temperature" I never change oils to a winter grade vs
summer grade after that. In winter, once the engine was at "Operating
temperature" it needed the oil it needed.
I used to be a bush pilot up there. In the old days engines often used
straight 50 weight oil. On a cold day, that oil was so stiff, the you
could do chinups on the propeller and the engine would not budge. But if
the engine was warm, that was another story. So, how to thin the oil,
yet have the right lubrication at temperature. Why, how about adding
gasoline to the engine oil???
That is right. There was no way on a cold day that you were going to
start the engine with 50 wt oil. That thick heavy oil when cold locked
the engine and it wouldn't even turn over, much less start. But, if you
added a prescribed amount of gasoline to the oil, per the manufacturers
chart they provided, then the oil would be thin enought to allow
starting, then as the engine warmed, the gasoline would be boiled or
evaporated off from the oil, bring the oil back to the correct viscosity
for normal operations at normal operating temperatures.
BTW, those charts prescribed adding gasoline to the oil while the
engine was running at an idle. You checked the expected temperature,
then using the chart, held the fuel button down for so many seconds or
pumped the plunger so many striokes according to the anticipated
temperature, to add the gasoline to the oil.
As regards to tranny fluid......switch to redline MT 90 for the manual
tranny. I did. It makes shifting a bunch easier. I also run 15W50 Mobil
1 Synthetic year round now as my engine oil. It virtually stopped the
little oil consumption I have had.
Regards,
John Rodgers
88 GL driver
Wesley Alden Pegden wrote:
>Okay, I just changed the oil on my new '84 vanagon for the first time last
>week, and, without even thinking about it, put 10w30 oil in it (I'm used
>to putting oil in eurovans). Now, reading the list archives, I see a
>bunch of people are running stuff as thick as 20w50! But my light/buzzer
>haven't come on yet or anything, so is it worth me changing it out? If
>its bad for the engine at all, I'll definitely swap it out, so my question
>is just whether or not it is possible for this to have any adverse
>effects. Keep in mind, winter is on its way here in chicago, and we'll
>likely see 20 (or more!) below. Of course, I can always do another oil
>change before than if that's what's best for the van... right now
>(literally...at 12:49am) its 57degrees, and our temp range for these next
>weekds looks to between 40 and 70.
>
>Thanks guys,
>wes
>
>
>
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