Date:         Wed, 24 Sep 2003 11:57:02 -0700
Reply-To:     Mark Tuovinen <mst@AK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Tuovinen <mst@AK.NET>
Subject:      Re: Oil: 10w30? 20w50?
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

WEsley, I agree with most of what John is saying re: oil choices. If cold starting is your issue, you should use a engine block heater, for the vans the easiest is an adhesive pad style that should be readily available in your area. Any time that it is below 20 degrees your engine and the atmosphere will benefit from using a block heater, the closer to operating temp. the engine is when it is started the better.

With that said I disagree with the need for as heavy a weight oil in the cold months. While it is true that your engine will still reach normal operating temperature in the winter, it is not going to see the extreme heat and abuse that it does when it is 100 degrees and your are loaded with gear for camping, etc. Even if you did load up the van and work it hard, if it is -20 degrees outside you will have a cooling effect from this. You can safely run an oil rated around 10W-30 for the winter, especially if it is synthetic.

For the best protection for your engine and tranmission, use synthetic lubricants, assuming of course that you do not have any major leaks. Synthetic motor oil will pour at lower temps. than petroleum while providing superior protection for the heat and stresses of summer driving. The same is true of the transmission oil, whether you have an automatic or manual your trans. will work better with synthetics. Another advantage to to synthetics is longevity, you do not need to change your oil as often, though you should change the filter and top off at the normal interval.

Mark 34 years and counting in AK (twenty of them spent in the automobile industry + 34 years exposure to the aviation indusrty through my father, a now retired A & P)


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