Hi, let's talk about OIL
 

Or EARL, as they say in TEXAS.

Thanks,
__________________
240Joe

Don't Change your oil, EVER!

'80 USA 240D, Auto, 340K miles (never blown up)
'83 300D Auto, 175k miles (never blown up)

Certified ASS-HOLE (Automotive Secret Society- Head Of Logistics Engineering)

Have you no shame?!
Don't wer have enough oil threads?

I propose a new rule:
No one may start a new oil thread without signing an affadavit that they have already read every page of every oil thread in the archives. Maybe the moderators could flag those threads and keep count of who has read them all.

Oil IS the only thing worth talking about. Everything else is so boring. People that don't know which end of a screwdriver to hold are buying these cars and trying to maintain them by listening to a bunch of half ass mechanics.

240Joe

Careful, some might resemble that remark.

I agree that all oils should not be changed without sampling to verify its limitations. But the other extreme of ignoring the oil is idiotic.

For the record, assumption is the mother of all f*ckups. Be careful with the assumption the mechanics here are all "halfassed" if that was what you meant.

Hey! An oil thread!!!

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz(snort)ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..........................

Oils well that ends well.

Been covered already. http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/off-topic-discussion/180168-evolving-defintion-gay.html

OK, I have what may be a legitimate oil question, apparently not covered elsewhere.

Wha tis the order of magnitude between say 10-40 weight and 20-50 weight.

I know that there is a 10 point spread at both ends.

But what does that mean in real life terms?

The way I see it, frequent oil changes will NEVER hurt your engine. Infrequent oil changes could POSSIBLY hurt your engine. I enjoy my vehicles and plan on keeping them a long time. I change my Amsoil synthetic every 3K miles and I don't mind the cost. It's like an insurance policy.

Here's a good way to see the difference. Remove the oil cap form any of my engines and peer inside with a flashlight. You can see nice and shiny metal with a nice glossy oil coating. That's the way it should be....... Not all varnished up or black and gooy.
Adam

Scale at which it flows cold and hot. 10W-40 is a multi-viscosity, its a 10 weight at the cold end and becomes a 40 weight when hot. A 10W-30 is 10 at cold and 30 at hot. A straight 30 is always 30, but you don't want a 30 vis when its cold cause it won't flow.

This seems like a good place to ask oil questions.
 

I heard someone, can't remember who, saying that water contamination was a problem with oil preformance and that it was more of a problem in gassers than diesels. But they didn't elaborate on the idea.
What causes this water contamination and how can it be monitored and or regulated?

Thanks, I think I get that part.

What I was looking for, however, was the difference between 10-40 and 20-50 oils.

Is a 20-50 oil 50 percent as light in the cold as a 10-40 oil?

Is a 20-50 oil 20 percent heavier at operating temps than a 1-40 oil.

Or, in other words why go from 10-40 to 20-50.

The reason I ask is that all the previous records from my new (to me) 1991 300CE indicate that the car has been fed 20-50 oil for all of its life.

Would it make sense to go to a lighter running oil?

I don't think anyone (240Joe) has ever argued that frequent changes will damage your engine, only your pocket book and the environment (more changes = more waste oil).

They don't just dump that stuff down the drain ya know..... At least I don't. I'd rather pay the $80 per vehicle every 3 months than worry about burning up my rings and bearings. I drive HARD! by the way.

http://www.recycleoil.org/