Oil to use when engine is a smoker

[urdrwho10 0]

My 310-8 is starting to show her age and the rings are getting a bit leaky. It smokes until the engine is warm enough and things have expanded. Either my rings are leaky or the valves are letting oil run down the seals. If indeed the kohler engine has valve guide seals.

I use 30 weight oil and was wondering if using a heavier weight oil would help?

[Kelly 1,029]

I have a smoker here I use thicker oil in, I have to add oil fairly often, but it runs like a top I use 10w40 or if I have some open I use 15w50 but it still smokes.

[KATO 115]

I tried 20w50 once in an old engine... didn't do @#$%.

KEN

[rmaynard 15,294]

If it's a smoker, my opinion is to use cheap 30w oil until you get it fixed. Heavier oil will not help with the smoking, and using anything that is expensive is just a waste of money.

[1maidenfan 202]

If it's a smoker, my opinion is to use cheap 30w oil until you get it fixed. Heavier oil will not help with the smoking, and using anything that is expensive is just a waste of money.

:text-yeahthat:

[MarkPalmer 81]

Excluding the rare OHV K361 the Kohler K single cylinder engines don't have any valve stem seals as its not an OHV engine where oil would run down through the guides. Constant smoking is most often from worn rings in a glazed cylinder. Best to do as mentioned and buy cheap 30W oil and just keep topping it off until you can rebuild the engine. Going crazy with heavier viscosity oils doesn't stop the burning, and can cause unnecessary wear of other internal engine parts like cam lobes, followers, and valve stems and guides which are parts that don't often wear out on these engines under normal use with the right oil.

-Mark-

[JackC 617]

I use conventional petroleum based Rotilla 30W in my Kohler 16 that burns oil in my C-165.

10W-30W disappears too quickly.

The engine has over 1200 hours on it and it starts and runs good.

[MarkPalmer 81]

Unless you do winter chores with your Kohler K engine, don't use multi-viscosity oil in them, just the straight 30W. If engine is healthy you can use a little STP oil treatment mixed in with the oil, it helps prolong engine life and keep them quiet, it has the same ZDDP that the diesel oils like Rotella have. Again, STP added won't do anything for oil burning, there is no pour-in cure for piston rings that are worn with huge end gaps.

-Mark-