Winter oil?

[Ifixoldjunk 778]

So for most of my life I’ve ran SAE 30 in my tractors year round, I’ve never seen any negative impacts on engine performance. However my friend insists that I need to run different oil in the winter months. I use my tractors for plowing and snowblowing and occasionally a firewood retrieval run. Will SAE-30 damage my engines in winter?

[stevasaurus 22,764]

No, 30 will not damage your engine in the winter.  It really depends where you live.  The manual suggests 10W-30 for winter use, and they give a chart.  If I lived in Green Bay, Wis. or farther north, I would consider the change, but if your winters tend to be on the mild side (like mine) I would not worry about it.  I also have the option of not having to do snow if it is like 10 above zero.  Most of my snow moving duties are in the Teens and Twenties "F".

[Achto 27,601]

30w will do no harm to your engine in cold weather. 10w30 may help your engine turn over easier in cold weather.

 

I live in central Wisconsin and I run 30w all year around in my Kohler engines. They turn over a little hard at below 0 temps but getting them running is not usually an issue. 

[ebinmaine 67,598]

Just now, Achto said:

30w will do no harm to your engine in cold weather. 10w30 may help your engine turn over easier in cold weather.

 

I live in central Wisconsin and I run 30w all year around in my Kohler engines. They turn over a little hard at below 0 temps but getting them running is not usually an issue. 

 

We run two tractors during the winter. One of them is a 1967 eight horse Kohler engine, 867. That one gets straight 30 all year round.

 

The other one is my c-160. That 16 horse Kohler does not like to start when it's cold no matter what the time of year is. It's just a cranky engine. I've literally had three carburetors on it and it does the same thing.

 

I DO run 10w30 oil in that of the correct SJ spec during the winter months.

 

 

I'd be curious to know where your friend is coming up with that information that it hurts engines in the winter, other than hearsay.

 

[squonk 41,151]

30W or go home! 

[squonk 41,151]

Back in the olden days when @elcamino/wheelhorse was a teenager, I used Chevron 10W in the winter. no wonder my Teckys blew up! 

[Ifixoldjunk 778]

2 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

We run two tractors during the winter. One of them is a 1967 eight horse Kohler engine, 867. That one gets straight 30 all year round.

 

The other one is my c-160. That 16 horse Kohler does not like to start when it's cold no matter what the time of year is. It's just a cranky engine. I've literally had three carburetors on it and it does the same thing.

 

I DO run 10w30 oil in that of the correct SJ spec during the winter months.

 

 

I'd be curious to know where your friend is coming up with that information that it hurts engines in the winter, other than hearsay.

 

Yeah lol, it’s probably nothing other than hearsay. I have the same “cranky engine” issue with my 310

[lynnmor 7,308]

I think that the 10W-30 would be better on the coldest days of your New York winters.  The issue is frequent oil changes for maybe some benefit.  I am in Pennsylvania and run 30W all the time, but my snow removal equipment is kept in a warm garage, so cold startup won't cause excess wear.

[rjg854 11,384]

I too run 30w oil year round. The building they are kept in isn't heated. I see no difference in the way they start in the winter vs the summer. They usually start at the turn of the key, even when the temperature is in the teens and lower.

[Mike in NC 341]

I run 30W ND in all my old engines. I have never had an issue with it in the cold months. The only way I would run a detergent oil is if the engine was equipped with an oil filter.  

[squonk 41,151]

1 hour ago, Mike in NC said:

I run 30W ND in all my old engines. I have never had an issue with it in the cold months. The only way I would run a detergent oil is if the engine was equipped with an oil filter.  

Kohler says use Detergent oil. When you use degergent, the crud is suspended in the oil and comes out when you drain it. With non- detergent the crud builds up and plugs things up.

 

Edited September 16, 2021 by squonk

[lynnmor 7,308]

It isn't all about how easily the engine starts, the most important thing is that the oil flows, splashes and drips on the parts where there is moving metal to metal contact.  It well may be that an engine that had the ideal viscosity oil for the temperatures involved may have reduced wear.  If I had the time and ambition I would swap oil as needed, but that isn't going to happen.

[Mike in NC 341]

1 hour ago, squonk said:

Kohler says use Detergent oil. When you use detergent, the crud is suspended in the oil and comes out when you drain it. With non- detergent the crud builds up and plugs things up.

 

Yes, the manual does say to use detergent oil. I just don't use it.

[pfrederi 17,741]

My winter equipment is in an unheated shop.  They get 5w-30.  Why???  Next winter leave a qt of 30w and a qt of 5w-30 out in the cold... Then try to pour some of each through a funnel.  When you are cranking that engine and just after it starts you aren't flinging the 30w around very well.  Will it destroy the engine no... but will it have increased wear?? I think so.  If you don't use the equipment frequently in the real cold then it would be years before the wear showed up, but it is there.  I also agree changing oil is a problem and especially if it only has a couple hours of use in the winter..That is why I have dedicated winter horses with 5w-30 that only get changed when it has had some real hours on it, or after a couple of years...

[Fordiesel69 263]

SAE 30 "WILL DAMAGE" your piston and cylinder if you do not have the engine at 3/4 to full throttle when you start it cold.  People will argue this but with the oil dipper / slinger, it will be trying to splash thick molasses.  At idle or just above idle it wont be getting splashed.

 

I had a heavy oil burner M14 that the entire engine is past its point of being rebuilt.  It would never smoke when cold using 20w-50 in the winter.  1 - 2 minutes later it was like a switch was turned on, instant smoke screen.    

 

 

 

 

[Snoopy11 5,714]

Right... so oil clearances are key here. If you know your oil clearances, measure them... etc... you have more of an idea what your motor needs in winter v. what some people think. With older engines, clearances are obviously different than what they were when new, therefore, it is an important discussion for winter oils. 

 

Personally, my feelings regarding this are as follows. If you use synthetic oil, this will do a better job in winter of lubricating important parts. Conventional oil is (as someone above stated) like molasses in winter. However, synthetic is more fluid. 

 

Interestingly, you can run 5w-30 in winter, if you want to, absolutely fine. The lower the W number, the better the oil will perform in colder temperatures. Typically, a 5W oil is recommended for winter use, but synthetic oils can be formulated to flow even more easily when cold allowing you to use 10w-30 year around if you use synthetic.

 

When we talk race engines, such as 2.3 Limas, we always run synthetic 10w-30. You ask the dum-dum manufacturers of these engines, they tell you to run 5w-20. Eh... heck no. I build 'em, I fix 'em, I race 'em, and by God I am going to lube 'em correctly. 

 

This applies to all engines. 

 

Don

[953 nut 55,310]

On 9/16/2021 at 2:02 PM, Ifixoldjunk said:

Will SAE-30 damage my engines in winter?

Unless you move to the Klondike or park your  outdoors all winter long (horse abuse) you should be fine. Even an unheated shed will be warmer than outside.       

[bds1984 1,435]

Here we go again...