The importance of choosing the correct oil weight.

[jim martin]

wow pretty good a 13 year thread revival.
if you know your main and rod clearances and your lifter bores and cam bearing measurements you will have a pretty good idea of what oil weight to start with , then you factor in temperature.
you can google that info its everywhere.

if you don't know that data and you really care , measure and log your oil temp and pressure then you will know if 10w-30 is ok for you or you need to move up to 10w-40 or more.

so in theory a engine builder should have that data and give you a starting point of oil weight for you motor
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[chrisflstf]

And dave is the only member here who keeps refering to chevys while talking about vws. Nobody else does that.

[vwracerdave]

You guys are just beating to death what has already been said many times in this 37 page thread.

You can't read a Chavy book and build a VW engine.
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[Wildthings]

[raygreenwood]

Kind of to collect q few points of view.....

Wildthings, when I was in high school and college......same thing until If I recollect, about the mid 1990's.....SAE 50 and 20/w50 were not on the normal oil shelf in most flaps.

They were out on the floor yes, but usually they were a ways away with high performance or specialty stuff. Most of what they had were the Valvoline super hpo series and few other products like non-detergent and specialty gear oils.


Glenn.....same problem with SAE 30 and 40 when temps got into the teens or lower. I wad always taught (my first car was an acvw) that when things really started getting cold and hopefully shortly before the cold snap.....to change to SAE 20 and then to be careful and check it every single day.


Until I learned fo work on my first car (1972 411) there was a skilled shop my dad took his bug to that he introduced me to. A valve adjustment cost me $5 and two six-packs (I worked at a grocery store).

The shop also was attached to a sizable foreign parts salvage yard. In their spare time, the two mechanics would pull in really clapped out acvw engines and do the "John Muir" style mix and match and make running engines.

These were not for regular/good customers. They sold them on the side as running with no warranty....kind of like emergency engines.

These engines they were specific about. They were built completely of worn out parts. No machine work other than hand lapping valves and a new gasket set. Because of that they specified SAE40 and sometimes 20/50 if you could get it.

This was about 1979. Over the years I met more than a few shops that built engines like this. Ray

[Alstrup]

[mikedjames]

[oprn]

It seems counterintuitive at first glance but that is exactly right.

I had that conversation with an older gentleman last summer who told me “Take that oil back and get the right stuff!” When he saw my spare oil jug was 10W30. “These air cooled engine need heavier oil because they run hot!”

I tried to explain that no… they run hot BECAUSE you are running heavier oil! He looked at me like I was from some other planet so I changed the subject.
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Our cars get old, we get old but driving an old VW never gets old!

[EVfun]

Since we have a pressure based oil cooler bypass system wouldn't it make sense to choose your viscosity on the goal of reaching a good operating oil temperature? Within reason, of course, I would think if you're running a high oil temperature use thinner oil and if the oil won't warm up run a little thicker oil.
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[onwardtothestars]

I remember running straight 50w valvoline on my 1914 powered 65 back as a teen. I didn't know any better. I thought that's what it needed. I remember tearing down the engine after dropping a valve from over-revving all the time. All the main and rod bearings had splits down the center where the bearing material cracked and flaked away. Oh, if i could only go back and smack myself on the back of the head.
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Beetle, Ghia, Vanagon Syncro, and more

[Glenn]

I remember using straight 30 or 40. One winter The engine would not turn over. I had a friend push the car to 30 mph and I dropped the clutch... the wheels locked and the engine still didn't turn.

I had to push the car into the garage and bring in a few heaters so I could drain the oil and put in 10W-40.
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי

[Wildthings]

[raygreenwood]

So, this past week, Lake Speed Jr had an episode about oils made specifically for motor cycles. Very cool!

I asked in the comments....not to get off track, but how about an episode about proper oil formulation for aircooled VW and Porsche?

About 8 hours later a notice in my email from Lake was "good suggestion'!

Hopefully we will see something soon. And really...I am not "needing" to see something about oil "weight" or viscosity for our aircooled engines. We kind of have that figured out I think right?

I am speaking of formulations. Ray

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igfiCx4QOrI&t=463s

[QRP]

[Glenn]

The the shop I work out of got a call from a new person wanting to know if we can look at his bus.

It's a beautiful 15 window camper than he took delivery yesterday after a 3 years restoration. When I beautiful, I mean one of the nicest i've seen.

So when they took it off the car hauler, it blew out the oil filter and dumped oil everywhere. He had it towed to the shop and we found it had 20W-50 that was like glue in the 28* weather.... the engine was brand new. It took quite a while for the oil to drain out of the engine, sump and remote cooler.

So clean the oil off the engine, fill it with 10W-30 and a fresh filter.

Fixed, and the customer is thrilled that he can debut the Bus to his family on Christmas.

I just don't know why anyone would put 20W-50 in a new engine, even if it's in California.
_________________
Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי

[Wildthings]

[Dauz]

VR1 20w-50 is a modern high zinc formula

[Kjell Roar]

[Wildthings]

An xxW40 is not required to have reduced ZDDP unless it has an energy conservation rating. This isn't the year 2000 either and oil companies have figured out how to get their oils to give good protection with lesser amounts of ZDDP.

[tristanblue]