What weight oil? ? ?

[VDubTech]

I am installing my brand new 2.0 longblock this weekend in my '79 Westy. I have replaced everything that I thought should be replaced while the motor was out...fuel tank sender, all fuel lines, all battery cables, batteries, clutch and accelerator cables, clutch return spring, all injector seals, intake seals, heater boxes, and the list goes on and on....anyway....I was wondering what weight oil everyone runs...I work for a VW dealer in Syracuse, and one of our techs has been doing VW since the late sixties, and he tells me I should run a straight 30 weight oil. Last summer when I had the original motor in it, I ran 20w50 without any problems. I live in Syracuse, NY and the temps now are in the 40s if we're lucky, but over the course of the summer it has benn known to hit 100...in fact last summer we had 32 days that the temps didn't go below 90, and I think 3 days where it was actually over 100. The Bus will see a range of temperatures, as well as a lot of highway miles. We put about 12000 miles on it last summer going to shows and campouts and being my daily driver. So I was just wondering fi anyone has any suggecstions for a break in oil as well as oil for my regular use....anyone using synthetic on their Bus now, any adverse affects? I really don't want to replace this thing again anytime soon and I don't mind spending a little extra now and over the course of its lifetime on a better oil, I'm just not realy positive as to what weight I should be using. Thanks for your help!

[NeverHadaBeetle]

There has probably been more discussions and disagreements on this topic than any other single VW topic. Most people who I have listened to who actually know what they are talking about go with 20W-50. Many go with 20W-50 in summer and something lighter in the winter if they live in a colder climate. I have had several 2.0 liter busses and personally run 10W-40 in December-February when our average temps are probably 20 low - 45 high degrees during this time. I have an oil temp gauge and an oil pressure gauge and I never have a problem with low oil pressure running the 10W-40, but I wouldn't run it in the summer. Synthetics do not transfer heat as well as conventional motor oils and for this reason most VW people don't run synthetics. However, some of the best engine builders out there do use them. I personally change oil every 2,000 miles or so and don't feel the need to use synthetics at such a short interval. If you run an oil pressure gauge then it will help give you an idea what your pressure is with different weights of oil. If you don't have a pressure gauge and your oil light ever flickers at hot idle then go to a heavier weight oil. If you are already at 20W-50 and your light flickers at hot idle then you are running too hot or your bearings are shot and you need a rebuild. Good luck.

[VDubTech]

ummm its a brand new motor, 0 miles, I have both an oil pressure and temp gauge. I don't ever drive the Bus in the winter, it wouldn't make it through even one here in Syracuse, where the roads actually turn white from all the salt they lay on them when it snows, which of just about everyday. It is only driven from late April until around the end of October then it goes into storage to sleep away the winter season, but I am repainting this winter, so there'll be all sortsa things going on. I ran 20w50 last summer in the old motor, and seemed to work fine, I was just wondering what other people were using, and if straight 30w was necessary or not, I would rather use a multi viscosity oil.

[Aussiebug]

gokayakingexcite.com said... (4/3/2003 at 7:29PM PST)

>Synthetics do not transfer heat as well as conventional motor oils and for this reason most VW people don't run synthetics. However, some of the best engine builders out there do use them.

This heat thing is a very common misconception. Synthetics are commonly thought of as "heat resistent" but this means it doesn't decompose with high heat like a mineral oil can - it has nothing to do with the oil's ability to absorb and carry heat.

Synthetics are still Hydrocarbons - just a careful selection of a few types of molecules rather than the mineral oil's mixture of many molecule types, but, being hydrocarbons, they will still absord engine heat and carry it to the oil cooler pretty much the same as any other oil.

But in general, the VW engine can not make good use of the expensive synthetic oil - it still has to be changed often if the engine doesn't have a filter, and the open sump design of most VW engines (for positive crankcase ventilation) means the oil collects dust and needs changing more often than some other cars for that reason. The VW engine runs hotter than it's water cooled cousins, but not THAT hot that it needs synthetics - they were originally designed for the hi-heat problems of turbo charger bearings.

Sure synthetics will work, but they are expensive and of no special advantage to the VW engine, so any decent 20w50 mineral oil will do the job just fine, or for very snowy climates, a 10w30.

For info VWLoverz - VW themselves started recommending multigrade oils from the mid 70s onwards - once the multigrades got reliable enough (they first appears around 70-71).

Rob
Rob and Dave's aircooled VW pages
Repairs and maintenance for the home mechanic
http://www.geocities.com/aussiebug1970/

[glandnut]

Definitely use dino oil to break the rings in, then after 5k or so go to synth if you want to.

[chabanais]

Scientifically proven that Synths don't sludge up, resist thermal breakdown, have the best additives, flow smoothly at low temperatures, and are the very highest quality.




Sure synthetics will work, but they are expensive and of no special advantage to the VW engine, so any decent 20w50 mineral oil will do the job just fine, or for very snowy climates, a 10w30.

[[email protected]]

20W50 in summer and 5W30 in winter, especially at minus 20 degrees!