Motor oil recommendations

[tberk@mindspring.com (T Berk)]

Ken Bates wrote:
> 
> I'm all for using the right oil, but what I dont get is how the outside temp
> can affect it that much.  Winter/Summer temp variances not withstanding.  I
> mean if it is 80 for most of the summer or if it is 100 instead, doesn't the
> engines thermostat do a pretty good job of keeping itself at a steady temp
> of about double that anyway?
> 
> Ken

It's has to do with how COLD things are too, not just how HOT.

Stating in cold weather with a thick oil is bad, bad, bad. OTOH 100F
temps and real thin oil 0w30, means the oil is so thin as to allow to
much metal to metal contact = stuff blows up fer too long.

People with our 'it was designed to be a tractor, er diesel motor' type
engines usually lean a little on the thicker side when the miles and the
previous owner are part of the equation.

I use Mobil 1 Synthetic in the Roc, I recently ran across the desert
with Redline 20w50 but would now choose a 10w40 in synth going forward.
Dyno oil I would still run 20w50 in the hot months and switch to a 10w30
for the winter (around here (SF, CA, USA) it rarely freezes. And if so
just enough for frost, no snow.

So it depends allot on where you are.

TBerk