winter oil weight?

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coldtaco

coldtaco

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Would 5-w30 be too light a engine oil at our "extreme" cold temps? What would be any side effects of using this weight of oil? If I remember correctly, I think I used dino 5-w30 the last two winters without any noticable bad side effects, which does not mean that I did not do any damage anyway. Thanks
 
I have used 0w40 too. If your in the temp range there is no side effects.

I say either 0w40 or 5w30. Where you are anything thicker is too thick. What are you minus 10 or more right now? I mean F not C.
 
0/30 rottella T semi syn is what i run in the winter, starts good with very decent oil pressure...
cheers
 
15-40 amsoil or Mobil 1 synthetic all year round. Always have great oil pressure.

It's -27*C this morrning and I forgot to plug in the truck, It fired right up and the oil pressure gauge climbed instantly.

I do love my Cruiser!!
 
your statement drives me NUTZ;)

So, if better lubrication indicates that your seals are faulty, you would rather bury your head in the sand and not fix the outstanding problem???

IF, and that's a big IF, you start leaking with synthetic oil, fix the leaks. My bet is you won't have any. Especially if it is a clean enging to begin with.

IMO if synthetic is getting out, dirt and dust is getting in on dyno oil...:)
 
I still don't like running too thick in those temps. Find a diesel 0w30 or 40. Any blend of semi syn.

In fact I use the cheap the canadian tires stuff. Although I am not sure if c-tire has a 0 blend.

The 0 blend I used when I lived in Calgary was Rotella in the jug. definately not a 55 gal drum.
 
The Dude said:
your statement drives me NUTZ;)

So, if better lubrication indicates that your seals are faulty, you would rather bury your head in the sand and not fix the outstanding problem???

IF, and that's a big IF, you start leaking with synthetic oil, fix the leaks. My bet is you won't have any. Especially if it is a clean enging to begin with.

IMO if synthetic is getting out, dirt and dust is getting in on dyno oil...:)
Click to expand...

So if your running with no leaks now. You have a higher mileage engine, why would you switch to full synthetic? What possible gains would that give? I say absolutely none.

For years these engines have faithfully gotten 500k total kms, or more. Is switching when your already high going to extend the life that much more.

Also it is a known fact with many that switching to Full Synt has caused leaks in 3B's.

Why does it leak? Probably a chemical reaction to the seals, maybe they shrink or harden slightly.

I get a big kick out people spending a ton of money on oil when there truck is 15 yrs plus and had been probably highly ignored for maintnenace by there Japanese PO.

Even worse when CDM owners with trucks that have well over 250k on them spending a fortune on oil.

So what do I prefer, good priced diesel rated oil for the tempurature I am operating in.

I have also been buying Napa brand semi syth 5w30. Seems like good oil. But how would I know. It starts and I get oil pressure.
 
I don't care if he switches to full synthetic or not. That wasn't my point. My point was the statement bothers me. It implies you know there might be an issue with a better lubricating product, and in my eyes to ignore that problem with going back to dyno oil is a mistake. It's not the seal material, it's a poor seal perid.

I also agree with your statements on dyno vs synthetic. if you dump you oil every 5000km, have a IDI engine, bought a high milage engine (over 400000km in my books) and don't live in a cold climate then I see no diffence in either product.

However, my JDM came with ultra low KMs, it's DI, I test my oil and run extended change intervals and I live in a location that is COLD. For me the benifits of synthetic are very noticable, and it's cheaper then dumping dyno oil every 5-7 thousand KM. So for me it makes sense.
 
Well, lets see. I put in synthetic in my Taco for its first oil change, all is well 50,000mi later. I personally have not tried switching to a full syn. in a higher milage engine, but I have heard that you run the risk of starting oil leaks because the seals have maybe gotten harder and maybe deposits have gotten in the seals which are also helping to keep the oil in. Maybe I am all wrong on this? So, I have a pretty clean engine that does not leak oil, do I want to risk switching to synthetic and start getting oil leaks in places that I do not have the means or desire to fix seals?
I was at Napa and they did not say anything about selling a Napa brand semi-synthetic oil, will have to investigate that.
 
Hey taco,

We deal with some pretty cold temps up here in Northern Ontario, Canada and what I have found works the best (for a 3B Diesel Engine) is the Walmart Brand Diesel Engine Oil 0W40... It is synthetic, and you might get some more oil leaks but it is well worth it to know that your engine has the right viscosity oil, just ask my buddy who throw a push rod because he was refused to run 0W40...

I didn't observe any more leaks than before in my 3B...
 
coldtaco said:
Well, lets see. I put in synthetic in my Taco for its first oil change, all is well 50,000mi later. I personally have not tried switching to a full syn. in a higher milage engine, but I have heard that you run the risk of starting oil leaks because the seals have maybe gotten harder and maybe deposits have gotten in the seals which are also helping to keep the oil in. Maybe I am all wrong on this? So, I have a pretty clean engine that does not leak oil, do I want to risk switching to synthetic and start getting oil leaks in places that I do not have the means or desire to fix seals?
I was at Napa and they did not say anything about selling a Napa brand semi-synthetic oil, will have to investigate that.
Click to expand...

Hello!

I would not hesitate to run Esso XD 0/40 full synth or Amsoil 15/40 full synth in the 13BT coldtaco. In fact, in the warm lowermainland I am running the 0/40 Esso in both 13BT's and a 12HT with no ill effect noticed with seals. In fact, clatter at startup is reduced, my pressure stays good when hot, and they seem to run smoother with the synth. Oil testing has shown I can run them past 10,000kms, however I dump new in at 10,000kms, and spin a new filter on at 5000km.

The 13BT/12HT/1HZ/1HD-T all have FIPG and no cork gaskets ala the 3B. When I tried some semi-synth in a 3B with fresh cork gaskets the oil puked out the gaskets.

hth's

gb
 
Just another opinion :

1985 Landcruiser 3B 250 000km switch to synthetic oil at 230 000km = no leak
1992 Corolla 295 000km switch to synthetic oil at 235 000km = no leak
 
I put synthetic in my 3B last summer, and it started leaking about a month later from the rear main seal and the oil pan gasket......so I replaced the rear main seal and the oil pan gasket....I think the benefits of a full synthetic oil outweigh the nuisance of having to replace seals that are old, shrivelled and held together by dinosaur oil.
 
I agree with Dude and Greg...Stephan, you have a JDM engine under your hood (it ain't nowhere near high mileage). I wouldn't hesitate to put in full synthetic in a heartbeat, especially in the winter climate that you live in. As with Greg, I tried both Amsoil and Exxon XD3 Extra in my 1988 BJ74, and there wasn't a noticable increase in leaking or oil consumption at all. In fact, between the two synthetics, I would say that the much cheaper XD3 performed just as well as the Amsoil in UOA, and provided a slightly higher oil pressure reading to boot. Go for it! What's the worst that can happen?
 
Greg_B said:
Hello! When I tried some semi-synth in a 3B with fresh cork gaskets the oil puked out the gaskets.

hth's

gb
Click to expand...

Where there 3b's in the later years that had better seals?

If you bought replacement gaskets what would the material be?
 
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