20w50 oil???
- Thread starter sx_turbo
- Start date
ChrisGT
Member +
Exactly! Has he ever built 4E's before? Also, is he offering a warranty? Best to ask, because if you use 10w40 or 10w50 and something goes wrong he might turn around and say "I told you to use 20w50! Not my fault!". Or on the flip side if you do use 20w50 and it messes up you can go back to him and say "You told me to use it, I should've used 10w40 instead! Its your fault - fix it!"
Touch wood, nothing goes wrong of course! But make sure there won't be any issues with running it in different to what he says! Always good to cover yourself against the unfortunate!
GTti
Member +
This is the conclusion between two oils
5w40
- 5w Oil has alot of viscosity modifers to make it thinner when cold only
- Easier for the pump to circulate around the engine when oil is cold or on cold mornings
- 14cst at 100c
- Less friction / More power / Better fuel consumption
20w50
- Minimal viscosity modifers to help the oil circulate when cold (thick)
- Less potential for engine to burn the viscosity modifers (Shouldn't matter on a decent ester based 0 or 5w40
- More difficult to circulate when cold, a little more load on the pump
- Thicker viscosity when up to operating temperature (80-100c)
- Less chance of metal on metal contact
- More friction / heat / poorer fuel consumption untill up to temperature
- Higher oil pressure
The only advantages of a 20w50 oil I can see is a thicker viscosity at normal temperatures over 0/5/10w40 - there are no advantages untill the oil is reaching 100c. But when you're wearing in an engine you're never going to be in a situation where oil temperatures are high anyway!
A 20w50 oil isn't going to increase oil pressure much over a 40 weight oil at operating temperature.
I'd much rather have the decent flow rate (Protection) of a 5w oil for 20 mins prior to the oil warming up on cold starts.
5w40
- 5w Oil has alot of viscosity modifers to make it thinner when cold only
- Easier for the pump to circulate around the engine when oil is cold or on cold mornings
- 14cst at 100c
- Less friction / More power / Better fuel consumption
20w50
- Minimal viscosity modifers to help the oil circulate when cold (thick)
- Less potential for engine to burn the viscosity modifers (Shouldn't matter on a decent ester based 0 or 5w40
- More difficult to circulate when cold, a little more load on the pump
- Thicker viscosity when up to operating temperature (80-100c)
- Less chance of metal on metal contact
- More friction / heat / poorer fuel consumption untill up to temperature
- Higher oil pressure
The only advantages of a 20w50 oil I can see is a thicker viscosity at normal temperatures over 0/5/10w40 - there are no advantages untill the oil is reaching 100c. But when you're wearing in an engine you're never going to be in a situation where oil temperatures are high anyway!
A 20w50 oil isn't going to increase oil pressure much over a 40 weight oil at operating temperature.
I'd much rather have the decent flow rate (Protection) of a 5w oil for 20 mins prior to the oil warming up on cold starts.
Last edited:
GTti
Member +
Ricky, speak to opieoils for some information - they seem to know their stuff.
Ask them to explain the differences between them in use, rather than just recommending you one. 50 weight is only really needed if you're often above 100c oil temperature. I can see no justification on using a 20w over a 5 or 10w in our climate.
Ask them to explain the differences between them in use, rather than just recommending you one. 50 weight is only really needed if you're often above 100c oil temperature. I can see no justification on using a 20w over a 5 or 10w in our climate.
Here in Florida because of our hot temps we use 20W50 semi-synthetic or 15W50 Mobil 1 full synthetic. For mineral oil, straight 50 or Valvoline Racing 60. If I lived in the UK I would not use 5W as the low weight because that is just too thin. The recommended oil is 10W60 for the Starlet. I call BS on the poor fuel consumption with the use of 20W50 because on both my 4EFTE and turbo 5EFHE I was getting 35MPG and that was hammering the car. I used 315cc injectors on the 4E and 440cc injectors on the 5EFHE.