What grade oil changes after 20k miles

https://www.tundras.com/threads/2-millions-mile-tundra.100523/

This guy most likely uses the grade printed on the oil cap.

And...probably uses the bulk dealership oil at any random dealership throughout the country.

 

I like how the valve train is a little quieter with the 5w-30 im running right now, however i highly doubt the 0w-20 is going to negatively impact engine lasting a long time if you keep it clean. Today’s synthetic oil is very good quality

 

Another vote for 5w30 here.

 

So funny thing about oil shearing… it shears down initially, but then thickens up over time. This is what causes sludge in a motor and it can happen in a standard oil change interval. Conventional is more susceptible to it but synthetic will also do it. You then lose both the cold flow characteristics of the lower viscosity rating and the ease of pumping oil volume at operating temp. To our oil pressure (resistance) increases with a higher weight but not necessarily the flow.

A good addictive package prevents contaminant dilution and varnish build up.

I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with the rest of your post or your reason for switching as that is the reason most do. I know the Toyota tick and it went away when I switched to a higher quality oil without needing to switch to a thicker oil.

 

I used 0-20 for the first 60k. 45k of that was with a s/c.

I switched to 5w-30. Because y’all said it was quieter. And you know what? It is.

All oil was/is kirklands.

at 5k intervals, all oil is about the same in houston.

sure, some oils are better or worse, but proving that is quite mystical.

 

A few things to consider... most of the pertinent information is in the latter half of the video, but it's certainly worth watching the whole thing. And, no, he doesn't bust out his whiteboard and do all the maths for you on this one, but his data is coming from Mobil 1 engineers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKdhgKUZhPA&t=0s

 

I run 4w25 and change it every 6080 mi.
And though I don't mind ranch, I prefer to run my chicken wings with blue cheese.

 

Good man. I assume those are Buffalo wings... as there really aren't any other kind. Except smoked. But even still, smoked wings ought to be finished in buffalo sauce. With blue cheese.

 

But. But. Toyota more or less says you can run whatever you want - given the wide Ass temperature range.

Example- when I switched to 5w-30. My oil pressure gauge is at the SAME spot as 0-20

go figure

and my dipstick is still clean

always keep your dipstick clean

 

That video should be stickied somewhere and every new oil thread should be deleted immediately and the OP pointed to the sticky.

 

High Performance Lubricants Premium Plus PCMO in 5w-30.

 

I know i have a cognitive bias, however that video really seems to make the point that one SHOULD be running a heavier oil than 0w-20.

I don’t think his intention was to sound this way, but he really seemed to say they(manufacturers) are using the thinnest they can safely get away with and not cause harm. He referenced 1% improvement in efficiency by going thinner. That reinforces the narrative that CAFE standards are the ONLY reason 0w-20 is recommended.

GM uses the 6.2 in a vette and a truck. They recommend 0-40 in a vette and 0-20 in a truck? That makes no sense if 20w protects just fine.

 

This is THE answer that tells me everything I need to know.

 

Completely different motors meant for different use cases.

 

The shop manual for the Tundra lists a wide range of acceptable oil viscosities. 0w-20 is as low as they go. People should run what they are comfortable with.

 

Wallygator said it - completely different use case. The corvette is a track-ready car so it comes with a track ready oil. The motor and it’s use-case is designed to spend a lot of time at high rpm with high engine load (such as on a track). Plus, the 6.2 in the Vette spins past 7k rpm if memory serves, while the truck version only spins to 6k. There are many other differences between the two motors, but that’s a big one that would, IMO, require a different oiling requirement.

Hbjeff, you also notes that 0w20 is the lightest oil they can use and still protect the motor. I would agree with that. It will still protect the motor so why miss out on the advantages of 0w20 if motor protection is the concern?

Accordingly, I think it’s funny that some folks complain about getting poor fuel economy from their tundras but refuse to buy in to any fuels economy savings of running a lighter oil. Or keep the suspension height stock. Or run the lame, puny, stock tire size. Not poking a stick at any one in particular, just the general mentality of it.

 

I have 15w40 in my truck right now, completely stock with a camper shell and average about 15mpg but can get 20 on long highway trips. The amount of fuel saved with thinner oil only makes a difference when looked at from all vehicles sold. You personally wont notice any difference but when you look at a million vehicles it will make a difference. I definitely agree with you about lifts and tire size though.

 

My truck consumes less oil and the catch can has about 50% less since I switched from 0w20 to 5w30. Both oils were Pennzoil Ultra Plat.

 

In the video he brags that a 20w oil could see a .5 to 1% improvement in efficiency. Thats finding a penny on the sidewalk

the most interesting piece was how he said the oil is based on the lower number then modifiers are added to increase the high temp viscosity. Do those modifiers break down over time? Is that why used 20w oil drains out looking like water?

 

Yes, the modifiers (VII) break down. TGMO is a notorious offender in that area, utilizing cheap base oils and they use a ton of VII.

 

On the flipside here in central Texas, we hit 47C a few times (and 105+ 40 times so far!!) making it look like only 2 are suitable for here, LOL.

 

Simple answer(s) here in my mind.
1. Thicker oil pumps harder and takes more pressure to push through tight spaces. You will flow less oil with a higher viscosity at the same pressure. If you do generate a higher pressure you may flow the same quantity of oil but it is harder on the oil and the oil will get hotter and not last as long.
2. If the spaces are too tight, the thicker oil just will not go there. You want to make sure that your oil is not too thick.
3. Thinner oil will squeeze out easier than thick oil. So, you want to make sure that you either have thick enough oil to not squeeze out or enough new oil pumped in to keep that cushion.

Cold start. I want that oil as thin as possible. I want volume flowing as fast as I can. At 0 degrees a 0 weight oil is thicker than 80 weight at temperature.
Running warm. I want at oil that keeps my bearings floating as well as squeezing into all those tight spaces (like my timing chain etc.). This is much harder to know because a thicker oil will get hotter than a thinner. It is possible that my thicker oil that I believe to be protecting my engine better is actually behaving exactly the same but at a higher temperature.......????????

I am OK with the 0W20 that Toyota recommends. Would I run a 0W30? probably. Would I want to run a 5W20? It would probably be fine but why? I will get thicker oil when cold and the same oil when warm. Would I run 5W30? Same answer as the 5W20. The 30 is fine but the 5W makes me ask why.

Now, let's be real. I am not sure you will hurt your engine at all by running any of the above. I am betting these engines will be fine with 0W20 or 10W40. It is more the number of cold starts you put on your engine that matter than anything else.

Change your oil regularly and minimize cold starts

 

mverkaik, post: 3304186, member: 4368"]Simple answer(s) here in my mind.
1. Thicker oil pumps harder and takes more pressure to push through tight spaces. “

Now I’ll have to dig into this one since you guys keep bring it up.

Does anyone know what pressure the oil pump puts out? What is the diameter of the smallest orifice in the engine oil injection system around the cylinder walls, a few thousands, a millimeter? I’m assuming bearings will get plenty regardless.
You could easily do a calc with pressure, and area, and modify cold viscosity between a 0W and a 5W and a 10W to see the affect on flow. I bet it is minuscule because of the high injection pressure, small orifice and super high flow rate.[/QUOTE]

 

40 at operating temp (230F+) is fine, especially during hot summers and/or being worked hard.
Are you running 15w during Boston winters? If so, that's a bad idea for engine longevity. I could explain why, but it would be a small novel. Easier just to watch the vid posted earlier. He does a good job of explaining how multi-grade oils/viscosity works.

 

What was the old rule of thumb? 10psi for ever 1,000 rpm? Anything more than that is just waste.
The other thing you want to minimize is having the pressure limiting bypass open. Then you are simply dumping oil flow back to the sump because the engine is not capable of handling the pressure that the pump in providing. In this case you engine is actually getting less oil. I can see my bypass opening in the winter with 0W in mine.

 

https://www.api.org/products-and-se...d-classifications/oil-categories#tab-gasoline
Whatever you choose make sure it's API SP. There's a lot of SN still around being sold.

 

No I run 15w40 in the summer and then 5w30 the rest if the year.

 

Well I think we can finally end the debate. If you live in sub zero climates a thinner oil wil be a better choice but if your oil is not going to be subjected to negative temperatures then a 5w30 will infact protect better than 0w20. I had been waiting for him to do a video like this for a while now, I foresee this being one of the most linked to videos on automotive forums.
https://youtu.be/xtSwaF2evTU?si=RQAi6I5coP3hi1RU

 

Ha!
You could have the world's leading engine designers, engineers, chemists and lubrication specialists visit every oil thread, in every motorized vehicle enthusiast forum there is and explain ALL of this, in no uncertain terms and put every myth and assumption to bed, once and for all,.......
and people will still debate this subject and give their uniformed opinions.

 

I gotta say though, its one thing to have someone explain something with a bunch of technical jargon versus seeing a real example like what project farm does. The test went just as you would have expected, 0w16 caused the most metal wear and 5w30 caused the least. 0w16 flowed the fastest at -40 and 5w30 flowed the slowest. Oil is a dynamic that should be chosen by your climate. If you're not dealing with below freezing start temps on a regular basis a heavier oil is going to protect better. If you live in Alaska then 0w20 is going to be a better option for start up protection.