Switching to 5w30?

Literally I'm sure. Dystopian cyberpunk future is here.

Oil viscosity matters more or less for fuel economy; although probably not much. I've read somewhere 0w-20 was causing premature(relatively speaking?) timing chain/sprocket wear due to how wet and runny it is?

 

Because it's not actually one of the approved oils by Toyota. I'm sure it will work just fine though. Personally i run 5w30 in the winter and 15w40 in the summer.

 

I believe, generally speaking, 5w will have better film strength / retention properties that 0w. The startup noise people have running 0w tells me there is less lubrication in the top end during startup with 0w.

 

The first number indicates how it flows at cold startup. 0w flows better at colder temps than a higher number (5w, 10w). This number is basically irrelevant in summer/warm weather. It matters when it's cold. I don't want my oil flowing like molasses at startup. I have long, cold winters, so I use 0w.
The second number is the oil weight/viscosity at operating temps/hot.
I'm not sure how much of a difference there is in viscosity and ability to lubricate at operating temps between 20 weight and 30 weight.
People say 30 weight quiets the engine. That tells me the oil is a little thicker at operating temps and sticking to everything a little better. But in my mind, having the oil stick to the outside of the components and mufflling noise doesn't necessarily make me feel better or translate to better lubrication where it's needed most. I want to know that the oil is flowing at the right rate and making in-between the moving parts. I'm not really concerned with engine noise.
That said, it's really splitting hairs. 30 weight would probably be better in really hot climates with long summers. If it gets and stays hot enough, I imagine it flows like a 20 weight.
It's been a hot summer here and if my truck wasn't in the shop, I was going to switch to a 30 weight for the summer and then back to 0w20 for winter.
But, by the time I get it back, the worst of summer will likely be over. So I'll stick with 0w20. Maybe next summer I'll try the 30.

 

What's the obsession with 'quiet' engine, gang?

 

Some people like their $50k truck with a $10k engine to run smooth and not sound like it has marbles under the valve covers. The clattering valve noise is metal smacking metal. A heavier oil fills those gaps acting as a cushion making it quieter. People that have taken apart and understand motors are usually the ones that hate the noise.

Some people don’t care.

 

Well, if it reaches metal to metal, then I doubt a film of oil is going to do a lot to stop it. If clearance is 0.00000, then oil or no oil, you'll have contact.

My truck doesn't make any of those noises. Perhaps a borken 50k truck needs service tune up instead of heavier oil?

 

I’d love to hear how the cam is supposed to open the valve without metal touching metal.

 

Ok, perhaps I was thinking of something else. I thought some parts were bottoming out, hence the clunking noise. Thank you for clarification.

 

I was thinking about a 0W-30 after my powertrain warranty expires if I can find it in full synthetic.

 

This engine was approved to run several different viscosities of oil. When Toyota narrowed down the approved range of oils (in the USA) to just 0W20, the engine didn't change.

Some manufacturers have only ever approved one viscosity of oil and that's were the difference lies.

 

Video description to English:

See how the oil used in your engine lubricates in the morning at a cold start, ideally, the thinner the oil when cold, the more it lubricates your engine

https://youtu.be/Hur30F4UTBk?si=tLS-5SIqe9f9KcSY

 

Are we talking about a Ford Model T? Any reasonable viscosity of oil will be pumped through by the crankshaft-driven mechanical oil pump.

 

The clarity of the empty jar is my argument against 0w. Pouring water.

 

to test ive run 5w-20 the last 2 oil changes.

i dont need the 0w for any season, and the 5w-20 is as quiet as I’ve experienced with the 5w-30 in the past. For climates like mine where the coldest start i will ever see is maybe 45 in the winter, but averaging 60-80 for the year, there is zero value in 0w oil, only downside in clackity clack

 

They are both 20 weight at operating temp. There is absolutely no difference. The only difference is that 0w will flow a little easier in really cold temps than 5w. Since the 0w flows easier at lower temps, it would be lubricating faster after startup and quieting the engine faster.
But since you don't experience any temps lower than 40-45, there is absolutely no difference between 0/20 and 5/20 at that temp at startup or operating temps.

.

 

I’d bet his engine is 80* or colder on morning start so how is it 0w vs 5w makes no difference? You act like 95* is operating temp. The second number is the viscosity at 212*F - that’s a lot hotter than startup temp. The first number applies to viscosity at start up - even in Southern California.

 

Either this doesn't make any sense, or I'm misunderstanding what you're saying.
It's talking about how the oil flows in cold temps, when you start your vehicle.
Have you ever started a vehicle that's been sitting in sub zero temps all night? You want the oil to move like sludge and not lubricate anything for the first 10 min until it warms up?
You keep referencing "water". Well, yeah, that's the point. You want it to flow like water at start up, not like molasses. Btw, all oil flows like water at operating temp, when it's hot. If you're in AZ then you don't have to worry about start up at freezing temps.
20 weight oil leaves a film like all the others. It doesn't run completely off like water and leave the parts dry.
There's nothing wrong with running 30 weight. That's not my argument. But the comments about 0w20 being like "water", implying that it doesn't lubricate as well etc, tells me that folks aren't understanding the designations and how this multigrade lubrication thing works. The reasons I'm hearing for why people won't use 20 weight just don't make any sense. Conversely, the reasons I'm hearing for why anyone would run 40 weight in the north east don't make any sense either. Unless you're being funny. I can't tell.

 

I like oil to stick around where it’s supposed to be doing its job - see the nice dark colored coating on the 5w-30 jar? It is thin enough to move but not completely runoff a surface.

 

get the GF6 5w-30, GF6 flow better in startup

 

I know the oils in which it is approved to run, thats why included the screen shot with all the oils Toyota has approved for use in my post.

Im not concerned that 0w20 doesn't lubricate well, its that it so thin that its much more likely to cause blow by and end up being burned by the engine which once your engine starts buring oil it wont stop. My previous vehicle, a 2014 Subaru called for 0w20 and by 60,000 miles it was burning a quart of oil every 3-5k miles. 0w20 only exists to improve CAFE standards by marginally increasing MPGs. Find me a snowblower that calls for 0w20 and those things literally only start in the cold and almost all take 5w30. Now maybe if you live in Alaska with constant below 0 temps then I would use 0w20 but in normal continental US winters 5w30 is fine.

 

the valvetrain sounds completely different, i have no data to back it up, but its not the same

 

A 5w-20 will still drain into the oil pan over night… having a 0w-20 will allow the engine to suck the oil out of the sump faster to lubricate parts faster…but as previously stated, unless you are seeing cold temps the difference is negligible.

 

I run Mobil1 15w-50 synthetic in everything I own... 5.7 Tundra, 4.0 4Runner and 496 big block powered boat.
It never gets very cold here in GA but it gets plenty hot for much of the year.

 

I made the mistake of pouring 5 qt of 0w20 and 3.5 qt of 5w30 on my last oil change. Lol

Did a round trip from Vegas to Phoenix. 600ish miles worry free.

 

If 0w30 was more mainstream and available, I'd run that. Best of both worlds.

I run 5w30 primarily for towing in the summer. Hours on the highway at 3,000rpm.

 

I had two quarts of 0W-20 leftover from the previous oil change so I mixed it with 5W-20. I went on an 800 mile round trip good to go.

 

We're supposed to put oil in these?

 

This is a relatively easy operating mode for the engine - high rpm, correspondingly excellent cooling and oil pressure, significantly lower tendency for knock. Much better than lugging the engine at 1200ish that transmission seems to like in town.