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| | | | Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 163 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 163 | I have a 235 in my 51 3100. I have been running 10w30 but am thinking about changing. It does not burn any oil or smoke but it does have some cam and lifter wear.(no lifter noise after valve adjustment). Small amount of front and rear seal leaks even after replacement. Oil pressure is low when warm at idle. Would I benefit changing to 10w40? Posts show various opinions regarding oil. I live in Virginia.
Thanks,
Howard | | | | | Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 1,418 ODSS Lawman | | ODSS Lawman Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 1,418 | What number is low for your oil pressure?
I too live in Va and run 10W-30. After running for a bit and getting the oil nice and hot, my oil pressure drops to 15 psi at idle.
SWEET Sergeant At Arms: Old Dominion Stovebolt Society BUNS?!?!?!Where we're going, we don't need no buns.....1950 GMC 450 1951 Chevy 1/2-TonThe GreenMachineIn the Stovebolt Gallery | | | | | Joined: Jan 2015 Posts: 914 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2015 Posts: 914 | What ever the leak flow it will still leak out to fast.
I have found from personal experience that switching to
a thicker oil will slow down the oil burning but not enough
to make a big difference. Though what happens is that the
heavier oil cause deposits to build up quickly and cause
the spark plugs to foul out and need to be replaced sooner.
Heavier oil will never replace metal that has worn away.
Though when you have a sound engine that is often
pulling heavy loads, trailering heavy loads, or living
where the temperatures in the summer is always above
90 and you do a lot of long high speed driving then stepping
up to a 40 weight oil would be a good option. Jeffrey | | | | | Joined: Jun 2005 Posts: 45 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jun 2005 Posts: 45 | I run 10w30 usually but going to a heavier weight wont hurt in this area. I have used 15w40 and 20w50 with no issues.
On my daily driver (a car I don't care about by the way). I had a massive oil leak leaving puddles. I used Lucas oil stop leak and it stopped it completely and my lifter noise went away in a couple hundred miles. I don't know about any harmful long term effects but it has gone 6000 miles so far with no problems.
Richard
42 Chevy pickup
65 Chevy C10 Panel
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,771 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,771 | You will see no difference whatsoever unless you change the lower number- - - -"10" to "15 or 20". When the oil is cold it will still flow like a 10 weight, no matter what the "hot" number happens to be. I use 15W-40 oil in everything I own, from lawn mowers to cars, trucks, and tractors. In 30-something years of doing that, there have been NO oil-related failures of anything on the farm.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
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| | | | | Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 163 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 163 | Thanks for all the replies. Looks like it makes no difference for the way I drive.
Howard | | |
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