Which oil if you can't get 10W30?

[spandit]

The manual says to put 10W30 in the engine but it's not something I've seen commonly stocked. Which number is more important, though, as you can buy 10W40 or 5W30 at Halfords*

A search on their site does find 10W30 but it's listed as motorcycle fork oil (and it is.... "forking" expensive - about $12 a litre)

Is there any point paying for synthetic or semi-synthetic for a 35 year old engine?




* an overpriced, unhelpful organisation in the UK that is about as clued up about motoring as Dairy Queen

[ScottishPinz]

My truck has a bit of a thirst for oil and probably uses about 1 litre per 1000 km. I use ASDA Smart Price 20w/50 motor oil.

Now others may frown, and maybe when my engine fails I'll regret my choice of oil, but for now I'm happy and it seems to fit the bill:

"Traditional multigrade oil which is suitable for older 4-stroke petrol engines. Recommended for older, higher milage vehicles where a more premium oil is not preferred"

[Twin Pinzies]

I have tried all kinds of different grades and synthetics, only to settle on good ol' basic 20W50.
Stay away from all synthetics or blends! Even "fancy" conventional oil is not necessary for a Pinzgauer. They were designed to run on SAE 30 - not even multi-grade!
I only run my trucks in the summer and at higher than average elevations btw...

[Jim LaGuardia]

The Pinz uses 30wt.
Using 10-30 or 10-40 will result in high oil consumption.

[spandit]

According to my manual:

Summer SAE30, Winter SAE10 - does this mean I should change the oil for a single grade twice a year - sounds like 10W30 is what is needed...

Think mine's got 10W40 at the moment (diesel oil - it was that or run it without any oil.... hence wanting to know what to put in it)

Guess I'll get another big tub of tractor oil (Fuchs 15W40 Universal) from Scats Country Stores - remember it being well priced and comes in 20L containers so you don't have to buy loads of bottles

[Squiggas]

I get about 700km per litre of Halfords 15W/40 enhanced mineral oil.

[cronapress]

Valvoline 15W-50. Got a carton of 4 x 5litre containers moons ago. No measurable consumption between services. That said, I change the engine oil more frequently than what it says in the book.

Cranks over fine in mid winter. No leaks from anywhere when the engine is stinking hot (not a regular happening here).

Mike. 712M

[4x4Pinz]

20-50 is what the air cooled guys around here use and what I have always used in my pinzies

[Winter Beater]

I'm using 5W-50 synthetic ... and it drips more than it burns. Based on my usage and other input it seems the Pinz will run on just about anything.

Since my days analyzing oil samples in a Lab I have favoured synthetic oils for their remarkably low pour point. At one time I lived where -40C was common and it was important to get oil moving ASAP -now it's just a habit to use it in all my vehicles.

[Byron]

I use SAE HD30 in my pinz and it runs great year round.

[pinzinator]

Today I saw 30W detergent and 30W non-detergent at AutoZone. I didn't know non-detergent was still available. This was in quart bottles, and was not synthetic.

[Twin Pinzies]

Stay away from "engine cleaning" detergent additives in your Pinz.

[David Dunn]

Stay away from "engine cleaning" detergent additives in your Pinz.

All standard oils are "detergent" type. Non-detergent are typically harder to find and should only be used where there is excessive blowby and low oil pressure ( usually from worn bearings surfaces) to gain a little more life to an engine before a rebuild.
It was a well known ticket to run non detergent oil in a car before selling it because it hid problems.

If you "flush" a worn engine, all those problems come to bear again.