Motor Oil Viscosity Grades Explained in Layman's Terms

Depends on your operating temperatures.

Put really simply, as I understand it, your 10W - 30 can be started/ran more safely at a lower temperature than your 15W - 40, but the difference is not huge.

Where your 15W -40 might be a problem is where you had something exotic that wanted to run on 0W 30- the difference in viscosity then is potentially greater.

 

i wouldn't be scared of it. Lots of C13 C 9 running that oil

 

good link, thanks for the info

 

What does it specify in the engine operators manual, is there Cat spec by any chance as I will put in a Mobil link so you can see the listing for not only the viscosity but the classification of the oil ( this being the API CJ-4 ) and the Cat stamp of approval specification ECF-3. I would be very surprised if Cat did not recommend 15w-40 as long as the temperature range upon starting was within their recommendations.

That link pertains to both 15w-40 and 10w-30


https://mobildelvac.com/en/engine-oils/mobil-delvac/mobil-delvac-1300-super

 

I think keeping the oil level between the ad and full mark is far more important.

I say go for it.

 

I think keeping the oil level between the ad and full mark is far more important.

Picky, picky!

 

I always ran 15W-40 in my C-13 year around. However, in winter it ran 24/7.

 

I guess I did not read the operators manual for my C13 in my 590r. Every diesel engine we have gets 15/40.

 

We run synthetic 15W-40 in all our diesel engines, which is what most of them call for anyway. We also run synthetic 0W-40 in one tractor and a couple of trucks year round. It's pricey but it makes for easier starting when it's very cold, and it can still handle high temperatures of summer like a 15W-40 oil. With the hours and kms we put on things, we change the oil once a season is all (the oil is rated for 600 hours). If we had to change more often we would probably not be running it year round.

 

Same deal here. Dad use to have just about every single and milti-grade oil imaginable. Changing oil between summer and winter was getting to be a frickin nightmare. And different grades for gas and diesel engines. (My mind goes numb)

Now just run two oils. 15w-40 and full synthetic 0W-40. 15w-40 in the equipment that does not run in the winter and 0w-40 in the equipment that runs year around. The full synthetic might be more expensive initially, but in equipment that has to run a few days here and there in summer and a few days in winter, it is a much cheaper alternative. The bonus is you don't have the different viscosity mixing every time you do a seasonal change.

 

Does your 9530 get down to the add mark or just down from full? Our 9420 will not keep oil to the full mark but stays just below the full mark. You can top it off all you want but will always go down and if you leave it it will stay and never go down anymore.

 

The c-13 used a few quarts + in the first 50 hours for us. Brand new with oil from the factory. Haven't had to add since, though.

 

That goes to show oil was getting past the rings due to an engine that was in the break in process and perhaps the very type of oil they factory fill with to aid with break in. One thing I wanted to mention about oil and to be aware of with a new engine or a rebuilt one for that matter, a person would have to check with the engine manufacturer ( or rebuild manufacturer ) to see what their recommendation is with the use of synthetic oil early on in an engines life because I've been warned as far as gasoline engines go, that depending on the material of the rings it may cause them and the cylinder to not break in properly and then use oil and continue to use it even though a person thought they were doing something wonderful by starting out with a synthetic from the get go.

 

I remember in the 60's when Deere had trouble with 5010/5020 tractors using oil the stories of feeding the household cleaner "Bon Aime", something like that, into the air intake system, supposedly helped rings seat up.
Always sounded mechanics folklore/old wife's tail material to me, never heard anything scientific on it.

To the best of my knowledge Deere today is only engine manufacturer that supplies in and after markets break in oil.

 

Good to see you plan on changing the oil. Like going to the doctor and asking what type of exercise is the best for you. The manual is best recommendation. 15w-40 will work fine. I would recommend you plug it in on cold nights when you plan to use it the next day. Then let it idle until gauge starts to move on water temp. Blows warm air out heat ducts. Then, you are pretty safe. I would recommend this with either oil.

 

You know with all of the ridiculous amount of electronic do dads and the useless info given on the dash such as power application to each wheel (ford) in the vehicles now a days, how come there isn't an oil level sensor instead of a stick, sticking out of the oil pan. Things that make you go uhm!

 

My brothers Audi and mums Range Rover both that that no dipstick on them it is all electronic

 

Volvo engine in truck has both a dip stick and oil level sensor, Truck will not start if below add

 

Volvo D16 calls for 10W-30, does anyone actually do that?

 

When its cold here AND the engine was plugged in over night, it still does take a long time just to get an engine up to an operating temperature where one would even want to move it, especially if its a truck that is loaded as there is really no easy rolling start to warm it up slowly as you have to remember that the tires/wheel bearings/diff/trans oil is so stiff at first that its a high load vs after the oil has limbered up. So it all depends on what the piece of equipment is and the temperature involved as if one pulls a stunt by pouring on the power too soon .. that will do an engine in.

My method is to fire up an engine ( plugged in as it would never start without ) and then idle it at low idle for a few minutes before bringing it up to 1000 rpm, then let it warm up some before idling it up still further as that will aid in a faster warm up and easier on the engine then just leaving it at low idle as diesels will slobber and have a hard time for a complete burn ( older diesels anyway with lower injection pressures ) .

Our used JD 9430 still has the tag attached to the fill cap for the engine oil and it warns about the engine having break in oil ( obviously when it was new ) and I believe the hours mentioned to run that before changing. Another example would be older flat tappet valve lifter type cams requiring an additive or as an alternative a special fill of oil for the first period of time due to the lack of zinc in our modern oils.

I'd never heard anything so ridiculous as an engine with no dipstick as that's going a bit too far the other way in my estimation.