Kawasaki 20w50 VS 10w30

[hanz63]

When do you use one over the other? Switching to synthetic on a 1000 hour engine a bad idea?

[KE4AVB]

Currently I have switch over to Synthetic 15W50 in everything with an oil filter. But for Kawasaki 10w30 is too light of a weight to start with. Even the local JD recommends the Dino 20W50 over Dino 10W30. Kawasaki sell the Synthetic 15W50 by the quart and by the 5 quart bottle. Here I use Mobile One as I can get locally. I was getting a good price on the Kawasaki oil until the shipping went through the roof. Now I order Mobile One from Walmart with free shipping.

I do have one commercial client that has two JD ztrs that have engine that have over 3000 hrs each. One was just in a couple weeks with 3500 hrs. I reworked the engine last year because it needed a new oil gerotor but that all I replaced other than valve stem seals and the gaskets that were needed for that work. It will be back in soon as it now has an oil cooler line leak.

One note here Kawasaki engines are like Kohler engine in the fact that all smoke a little when you first start them even the brand new engines.

[hanz63]

I don't have any qualms about using 10w30 in the majority of what I do. All consumer stuff. Enough garage queens with 10 or 15 hours, but most up to 50 hours or so in a year. I definitely have some of those customers that run them hard and put them away wet plus do their 100+ hours . I keep a standard 20w50 and the Vanguard synthetic. I just have this feeling that giving these folks a surprise dose of synthetic might clean things up too well. Old wives tale?

[KE4AVB]

Might be surprise what some semi synthetic 5w30 with Moly does to an engine oil pressure wise. My PU has 350K on it and the oil pressure at idle was down to 20 psi. Now it idles around 50 psi and has for nearly two years. The Moly helped fill the wear areas. Mains and rod bearings. Even in it I now use 15W50 synthetic as it needs oil added.

Now that 5w30 is like water when hot as you can't easily is it on the dipsticks.

[38racing]

Might be surprise what some semi synthetic 5w30 with Moly does to an engine oil pressure wise. My PU has 350K on it and the oil pressure at idle was down to 20 psi. Now it idles around 50 psi and has for nearly two years. The Moly helped fill the wear areas. Mains and rod bearings. Even in it I now use 15W50 synthetic as it needs oil added.

Now that 5w30 is like water when hot as you can't easily is it on the dipsticks.

And Toyota specifics 0w20 for its cars.

[hanz63]

I hear that there is 0W8 now. What goes in, must come out...