Stupid oil q

[Jimoz]

Got some 10w 40 part synthetic in garage

Can I use it in wacker that asks for SAE 10W-30

really showing my ignorance here!

 

[Russell]

Same here, dumper wants 10-30 and I have a load of 10-40

 

[doobin]

Yes crack on. It's just a touch thicker, and probably about right for our temperate climate and sometimes warm summers. Especially if you are working on hot tarmac.

I use 10w-40 in all my petrol tools and offroad plant.

 

[V8Druid]

if you're talking an oil change, I don't see a major problem, but would be very wary of mixing a semi-synthetic with pure mineral

I use 10W-40 Shell Rimula X in every thing and have done for decades

 

[Keif]

In the first auto repair shop(Porsche, vw and Audi) I worked in the owner built a tray/trough to hold the empty Qt bottles upside down with a slight angle to a hole which drained in to a jug. He would then take this collected mix of weights and synthetic and dino oil and use it in his vehicles. It is amazing how much drains oil of an empty Qt most people would just throw away. We still keep in touch and the same vehicle are still alive 25yrs later.

Not saying anyone should do this, but it's working for him.

 

[Gecko]

The first number is the viscosity at low temp. The second is the viscosity at operating temp (which dictates the max ambient temp.)
If the oil is too thin, you'll have good flow, but not enough pressure. If it's too thick, you won't get enough flow to keep up the supply the the farthest parts of the engine.
The table below shows 10W-40 is a good choice for the UK climate. I use 15W-40, but then I don't live in the UK!!

 

[Rob65]

Guys,

it’s not just the viscosity you need to think about here.

Some oils have an ad in them to keep any contamination suspended in the oil so it can be caught by the oil filter.

Other oils have a different additive that causes suspended contamination to settle out and is used typically in small engines that don’t have full flow oil filters.

This is why you should not use car type engine oils in small engines such as lawn mowers and I guess many items of small plant that don’t have ‘Proper’ oil filters.

Hope this helps.

Rob

 

[Gecko]

Without disagreeing with @Rob65, I never buy "small engine" oil.
I use the oil I have on hand (of the right grade) and change it twice as often as recommended (I also put hour meters on everything).

A mate once joked - there are two types of oil: there is clean oil and there is oil that needs changing.

BTW @Jimoz - not a stupid question.