Oil preferance !

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butchpilot170
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Oil preferance !

Post by butchpilot170 »

Yoah ! The vote around my airport today was that 0-300's like straight oil the best when it comes to oil consumption ! Any comments out there ? the ButchPilot !
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cessna170bdriver
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Re: Oil preferance !

Post by cessna170bdriver »

Phillips 20w50 cradle to grave because it was recommended by ECI, the manufacturers of my cylinders. I added a quart about every 10-12 hours from day one for about 350 hours, including a fairly minor leak. I'm anxious to see how that continues now that the engine has endured a tear down/reassembly with new rings and bearings. The engine only has a few minutes on it, including 30 sec to 1 min at full throttle, but hasn't leaked a drop so far.
Miles

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Bruce Fenstermacher
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Re: Oil preferance !

Post by Bruce Fenstermacher »

Makes no difference in oil consumption. I've used both and they leak equally as bad. :wink:

Seriously use what ever you want, won't make a difference.

I use 20-50 multi in PA year round because I don't fly enough but to change oil once a year and I want the lighter weight in for winter ops in PA. If I had an oil high temperature problem I'd use straight 50 in the summer and change to 20-50 in the winter.
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gfeher
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Re: Oil preferance !

Post by gfeher »

When I bought my plane, the previous owner was using Aeroshell W100 (straight 50 wt) and I kept with it until winter that year. Then I switched to Aeroshell 15w50 year round and have had consistently good oil pressures and temps all year. I just have the typical minor oil leakage at some of the pushrod tubes that has not changed over time even with the change to the multi-weight.
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Pdogace
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Re: Oil preferance !

Post by Pdogace »

I was running Phillips 20 50 since I bought my plane 3 years ago. I just switched to Phillips 100AW and have noticed a big difference on what I call blow by. The belly of my plane would always have oil on the belly after every flight. Now after switching have significantly less oil on the belly. I live in Florida and my IA recommended the switch due to corrosion in the high humidity. To be fair though I also started used Cam Guard at the same time of the switch. So is it the oil or cam guard??Hard to know for sure but I have way less oil on my belly. I also have new Supperior cylinders with about 200 hours on them. It's still my first run on the 100AW so only time will tell. So far I am happy with the change.
Preston
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ghostflyer
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Re: Oil preferance !

Post by ghostflyer »

Oil is like beer, everybody has a favorite drop .now to make it very clear "beer we drink " oil goes in the engines. I have used PHillips multi grade for years due to its price and how it treats engines. The beer argument could go on for years. So,ending off and have a drink and think of what oil is available .
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Bruce Fenstermacher
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Re: Oil preferance !

Post by Bruce Fenstermacher »

I prefer the 20-50 w of the Phillips over the 15-50 Aeroshell just because the extra 5 w of viscosity gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling since the engine manufacturers never recommended oil less than straight 30w for extreme cold. Does the extra 5 w of viscosity make any difference? Well in PA when it gets cold and your flying an airplane with a heater in name only, any warm and fuzzy is welcome. :wink:

Remember a multi-weight oil is the viscosity of the first number, but due to modifiers in the oil act like the weight of the second number. So long as the black magic of the modifiers work, your ok. Not so much a problem in airplanes as owners probably tend to over change their oil rather than under change it. But as oil is contaminated through normal combustion the modifiers start to break down and fail. Or so I believe to be true.

Pdogace, I'd guess the difference your seeing is more to do with nicely run in new cylinders than anything. Superior calls for 100% mineral oil of a weight appropriate for ambient temperature by the engine operators manual Continentals operators manual only list straight weight oil. (for break in)
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KS170A
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Re: Oil preferance !

Post by KS170A »

I'll throw this out there, too... Seems like I've read on here before, maybe seen in on the O-300 type certificate data sheet, that running the straight-weight oil allows an oil temp redline of 240° rather than the standard 225° using multi-grade. I run Phillips 20W50 in mine and constantly run up to 220°, enough so I plan to verify the accuracy of my oil temp gauge at the next oil change. I had a 2.5 hour flight yesterday and while cruising at 6500 ft, the temp got uncomfortably close, so I climbed up to 8500 and got it to cool off enough. OAT was about 55° at 8500 ft, 61° at 6500 ft.
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170C
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Re: Oil preferance !

Post by 170C »

I have used Aeoshell W100 pretty much since overhaul which is about 1100 hrs ago. I have no issues with it. I just purchased a couple of cases of 100 W due to its having some additives that might be good for an engine that only gets 40-70 hrs a yr. We will see how it does.
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c170b53
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Re: Oil preferance !

Post by c170b53 »

I think Aeroshell has had two price increases in the past year. Thus there's about a $40 dollar difference between a case of Phillips and Aeroshell product suitable for our planes.
Jim McIntosh..
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Re: Oil preferance !

Post by 170C »

The Aeroshell I got was 100 W plus an cost was $60/case or $5.00/quart incl tax. Other vendors were selling it for $75/CS. Rep said with crude going up the cost will also increase.
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MadAero
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Re: Oil preferance !

Post by MadAero »

Our experience overhauling and operating O-300/C-145 we have found the following....we like the Phillips 20W/50 with Camgaurd, it's the only additive I'd advocate. The Aeroshell W80 Plus is also very good and switching to 15W/50 for cold weather operation. W100 Plus is good in warm weather operations. Continental service instruction SIL99-2C technically now calls for 50 wt oil above ambient air temperatures about 40°f or multi viscosity and 30 wt below 40°f or multi viscosity. They change it from time to time for seemingly no apparent reason....
Despite the fact ECI claimed Phillips 20w/50 was good from "cradle to grave" our findings on the test stand where the bottom end was happier with straight weight oil until after break in was complete. The cylinders didn't seem to care either way too much.
KS170, your oil temps seem high and we have seen it quite a bit. I'd check all the baffle seals particularly at the aft end of your pressure cowl if so equipped. If you put a work light near the firewall behind the engine and look through the cowl inlets it may prove quite telling. Also glazed cylinders and loose tolerances in the mains and cam journals will make for hot oil. If your oil is turning black you're running hot somewhere. Keep in mind straight weight oils Coke earlier than ashless dispersant oils and as such high oil temps should not be tolerated for prolonged operations when running mineral oil.
Otherwise...like beer, run what you like within the specification! Modern oil is very good and the major oil companies have a vested interest in seeing that your engine does not come apart! As for beer, stout in winter, IPAs for summer operations!
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GAHorn
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Re: Oil preferance !

Post by GAHorn »

MadAero wrote:.... Keep in mind straight weight oils Coke earlier than ashless dispersant oils and as such high oil temps should not be tolerated for prolonged operations when running mineral oil. ...
Huh? Perhaps you mis-typed what you meant?

Viscosity is a completely different subject than whether or not Ashless Dispersants are integrated into them. High oil temps should not be tolerated regardless of whether "mineral" (non-dispersant is perhaps your meaning?) or dispersant oils are used. Dispersants are not included to combat temperature issues.... they are used to suspend dirt and combustion-by-products so the filter can clear them out and so they leave the engine at the next oil change.

"Coking" is not a matter of oil viscosity either. It's caused by heat. Most coking is caused by the underside of hot piston-crowns cooking the oil. Dispersants help convey those particles to the filter/screen for removal.
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