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Re: oil/oil seal question...help!
100 wt oil is a good choice if your oil temp is consistently above 50* F when you start the engine. Below that its viscosity is too high to ensure adequate lubrication.
Rule of thumb: preheat if the oil temperature is below the SAE "W" rating of the oil.
To say that 20W-50 is 20 wt oil is an oversimplification. 20 wt oil is pretty thin at low temps and very thin at high temps. 50 wt, on the other hand is pretty thick at low temps and much thinner at high temps. 20W-50 by definition has the viscosity of a 20 wt oil at 0*C and the viscosity of 50 wt oil at 100*C. Multiweight oils contain additives called viscosity modifiers that delay the thinning due to increased temperature.
100 wt oil is a good choice if your oil temp is consistently above 50* F when you start the engine. Below that its viscosity is too high to ensure adequate lubrication.
Rule of thumb: preheat if the oil temperature is below the SAE "W" rating of the oil.
To say that 20W-50 is 20 wt oil is an oversimplification. 20 wt oil is pretty thin at low temps and very thin at high temps. 50 wt, on the other hand is pretty thick at low temps and much thinner at high temps. 20W-50 by definition has the viscosity of a 20 wt oil at 0*C and the viscosity of 50 wt oil at 100*C. Multiweight oils contain additives called viscosity modifiers that delay the thinning due to increased temperature.
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