NON-Tractor Oil Question

[TWD]

We recently acquired a porter cable construction class generator with a Honda 13HP engine in it. We plan to use it on our property throughout the year with temperatures ranging from well below freezing in winter, to around 100 in summer.

The manual calls for 10w30 but we don't use 10w30 in anything... everything around here gets 5w30 Synthetic Mobil 1.

Will my 13HP Honda in the new generator be fine with the 5w30 synthetic

 

[Bigfoot62]

Check the manual and see if it suggests any alternatives to the 10w-30. If not, why don't you just pick up a couple of quarts of what the book calls for?

 

[TWD]

I checked the manual, that's why I know what it calls for :laughing:

And, like I said, if I don't HAVE to use it I would prefer to stick with something I use in all my other vehicles, and equipment :thumbsup: and keep on hand.

I ended up finding a 5qt jug of 10w-30 Mobil1 Synthetic I must have had leftover :licking: and got her running on the first pull

Now it just needs to snow, and power needs to go out :laughing: :laughing:

Thanks bigfoot! Have a great holiday.

Check the manual and see if it suggests any alternatives to the 10w-30. If not, why don't you just pick up a couple of quarts of what the book calls for?

 

[crashz]

Some manufactures are still living in the stone age in regards to oil recomendations. They do this to allow for the most common availible grades. What is needed is a 30 weight oil at operating temperature. 10w-30 was a very common grade (and still is for some reason) that can be found nearly everywhere.

10w-30 was also the most shear stable multigrade oil availble when they were introduced, as they contained the least amount of viscosity improvers. Therefore it stayed in grade better during its lifespan.

What you can use these days is any XXw-30 grade oil. All API rated oils created today are far superior to the same grade oils from even ten years ago. A good synthetic 5w-30 would be fine.

 

[John Morgan]

I told a friend of mine the same thing crashz just said for his generator. Unfortunately, the 5w30 he used resulted in substantial leaks. We drained the 5w30 and refilled with 10w30. After about 30 minutes of a lot of smoke the generator began running like it was suppose to. I'm sure there are numerous stories about how so and so ran xxw30 without any trouble. I learned my lesson and use what the manual says whenever possible.

 

[Bigfoot62]

. . .
Now it just needs to snow, and power needs to go out :laughing: :laughing:
. . .

Be careful what you wish for!!!

 

[crashz]

I told a friend of mine the same thing crashz just said for his generator. Unfortunately, the 5w30 he used resulted in substantial leaks. We drained the 5w30 and refilled with 10w30. After about 30 minutes of a lot of smoke the generator began running like it was suppose to. I'm sure there are numerous stories about how so and so ran xxw30 without any trouble. I learned my lesson and use what the manual says whenever possible.

I don't doubt you John, but this could have been caused more by the oil type than the cold viscosity. These days, the cold viscosity of most multigrade oils can vary, and sometime cross lines. Like Mobil 1 10w-30 used to have a cold viscosity that was so low that it qualified for a 5w-30, but was marketed as a 10w-30 as that was the most popular grade. Its operating temp viscosity was also lower than the same parameter for their 5w-30 oils (not idea why).

Couple of tidbits:
- opertaing temp viscosity is alway much lower in viscosity (centipoise not weight!) than any cold temp viscosity.
- the API's grading of oil versus actual viscosity is based on a range of actual viscosity.

So most likely your friend had flushed out some crud that was sealing up his generator and the fresh 10w-30 helped swell the seals. Or the 5w-30 was just light enough in its range to make it leak and the 10w-30 just heavy enough to kept it sealed tight. But that is rare and in fact the opposite could also be true if you tried a "heavy" 5w-30 (like Castrol 0w-30 made in Germany, hot viscosity of 12.2 cSt at 100C) and a "light" 10w-30 (like Mobil 1 10w-30, 10.1 cSt at 100C).*

You make a good point however. Nobody can come back at you for doing something wrong if you follow the manufactures guidlines.

* Got the viscosity information from the product data sheets for both brands and oils. These are neat to amature grease monkeys like me.

 

[brucew44guns]

With all being said, I would not lose any sleep at all putting 5w/30 Mobil One in that generator. I've had a generator here at my farm for 1 1/3 years, we have had no power outages, it runs about 15 minutes once a week on it's regular programmed start-up. It's an 18 horsepower Briggs V-2 engine, and it does have 5W/30 synthetic oil in it. Brigg's recommendation. I guess I could have lost a lot of sleep in the past year, if I had put a 0W/30 in, but I doubt it, and don't believe it would matter if it did have 0W/30.

 

[Soundguy]

We recently acquired a porter cable construction class generator with a Honda 13HP engine in it. We plan to use it on our property throughout the year with temperatures ranging from well below freezing in winter, to around 100 in summer.

The manual calls for 10w30 but we don't use 10w30 in anything... everything around here gets 5w30 Synthetic Mobil 1.

Will my 13HP Honda in the new generator be fine with the 5w30 synthetic

contact the co.

I run a air comp that wanted 30w ND.. but is fine with a 5w20 syn

similar with a lawnmower using 5 or 10w30 syn.

see what they have to say.

for a constant run machine like a genny.. syn would be nice..

 

[Z71]

5w-30 is no problem. A 10W-30 and a 5W-30 are both 30 wt oils at operating temps, they only differ at low temps and a lower W oil means easier starting and faster oil flow to critical engine parts. Heck you could use a 0W-30 and it still would not hurt a thing. Synthetic is always better the mineral oil, that's all I use in my Honda lawn mower, my Honda ATV, my Husgvarna broom/weed wacker with Honda engine, 0W-30 synthetic or 0W-40 in the ATV (Rincon).