[bioray]

What is your thought on using 30 weight synthetic oil in a small air cooled engine? I have a snapper rider with a 13hp honda engine.

[crigby]

Hi,
Synthetic oils are great! Whether you have thought about it or not; being synethic the molecule is strictly controlled and is more uniform to nearly perfectly uniform depending upon the quality.
Incidentally, your Honda is designed for 10W30 and performs better with it than 30W. The concern always was oil consumption in those recommendations for 30W. A general rule is OHV uses 10W30. Exceptions would be Briggs Intek and Tecumseh engines. Briggs Vanguard is Japanese made and built like a BMW engine; one man/woman builds the whole engine.
Peace,
Clarke

[bioray]

The user manual suggest using straight 30 for temps above 30c. It is well over 30C when cutting grass in the summer in Alabama! I think using synthetic over conventional could lower my engine temp.

[crigby]

Hi,
You may want to get you engine numbers and check with Honda Engines. I just did, and now they recommend 10W40 more than anything 15- 20 yrs. Ago I was a service manger around the corner from a Honda dealer and was surprised when one of the mechanics produced a manual; since I mostly worked on Briggs I used 30W. If you notice 30W has a smaller operating range than any and usually other oils equal or better it; you usually find that another works up to at least the same temperature.
Honda Engines
Peace,
Clarke

[bioray]

My engine is only 3 or 4 years old.

[crigby]

Hi,
Then I will bet that the spec now says 10W40. This is a fairly new change; don't you love the "Specifications subject to change without notice" disclaimers.
That is a link to Honda in my previous post and it took me by surprise when I looked.
Peace,
Clarke

[bioray]

Thanks,
I will take a look.

[bioray]

I searched, I looked, and I was informed.
That is a change from my manual. I need to check the serial numbers, but for most it says 10w30 is good for general use. 10w30 is a lot easier to find in synthetic than straight 30 weight. I was using royal purple in 30w. It was the only straight weight I could find.

[ballengerb1]

A buddy tells me that this is a waste of money to buy synthetic oil. Considering he changes oil once a year and uses 1.9 qts. He must be one cheap son of a gun. Go synthetic.

[bioray]

A buddy tells me that this is a waste of money to buy synthetic oil. Considering he changes oil once a year and uses 1.9 qts. he must be one cheap son of a gun. Go synthetic.

Cheap is right! Wait till he replaced the smoking worn out engine while my honda with synthetic oil and spin on oil filter is humming right along:):D

[crigby]

Hi,
Considering what "regular" oils cost now compared to synthetic, it is foolish not to use them especially in an air-cooled engine. More strain on the oil.
Besides the uniform molecules of a synthetic, the additive package is built in. Current oils are close to synthetic now anyway because of all the additives added which are synthetic.
The is what that "S.." designation is on the bottle. SA was straight oil and still available for cooling or heat transfer. Nothing below SJ is available for lubrication, I think. Has to do with the EPA. See how often they seem to pop up?
I say might as well spend the few cents extra for synthetic. It was different when regular oil was $1 and synthetic was $5. Now they are close in price because regular oil is mostly synthetic, but does not follow the guidelines necessary to be called that.
As an aside, I recommend that those once-a-year oil changes be performed at the end of the season. With explanation the logic will be self-evident. The machine has been used through the season on a weekly basis, more or less, and changing after the final seasonal use, or thereabouts, will not give all winter long for all those particles of carbon, etc. to settle to the bottom as they would when sitting all winter.
Peace,
Clarke

[bioray]

Thanks for the info... I usually change the oil twice a yr. once about mid season and once after I finish chopping up leaves in the fall.