Oil recommendations?

WannFly

WannFly

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newbie here so pardon the ignorance. recently got an Archer with O-360. previous owners have been using Phillips 20W50 XC. I have read about Cam Guard and considering using it. Also read a bunch about Exxon Elite 20W50. any recommendations on which one is better?

Phillips with CamGuard OR Exxon Elite (with or without CamGuard)?
 
Depends on where ya flying and how much flying.

Nice climate and lots of activity, just use good ol cheap shell 100

Large changes from hot to cold, XC. (Not much of a difference, just XC is cheaper and easier to find)

Plane sits for a little, toss camguard in.

Also if your plane sits, best to look into a battery tender too.
 
James331 said:
Depends on where ya flying and how much flying.

Nice climate and lots of activity, just use good ol cheap shell 100

Large changes from hot to cold, XC. (Not much of a difference, just XC is cheaper and easier to find)

Plane sits for a little, toss camguard in.

Also if your plane sits, best to look into a battery tender too.
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KFAR. temp changes between hottest day in summer and coldest day in winter with windchill ... i have seen 170 degree swing (120 in summer, -50 in winter)
dont think the plane will sit anytime soon, plan to fly the heck out
 
Stay with the Phillips 20-50 or go to 100 for the summer as James suggested. No need for Camguard if you keep flying it as often as you have started out doing. Might want to use it if you are going to lay it up some in the winter.

I am in a similar climate to yours in winter (cold to really cold). I've sometimes switched to Aeroshell 15-50, but if you hangar the plane and can preheat it before flight the Phillips multi-grade should be fine.
 
Personally, given your climate I'd just continue with the XC and consider adding the Camguard to it. You could use straight 50 weight in the summer up there but the summers are short and cool enough I'd just stick with a multi viscosity oil and run it year round.
 
Used to use AeroShell W15W50 Multigrade, but it ended up getting too expensive. Now use Phillips 20W50 XC (and it's just as good).

As others have said, CamGuard isn't that necessary especially if you're flying often. Use it in the winter if needed, otherwise just stick to a single grade.
 
Ryanb said:
Used to use AeroShell W15W50 Multigrade, but it ended up getting too expensive. Now use Phillips 20W50 XC (and it's just as good).

As others have said, CamGuard isn't that necessary especially if you're flying often. Use it in the winter if needed, otherwise just stick to a single grade.
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whats the definition of "often"? right now i am planning to fly at least 2-3 times a week and get the private done. My flight usually lasts 1.2-1.4 hrs on Hobbs
 
We know our preheat setup isn't "ideal" and it gets cold here, so we've always been (as was the previous owner for a decade) Aeroshell 15-50 users. It flows well at all temps.

If we had electricity at the hangar, I'd suggest we switch to the Phillips.

Either one has religious nuts who'll swear by either. Neither has any particularly worrisome trends or stories online anywhere.

There's some stuff about later model stuff and starter adapters ... but I don't think that has anything to do with your engine. I believe that was all about some additives that only exist in the A/S stuff, but I forget.
 
About half of aircraft owners resist any use of semi-synthetic oils. The other half just don't know any better.... yet. Aeroshell 15-50 and Exxon Elite are both semi-synthetic. I use X/C year round with Camguard. Everyone I know does the same. There's more to Camguard than parked airplane corrosion protection but if your plane isn't worth protecting? Don't bother. :)
 
WannFly said:
whats the definition of "often"? right now i am planning to fly at least 2-3 times a week and get the private done. My flight usually lasts 1.2-1.4 hrs on Hobbs
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That's enough. Fly it a few times a week and you should be fine. Remember, as with any engine, letting it sit for extended periods of time can be lethal.
 
Stewartb said:
About half of aircraft owners resist any use of semi-synthetic oils. The other half just don't know any better.... yet. Aeroshell 15-50 and Exxon Elite are both semi-synthetic. I use X/C year round with Camguard. Everyone I know does the same. There's more to Camguard than parked airplane corrosion protection but if your plane isn't worth protecting? Don't bother. :)
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I thought religious discussions were not allowed on this forum? :D

After break in following overhaul the pair of IO540s in my Aztec were run only on Aeroshell 15-50 for the ~1000 hrs before I bought the plane. I ran the first 430 hours I owned it with the same oil. I only changed to Phillips because the price differential to stay with Shell became stupid. I have no reason to believe the engines wouldn't go beyond TBO even if I had not changed. I don't use Camguard. It would just negate the cost benefit of switching to Phillips. I don't generally let my plane sit much, so I consider it a complete waste of money. YMMV. ;)
 
Stewartb said:
About half of aircraft owners resist any use of semi-synthetic oils. The other half just don't know any better.... yet. Aeroshell 15-50 and Exxon Elite are both semi-synthetic. I use X/C year round with Camguard. Everyone I know does the same. There's more to Camguard than parked airplane corrosion protection but if your plane isn't worth protecting? Don't bother. :)
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Most all the always working piston trainers or jump ships or etc I've been around run shell 100 or XC, and don't run cam guard, they go beyond TBO.

I run camguard myself, but my plane will sit for bits of time. To say a constantly running plane is going to gets its bang for the buck when it's flying 20-100hrs a month from camguard is silly.
 
WannFly said:
newbie here so pardon the ignorance. recently got an Archer with O-360. previous owners have been using Phillips 20W50 XC. I have read about Cam Guard and considering using it. Also read a bunch about Exxon Elite 20W50. any recommendations on which one is better?

Phillips with CamGuard OR Exxon Elite (with or without CamGuard)?
Click to expand...
I was using Aeroshell for more than 10 years, as did the previous owner. But after the overhaul in 2011 the recommendation from the shop and break in instructions from ECI said use Phillips XC, so that's what I've been using since 2011. Just started using Camguard in the winter. For oil samples, Blackstone since I bought the cherokee in 2000.
 
Keep Phillips MV oil with camguard.
1. Its good for your engine
2. Its cheaper
3. In my case it reduced oil consumption from 1 Qt every 8 hours to 15-20 hours when I switched from Aeroshell.
 
Lycoming recommends aeroshell w15w50 for their new and reman engines if they have the roller tappets.
Lycoming engines which need improved load-carrying (i.e. those engine models which require the addition of Lycoming Additive LW 16702) AeroShell Oil W 15W-50 was upgraded in 1986 to include an anti- wear additive.

You can buy the additive separate and add it to the Phillips oil, but that is more expensive than just buying the Aeroshell
 
Used to chat with the owner of Sac Sky Ranch before he retired. He had a cylinder shop for years and handled many, many cylinders from overhauls in NorCal. Said when they started using synthetics business REALLY jumped for reasons most know. Also saw an increase , much less exciting, with the use of multigrade. No explanation, just first hand data.
I walked out convinced to use 100 in summer and 80 in winter - Period. I also change at 25 hours with a filter and Blackstone every 50. Many poo poo that, but it works for me.

But, ignore him and wait for some anonymous forum poster to say what YOU want to hear. That's much more valuable...
 
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blueskyMD said:
Keep Phillips MV oil with camguard.
. . .
3. In my case it reduced oil consumption from 1 Qt every 8 hours to 15-20 hours when I switched from Aeroshell.
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I too experienced a significant reduction in oil consumption.
 
blueskyMD said:
Keep Phillips MV oil with camguard.
1. Its good for your engine
2. Its cheaper
3. In my case it reduced oil consumption from 1 Qt every 8 hours to 15-20 hours when I switched from Aeroshell.
Click to expand...

Which Aeroshell did you switch away from?
 
FWIW, Phillips 66 does put additives into their oil, you just need to choose the correct one.
Not sure where everyone is getting their oil but the cheapest distributor I found sells a case of 100AW Victory (with additives) for $72 shipped. (even cheaper than Vamazon) They are located one state over so I get the box usually in two days.
 
My Continental O-470 engine has never had anything but Aeroshell W100 straight weight since it's last overhaul about 25 years ago.

I've researched and contemplated many times about switching to Phillips XC, but I just can't bring myself to do it. It has run so good for so long, I can't change.

However, I did start using Camguard a couple years ago.
 
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