Winter Oil? Do you guys switch to a "Lighter" Oil in the winter?

John in Hattiesburg

John in Hattiesburg

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John in Hattiesburg
Do you guys switch to a "Lighter" Oil in the winter?
if so what brand and weight?

I'm flying behind a Conti 0-300 filled with Aeroshell 100 in Mississippi where winter temps occasionally approach 20-30F

any suggestions appreciated
 
Aeroshell 100+ year round. But I probably don't get any "winter" by some of your standards. ("Really, it got below freezing *three* times this year?")
 
I see the benefit of multigrade when the temps drop, I don’t see much benefit in the single grade when they don’t. Continental advises against switching oils in their latest SIL: http://www.tcmlink.com/pdf2/SIL19-04.pdf

Continentals letter is light on data, but I think the idea is certain oils are different at cleaning certain deposits etc. than others, and switching can loosen things that cause issues.

Pillips, plus camguard if you don’t fly often, seems to be at worst a good option and at best, the best. So time better spent on other things, is my view.
 
I switch to three-in-one machine oil in the winter time. I also add three quarts of automotive antifreeze to keep the oil from freezing.

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Also, don't forget to switch to winter air in your tires. Summer air does not have the spec to handle harsh winter conditions.

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Aeroshell synthetic on the left, Phillips XC on the right. Dark is 50 hour versions of each. Test tubes were placed in a freezer.

429EA389-003D-4099-AD65-4D75463D38B9.png

I took this pic at OSH ‘18 at the Aeroshell seminar, so you figure out how much bias there is or isn’t.

I find myself a 30+ year student of oil. I work in the petrochemical industry. Take it for what it’s worth, which is about a cup of cheap coffee.

Fly safe.
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
Aeroshell synthetic on the left, Phillips XC on the right. Dark is 50 hour versions of each. Test tubes were placed in a freezer.

View attachment 79571

I took this pic at OSH ‘18 at the Aeroshell seminar, so you figure out how much bias there is or isn’t.

I find myself a 30+ year student of oil. I work in the petrochemical industry. Take it for what it’s worth, which is about a cup of cheap coffee.

Fly safe.
Click to expand...

Lesson #1. Don’t keep your engine in a freezer.
Lesson #2. If you do, learn how to preheat.

Wisdom from parking outside in Alaska for the past 25 years. Cold starting is usually limited by temps where you won’t frost plugs when it fires. At temps you’re going to start the above demo is useless. Smoke and mirrors.
 
That Cont bulletin is interesting, I have never seen anything before that cautioned against switching oil brands, they are all supposed to be compatible or at least so we've always been told.
As for single vs multigrade, especially in cold weather I think multi is vital. I was told that as a demo a test engine, not in an airplane was started without preheat and using single weight 100 or 120. The had one of the valve covers off on the top of the engine and it took a over a minute for the oil to be pumped to the top end and began to lubricate the cam followers.
 
Bill Greenwood said:
That Cont bulletin is interesting, I have never seen anything before that cautioned against switching oil brands, they are all supposed to be compatible or at least so we've always been told.
As for single vs multigrade, especially in cold weather I think multi is vital. I was told that as a demo a test engine, not in an airplane was started without preheat and using single weight 100 or 120. The had one of the valve covers off on the top of the engine and it took a over a minute for the oil to be pumped to the top end and began to lubricate the cam followers.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it’s pretty amazing how tough engines are in general. In automotive engines, flow to the end of the oil train doesn’t happen immediately either. It’s not immediate destruction, but more a wear that occurs over time.
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
Aeroshell synthetic on the left, Phillips XC on the right. Dark is 50 hour versions of each. Test tubes were placed in a freezer.

View attachment 79571

I took this pic at OSH ‘18 at the Aeroshell seminar, so you figure out how much bias there is or isn’t.

I find myself a 30+ year student of oil. I work in the petrochemical industry. Take it for what it’s worth, which is about a cup of cheap coffee.

Fly safe.
Click to expand...

I thought synthetic oil is bad for our engines?

Aeroshell 100 during warmer months, XC during colder months.


Tom
 
Ya straight weight is outdated, old technology. The multiweight protects better even at higher oil temps. It also flows quicker at cold start.

The only reason to use a straight 50w is storage. That is the ONLY REASON.


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MooneyDriver78 said:
I thought synthetic oil is bad for our engines?

Aeroshell 100 during warmer months, XC during colder months.


Tom
Click to expand...

Doesn’t matter. No consensus, no independent data or stats. Run thinner oil in colder weather. Run oil or additive packages recommended by engine mfgs. My opinion.
 
mwagg737 said:
Also, don't forget to switch to winter air in your tires. Summer air does not have the spec to handle harsh winter conditions.

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Click to expand...

It’s a really good idea to swap out nav light fluid seasonally as well.
 
MooneyDriver78 said:
I thought synthetic oil is bad for our engines?
Click to expand...
Straight up synthetic did not play well with the lead. The current stuff is a mix.
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/aeroshelloils2.php
Aeroshell Oil W 15 W 50 is a premium semi-synthetic multigrade ashless dispersant oil specifically developed for aviation piston engines. AeroShell Oil W 15 W 50 is a special blend of a high quality mineral oil and synthetic hydrocarbons with an advanced additive package that has been specifically formulated for multigrade applications.

The combination of non-metallic anti-wear additives and selected high viscosity index mineral and synthetic base oils, give exceptional stability, dispersancy and anti-foaming performance. The advanced additive package in AeroShell W 15 W 50 provides excellent protection to engines operating at extreme ambient temperatures. The ashless anti-wear additive package provides exceptional wear protection for camshafts and lifters and other wearing surfaces.

AeroShell 15W50 has become very popular amongst engine manufacturers and operators alike. In order to cater for those Lycoming engines that need improved load carrying, the Lycoming LW 16702 antiwear additive has been incorporated into the formulation thus eliminating the need for supplemental additive addition
Click to expand...
 

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FBO uses a multi grade year round. Either Shell 15w50 or Phillips XC 20w50. It’s important to note that even with a thinner oil viscosity, preheating is still the primary driver to keep your engine healthy during the colder months.
 
Stewartb said:
Lesson #1. Don’t keep your engine in a freezer.
Lesson #2. If you do, learn how to preheat.

Wisdom from parking outside in Alaska for the past 25 years. Cold starting is usually limited by temps where you won’t frost plugs when it fires. At temps you’re going to start the above demo is useless. Smoke and mirrors.
Click to expand...
The typical fridge freezer is at -10°C. A deep freeze is at about -18°C. In my classes I demonstrated that thick oil after it had been in a fridge freezer overnight. -10°C. The viscosity difference between 80 or 100 and 15W50 was stark. We often did cold starts without preheat at -10 with the 15W50.
 
Around 5C I plug in my oil sump heater for 2 hours or so. -10C or colder around 4 or more hours.
 
I like 8 hours with her wrapped up and cylinders are 80 plus with only a sump heater... Time is dependent on our equipment but the most important thing is to achieve what I call a “deep preheat”, as in not just thin oil but the entire engine warmed...
 
Ryanb said:
FBO uses a multi grade year round. Either Shell 15w50 or Phillips XC 20w50. It’s important to note that even with a thinner oil viscosity, preheating is still the primary driver to keep your engine healthy during the colder months.
Click to expand...

If not for the thinning of the oil, then why?



Tom
 
MooneyDriver78 said:
If not for the thinning of the oil, then why?



Tom
Click to expand...
Multi-grade oil flows well at temps 0F and below, so it’s not necessarily the fact that the oil is too thick to flow and unable to create proper lubrication before the engine warms up. As I’ve been taught, the biggest reason for engine preheating is due to bearing clearances when the temps are cold and the metals contract. I wrote this in the other thread that’s going, so I’ll copy it here.

The colder the temp is, the smaller the clearance between the bearing shells and the crankshaft are. If there’s not enough clearance, then there’s no room for the oil, regardless how high the oil pressure reads. The chances of metal to metal contact are much higher at this point. Go out and try to rotate the prop in cold weather and you’ll notice how hard it is to do. It’s obviously not because you’re running thick oil, (if you’re using a multi-grade), it’s because that clearance between the crankshaft and bearings are tighter than at a higher temp. So, you’re really heating up the engine to assist in metal expansion, to allow the oil to properly lubricate the crank journals etc., in the early moments of the start.
 
Lesson learned....always preheat the oil below 40 deg F. lol ;)

...and your flavor of oil won't matter.
 
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Back when I ran the Gopher engine I used straight 50 in the summer and straight 40 in the winter. It was always a little dicey when the weather got warm and I still had 40 in.

I've never run other than 15W50 in the Continentals.
 
I run XC20W-50 with CamGuard year ‘round, but I’m pretty limited on how far into the colder months I can fly by how much snow is on the runway. Funny thing, though- it gets darker a lot earlier in the cold months, but that’s not my oil. ;)
 
Looks like the general consensus here is multi-grade for the winter.... but 2 different camps on brand...
The bargain blue bottle Phillips X/C 20W-50 ($5.85/gt) seems to have more fans than the more spendy AeroShell W15W-50 ($8.80/qt)

Is either better for my 63 year old Continental vs a Lycoming?
15W-50 vs 20W-50?
 

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The 15w-50 semi synthetic oil has no business being in a leaded fueled airplane. The synthetic component just doesn’t do a good job suspending the lead bromine sludge. Also interesting that many top mechanics such as mike Busch seem to see high degree of cam/lifter pitting with this oil. I think it runs off quicker due to synthetic makeup.


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Aaronk25 said:
The 15w-50 semi synthetic oil has no business being in a leaded fueled airplane. The synthetic component just doesn’t do a good job suspending the lead bromine sludge. Also interesting that many top mechanics such as mike Busch seem to see high degree of cam/lifter pitting with this oil. I think it runs off quicker due to synthetic makeup.


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Ran many many engines on it, and they all went past TBO and flew on condition, including my current plane which has been on condition for the past 370 hours and still purrrs like a kitten on 15w50 Aeroshell. So it can't be terrible.
 
Your plane must be flown a lot. The major concern is inactive time, with oil not staying on cam/lifters as long, but I’d also ask did you see how much lead was collected inside your engine?


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Aaronk25 said:
Your plane must be flown a lot. The major concern is inactive time, with oil not staying on cam/lifters as long, but I’d also ask did you see how much lead was collected inside your engine?


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Every Aircraft Maintenance Engineer that has worked on my planes has commented on their internal cleanliness!
And of course I fly frequently, no way would I have a plane just to leave it parked out in the field somewhere. But some months it might get less than 10 hours, I feel neglectful when it sits. Some years are slack and I only fly around 200 hours, most years are 250-350. In my 31 years of flying, many different planes, the only in flight engine issue I've had was a mag going out. Sure it lost some power, but flew her home fine, landed safely, and was a nothing burger. So I will continue to use the oil that has treated me extremely well year after year.
But don't spread rumors it is bad stuff, because it is great!
 
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