W100 plus. Yay or nay?

[RobertGary1]

4 hours ago, Mooneymite said:

But, on the other hand, it's amazing how few catastrophic engine problems, or even minor problems are attributed to the brand/type of oil used.

If a particular brand/type of oil gets you beyond TBO, hasn't it done its job?

Does anyone have a story about a particular brand/type of oil destroying their engine?

(And, yes, I'm aware of the disaster caused by an early formula synthetic.)

I would say it has more to do with how expensive your eventual overhaul will be. 
 

-Robert 

[toto]

7 hours ago, Mooneymite said:

And, yes, I'm aware of the disaster caused by an early formula synthetic.

For what it’s worth, I ran an O-360 to 2500 hours almost exclusively on AV-1. It was in perfect shape with great compression at OH (which was done purely for my own post-TBO paranoia). 

There were problems with big-bore turbo Continentals, and Mobil picked a fight with a guy who bought his ink by the barrel, but the oil did great in a little NA four-banger. 

[Greg_D]

“The operating manual for my plane calls for an oil temperature of 150 degrees before take-off.”

Which Mooney or Mooneys have this requirement?

[ArtVandelay]

“The operating manual for my plane calls for an oil temperature of 150 degrees before take-off.”
Which Mooney or Mooneys have this requirement?

It’s in the J POH...kind of...150° is the low end of the operating range (green arc). But there is no explicit reference to waiting for oil to reach a minimum temperature.

[flyer338]

On 10/15/2020 at 12:33 PM, PT20J said:

Good questions. 

I think I recall Mike Busch writing that the cam failures he’s seen were usually running Aeroshell 15W50. 

When I bought my 1994 M20J a little over 2 years ago, it had a little over 1000 hours on the original engine and the cam was spalled. The first owner had previously replaced the cam at about 500 hours. It had always run on Aeroshell 15W50. 

This doesn’t prove anything, but I decided to run my new engine on Phillips 20W50. Besides, it’s cheaper. 

Skip

When examining the cause of a cam failure (Lycoming four-cylinder engine) there are factors more predictive than brand or type of oil. Lycoming four-cylinder engines lubricate the cam lobes with oil that splashes off of the crankshaft. When the engine is turning fewer than 1000 rpm, there is not enough splash oil to adequately lubricate the cam lobes. Cold temperatures and straight weight oils may make this worse. My first question when looking for the cause of a cam failure is how much time did the engine spend running at fewer than 1000 rpm?

[Greg_D]

10 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

It’s in the J POH...kind of...150° is the low end of the operating range (green arc). But there is no explicit reference to waiting for oil to reach a minimum temperature.

I have seen 75 degrees listed in the Ovation POH as a specific temperature, but have not found anything similar for the 4 cylinder airplanes.  I'd be waiting a long time to get to 150 on the ground in colder weather.  Anyway, this is the guidance I have always used for the Lycoming 4 cylinder engines, taken directly from the Operator's Manual.

Scan Oct 17, 2020.pdf

[tmo]

Page 4-9 of the M20K POH says "The ENGINE OIL MUST BE WARM, at least 100F ..." and the caps are as quoted.

[Releew]

All I can say is my Engine ran cooler with the 100W Plus over the Multi-grade oil......

Been using the 100W Plus for 5 years plus.

Rick