Topics like this one amaze me! It is right on par with the tire threads that begin...
I ran my tires at 49psi and 66mph for 2 minutes, how badly did I damage them and when will they detonate?.
Viscosity is a function of temperature and film thickness. If anything, a higher viscosity oil has superior wear resistance in severe usage situations. A difference of one viscosity grade will NOT result in an oil related failure.
"Temperature has a big effect on viscosity and film thickness. As a point of reference, one SAE grade increase in viscosity is necessary to overcome the influence of a 20°F increase in engine temperature. At a given reference point, there is approximately a 20°F. difference between viscosity grades SAE 30, 40 and 50. SAE 20 is somewhat closer to 30 than the other jumps, because SAE 30 must be 30°F higher than SAE 20 to be roughly the equivalent viscosity.
"In other words, an SAE 20 at 190°F is about the same kinematic viscosity as an SAE 30 at 220°F, which is about the same viscosity as an SAE 40 at 240°F. This approximation works well in the 190°F to 260°F temperature range.
"If an SAE 50 oil at 260°F is as thin as an SAE 20 oil at 190°F, imagine how thin the oil film becomes when you are using an SAE 5W-20 and your engine overheats. When an engine overheats, the oil film becomes dangerously thin and can rupture."
For a very detailed discussion of viscosity, wear, and fuel economy,
click here.