Oil For Portable Generator

[augustpilot]

Just ran generator for five hour break end period. Going to change oil, calls for 10-30 4 cycle oil, see that some folks use synthetic oil. Checking with group to see if most use synthetic oil in generator. Thanks

[Community Alumni]

You can freely switch between synthetics and conventionals. Both oils are compatible with each other. Although with conventionals you're more prone to varnish and sludge.

[69_Avion]

4X4Dodger wrote:

OpenRangePullen_Ford wrote:
I wouldn't use synthetic oil in a gen set. Its just a waste of money regardless of how little oil the gen requires. Stick with the conventional oil. Synthetic oils are for high performance engines, and once you go synthetic there is no going back.

This is an old wives tale. The Natl Petroluem Institute has answered this question numerous times. You Can return to non synthetic oils after using the synthetic and in fact they can be mixed. They are all petroluem based.

They do make synthetic blends.
That would really mess up the theory that you can't go back. LOL

[4X4Dodger]

OpenRangePullen_Ford wrote:
I wouldn't use synthetic oil in a gen set. Its just a waste of money regardless of how little oil the gen requires. Stick with the conventional oil. Synthetic oils are for high performance engines, and once you go synthetic there is no going back.

This is an old wives tale. The Natl Petroluem Institute has answered this question numerous times. You Can return to non synthetic oils after using the synthetic and in fact they can be mixed. They are all petroluem based.

[SoundGuy]

westend wrote:
I'm going to guess that a laboratory would have a difficult time proving the same. Given that the engine parts are at the same ambient temperature and that the lubricating oils are at the same viscosity during that brief time event, what magic is there about synthetic?

I'm not doubting your results (makes little difference that I do or not). I'm just having a hard time seeing any magic in either oil product. Even if the synthetic oil had much less "shear", the small event time window of engine start and added starter torque would overcome the slight physical properties. That eliminates time and friction from the start event. What else am I missing?

I couldn't disagree at all except to say I'm far from an expert on internal combustion engines so I have no idea why running synth oil in my genset instead of dino would make such a difference ... but it did, with two different EU2000i gensets. Perhaps someone with greater understanding of the subject would care to shed some light. :@

[colliehauler]

I like synthetic oils and the extra cost is minimal for such a small quantity.

[westend]

SoundGuy wrote:
Shortly after I bought my first Honda EU2000i I tried starting the Coleman 13.5K BTU A/C I owned at the time but found the results were hit and miss, working one time but not another. Another forum contributor suggested that switching the dino oil to synth just might make a difference, citing his own success with it. I thought "Yeah right, like that will make a difference!" but I had little to lose by trying it so I dumped the dino oil change I had just done and put in Mobil 1. Without any other changes the A/C started right up every time ... couldn't believe it would make such a difference! We now have a different trailer with a Dometic Brisk II 13.5K BTU A/C and a different EU2000i so before even trying to start the A/C the first thing I did was dump the genset's dino oil in favour of Mobil 1 synth ... and again the A/C starts every time. I've since added a hard start cap to the A/C to further ease that initial load the genset has to deal with but there's little doubt that running synth oil really does help. :B

I know your experience proved to you that there is some property of synthetic oil that is superior to dino oil regarding engine start.

I'm going to guess that a laboratory would have a difficult time proving the same. Given that the engine parts are at the same ambient temperature and that the lubricating oils are at the same viscosity during that brief time event, what magic is there about synthetic?

I'm not doubting your results (makes little difference that I do or not). I'm just having a hard time seeing any magic in either oil product. Even if the synthetic oil had much less "shear", the small event time window of engine start and added starter torque would overcome the slight physical properties. That eliminates time and friction from the start event. What else am I missing?

[SoundGuy]

Shortly after I bought my first Honda EU2000i I tried starting the Coleman 13.5K BTU A/C I owned at the time but found the results were hit and miss, working one time but not another. Another forum contributor suggested that switching the dino oil to synth just might make a difference, citing his own success with it. I thought "Yeah right, like that will make a difference!" but I had little to lose by trying it so I dumped the dino oil change I had just done and put in Mobil 1. Without any other changes the A/C started right up every time ... couldn't believe it would make such a difference! We now have a different trailer with a Dometic Brisk II 13.5K BTU A/C and a different EU2000i so before even trying to start the A/C the first thing I did was dump the genset's dino oil in favour of Mobil 1 synth ... and again the A/C starts every time. I've since added a hard start cap to the A/C to further ease that initial load the genset has to deal with but there's little doubt that running synth oil really does help. :B

[itguy08]

Ron3rd wrote:

gbopp wrote:

OpenRangePullen_Ford wrote:
Stick with the conventional oil. Synthetic oils are for high performance engines, and once you go synthetic there is no going back.

Why can't you go back?

Don't know the reason, but when I bought my Tundra in '07, Toyota sent a bulletin out stating that if you change over to synthetic, NOT to go back to conventional oil. They did not say why.

News to me. Oils are compatible and you can switch back and forth. When I change the oil in my car, I use Pennzoil Platinum. When the dealer does it, it's Ford's 5w20. No issues at nearly 90k. Same with my truck.

That being said, I use Synthetic in the generator. They are air cooled and run hot. Synthetic protects better when hot than conventional.

It may not may make much of a difference but you can get quality synthetic like Pennzoil Platinum, Mobil 1, etc for not much more $$ so why not?

[azrving]

I dont bother with synthetic because I'm not looking for extended oil life. There is no oil filter so I change far more often than suggested. My 3000 Honda is at 165 hr and had 4 oil changes.

[bgum]

Synthetic runs cooler and that is what I use.

[SCVJeff]

There must be a reason that every single stage and remote television production generator: gas or diesel, from 25kw, to over 200kw uses Synthetic in the engine for the past 30+ years I've been around them. That includes a small fleet of EU2000 used for the cleanup lighting after the big guns are put to sleep. They are run hard, stopped hot, and generally abused. When these engines fail, not only do they lose the job, they may never be called again.

I consider anything in this class a portable, and its simply not that expensive to fill a little Honda when a quart is probably 3 oil changes.

[Ron3rd]

gbopp wrote:

OpenRangePullen_Ford wrote:
Stick with the conventional oil. Synthetic oils are for high performance engines, and once you go synthetic there is no going back.

Why can't you go back?

Don't know the reason, but when I bought my Tundra in '07, Toyota sent a bulletin out stating that if you change over to synthetic, NOT to go back to conventional oil. They did not say why.

[K_Charles]

The oil that came with my generator was not synthetic. I use the same thing that came with it.

[gbopp]

OpenRangePullen_Ford wrote:
Stick with the conventional oil. Synthetic oils are for high performance engines, and once you go synthetic there is no going back.

Why can't you go back?