oil too thin??
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 378
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oil too thin??
Guys
This may seem odd, but when i changed my oil last weekend, I used a 5-30 grade. Shortly thereafter, I had a bad oil leak. Everytime I topped the oil off, I added 10-40 (all I had). Now I noticed that after adding the 10-40 (like 3 quarts), the oil leak slowed substantially. Could the 5-30 have been too light n thin?? This just doesnt make sense to me
thanks
Ben
This may seem odd, but when i changed my oil last weekend, I used a 5-30 grade. Shortly thereafter, I had a bad oil leak. Everytime I topped the oil off, I added 10-40 (all I had). Now I noticed that after adding the 10-40 (like 3 quarts), the oil leak slowed substantially. Could the 5-30 have been too light n thin?? This just doesnt make sense to me
thanks
Ben
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,624
Likes: 8
From: Missouri
oil too thin??
Heavier oils do leak at a slower rate. So do dino oils when compared to synthetics. I went from 5W30 to 10W40 on my crown vic and oil usage through the valve guides slowed significantly.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 286
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From: USA
oil too thin??
It could have as much to do with the brand of oil than the weight. Oil has additives to swell the seals, and some synthetics have esters that tend to clean the crud out of the seals, sometimes exposing a leak that the crud was plugging.
I hear that people have good luck with high mileage oils as far as leaks are concerned. These oils tend to have more seal conditioning in them than normal.
So what brands were you using?
I hear that people have good luck with high mileage oils as far as leaks are concerned. These oils tend to have more seal conditioning in them than normal.
So what brands were you using?
