I posted this in a previous thread (http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=15221) but didn't get an answer so here goes again...

so I was thinking of running 20W-50 year round until I read these articles. After seeing the temp vs viscosity chart, I'm having second thoughts. Seems that running too many points difference between high and low numbers is a bad thing. Also, the average low for my location is about 20*F. Today it got to at least 101*F and I have seen many days above 100 in my two summers here. So I'm thinking of running 20W-40 from september through May and a straight 40 weight through the summer. Does this sound like a good idea? Or should I just not worry about those 60 or so days a year that the temps get above 95?

Can you even buy straight weight motor oil anymore?

I don't know what you've read, or where you read it, but the owner's manual specs on oils were written 30 years ago, and motor oil has changed a great deal since then. The viscosity indexers that allow wide-range oils have improved considerably over that time, and the trends have been for wider, rather than narrower viscosity ranges. Mobil 1, for example, is available in 15w50, and has a pretty wide temperature range.

i run 10-30. mobile1 if i can get it. it get's pretty hot here too, but i haven't seen any reason to go higher than that ...

Andy

Try 0W-50 Mobil 1, it covers you no matter the temp...