# Small Engine Oil ???



## Mt.Power (Aug 11, 2021)

I am on my 4th generator. Currently have three, a Cummins Onan HGJAB running on propane, my daughter nearby uses my DuroMax dual fuel running on propane and I have a little Harbor Freight "Predator" on gasoline. The Cummins says no benefit from synthetic oil and they now recommend 10-30 weight, the DuroMax says 30 weight motor oil and the Predator says "SAE"..

The Cummins came (along with the cabin) with 6 quarts of Honda Small Engine Oil. All generator companies seem to make this type of oil, Kohler, Briggs and Stratton, etc., I duckduckgo ed it. The difference is more heat in the air cooled generators vs. auto engines and auto engines have catalytic converters which are not compatible with zinc additives for engine wear and friction. 

So I am going to used one of these small engine oil type oils. Here is a link explaining the reasoning.









Small Engine Oil vs Automotive Oil


The purpose of this post is to discuss the difference between Kawasaki small engine oil and typical automotive oil. This information may also apply to other small engine oils to a greater or lesser degree. Since Kawasaki gives us more information about their oil than the other small engine...




wengerequipment.com





Talk me down from this.


----------



## OrlyP (Oct 19, 2021)

If you can find a small engine oil with the correct viscosity for your engine, that would be best.

Where I live, there's no market for such oil so 4T motorcycle or scooter oil are the next best alternative. It has all the relevant nutrients a small engine needs.


----------



## Dutchy491 (Sep 18, 2019)

Yep, I agree. Auto oils don’t cut it for me, especially when my small generators are screaming their guts out keeping the lights on and the water flowing. I like the Amsoil Synthetic Small engine oils and ships to my door without too much sweat. Here’s a link to a previous discussion…with various suggestions. Best Oil for Florida Use


----------



## pipe (Jun 27, 2021)

this would achieve about 800ppm in 1 qt (zddp additive to your oil)


----------



## LaSwamp (Mar 16, 2021)

I discovered Delo makes a 5w30 diesel oil. I'm going to give that a whirl and see if it works well. I'd think it's going to be ideal.


----------



## Dutchy491 (Sep 18, 2019)

I’m curious, but what is it that makes it “ideal”? I’m not saying it isn’t, just wondering…


----------



## OrlyP (Oct 19, 2021)

Up until recently, I used to think that Diesel oil was this miracle elixir that makes any small engine last forever. But then I read the following from Amsoil’s site...



> While both diesel and gasoline oils contain many of the same additives to guard against wear, corrosion, foaming and more, they also contain additives designed to manage the byproducts of combustion. Some of those byproducts change, depending on whether the engine runs on gasoline or diesel fuel. If your vehicle uses a gasoline engine, it’s best to use an oil that contains the correct additives to handle the byproducts of gasoline combustion. The same holds if you’re operating a diesel engine.





https://www.amsoil.com/newsstand/diesel-oils/articles/can-i-use-diesel-oil-in-my-gas-engine/


----------



## LaSwamp (Mar 16, 2021)

Dutchy491 said:


> I’m curious, but what is it that makes it “ideal”? I’m not saying it isn’t, just wondering…


Diesel oil has a lot more additives than standard car oils, including moly if I'm not mistaken. 5w40 is a bit thick for some, whereas 5w30 is closer to spec for generator engines. A good 5w30 diesel oil has the best of all worlds. That being said, frequently changed oil, no matter what brand, will be perfectly fine in most applications. Take two generators with 500 hours having run a modern synthetic oil in one and a small engine oil in the other and you'd probably need a microscope to tell a difference after pulling the head. Keeping clean oil in the generator is going to make far more difference in the long run than any specific brand.


----------



## pipe (Jun 27, 2021)

here is the analysis on a delo synblend 10w30 from PETROLEUM QUALITY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA TEST PROGRAM

note the zinc and phosphorus


----------



## pipe (Jun 27, 2021)

amsoil reminds me of a russian proverb "I wish mostly for my neigbors cow to fall into a ditch" (paraphrased)

,,,and yet I am a lifetime amsoil dealer but will not sell or advertise on online forums...


----------



## Dutchy491 (Sep 18, 2019)

Kinda nice to have a forum like this to express opinions. I genuinely read this forum, different topics, regularly. 😉


----------



## Matt88-8 (Dec 27, 2018)

Buy shell rotella 15w40 in 20L pails. Change when it gets dark. Sleep easy. 
Don't over think oil. If spending 3X the $$ for 15 years makes the engine last 1 hour longer, big whoop. But it likely won't.

Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk


----------



## Dutchy491 (Sep 18, 2019)

That train of thought might work for you, when most of your life it’s just an easy flick of the switch. But in a life of being off-grid, or for the Amish folks that are in my area, there is some machinery that runs hundreds of hours per month. Sometimes the maintenance is difficult to get done in a timely fashion. That’s when a quality proven lube excels over a run-O-the-mill lube… But, every one has an opinion. Thankfully we aren’t in communist Russia!! 😉


----------



## Mt.Power (Aug 11, 2021)

I started my Duromax dual Fuel with diesel oil, Rotella, thinking the additional detergents were what I needed. Then I saw the packaging/manual which came with the generator saying it was an overhead cam engine. They take a special SAE oil designation so excess wear does not occur. I went to auto oil at that state of my oil evolution.


----------



## pipe (Jun 27, 2021)

This video, at about 04:20 mark, explains what is actually the most important part of zddp


----------



## Mt.Power (Aug 11, 2021)

pipe said:


> This video, at about 04:20 mark, explains what is actually the most important part of zddp


WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great video.


----------



## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

GRIN!


----------



## Old man here (Nov 5, 2020)

I've been running 5W-40 Synthetic Diesel oil in all of my outdoor power equipment for as long as I can remember (since it became available). I've never had an oil related engine issue. This includes my riding mower, push mower, log splitter, power washer, two Yamaha 4-wheelers, and two generators. One 5600 watt and one 15,000 watt.
I run Synthetic High Mileage Mobil 1 5W-30 in the snow blower, and generators in the winter though. Just my opinion and experience.


----------



## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

Mt.Power said:


> I started my Duromax dual Fuel with diesel oil, Rotella, thinking the additional detergents were what I needed. Then I saw the packaging/manual which came with the generator saying it was an overhead cam engine. They take a special SAE oil designation so excess wear does not occur. I went to auto oil at that state of my oil evolution.


Are you sure it’s an overhead cam engine? Subaru did that with small engines but not really anyone else aside from the Honda GC engines. Overhead valve is the norm.


----------



## backwoodsman (Aug 29, 2016)

Briggs & Stratton says 10w-30 synthetic is good for any of their engines in any weather conditions. Honda says essentially the same about their outdoor power equipment engines, although I forget the exact words. So that's what I run in all my small engines (except ATVs which need 10w-40). Mostly I buy Walmart's Super Tech house brand because it's cheap and good, and others occasionally when they're on sale.

I second OrlyP's recommendation not to run diesel oil in gasoline engines because it has the wrong additive package for gasoline combustion products. Propane puts a lot less junk in the oil, so that reason may not apply to the same extent. But the more you know about oil, the more it looks like a really good idea to use the right oil for the application.


----------



## Dutchy491 (Sep 18, 2019)

Yep 10w30 for the Hondas. But find a small engine oil or motorcycle oil, instead of a car oil. Car oils are focused on fuel economy and protecting emission components while running liquid cooled low rpms. Not really suitable for high rpms, hot conditions and infrequent maintenance. I like the Amsoil Synthetic Small Engine Oil myself…


----------



## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

Dutchy491 said:


> Yep 10w30 for the Hondas. But find a small engine oil or motorcycle oil, instead of a car oil. Car oils are focused on fuel economy and protecting emission components while running liquid cooled low rpms. Not really suitable for high rpms, hot conditions and infrequent maintenance. I like the Amsoil Synthetic Small Engine Oil myself…


yup and that is why i like castrol and honda school teaches castrol is second choice to real honda oil.
the castrol works well in high temp engines.

yup the ams and royal purple are great for premium oils!


----------



## ajnuzzi (12 mo ago)

amsoil small engine oil 10w30 is the ticket, buy direct from amsoil online its way cheaper than amazon


----------

