Synthetic oil for oil burning engine?

IA Roy · Dec 18, 2015

Just wondering if I would be asking for trouble if I started using synthetic oil in my garden tractor with a Kohler KT17 that burns a lot of oil. It leaks some also. What are the plusses and minuses. I have no idea how tight the rods are, and certainly don't want to do anything to cause it to grenade. Usually I use 30W in the summer mowing and 10W30 in the winter when blowing snow.

jimg.allentown · Dec 18, 2015

Since most synthetic oils are lighter than mineral oils, I would expect your oil consumption to increase - maybe by a lot. Compared to a 30 weight oil, synthetics are usually in the 0 to 5 weight range.

gab · Dec 18, 2015

I got an idea your going to burn a lot of oil, what you were using is what I use.

David G · Dec 18, 2015

Throw some 15W-40 in it and see what happens.

Russ from MN · Dec 18, 2015

I agree with Dave, 15-40, at least it's cheap. If the burning doesn't let up I would overhaul it between seasons, we don't need the smoke!

dhermesc · Dec 18, 2015

30 weight synthetic oil is the same as 30 weight conventional oil in normal operation. 10W30 Synthetic is the same as 10W30 conventional under normal operation. The difference is under EXTREMES the synthetic will flow better in extreme cold and not "thin" as much under extreme heat.

https://mobiloil.com/en/article/car-maintenance/learn-about-motor-oil-facts/synthetic-oil-vs-conventional-oil

jeffcat · Dec 18, 2015

I have a troy pony mower with the 17.5 Briggs. After ten years of use with synthetic,it is just starting to use a little oil. Not smoking but using. Have 5w 20 in her. Keeps the engine spotless inside. If you have an oil burner now you are going to have an oil sucker upper if you try synthetic. Stick to straight 30wt now. Change the rings when you can or get a good used engine. Just for giggles now and then I take the air cleaner off and squirt a whole bunch of oil down the carb. makes a great smoke screen!

J.Wondergem · Dec 18, 2015

I think I'd try some for race motorcycles that are air cooled. See if that with slow it down. Your motor is air cooled, correct?

dhermesc · Dec 18, 2015

You might go with 10W40 but no heavier, you'll blow it that much faster. If it were mine I'd stick with the 10W30 winter and 30W in the summer and just keep adding the oil. Synthetic might help - I doubt it will hurt. Oil is cheap compared to the cost of rebuilding this engine.

The KT17 is a real POS (even the series II) compared to the older single cylinder K321 or K341. You'll think twice before rebuilding it, to do a decent job you are looking at several hundred dollars - a lot of people get into the $600 range and higher (some times much higher) which in my opinion is obscene for what these engines are. I used to think I wanted a red Cub 782 but after reading the issues people have and seeing the costs associated with getting one running I decided I'd stick with my 1450. Decent rebuilds on the older K series are in the $120 to $190 range - including machine shop.

Geo-TH,In · Dec 18, 2015

I recently put full synthetic 10w30 Quaker state in 2 GM vehicles, one 20 hp kohler, one 20 hp Honda. Well the Honda was the only engine not to use oil before it's normal time. Both GM's wouldn't use a drop for the first 3k, then at 4k miles, down a pint. Well both GM were down a pint at 2k. Kohler never used a drop until 60 hrs. Then down a tick on dipstick at 75 hrs. Well at 40 hrs it was down the amount normally at 75 hrs. Honda was the only out of the four engines that liked the full synthetic.

So go ahead try it and report what happens. I'm going to say you will be no better off using synthetic. I'm not spending more for synthetic. I do use synthetic in two generators. Change oil every year before winter. Lucky to put 20 hours on oil change. No oil use with generators which are Honda clones. Generators have low hours on them.

buickanddeere · Dec 18, 2015

Try some straight weight 50 diesel oil instead.

Frank (N.Mi.) · Dec 18, 2015

I've had some luck with
http://lucasoil.com/products/engine-oil-additives/engine-oil-stop-leak

Bob Harvey · Dec 18, 2015

IMHO, you would just be wasting the price difference between reg. oil and synthetic. Synthetic is NOT a 'cure-all'. If the unit is smoking and burning oil, you already have a problem that won't be solved by any well vouched for 'snake oil', or any other off the shelf product. You need some REAL internal engine repair/rebuild. HTH

OliverGuy · Dec 18, 2015

I run 15w-40 in high hour oil using small engines at work and have had good luck. It cut down consumption. Mostly on kohler twins and two Honda singles.

Dan in North Houston · Dec 18, 2015

We bought a new Suburban in 2007, and it used about a quart every 2000 miles. I was pretty upset over this, had it back to the dealer several times. No leaks anywhere, it had to be burning it. Put about 5 or 6000 miles on it, seeing if it would break-in or get better, but there was no change. They claimed that consumption was within factory specs! Maybe so, but that is the first new vehicle I've ever seen use oil like that. Finally, the dealer switched it to Mobil One synthetic. Problem cured - negligible consumption between oil changes - and that was going from a change every 3000 miles to around 7500 miles. It now has about 170,000 miles on it, and has worked its way up to about using a quart every 6,000 miles. That's nothing to be happy about, but a lot better than how it started. I don't know how the synthetic cured the problem back in the beginning, but it did.

ErnieD · Dec 18, 2015

Straight weight oil is your best bet for air cooled engines; the viscosity modifier in multi-weight oil breaks down with heat. If you decide to convert a high hour engine to synthetic change the synthetic oil sooner than you normally would inasmuch as its high detergent action will be cutting a lot of varnish and as others have mentioned the oil control rings will have trouble. There are two types of synthetic oils; group III and group IV. Group IV are superior in that they are polymerized to form consistent molecules from natural gas. In a new air cooled engine you will have better success from using a synthetic group IV oil. It will provide higher temperature protection; quicker lube on start up; and more consistent viscosity.

Bob · Dec 18, 2015

For the small amount of oil it takes to fill that engine, give it a try, it ain't gonna grenade the engine or break the bank.

I use Mobil 1 in all my little OPE engines and how found no "downside" to doing that.

I have never observed the increased oil burning or leaking that some rave about, as a matter of fact my experience has been the opposite, but I can no more back that up or prove it than can the naysayers. YAMMV!

IA Roy · Dec 18, 2015

Years ago, I was talking to the local mower dealer and told him I was using 10W40 in my 16 hp Kohler single cylinder K341 in the winter. He told me I would be better off to go to 10W30 as it would lubricate better in cold weather. I know it runs plenty warm when working, but I think we all know that startup is when the most wear occurs. Because of what he said and what the manual says, even though the oil is much better than in 1972 when that engine was built, I use 10W30 and 30 Weight depending on the season. However I understand the multi weight 10 is cold startup viscosity and the 30 is warm viscosity. So the 10W30 and the 10W40 should lubricate and protect the same in cold/startup conditions.

GVSII · Dec 19, 2015

(quoted from post at 22:44:11 12/18/15) Years ago, I was talking to the local mower dealer and told him I was using 10W40 in my 16 hp Kohler single cylinder K341 in the winter. He told me I would be better off to go to 10W30 as it would lubricate better in cold weather. I know it runs plenty warm when working, but I think we all know that startup is when the most wear occurs. Because of what he said and what the manual says, even though the oil is much better than in 1972 when that engine was built, I use 10W30 and 30 Weight depending on the season. However I understand the multi weight 10 is cold startup viscosity and the 30 is warm viscosity. So the 10W30 and the 10W40 should lubricate and protect the same in cold/startup conditions.

In the early to mid "70s a GM engineer said 10-40 oil should never have seen the light of day.I guess something must have changed in 10-40 oil.It's recommended in some small engines now.

mj · Dec 19, 2015

I'd just keep adding petroleum-based oil: if the seals are not formulated for synthetics (as in most earlier engines) you could have a real wreck. Kinda like using non-detergent oil for 40 or 50 years and then switching to high-detergent. :shock: Have you tried non-detergent?

IA Roy · Dec 19, 2015

I have used non-detergent the last 10 years since I got the machine

buickanddeere · Dec 19, 2015

(quoted from post at 22:35:12 12/19/15) I have used non-detergent the last 10 years since I got the machine

Why on earth would anybody for any reason use a non detergent oil for anything ?

buickanddeere · Dec 19, 2015

If you really have your heart set on synthetic oil. Amsoil makes a 60 straight weight.

Bob · Dec 19, 2015

"if the seals are not formulated for synthetics (as in most earlier engines) you could have a real wreck."

I hereby challenge you to provide ONE verifiable instance of that "wreck" happening, or ANY verifiable information confirming that ANY "seals", ancient or modern, are "formulated for synthetics".

Anonymous-0 · Dec 20, 2015

(quoted from post at 06:57:16 12/20/15) "if the seals are not formulated for synthetics (as in most earlier engines) you could have a real wreck."

I hereby challenge you to provide ONE verifiable instance of that "wreck" happening, or ANY verifiable information confirming that ANY "seals", ancient or modern, are "formulated for synthetics".

ey, hey, hey! don't go all serious on us, after all isn't Tractor Talk where folks come to talk 'sheet' and act like it is 'fact'?

Synthetic oil for oil burning engine?

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