The wrong oil can cause damage or even destroy your engine. How do you determine the best oil for portable generators?Ĭhoosing an appropriate oil is one of the most important steps in maintaining and repairing any internal combustion engine, including those found on generators. The engine is the heart of the generator, and the oil is its blood. It doesn't get started in the winter, and runs hard and hot in the summer.Portable generators are not simple engines. My snowblower has 10w-30 in it, so I can start it up in the winter. If it's going to be used in the winter, you'll want a 5W-30 oil instead – this is especially important in our area in the winter months to ensure easy & reliable starting.ĭo I apply this to my own stuff? You bet. But, if it's a hot running air cooled engine, and you use it in the summer, a straight 30 oil would be better. So your generator, can it run on 5W-30 or 10W-30? Most likely.
Looking at start-up conditions, as well as running conditions.
So you'll need to adjust viscosity accordingly. A lawnmower in Florida runs a whole lot hotter than a car up in Alaska. You go up and down this viscosity index depending on various things, like weather conditions, application, etc. It's generally "good enough", but not quite as good. So in really hot and harsh applications, like a lawnmower in the summer, it's not as good. It will break up molecularly more easily than the straight 30. The oil pump can move it through the engine, and it doesn't starve for lubrication when started up.Īh, but there is a downside to 10W-30 oil, it's not as "tough" as straight 30. Magic! So on that cold January morning, it flows like pancake syrup, not tar. It's still 30 oil, but when it’s cold outside (like winter time, hence the "w"), it flows like a 10 oil. So engineers came up with the multi-viscosity stuff, like 10W-30. In fact, many times the oil pump can't suck it up, and the engine runs without oil for a while until it warms up the oil, and that isn’t good! Many engines have been damaged from this back in the day. Cold like a January morning in Upstate NY. It doesn't break down when hot and provides excellent lubrication. This is why it's the recommended oil for lawnmowers and such. Works great in the summer and on a hot running engine (which most air cooled engines are). We'll take SAE-30 weight oil for a first example.
Lets start with straight motor oils here. They warn that using SAE-30 with temps below 40 F could cause damage. I looked in the manual and they give SAE-30 as an option.but also 5W30 and 10W30. What weight of oil to use in my generator?
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