Summer is here, and the time is right for the recommended oil. It is always a good idea to use the oil and filters recommended by the manufacturer of your equipment/engine. It is even more critical in the summer heat. Why? In air-cooled engines, oil not only lubricates all of the moving parts in your engine, but it also cools the engine. So the wrong viscosity, type oil or a filter that restricts oil flow can damage your engine.
Many owners ask me whether they should use synthetic oil. The answer is NO. We have repowered two truckmounts just last summer because of synthetic oil. I use it in my car–the manufacturer recommends it–but there’s a big difference between air-cooled engines and liquid-cooled engines: HEAT. Air-cooled engines typically run hotter. While at a point conventional oil will burn, synthetic oils get thick when too hot. (more…)