Hard pulling in cold weather.

[wdchuck]

I have a10.5 B&S I/C engine on my splitter and when it gets cold out that engine is awful stiff to pull over. ANy recomendations to make this easier?
When it's nice out it pops right away, but 30* and colder I get a hell of a work out.

Changing crankcase oil to synthetic?

THanks.

 

[sedanman]

Run 5w30 oil in it, change back to straight 30weight in the spring.

 

[wdchuck]

So its the oil that's causing this?

 

[scottr]

Yes .

 

[sedanman]

It's adding to the problem. Most people don't understand what the numbers on a can of oil mean. In simplest terms the first number on a multi grade oil is the viscosity when COLD note a 5w30 oil gets "THICKER" when hot. Think of the "w" as "winter" a 5w30 is 5weight in the winter and 30 weight when warm. This goes against what most people believe about oil, that is thins out when warm, true to a point but multi-grades can thin out in the cold. Swap out the oil and let me know how you make out.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Get bigger shoulders.......

 

[wdchuck]

I will try that, thanks. Then if it still ain't right RBW can come over and show me how it's done.

 

[drmiller100]

put your purse down and use both hands.

 

[wdchuck]

put your purse down and use both hands.

Put your purse down and use both hands Nancy.

You guys are a hoot.lol

 

[tawilson]

Don't forget you are also trying to push cold hydraulic oil with the pump when pull starting it. I keep my splitter where I can throw a welding blanket over it and blow a space heater at it for a few minutes before starting. I keep hoping this old 10hp Kohler engine will blow so I can stick a 13hp Honda with electric start on it, but I don't think it ever will.

 

[DanMan1]

It's adding to the problem. Most people don't understand what the numbers on a can of oil mean. In simplest terms the first number on a multi grade oil is the viscosity when COLD note a 5w30 oil gets "THICKER" when hot. Think of the "w" as "winter" a 5w30 is 5weight in the winter and 30 weight when warm. This goes against what most people believe about oil, that is thins out when warm, true to a point but multi-grades can thin out in the cold. Swap out the oil and let me know how you make out.

I half agree with you. I think you'll find that multi's such as 5w30 are always "thicker" in winter and "thinner" in summer, not the other way around as you describe. I think what a 5w30 DOES do is have the same viscocity as a straight 5 weight in the cold and the same viscocity as a straight 30 weight at warm temps. A warm temp 30w is still "thinner" than a cold 5w.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

I will try that, thanks. Then if it still ain't right RBW can come over and show me how it's done.

LOL!



I have an 11hp Yamaha generator, so I know just how much of a ????? this can be. If you can, pull up on the rope, not to the side. This lets you get your legs and back into the action.

 

[WoodTick007]

Put your purse down and use both hands Nancy.

You guys are a hoot.lol

Better yet Nancy....Get a $2 can of starting fluid and you won't have to bother putting your purse down.:deadhorse:

 

[monk680]

this is a good informative page on oil

http://www.upmpg.com/tech_articles/motoroil_viscosity/index.html

 

[sedanman]

I half agree with you. I think you'll find that multi's such as 5w30 are always "thicker" in winter and "thinner" in summer, not the other way around as you describe. I think what a 5w30 DOES do is have the same viscocity as a straight 5 weight in the cold and the same viscocity as a straight 30 weight at warm temps. A warm temp 30w is still "thinner" than a cold 5w.

My info comes from a retired lube engineer from Texaco Research Center, your opinion is based on what exactly?

 

[crashagn]

When it gets down that.. it would help if you got 1 of them heating pads/ or block heaters.. thier mainly used for autos. Thats if you have access to a outlet or dont mind getting out 50ft of dropcord. Or if you dont want to invest in 1 of those.. an easier trick is use a 5 gal bucket and put a drop light in the bucket.. and hang the bucket so the open end is against the engine block.

 

[wdchuck]

Don't forget you are also trying to push cold hydraulic oil with the pump when pull starting it. I keep my splitter where I can throw a welding blanket over it and blow a space heater at it for a few minutes before starting. I keep hoping this old 10hp Kohler engine will blow so I can stick a 13hp Honda with electric start on it, but I don't think it ever will.

Did something similar last year, even thought about making a doghouse for it, but I'll try an oil change first. Never thought about the resistance of the cold hydraulic oil. Kohlers aren't known for dying easy around here, they better not - Kohler, Wisconsin, so don't hold yer breath.

 

[DanMan1]

My info comes from a retired lube engineer from Texaco Research Center, your opinion is based on what exactly?

Well for starts, I just grabbed this from the post above yours.

"But petroleum based motor oils usually have Viscosity Indexes of less than 100 because they tend to thicken more at the colder temperature due to the paraffin despite the addition of Viscosity Improving additives."

Another regarding synthetics.
"Synthetic oil has good mechanical properties at extremes of high and low temperatures. The molecules could be made large enough and "softer" to retain good viscosity at higher temperatures, yet branched molecular structures interfere with solidification and therefore allows flow at lower temperatures. Thus, although the viscosity still decreases as temperature increases, these synthetic motor oils have a much improved viscosity index over the traditional petroleum base."

"Multi viscosity oils work like this: Polymers are added to a light base (5W, 10W, 20W), which prevent the oil from thinning as much as it warms up. At cold temperatures the polymers are coiled up and allow the oil to flow as their low numbers indicate. As the oil warms up the polymers begin to unwind into long chains that prevent the oil from thinning as much as it normally would. The result is that at 100 degrees C the oil has thinned only as much as the higher viscosity number indicates. Another way of looking at multi-vis oils is to think of a 20W-50 as a 20 weight oil that will not thin more than a 50 weight would when hot."

There's a small sampling of what my "opinion" is based on. Now it's your turn

 

[DanMan1]

My info comes from a retired lube engineer from Texaco Research Center, your opinion is based on what exactly?

I guess you need to write to the auto compaines who's manuals tell you to warm up your engine before you change the oil. According to you, the oil change should be done when the engine is stone cold.opcorn:

 

[sedanman]

There is more than one definition of "warm". The viscosity numbers on the bottle of oil are relative to the discussion at hand when referencing the temperature at which the engine in question is to be STARTED, not at it's OPERATING temperature. Common logic would state that oil at 20 degrees Fahrenheit would be thicker than the same oil at 70 degrees, this is where the multi-grade makes fools of common sense. When the oil is HEATED to say 150 degrees the yes it flows better still. There are now 3 temperature ranges in the discussion, we will call them COLD, WARM, and HOT. I was only previously discussing COLD and WARM, the two temperature ranges in which oil viscosity would affect the effort needed to pull over a log splitter engine, Anyone else want to split hairs?