Best oil forLyc 0-360

[cj8vet]

Comments please? Been using aeroshell 100 year round because thats what the guy used when I bought it and the mechanic that did the prebuy said that was fine--is there anything better? I live in south Texas and Fly in Temps 18-108F--usually 30-80 winter and 65-95 summer. (I usually see oil preferences as FORD vs Chevy arguments but am probably wrong)
Thanks
mark

[Hottshot]

We use the Exxon Elite 20/50 and works very well for us.

[N9657]

The Exxon Elite also has the approved Lycoming additive already in it.

[Mountain Doctor]

So does Aeroshell 100 Plus. That's what I use out of habit as it is what I was taught.

Next winter at least I think I'll use a multigrade.

My suspicion is it does not matter much as long as you change it frequently (I go by every 30 hours) and keep it at an acceptable level (6-7 quarts for me).

I think the most important thing to do to keep an airplane healthy is to fly it. Next most important thing, IMHO is to hanger it. Also critical, again, my opinion, is a preheater. I keep mine on an Aerotherm all the time during the winter.

I don't think the oil brand we use is as important as these other considerations.

[boulderflyer]

Mark,
I am an A&P IA and I have had lots of pilots ask about whats the best oil and I have also been to interesting semenars where engine builders are talking about what to use and when. Aeroshell 100W is great oil but you need to be adding a bottle of Lycoming oil additve every oil change. The other option is use Aeroshell 100W PLUS. Which is just Aeroshell 100W with the additive already in it. Lycoming engines have there cam shaft at the top of the engine and its the first thing to loose its oil film and the last thing to get oil pressure on start up. So Lycoming engines need all the help they can get. In the winter you can use Aeroshell 15W 50 if you want. It has the additive mix in already. In Texas I really don't think it will benefit you to much as it really doesn't get cold enough. As far as preheaters, You need to be very careful with the use of your preheaters. Preheating the engine a few hours before you fly is great practice. The problem is leaving them on 24/7 if you don't fly weekly. The problem is water from condensation. The thermostats on preheaters are not that good. So the temp goes up and down as the units turn on and off. Which brings in moisture from heating and cooling. The preheaters don't get the engine hot enough to boil off this water. If you fly weekly you will boil off this water and it will not harm your engine. If you don't you will rust out your engine in just a few months. I hope this helps.
Clint

[aero101]

Ditto on the engine preheaters!! I see temps all the way down to -50F but do not preheat until about 4-6hrs before I'm ready to fly and have TBO'd many engines, corrosion is no problem. See no reason to keep heat on all winter long as was mentioned earlier, the thermostats used to control the temps are marginal at best, and many of the pan heaters have no thermstats on them. I run the Phillips XC 20w50 with camguard exclusively and have had very good luck. It's also the oil combi I recommend here at the shop to customers. I think all the oils are good products these days and it kind of gets into the Chevy vs Ford kind of debate. If you're somewhere where you've got large variations in OAT's all year long, the multi-grades are best. Otherwise use what has worked for you in past. Sometimes the most expensive oils are not neccesarily the best as well, but it's pretty much a matter of personal preference.

[Kirk]

Light Plane Maintenance did a test on oils about 2 years ago. The results were interesting in that they debunked the theory that multigrades don't adhere well for corrosion protection during periods of disuse.

I also adopted the practice of Phillips XC with Camguard after reading the article. Will it work best? I don't know... the tests seemed unbiased but hard to say how that relates to real world.

Regular flying and regular oil changes of anything beats leaving the same old stuff in year 'round.

JMHO

Kirk

[Hottshot]

I forgot I do put in the Cam guard as well...