Oil Choice??

[Condor]

Nope, not trying to start another oil thread. I just picked up a duel fuel Duramax 12000watt 'Beast' electric start Generator. It's brand new and it came boxed without oil in the 18hp air-cooled motor... The manual sez to use 30wt in one area and 10-30wt in another. I'm thinking since they don't know for sure, if Rotella T6 Synthetic in maybe a 15-40 might be a better choice. I also plan on using LP so I won't have to baby sit the thing like when using gas. Between the Rotella and the LP it should last for a very long time. Ok I may need to make sure the battery is charged, but still wouldn't need to start it unless needed, and it does also have a recoil starter.. I figure youse guys up in the white country would have more experience than us over on the left coast??? So T6 or 10-30 dino??

 

[Freebird]

Can't help you with the oil but I had a Generac 17000 watt unit that I had hooked to an automatic transfer switch. It also ran on Propane. I had a self-check mode where it started and ran once a week for a few minutes to make sure that the battery was charged and that it would start when needed. I can only tell you one thing for sure, that thing literally guzzled LP. I had it hooked to a 300 gallon propane tank and you could almost see the gauge on the tank dropping when it was running. I had it for a specific purpose and when I killed that project, I ended up selling it. Not sure I'll ever buy another one but if I do, I may go with diesel. Haven't really looked into it.

[Condor]

Can't help you with the oil but I had a Generac 17000 watt unit that I had hooked to an automatic transfer switch. It also ran on Propane. I had a self-check mode where it started and ran once a week for a few minutes to make sure that the battery was charged and that it would start when needed. I can only tell you one thing for sure, that thing literally guzzled LP. I had it hooked to a 300 gallon propane tank and you could almost see the gauge on the tank dropping when it was running. I had it for a specific purpose and when I killed that project, I ended up selling it. Not sure I'll ever buy another one but if I do, I may go with diesel. Haven't really looked into it.

 

Duramax sez in their hype that with gas (8 gals) it will last 10 hours at half load. With LP Gal? 20. They didn't give the lbs or gals on the LP but thinking they were talking about one of those BBQ LP bottles. At least that's what they were showing in their pics... Was yours a duel fuel or straight LP?? The one thing I liked about the LP is it doesn't go bad over time, and there isn't any internal fouling like we get with gas or diesel... With diesel on larger sailboats we are always having problems with old onboard diesel storage...

[Freebird]

Mine was straight LP or Natural Gas if you changed the jets. Natural Gas would have been great but I don't have it here.

[grubsie]

I always run dino for the break in, then switch to synthetic on the 1st oil change. Don't know if that makes any difference but have been doing it that way for as long as I can remember.

I have a few heavy duty generators that have been used on job sites and have been running great for years. Also one at my house in NH and now one down in PR that run great too.

[Kretz]

I guess as the makers don't know exactly where the unit will be used they have to cover their bases. So a thinner oil in cooler climes would be better than a thicker one. Maybe that's why the 10W-30 suggestion as opposed to straight SAE30.

I know that many small engines specify an SAE 30 oil, as in stationary engines the oil plays a bigger part in cooling as well as lubrication. My yard tractor specifies:

SAE 30 when temp is above 40F

5W-30 or 10W-30 when temp is below 40F & down to zero F

OR

Synthetic 5W-30 or 10W-30 at all temps from below -20F & over 100F!

So I would say you should be pretty safe with the T6 15W-40, its may be a bit thicker in ambient summer temps but I suspect in the land of sunshine you'll be OK with it. Just make sure you're not going to invalidate any warranties by using the slightly thicker (in summer) oil.

PS: my snowblower also specs a SAE30 & the're only expected to be used in low temps.

I've been running 10W-30 dino in all my yard machines at all temps & they all seem to be ok with it.

Hope that helps

Edited March 30, 2018 by Kretz

[Condor]

They did mention going to a heavier oil if temps were warmer. And good to know about using synthetics... The Duramax's are built here in Kalifornia, but who knows where the motor may have come from?? It could be made here, but if it came from China it wouldn't surprise me... According to the warantee card it has a born on date of Nov'17 so it's not old technology. Some of the stuff coming out of China lately is pretty good... I'll probably go with the T6 15-40 right from the git-go. Chances of ever changing it in my lifetime are nil and none... :-) Thanks for all the feedback...

[Flyinfool]

As mentioned I would use dino for break in. Break in on synth takes forever and the rings never seat quite right. We used to refer to the dino as liquid sandpaper. When I was racing stock cars the engine builder always said to do break in on 10w-30 dino and then switch to 20W-50 for racing but then this was a 725HP V8 turning 8K that got about 2 gallons per mile.

 

Going to a heavier oil in a new engine is a bad idea the bearing clearances were set up for a certain oil film thickness, going to a heavier oil will reduce the oil flow thru the bearings causing them to actually run hotter and wear quicker. Now in an old engine where all of the clearances have opened up from wear, then the heavy oil may be better