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0 W 40 oil upgrade

Mike Duhaime
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txab Senior Enthusiast

txab

Posted
Posted
54 minutes ago, newdude said:

 

 

Exactly.  The 0w40 is only to bandaid the passed engines and hope they survive the extended warranty period 😉

Boy, that's the truth!

Grumpy Bear Senior Enthusiast

Grumpy Bear

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, newdude said:

 

 

Exactly.  The 0w40 is only to bandaid the passed engines and hope they survive the extended warranty period 😉

 

As true as that 'hope' may be, the truth, it isn't. 

 

Let's have a look see, eh? 

 

Crank can fail if it is of non-spec machining clearances. Crank can fail from non-spec metallurgy. Let's look at the second first and the first last. 

 

Metallurgy. Can't fail from being to hard or to smooth in any way viscosity is useful. But it can fail from being to SOFT and if that were true then NO OIL ON EARTH will save it for the next five minutes. Liquids void of gas are INCOMPRESSABLE an as such will take more load than ANY metal can sustain. It's how a hydrodynamic wedge is formed. Hydrodynamic pressure. Kind of in the name. 

 

First thing last. Clearance is non-standard. Too tight? Viscosity won't help. Too loose? Now there is can be useful. but only if the bearing clearance is loose AND the side clearance is also loose. Guys put non-Ford rods in flatheads with narrow bearings, thus HUGE side clearances and maintain oil pressure with bearing clearance. Tis the difference between being an engine assembler and an engine BUILDER. A motor like that is truly viscosity sensitive 😉 

 

 

We forget the softest thing in the rotating assembly is the bearing itself. And the goal of the 0W40 is to prevent 'wiping' that bearing which is where Stribeck comes into play. And kiddo's if it is true in that case it is true is ALL cases. No motor on earth that isn't pre-oiled on start up does not suffer 'dry start'. Worse in stop/start systems. 

 

0W20 requires perfection every minute of every revolution. You have to have a handle on BOTH TRIBOLOGY and METALURGY to have any picture at all. 

 

 

Edited by Grumpy Bear
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Jus Cruisin Enthusiast

Jus Cruisin

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, newdude said:

 

 

Exactly.  The 0w40 is only to bandaid the passed engines and hope they survive the extended warranty period 😉

My Corvette and ZL1 Camaro both had 0W-40 from the factory. I don't think it's the bandaid as you call it. It's what should have been in the trucks from the get-go. But, these trucks have been running the wrong weight for whatever miles are on them. The test they are doing should find the ones that are fixing to come apart and the ones that pass should be good to go especially with the big warranty. Had I known what I do now, I likely would have kept the 2023. But, I do like the fuel economy of the 3.0l Duramax. 

customboss Senior Enthusiast

customboss

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

0W20 requires perfection every minute of every revolution. You have to have a handle on BOTH TRIBOLOGY and METALURGY to have any picture at all. 

image.png.274989eda509df83bbd698bd92b8c4e5.png

newdude Senior Enthusiast

newdude

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Jus Cruisin said:

My Corvette and ZL1 Camaro both had 0W-40 from the factory. I don't think it's the bandaid as you call it. It's what should have been in the trucks from the get-go. But, these trucks have been running the wrong weight for whatever miles are on them. The test they are doing should find the ones that are fixing to come apart and the ones that pass should be good to go especially with the big warranty. Had I known what I do now, I likely would have kept the 2023. But, I do like the fuel economy of the 3.0l Duramax. 

 

 

The 0w20 isn't what is killing these bad 6.2s though, its machining and assembly that is.  I've seen plenty of high mileage 5.3s and 6.2s at work (150,000mi and up) that run 0w20 and have yet to be opened up for mechanical engine work.  There's a 208,000mi 5.3 in today right now as I type this.  No lifters done, no cam replaced, nothing.  Just 0w20 at whatever oil change interval the customer does.  

 

I lean with bandaid through the engine warranty because if a truck on 0w40 has a 6.2 fail, the new engine goes back to running 0w20 again and not 0w40.  Hence, its GM hobbling the ones that pass along to get through that warranty period.  

Silverado4x4 Senior Enthusiast

Silverado4x4

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, newdude said:

 

 

The 0w20 isn't what is killing these bad 6.2s though, its machining and assembly that is.  I've seen plenty of high mileage 5.3s and 6.2s at work (150,000mi and up) that run 0w20 and have yet to be opened up for mechanical engine work.  There's a 208,000mi 5.3 in today right now as I type this.  No lifters done, no cam replaced, nothing.  Just 0w20 at whatever oil change interval the customer does.  

 

I lean with bandaid through the engine warranty because if a truck on 0w40 has a 6.2 fail, the new engine goes back to running 0w20 again and not 0w40.  Hence, its GM hobbling the ones that pass along to get through that warranty period.  

Exactly.My neighbor has a 2020 5.3 with 109,000 miles on it running 0W20 and changes the oil when the OLM tells him to change it,still running good and sounds good. No problems with it.

Edited by Silverado4x4
Jus Cruisin Enthusiast

Jus Cruisin

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, newdude said:

 

 

The 0w20 isn't what is killing these bad 6.2s though, its machining and assembly that is.  I've seen plenty of high mileage 5.3s and 6.2s at work (150,000mi and up) that run 0w20 and have yet to be opened up for mechanical engine work.  There's a 208,000mi 5.3 in today right now as I type this.  No lifters done, no cam replaced, nothing.  Just 0w20 at whatever oil change interval the customer does.  

 

I lean with bandaid through the engine warranty because if a truck on 0w40 has a 6.2 fail, the new engine goes back to running 0w20 again and not 0w40.  Hence, its GM hobbling the ones that pass along to get through that warranty period.  

Ok, why aren't the Camaros built during the recall time with 6.2's not getting recalled or having issues? I say it's the oil. And GM is nuts to continue using 0w20. 

redwngr Senior Enthusiast

redwngr

Posted
Posted
On 6/22/2025 at 12:21 PM, PunchT37 said:

This thread was started on the cost of an oil change.

 

Welcome to internet forums. 

 

Kinda like sitting around with a group having a coffee or a beer....

redwngr Senior Enthusiast

redwngr

Posted
Posted
Just now, Jus Cruisin said:

Ok, why aren't the Camaros built during the recall time with 6.2's not getting recalled or having issues? I say it's the oil. And GM is nuts to continue using 0w20. 

 

If the got the machining right, the 0W20 would be fine. 

The new engines, that they know have the issue corrected, are supposed to run 0W20

 

Maybe they know the plant with the machining issue(s) didn't produce parts for the engines assembled for Camaro?

PunchT37 Enthusiast

PunchT37

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, redwngr said:

 

Welcome to internet forums. 

 

Kinda like sitting around with a group having a coffee or a beer....

Iv’e had tons of beer and coffee. Ain’t quit yet. 😉

  • Haha 1
newdude Senior Enthusiast

newdude

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Jus Cruisin said:

Ok, why aren't the Camaros built during the recall time with 6.2's not getting recalled or having issues? I say it's the oil. And GM is nuts to continue using 0w20. 

 

 

Camaro and Corvette LT1 originally ran 5w30 Dexos 1 oil.  2014-2018 for Corvette, 2016-2018 for Camaro.  

 

0w40 came to the LT1 engine for 2019 for track use requirements.  Prior to 2019, GM wanted the oil changed for track use in the LT1 to 15w50.  15w50 however had to be drained as soon as possible and replaced with 5w30 to prevent catalyst damage (all engines will use some degree of oil when driven very hard i.e. track days).

 

Starting for 2019, GM made 0w40 the standard oil BUT, its was Dexos 2 spec which is low sulphated ash content oils for gas and light diesel.  Low SAPS in gas engines started out in Europe with the advent of gasoline particulate filters (GPFs) which can not get loaded with ash or they will be rendered ineffective and damaged with a higher SAPS oil like a Dexos 1 (at the time).  0w40 Dexos 2 (now Dexos R) allowed one type of oil to be used in the LT1 (and LT4) for street AND track driven cars all while protecting catalyst life over the life of the vehicle.

 

So that is the only reason 0w40 came aboard in those cars.  Street and track use all under one oil umbrella that would maintain catalyst efficiency and not require special track use oils.  The only exception to this was the 2019 ZR1 with the LT5.  The LT2 in the 2020-current Stingray and eRay is the same thing, 0w40 for both street and track.  LT6 and LT7 (Z06 and ZR1) due to their engine design use 5w50 for both street and track. 

 

0w20 in the trucks?  Simple.  CAFE.  Corporate Average Fuel Economy.  Reduce friction when and where possible.  That's why the gear oils went down to 75w85 as well.  All to eek out MPGs while still delivering a usable product. 

 

Also one more important factor.  They build A LOT more trucks than they do Camaro and Corvette too, hence the need for fuel economy driven choices for oils.

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