OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Briggs & Stratton Engines B&S Engine Oil

Gadge, I think all Vanguard engines are pressure lubricated. I agree with everything else you said of course.

Yep, the V-twin Vanguards are. Forgot about those. The horizontal shaft singles are still splash.

Also, we should mention that on a Briggs, its having an oil filter doesn't invariably mean it's pressure lubricated. Some of the singles only have a 'kidney' system, where all the oil pump does is circulate the oil through the filter.

I was considering SAE 40 as a choice for hot ambient temperatures as a means of giving better viscosity over all, not necessarily to reduce oil consumption. It will also depend on availability.
Emphasized thoughts about this oil again today as temp has reached 35C.
Mean min last January was 18.9 and high of 44.2.
The Kaw 21.5 has an oil pump.

I guess it's a personal choice, Bushie. I would use and recommend what Briggs recommend, for the same reason that Briggs recommend it: someone might end up with a starting problem on a cold morning with SAE40 oil. However it's up to you what you do.

Ah, forgot to mention Kawasaki have a similar chart to the B&S one you mentioned before, it gos from 5W-20, for below -20C to 0, then overlapping through 10W-30, 10W40, SAE 30 and lastly SAE 40 for 20C to 40C+. So it is recommended. (PDF won't let me copy it.)

Would probably only use SAE 40 for the hottest 3 months of the year.

Just wondering what others thoughts are?

If you mean this chart extracted from the Kawasaki FR730V manual,

then I see what you mean. But unless oil consumption at higher temps becomes noticeable, there probably isn't anything to be gained by using SAE40, in terms of engine life.

SAE40 monograde oils are available, but are usually intended for diesel truck engines, specifically the GM/Detroit 53, 71 & 92 series 2-strokes [it's OEM Spec for these]. So it's sold in 20L and up sizes, and may not be the best formula for small petrol engine use [e.g. the Penrite Mono Truck 40 has lower antiwear additive by ~25% than the SAE30].

Yes that's the chart Gadge.

Thanks for clearing that up, surprised to see "Penrite Mono Truck 40 has lower antiwear additive by ~25% than the SAE30."

Will stick to SAE 30.

Yep, the 2-stroke Jimmy diesels go through a fair bit of oil, so their oil spec is for low ash. That limits the anti-wear additive level.