Shop Talkers,
On a corollary, Harley Davidson prior to this year
specifically did not recommend synthetic oil for
their air-cooled V-twins. They recommended 20w50
dino oil with the diesel specification. Of course
they specifically requested you to buy Harley oil
for about 3X the market rate for standard mineral
20w50.
If the ambient temperatures do not drop below 50
degrees, then straight 50 was OK, and if over 70
degrees, straight 60 was OK.
Well, this year Harley started selling their own
synthetic oil and now is recommending synthetic
oil for their engines (their own synthetic at
about $12 a quart, of course).
I guess implicitly I am inferring that synthetic
oils are "newer technology" and may soon be
standard specification.
I am not trying to get anybody to use synthetic
20w50 in your little flatheads -- I just wanted to
provide a little report from a very small
controlled experiment conducted in my garage. ;)
The mower engine now is 13 years old (three on
synthetic), the pressure washer engine is about
six years old (three on synthetic).
best,
doug shook
los angeles
'72 BSA B50SS
'74 Triumph TR6
'01 HD XL883
'03 GMC Cargo Van
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