Mixing oil??
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Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 621
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From: Newport TN
Mixing oil??
For the last 2 oil changes I used Moble1 20-50 and got the usual motor chatter that my 99Electra Glide Classic has always had with HD 20-50 dino oil. Engine temp and oil presure was about the same for both. And
engine noise/chatter was about the same for both.
But in early July I changed oil and used 2 qts of HD 20-50 and 1 1\2 qts of HD 60 oil, and engine chatter is noticeably less. Oil presure is the same and engine temp seems the same(no gauge for accurate read). Weather this time of year is from 75 at night to 100 durring the day.
It seems like the temp is high enough to use the heavier 60w oil but still use some lighter oil 20w for start ups and it's short warm ups till operating temps are reached.
So what do you guys think about mixing oils??.
engine noise/chatter was about the same for both.
But in early July I changed oil and used 2 qts of HD 20-50 and 1 1\2 qts of HD 60 oil, and engine chatter is noticeably less. Oil presure is the same and engine temp seems the same(no gauge for accurate read). Weather this time of year is from 75 at night to 100 durring the day.
It seems like the temp is high enough to use the heavier 60w oil but still use some lighter oil 20w for start ups and it's short warm ups till operating temps are reached.
So what do you guys think about mixing oils??.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
RE: Mixing oil??
I've always heard it isn't good to mix oils, but in 1998 we were planning a trip to Sturgis from Baton Rouge, LA and the last leg was riding across Texas from Amarillo to Shreveport. In 1998 temperatures were well into the 100's in Texas, sometimes hitting 110, and I was worried about the oil's ability to handle the heat, so I contacted the head guru at Royal Purple for answers. He was referred to me by my RP distributor.
He suggested mixing 20w50 RP with RP Nitro 50 racing oil using a 3:1 ratio, the latter designed for nitromethane-burning dragsters. He said it would increase lubricity by over 200% and would lower engine temperatures significantly. I've been using the mix ever since and the bike now has 104k on the odometer, has 158/158 lb. static compression (same as always), uses 1 qt. of oil per 5k miles (same as always), and runs like new. The heads have never been off the bike. Based on this experience, I'd say it was a good combo, and I plan on using it indefinitely. I had an HD oil-temp gauge on my bike for several years and the highest I saw it read was 200 deg., normally not exceeding 185 in summer, and I change the oil every 5k miles.
Mixing a straight 60 with your 20w50 leads to one observation. Most engine wear is realized on cold startup, and this thicker oil will not flow as well as the 20w50, so whereas your valve-train is quieter you may actually be creating more wear on the engine than before.
He suggested mixing 20w50 RP with RP Nitro 50 racing oil using a 3:1 ratio, the latter designed for nitromethane-burning dragsters. He said it would increase lubricity by over 200% and would lower engine temperatures significantly. I've been using the mix ever since and the bike now has 104k on the odometer, has 158/158 lb. static compression (same as always), uses 1 qt. of oil per 5k miles (same as always), and runs like new. The heads have never been off the bike. Based on this experience, I'd say it was a good combo, and I plan on using it indefinitely. I had an HD oil-temp gauge on my bike for several years and the highest I saw it read was 200 deg., normally not exceeding 185 in summer, and I change the oil every 5k miles.
Mixing a straight 60 with your 20w50 leads to one observation. Most engine wear is realized on cold startup, and this thicker oil will not flow as well as the 20w50, so whereas your valve-train is quieter you may actually be creating more wear on the engine than before.
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