I got a little paranoid so I changed the oil to 10w30.  I put the thicker
weighted oil in two days ago yet didn't drive the van until today.  I take
the van to the Mall and back (total of 40 miles) and the oil temp gauge shot
up to 220 degrees.  I had never seen it that high before on the interstate.
So when I got home I changed it to 10w30.  Went back out on the highway yet
the gauge read 200 (in was nighttime and the temperature had fallen a
little).  I attributed the temperature difference not to the viscosity
change, rather the ambient temperature change.  Essentially I wasted 4 good
quarts of free Castro oil.  Live and learn I guess.  I still kept the TDi
oil filter though.

Tim

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dennis Haynes" <dhaynes@optonline.net>
To: "'Tim & Kim Dayton'" <5days@PRODIGY.NET>; <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2002 8:00 PM
Subject: RE: thicker oil viscosity question

> The 20w-50 is fine until temperatures are consistently well below
> freezing.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of Tim & Kim Dayton
> Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2002 4:44 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: thicker oil viscosity question
>
> this issue may have been beat to death in the past, however I need to
> revive it for just a moment.  I was given Castrol 20w50 motor oil
> recently.  The weather is beginning to warm a bit to now a high of 72.
> Is this still too low an ambient temperature to use 20w50 or should I
> wait until the temperature reaches the 80-90's (82 air cooled engine)?
> Also is a thicker oil more appropriate for the air cooled engine?
>
> tim
>
>