In a message dated 29/04/2009 1:56:09 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:

            That's  PRECISELY why there are 0w50, 5w50, 10w50, 15w50 engine
oils  available.  Look around and you'll find them.  Granted they are
mostly Synthetic  or Synthetic blends but they are available.   Trying to start
an engine in below 0 weather with 20w anything is just  crazy.  Your wearing
out the bearings prematurely and you will not know  this until sometime in
the distant future.  Then your wondering why these  waterboxer engine don't
last long, DUH !  If your intent on using standard  oils, 20w50 in the
winter, then get a proper BLOCK heater and keep it plugged in  over night, or put
it in a heated garage !  No 5w30 is not good,  yes you can start the engine
without the block heater or heated garage BUT once  that engine is up to
operating temperature on the freeway that 30 weight oil is  just not right for
that waterboxer engine.  They all need 50 weight oil at  operating
temperature on the highway.   We're sort of lucky in a way  that these old van do
not have enough cranking power to start in very cold  temperatures with the 20
weight oil in them.  More modern cars have enough  cranking power to start
the engine even if there was straight 50 weight oil in  the crankcase.  AND,
I sure have seen the booster guys start up a frozen  engine with more
battery power more often than I can recall.  Yeseriee, it  will start eventually
with that 20 weight oil, BUT how man thou has  been worn off the engine
bearings in the process ??????

RANT over !!  I had too much time on my hands this morning !

>>>>I've been using Castrol 20W50 for a while now and had  no problems up
untill
this winter.
This winter was unreasonably cold  here in Western PA, and one day i tried
to
start my car in -17 (That was a  no wind day), and it would BARELY crank.
Even with a jump. It wasn't an  issue of battery power or starter power, the
engine had just essentially  seized itsself solid with the 20W50 at that
temp.
I tried the whole  "Build a fire under the engine" method, but couldn't
build
a big enough  heat source in a controlled fashion (Coals in a flower pot).
As
a result, i  had to wait 2 days utnill warmer temperatures prevailed to get
my bus  started. I then switched to 10W40 and the next day that hit those
low
low  temperatueres it fired right up.

20W50 in my experience is crap below  zero.<<<<<<<<

Please note  that I will be away from my business travelling in Mexico from
November 24, 2008  until April 30, 2009.  Parts orders will be processed
although not as  quickly as usual.  I will always be available for contact by
E-mail.  If you phone your call will be addressed by Greg T. Brown here and
he will  either call you back or advise you to contact me directly by
E-mail.  Details of this adventure are at _Buses in Bacalar_
(http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/busesinbacalar/) . A  Travel Blog is at: _Bacalar Blog_
(http://poolio.net/bacalarblog/)

Cheers,

Frank  Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
'87 Westy & Lionel Trains (_Collection for sale_
(http://frankcondelli.com/trainsal.htm) )
_Frank Condelli &  Associates_ (http://frankcondelli.com/busindex.html)  -
Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
_Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust  Systems_
(http://frankcondelli.com/exhaust.htm)
_BusFusion_ (http://www.busfusion.com/bfhome.htm)  a  VW Camper camping
event, Almonte, ON, June 11 ~ 14,  2009