redpoint5

I have a Craftsman DLT3000 with Honda 16hp V-twin air-cooled engine. The owners manual does not specify a synthetic oil that may be used. Can I run an equivalent weight synthetic in this motor? I ask because the oil only gets changed once a year at the beginning of mowing season.

greasemonki

I would suggest changing it at the END of the season not the beginning. My reasoning is this: As oil gets used it builds up junk, and actually becomes slightly acidic. If you let old oil sit in the engine all winter, all the sludge settles and really gets a good hold on the inner workings, and those seals start to rot from the old oil.

TonyB

You can download new and out of print owners manuals @ http://www.honda-engines.com/

A few that I spot checked said nothing about synthetics. I think you can send an email to tech support as well.

My experience with briggs....They are HARD to kill! I'd stay with conventional oil & keep with the annual oil changes. In a very real sense, you are doing a LOT more than most for maintenance on that little motor!

HTH

Tony

redpoint5

Good point GreaseMonkey. I'll start doing this with all of my seasonal engines including my motorcycle.

I'm running a Honda motor and not a B/S, but I would assume they have similar oil requirements? Perhaps synthetic is overkill for a mower, but at less than 2 quarts it's cheap insurance. Our old Sears mower went forever and still runs strong even after running it several times with no oil at all. It would sputter and shut down and after i realized it had no oil I just added some and off it went.

Joe T

Regular old 30W at the beginning and end of each season... As long as you aren't surpassing the recommended interval hours. Then put stabil in it and run it as your last tank... Kill the gas and let it die at the end of summer so it doesn't sit in the bowl. Then disconnect the battery.. Also make sure no water gets into the gas tank or down into the filter so put it inside or at least cover it.

I'm also assuming you use it a few times during the off season as well, just repeat above each time you use it.

This is what I do and I never have to deal with any headaches.

Buckshotmckee

Just run a regular petroleum oil, Castrol is what I run in my Deere with a briggs V-twin 20hp. It's been a little over a year since the last oil change and the oil is still clean as a whistle. I've got 40+ hrs since the last oil change. My Deere has a maintenance system on it, were it tells me what it wants and when it's time to service.

Jeff in TD

I think Honda specifies 10W30 or 10w40 on most of their small engines.

How many hours are you putting on it annually? I've got a big lawn and put on quite a few hours, so I usually do 2 oil changes per year.

If you are putting hundreds of hours on a year, I wonder if your money might be better spent on more frequent dino oil changes...

With small motors that are used infrequently and in very dusty and dirty condtions, I think contamination is the main thing limiting oil life.