is 10w30 engine oil acceptable in a Perkins ?

[R4576]

I have learned that the previous owner of my Cat320 used 10W30 engine oil since it was new in 1994 ( Perkins M30). Is there a problem with that, or should I switch to something else ?

 

[Ken Juul]

engine oil

Look at your owners manual it should specify what weight of oil you should be running which is dependant on local temperatures. What is equally important is to get the correct type of oil. They use different additives for gas and diesel engines. They designate this with a 2 letter code, CE, CF, etc. Again check your owners manual to get the correct combination of weight and additives. With the low numbers of hours we normally put on an engine, even if the previous owner was using the wrong oil, damage, if any, should be minimum. If the wrong oil is currently in the engine, I would drain it, replace with the correct. Run the engine hard for a few hours, drain and refill again. Change the filter with each oil change.

 

[Syeve B]

Engine oil

Hi Ron,As Ken correctly said, you should use an oil that is specifically for diesels. Amongst other additives, they also have a higher detergent level, so the products of combustion (soot etc) are absorbed into the oil and don't settle out. 10W30 is the weight of the oil and according to my handbook is good for a temperature rang of -15 deg C to 40 deg C. That's the ambient or cabin temperature. If you do winter sailing, you may want to go to a 5W20.I've been using 10W30 in my Perkins M30 for 3 years now, no problems and it runs a treat.Hope this helps