Oil for the K301

[ford2go 4]

Hi,

When I got my first WH with a K301 (oldie but a goodie) the tech guy at the local dealer said to use 30W non detergent because it was a splash system without a filter. I've mostly done that over the years  -- same for lawnmowers etc that use 30W -- sometimes  I didn't. Don't know that it ever made any real difference

 

Looking for some now and I wondered if it does make any difference. Straight weights are harder to find these days, but I can find it in both ND and 'automotive' -- latest SAE standard I suppose.

 

What do you guys do. I have a 312-8 these days.

 

Thanks,

 

hj

 

[ebinmaine 70,956]

I don't have a way to show it or quote it or anything but I believe the Kohler manual says to use straight 30 DETERGENT oil above 32 degrees.

 

There are those that say it's best to get oil for break in or flat tappet cam engines so it still has the appropriate amount of zinc phosphate in it. There are others that say since the spring pressures are fairly low in these engines it doesn't really make that much difference.

 

I believe without question the most important thing to do is:

 

CHANGE YOUR OIL at or more often than the appropriate interval 

[peter lena 9,101]

ford2go,been using ROTELLA  30WT  for years , walmart always has it in stock , something that i have recently been using , is RISLONE ZINC HY-PER LUBE , ZDDP SUPPLEMENT, best price on amazon ,   https://www.amazon.com/Rislone-4405-Supplement-Concentrate-Treatment/dp/B0075559UY/ref=asc_df_B0075559UY/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312198323731&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14016985800661679195&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003310&hvtargid=pla-567498281214&psc=1  something i quickly noticed was the smoother ease that the , kohler engines were running at . zinc was reduced in all oils due to emissions , but the splash lube in kohler's is old school , i add a couple of ounces to my oil changes , and feel a difference in all three of my horses. and the oil stays cleaner longer , i still change it at about 25 hrs. agree with above on oil changes , i also do my transmissions on a regular basis, pete  

[lynnmor 7,608]

Detergent oil keeps the crud in suspension, I like to see it go in the pan when I remove the drain plug rather than build up inside.

[Tuneup 1,433]

On 9/3/2020 at 2:51 PM, peter lena said:

ford2go,been using ROTELLA  30WT  for years , walmart always has it in stock , something that i have recently been using , is RISLONE ZINC HY-PER LUBE , ZDDP SUPPLEMENT, best price on amazon ,   https://www.amazon.com/Rislone-4405-Supplement-Concentrate-Treatment/dp/B0075559UY/ref=asc_df_B0075559UY/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312198323731&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14016985800661679195&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003310&hvtargid=pla-567498281214&psc=1  something i quickly noticed was the smoother ease that the , kohler engines were running at . zinc was reduced in all oils due to emissions , but the splash lube in kohler's is old school , i add a couple of ounces to my oil changes , and feel a difference in all three of my horses. and the oil stays cleaner longer , i still change it at about 25 hrs. agree with above on oil changes , i also do my transmissions on a regular basis, pete  

Ditto on the Rislone. I bought the 6 pack for $15 and handed out a couple to friends. Still made it a great deal. I thought it might be the butt dyno but after several weeks of mowing on the old 120 and the 125 there is a noticeable improvement in operation. Makes one wonder what the new-fangled oils are doing to engines everywhere. Only ran Delvac in the Suzuki. Made a difference in shifting. Bean counters and the well-meaning in government do not have our backs...

[peter lena 9,101]

TUNEUP , thanks for the feed back, as you are sensing a difference in your engine operation , i have also brought back a number of older engines , using the( rislone engine treatment  ), its the varnish build up from improper oils that start this, that engine treatment which is basically a flushing solvent , used that on hot drain oil changes , for maximum cleaning and removal of engine deposits. as you are finding it takes time , but ,my engines run and operate at a much smoother  rate. if you go to this ,keep an eye on the oil color , it will go black faster , telling you its cleaning out the varnish and debris, expect to change hot  oil sooner to enhance clean up , i usually go thru 2/3 oil flushes , and the results speak for themselves . i am totally convinced  that this is the way to recover , engine function / operation , stay after it , it gets better , pete 

[peter lena 9,101]

lynnmor, the black oil flush state / rate at drain time tells the story , breaking down that engine varnish , is the rislone result, pete

[richmondred01 2,289]

On all my Kohler k and Magum engines I rebuild I recommend using the zinc additive too. For break in:
2.5 ounces for a two quart pan, put the additive in then fill with a high quality 30w detergent oil.

Run the engine at governed speed 85-90% for 2 hours and don’t let it idle for any extended period. After 2 hours, drain the oil. Continue to use the additive and high quality 30 weight detergent oil and change the oil every 20 hours.

I use the Lucas however, I may switch to the RISLONE ZINC HY-PER LUBE , ZDDP SUPPLEMENT because of the price difference.

 

[Lagersolut 723]

On 9/3/2020 at 2:51 PM, peter lena said:

ford2go,been using ROTELLA  30WT  for years , walmart always has it in stock , something that i have recently been using , is RISLONE ZINC HY-PER LUBE , ZDDP SUPPLEMENT, best price on amazon ,   https://www.amazon.com/Rislone-4405-Supplement-Concentrate-Treatment/dp/B0075559UY/ref=asc_df_B0075559UY/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312198323731&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14016985800661679195&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003310&hvtargid=pla-567498281214&psc=1  something i quickly noticed was the smoother ease that the , kohler engines were running at . zinc was reduced in all oils due to emissions , but the splash lube in kohler's is old school , i add a couple of ounces to my oil changes , and feel a difference in all three of my horses. and the oil stays cleaner longer , i still change it at about 25 hrs. agree with above on oil changes , i also do my transmissions on a regular basis, pete  

 

1 hour ago, Tuneup said:

Ditto on the Rislone. I bought the 6 pack for $15 and handed out a couple to friends. Still made it a great deal. I thought it might be the butt dyno but after several weeks of mowing on the old 120 and the 125 there is a noticeable improvement in operation. Makes one wonder what the new-fangled oils are doing to engines everywhere. Only ran Delvac in the Suzuki. Made a difference in shifting. Bean counters and the well-meaning in government do not have our backs...

 

 

You guys have me sold - seems my Amazon prime is the only place carrying it -Advanced and auto zone not in stock locally -  just ordered 3 bottles

[lynnmor 7,608]

Rislone says this: Do not use as an engine break in additive.  There are some additives that claim to add zinc, but have so little that they are worse than nothing.

 

Adding too much ZDDP can be harmful, without knowing the amount already in the oil, it is impossible to know how much additive to use.  I prefer to simply use the Kohler oil that has enough ZDDP and isn't made to meet the nonsense SN specifications.

 

I might start using an additive in my old Chevy van since I can no longer find oil that works.  The van has a higher lift cam and that works flat tappets even harder.  Yes, I could use a racing oil but that may not be a good thing for intermittent use over long periods of time. I will look up the oil specifications and make a determination on what additive and quantities to use.  In my case, the van sits unused for long periods of time and too much ZDDP can cause corrosion.

[richmondred01 2,289]

I guess I wasn’t clear. Sorry. I use Lucas for break in.

Ill start using Rislone after. 

 

[peter lena 9,101]

lynnmor, i only use a small amount of zinc to my fresh oil changes , wish the bottle had an amount scale on it, its an 11 oz bottle , so a couple of light squeezes does it. on the other  hand the old chevy oil capacity , would take the bottle, pete 

[Tuneup 1,433]

Keeping this Rislone centric so sorry to the original poster - I am using whatever 30W I can find for the K. The Onan 16 just went on the bench yesterday because I have a 58 year old brain and must not have torqued the heads to spec. 3 gasket blowouts. I check everything twice but I guess not all the time? Not LOL. Anyway, 10 hours on the engine since I got it first running having cleaned the pan of muck and the oil is already black. Perhaps Rislone doing its duty?

[Greentored 3,220]

Once again I love this forum- it is the ONLY one Ive ever been on where the word 'oil' doesnt turn into a ridiculous, often heated debate, with a ton of

FWIW- Valvoline VR-1 racing still contains the level of ZDDP necessary for the older, flat tappet stuff, and its available in 30W. Napa and Oreilly auto keep it in stock around here. Whether ZDDP necessary for our light spring pressures, who knows, but it certainly doesn't hurt!

Its nice to be in a time where there's some great 'mechanic in a can' additives that actually work, eh?

And if all else fails, pick your favorite oil, and like @ebinmaine said- CHANGE IT.

[tom2p 2,394]

12 hours ago, Greentored said:

Once again I love this forum- it is the ONLY one Ive ever been on where the word 'oil' doesnt turn into a ridiculous, often heated debate, with a ton of

FWIW- Valvoline VR-1 racing still contains the level of ZDDP necessary for the older, flat tappet stuff, and its available in 30W. Napa and Oreilly auto keep it in stock around here. Whether ZDDP necessary for our light spring pressures, who knows, but it certainly doesn't hurt!

Its nice to be in a time where there's some great 'mechanic in a can' additives that actually work, eh?

And if all else fails, pick your favorite oil, and like @ebinmaine said- CHANGE IT.

^^^^
this !

 

and VR-1 also available in 20w50

 

( Castrol GTX also avail in 20w50 and contains zinc ) 

 

 

[peter lena 9,101]

tuneup, that quick black oil formation , is telling you of the engine varnish breakdown , i am very familiar with it since making rislone a regular part of my oil/lubrication. all 3 of my kohler's are running  smoother and easier .  my own experience, pete 

[Lagersolut 723]

On 9/7/2020 at 10:55 AM, peter lena said:

lynnmor, i only use a small amount of zinc to my fresh oil changes , wish the bottle had an amount scale on it, its an 11 oz bottle , so a couple of light squeezes does it. on the other  hand the old chevy oil capacity , would take the bottle, pete 

 

I just picked this up on Amazon to measure out my oils and additives - 6 bucks but it's really a sturdy little cup ( 8 oz )  1 to 8 ounces .

[ford2go 4]

Well, I had to go to Amazon to order some B&S 4 cycle 30W. Wally said that they had it, but they did not (change of seasons -- that section is now devoted to Halloween

 

Don't use the tractor that much, so I probably won't look for any zinc. I think that they took it out for pollution or to save the catholic converters.

 

Strangely my Troy Bilt wood chipper wants a detergent oil for the B&S Intek engine. Maybe because it's OHV.

 

hj

 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2020 by ford2go