Spend time in any online community with truck fans and you’ll undoubtedly come across posts on: is OW20 bad for your engine? And should you follow the recommended oil change intervals? The Million Mile Tundra reveals interesting data on this topic.
OW20 bad for your engine?
Before we get into what the Million Mile Tundra revealed, let’s talk about the concerns over OW20.
Throughout the last few decades, oil manufacturers and automakers have worked hand-in-hand to develop new oils to protect engines from wear damage and improve fuel economy.
This push has led to lighter weight oils that are so thin, they look more like water than oil.Â
Naturally, this has led to a considerable amount of skepticism on how such a thin oil can protect your engine. This dramatic change from the heavier, thicker weight oils of the past which more resembled the perception on how oil looks has caused many to disregard the oil recommendations from the manufacturer.Â
Instead, they propose using heavier oil and shorter intervals to better protect the engine.
Million Mile Tundra oil type and intervals
While skeptics will point to engine failures posted in online communities as often being linked to oil types, there is a famous engine that has lasted and bucks this trend.
Vic Sheppard, the man who put a million miles on a 2007 Tundra with the 4.6L V-8, is about to do it again on a 2014 Toyota Tundra with the 5.7L V-8 engine.Â
Million mile trucks are often seen as the example to follow if you want to make your engine last.Â
This raises the question on what oil he used and how often he changed it. Follow his example, the thinking goes, and your engine will last just as long.Â
Through a text message, Sheppard said he uses OW20 in his truck and he follows the manufacturers recommended oil change intervals of 10,000 miles. Â
Our take
Million mile trucks are worked hard and in Sheppard’s case he does a considerable amount of highway driving while hauling heavy equipment. Examples like his, may not sway most, it is good to know a truck following the manufacturer’s recommendation for maintenance can hold up over the long run.
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