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Will Thinner Oils Damage Your Engine?

Will Thinner Oils Damage Your Engine?
Will Thinner Oils Damage Your Engine?

Engineering Explained spent some time discussing these questions with Mobil 1 engineers and shares what he learned.

  • Can thin motor oils protect your engine?
  • What do oil weights mean, 5W-30 for example?
  • Do thinner oils get better fuel economy?
  • Do thin oils like 0W-20 protect your engine?

There’s an incredible amount of testing and verification that goes into labeling a motor oil’s viscosity rating, which is the single most important factor for how a motor oil will perform in an engine.

Motor oil is responsible for protecting your engine, removing contaminants, reducing friction, and cooling your engine. Plus, motor oil creates a protective barrier between moving metal parts allowing for your engine’s longevity.

In this video, a 6.2L V8 engine cutaway from the C8 Corvette is used to better show, demonstrate, and understand how oil interacts with automotive engines.