California Bans Non-detergent Motor Oil: What To Use Instead?

Where it matters is lawn equipment.

If not a pressurized filtered system the stuff stays in solution and ruins the engine.

Non - detergent allows it to settle into bottom of sump.

Wonder what warranty states lately?

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Not just lawn equipment, but many machine tools also.
 
The whole bill is focused on "automotive oils" and the main reason is to get away from them placing a stupid sticker on your car with every oil change that states you need to change it in another 3000 miles even when they use a full synthetic engine oil. They are using fear tactics that your motor will self destruct if you go 3001 miles. The bill states "Requires all automotive oil sold in this state be certified by the oil manufacturer to achieve a minimum useful life of 10,000 miles on and after January 1, 2018." I do not see anything about banning specific oils for non-automotive applications, and should have no bearing on gear, hydraulic oils or those used in machinery. Based on the linked discussion, sounds like it is another poorly written bill, that leaves the door open to interpretation as to what they mean by automotive oil. They are specific that they are talking about "motor oil" as they use a highly acclaimed source to describe the types "According to Popular Mechanics", go figure if that is their esteemed reference source. I do not see that this bans machinery and small motor oils, i.e. non-automotive applications. You would not use a detergent oil in 2 stroke motors, although most of those where banned a long time ago. It may mean that you cannot get automotive ND oil to use in your lawn mower at your automotive store and it may need to be sold intentionally for the the machinery it is intended for, like compressor oil.

The big question is how the bill will be interpreted and how that will affect interstate sales of different types of oils. It is a very short sighted bill in not being more explicit and inclusion of specifics on the the use of the vehicle, and/or specific use applications that still use a ND oil. Having lived in the bay area most of my life, and spending a bit of that time in San Francisco, the bureaucracy, taxes, fees, etc where becoming insane. One of many reasons we no longer live in California.
 
Where it matters is lawn equipment.

If not a pressurized filtered system the stuff stays in solution and ruins the engine.

Non - detergent allows it to settle into bottom of sump.

Wonder what warranty states lately?
Really? I regularly buy both large [zero-turn] and small [21" ariens with Kawasaki motors] and other stuff with B&S and Honda motors and none of the documentation for them indicate to use non-detergent oils. They vary between SAE30 to 5W30 or 10W30, but none of them indicate I should use anything but regular automotive motor oil.
 
Do you think the manufacturer cares any more if you get 2 seasons, or 10 seasons out of a mower? Can you even get a straight 30 weight in detergent type oil?

I would bet the zero turn has a filter.
 
The zero turns and the newer Kawasaki FJ180V's (for the Ariens 21") have oil filters, but the Honda and B&S single cylinder ones don't. The Honda engines in particular last forever for me, haven't had one quit on me yet.

The B&S motors I'm working to eliminate having any, as it might be made in america, but it's a crap brand. I needed a replacement motor for one of my zero-turns [thank you Kawasaki for installing the cooling fan incorrectly, causing the motor to overheat repeatedly], and went to Princess Auto to get the 24HP 2 cylinder vertical B&S motor, spent most of 2 days fitting the motor and rewelding the exhaust, turn it on, runs great, park it in the garage to go out the next day to use it, get in the garage in the morning, notice a couple spots of oil under it. Motor was dripping some oil. Fire it up again, and notice that when the motor is running, it's constantly dripping oil. Turn off the motor, drip stops. Great quality.

At least Princess Auto didn't give me a hassle about exchanging it for another one, which fortunately didn't have this problem.

Wish it had happened a month later, when PA got stock of some Kohler 22HP vert. motors which I would much rather have purchased, even if they are $500 more ($1700 vs $1200).
 
I'm sure BS is half chi now , CI BS are good motors
 
They banned sperm oil too.....go figure.
I have the remains of a gallon of sperm oil, left over from the 1940s, said to be good for threading ---- I guard it jealously along with about 70 lbs. of white lead; mixed together, they are even better for threading. When I was an apprentice, I worked on a #5 Warner Swasey turret lathe for MONTHS making bearing housings in steel with a 5" bore that had to be held to a close tolerance and 32 microinch finish; the reamer was a two edged floating Madison reamer lubricated with a mixture of white lead and trichloroethylene; this was before we had RapidTap and suchlike. The mixture was rinsed off into the soluble oil in the sump, so obviously I have had exposure to lead! I had it tested once in more recent years, and it was not elevated, in spite of the job and subsequent exposure to several lead products in the course of my working years.
 
Exactly how does a machine manufacturer arrive at the decision of which oil to recommend?

Do they do extensive testing? Such as putting 6 different oils in 6 identical machines and running them under load for months in a lab after which the wear parts are measured and the lube showing the least wear is specified, this is possible but unlikely due to cost.

For hobby use machines a light oil will suffice such as those sold in big box home improvement stores as hydraulic oil for use in log splitters. If one has a leaky old gearbox then a high viscosity gear oil will stay put longer.
 
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