Change type of oil

What symptom or problem are you trying to solve? The oil specified is very thin compared to what we used years ago because the clearances in the engine bearings are a lot tighter than on older engines. Thicker oil will have a harder time flowing through those bearings. Connecting rod bearings are a high-failure item and the first to go when they do not get enough oil, and that oil comes through the crankshaft bearings first. Thinner oil finds it easier to sneak through and get to the rod bearings, but if that oil is too thin, (lower viscosity number), it will leak out of the crank bearings too easily, then little will be left to get pushed to the rod bearings.

The first of the two numbers for engine oil refers to what it acts like when it is cold. That affects how easily it flows when it is cold. If it finds it is too hard to flow, you will have oil starvation to the bearings while the cold engine is warming up. That is already the few minutes of each drive cycle where ninety nine percent of engine wear takes place. That is when good oil flow is most important and is hardest to achieve.

Also, oil leaves the connecting rod bearings to spray onto the cylinder walls to lubricate the pistons. If the viscosity is too high, the oil will stick to the connecting rods and not squirt to where it is needed. This again is worst when the engine and oil are cold. Lack of lubrication on the cylinder walls will lead to scuffed pistons and worn piston rings.

If lack of oil flow to the lifters is the issue, you would want a lighter oil that flows easier.

Given the symptom you described, you might also pay attention to the brand of filter you are using. Most have an anti-drain-back valve that prevents the passages from emptying out when the engine is stopped. Some of those valves are built into the oil pump housing. If a manufacturer makes an oil filter for an application that has that valve in the housing, they will not put one in the filter, but except for that valve, that filter might work for other applications, and they'll brand it as such. Lack of that valve in the filter when it needs to be there can cause lifter noise for the first few seconds until the oil starts flowing, but that is usually not harmful. If this does happen, the oil pump has to draw a prime to suck the oil up. It will start to get pumped under pressure once it hits the pump. Thicker oil will make it harder to draw that prime.

One more comment of value that only applies if you are using old oil that has been on the shelf for years, is to look at the letter ratings on the container. You will find something to the effect of "SG / CF", as an example. The "S" stands for "spark ignition" and is the designation that apples to your engine. The "C" rating is for "compression ignition", meaning diesel engines. Every time a significant improvement is made in the additives or characteristics, the letter increases by one, from "SE' to "SF", then "SG", etc. Every car manufacturer will have the required rating listed in the owner's manual. When "SF" is required, for example, you can use oil with that rating, or with any rating higher than that, like "SG", "SH" all the way up to whatever the current rating is. You cannot find outdated oil at any stores. Any oil on the shelves today is of the highest current rating and will be fine for your engine. Where there is a chance of running into trouble is when a homeowner stocks up a few years ago, then buys a newer car.

One of those additives is "viscosity index improver". If you use 5W-30 oil, it will act like 5-weight oil when it is cold, and it will act like 30-weight when it is hot. The viscosity does not change, as a lot of people mistakenly think. Straight 5-weight oil would be much too runny when it gets hot and would not stick to parts or isolate moving parts from each other, (pistons and cylinder walls, and bearings and crankshaft journals). 30-weight oil would be hard to pump when it is cold because it is so thick. Multi-viscosity oils have additives that make that oil more fluid when it is cold, and it tends to cling to parts better when it gets hot. This is one example where an engine manufacturer might require a new set of characteristics for their oil to meet the needs of that engine, then it is up to the oil refiners to come up with the needed formulation. It will get a new letter designation.

Other additives include seal conditioners, detergents, dispersants, and anti-foaming agents. Sometimes we run into trouble when switching brands of oil because the leftover seal conditioners may be attacked by detergents in the new brand. That is why a lot of us like to stay with one brand of oil. It is also common to develop leaks when switching to a synthetic oil.