I would almost take the other side that the use of 5W/20 leads to increased engine wear and that would lead to the clogged screen. That problem is what lead to my looking into the viscosity issue. I have been using 5W/20, because I thought it was Honda recommending it. As it turns out they recommend it because the credit they get for the slight increase in fuel mileage the government gives them, not because 5W/20 protects their engines better.
That's just not true!
In fact if you go to any of the big race tracks throughout the country, you will find Oil company booths with demonstrations, that prove that's not true.
Thinner oil has several advantages in modern engines that improve efficiency and durability.
I came from the old school when it comes to oil. When I was racing stock cars, we used 20w50. That was in the 1960's The thought was that the thicker oil had better film strength. Therefore providing more protection to the moving parts. That may have been true in those days, but it's not the case now.
The engines now run closer tolerances than they did in those days. Also there have been several improvements in the oil as well.
In one demonstration at the Mobile One booth, they take about one quart of oil In a jar. They have 5 or 6 Jars with varying weights of oil in them. They then have household mixer ( beater ) blades in them. They are all driven by the same motor, therefor all are rotating at the same speed. They have a thermometer in each jar. You can easily see that the internal friction generated by the oil increases as the viscosity goes up. Keep in mind that NO external heat source is applied. The heaver oil is 30 to 90 Degrees Hotter than the 5W20 as the viscosity increases.
So heaver oil heats faster than thinner oil, is proven by this simple demonstration. The hotter the oil, the less/lower the film strength.
You must also consider that the crank shaft has to hit the oil with every revolution of the crank. That equates to four times for every power stroke. Heaver oil presents a more viscous liquid mass for the crank to move out of it's way. Therefor creating an internal horsepower loss each and every revolution of the crank. That's to say nothing of the additional work the oil pump has to do to pump it!!
So heaver oil presents more resistance to the crank, robing horsepower.
Heaver oil is also less likely to properly lubricate the cylinder walls on cold starts. It will inherently splash less at low R.P.M.s ( do to the higher viscosity). Thereby providing less oil on dry cylinder walls.
So heaver oil lubricates less on cold starts, increasing friction.
Trust me on this one. The factory engineers, and automotive laboratories have spent hours running tests. You and I can't possibly come close having the ability/resources they employ to arrive at the same result.
Just run what they tell you to run, and you'll be far better off.
Dom