I'm looking for a high mileage synthetic blend to help curb oil consumption on Motorcraft 5w-20. Likely leaking valve stems, what is the best oil I can get?
Change interval of 4k, mostly 45-35mph roads, 2002 5.4 triton
I want it to meet the ford specifications, WSS-m2c153-H. From what I hear MC 5w-20 is a thicker oil, almost 5w-30.
I hear Castrol GTX high mileage is also thicker, does it meet these specs?
My options are Valvoline, castrol, quaker state, mobile 1 which they sell at the Walmart.

 

Valvoline makes a "High Mileage" syn oil that is IMHo, what you are looking for.

 

Not to be rude, but I've heard that elsewhere, why Valvoline specifically?
How does it compare to the additives in Motorcraft synthetic blend, and other oils for that matter?
Wear test ranking?


Also,
does it meet the WSS-m2c153-H criteria?
It says
FORD M2C945-A compliant

 

No such thing. Either the oil is good enough to work, or it is not.

If one oil solves your leakage problem, how would you quantify if a different oil is "better".

Try the cheapest one at Wally and see if it does the trick. If not, move on to the next cheapest.

Or you can try one of the additives, such as Bardahl. Generally cheaper to add a bottle of additive to regular oil than buy "HM" oils.

BTW - "Thicker" oil is not going to be your answer, but if that is the direction that you want to go, look at the viscosity of each oil at high and low temperatures. Lots of this information available at BITOG.

 

Most cheap additives just thicken up the oil rather than condition. Anyway, it's hard to quantity the best oil.

 

Most say that they have seal swellers and conditioners. I have used them in old Falcons with weak valve stems seals with good affect if the leakage is minor.

My evidence of positive affect was a reduction on the spark plug deposits after adding a can.

But I don't know one way or the other what they put in them.

 

The thing about High mileage oil is that I don't think that they use seal swellers, which rely on swelling the seal. That obviously can be problematic, rather they just contain an elevated level of conditioner that removes buildup and improves pliability.

You'd think you'd hear more of seals going to hell when people start to use HM oil at 75k or less, as hyped by Valvoline.

 

Here are some VOA's on High Mileage motor oils, so you can see some of what's in them & what specs they meet & how the viscosity's compare. Petroleum Quality Intitute of America

 

Just an FYI...................

 

This seems out of date, oils change all the time. I think valvoline changed to gain dexos 1 approval. And this lists gtx high mileage as having a ton of phosphorous, something they claim to be an emission systems killer.


I think I'm going to go with Valvoline Synthetic Blend due to its spring 2016 wear test. They claim to have excellent:
seal conditioners
friction modifier
detergents
anti-wear

 

Sounds like a reasonable choice, many on the net report positive results with it, let us know how it goes.

 

Synthetics flow better than dino's like thru worn seals so why even use synthetics? Get a quality dino like Chevron supreme. We've run this in some 50+ fleet trucks and never had any consumption or oil related failures. Costco locally carries it for about $25 a 12 pack.

 

Synthetic blend is not a true synthetic, it's mainly conventional oil.

 

With regards to syn vs non-syn oils, today, all oils are are considered synthetic. While I am not promoting this company nor their products, they have an excellent, detailed description as to how & why all oils today are considered “Synthetic”

Synthetic Motor Oil

and was confirmed through legal proceedings:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/217558103/...s-Day-in-Court

Mfgs such as castrol, are actually using a oil base that is not by previous industry standards to be even considered a "synthetic", was sued (By Exxon/Mobile IIRR) and they won in court because they were able to demonstrate with additives they were essentially delivering a syn product. When looking at all the refineries in the US (2014), the only one really capable of supporting 100% synthetic oil manufacturing is Chevron/Phillips refinery in Texas…and it is not promoted as a synthetic oil.

 

The world tends to see everything as "Good", "Better" and "Best".

For the most part, these quantifiers are a matter of opinion.

Ask 100 people who has the "Best" French Fries and you will get 101 answers.

I have long advocated a fourth quantifier, "Good Enough".

If the product is good enough for you to achieve your objectives, then why do you care if something is "Better"? And how do you qualify if Product Y is better if Product X worked?

With proper maintenance, any API-certified oil is "good enough" to get a gas motor to 150,000 miles and any diesel motor to 250,000 miles.

Looking at the high percentage of people on the 2017 SD board who traded in trucks that were only 2-4 years old, I have to wonder how many people keep their vehicle that long (and before everyone starts to blast me or be "disrespectful", I know that some of you do).

Personally, I will never keep a car or truck that long. So any oil on the shelf is "good enough" for me.

And the "Best" French Fries? Whatever is sitting in front of me when you ask the question.