There's a huge debate on whether or not you should use the newly required 5w-20 viscosity motor oil in Ford motors.
I'm not going to address that, but I did compare the specs for Motorcrafts 5w-20 blend and the new Mobil 1 0w-20 (formulated for Ford and Honda 5w-20 engines). Here's the poop:

Motorcraft:
SAE Grade 5W-20

API Service SJ / EC
Gravity, ºAPI 35.0
Specific Gravity, @ 60ºF (15.5ºC) 0.852
Density, lb/gal 7.10
Flash Point, COC, ºF(ºC) 365(185)
Viscosity:
cSt @ 40ºC 49
cSt @ 100ºC 8.8
Viscosity Index 161
HT/HS Viscosity, cP @ 150ºC 2.65
Pour Point, ºF(ºC) -49 (-45)
Sulfated Ash, Wt. % 0.94
Total Base Number (TBN) 7.5
ASTM Color 4.0


Mobil 1 0w-20:
SAE Grade 0W-20
Viscosity, ASTM D 445
cSt @ 40º C 43
cSt @ 100º C 8.4
Viscosity Index, ASTM D 2270 165
Sulfated Ash, wt%, 1.28
HTHS Viscosity, 150ºC 2.61
Pour Point, ºC, -57
Flash Point, ºC, 232
Density @15º C kg/l, 0.855

Straight from www.motorcraft.com and www.mobil1.com. I find the numbers VERY interesting. They are very comparable all the way across the board. Mobil 1 is slightly less viscous at cold temps, less viscous at hot temps, and has a better pour point than the Motorcraft. Being a full syn, the Mobil probably holds up better on extended drains.
However, when you compare the fact that Mobil 1 0w-20 is $4.77 a quart, and Motocraft 5w-20 is $1.77 a quart (both priced at Wal-Mart), the Motorcraft looks like a great oil at a steal of a price!

 

I don't know about any huge debate but I don't see a problem with 5-20. I have read on bobistheoilguy.com, that Motorcraft 5-20 is actually an excellent oil. The used oil analysis (UOA) they have gotten the results back on, show that it outperforms most all big 'name' brands. Motorcraft oil is actually made by Phillips/Conoco. Conoco hydroclear motor oil at one time tested out to be the best oil made, including Mobil1, royal purple, amsoil etc. Just illustrating a point that Conoco isn't a 'junk' brand by far.

 

Yeah, I've seen that info on that site also. I kind of just lurk there now, and read the UOA sheets. A bunch of people on that site swear up and down that 5w-20 is "too dang thin" without any justification for it.

I've gotten into at least one long-threaded debate over there about this. The only person who tends to agree with you and I is MNGopher. I got so frustrated with their unscientific logic that I quit posting.

You are right though, the UOA look good. Which is why I keep going to the site.

 

A few of the people there think it's too thin. There are some of the guys there that know what's going on, that are apprently engineers and are in the refining business. Those all say it is not too thin. Like they said, they remember a time when people swore that 10-30 was too thin and that synthetic oil would ruin their engines. Face it though, when is the last time you, or anyone for that matter ever really saw, or heard of an engine fail due to oil weight? I doubt that exists. Maybe too little oil, too much oil, bad parts etc. I have never heard anyone ever claim their engine was damaged by using an oil that the manufacturer recommends. I'll use it. I will post here if and when my engine fails because of it

 

I have spent the last year watching the 5-20 Motorcraft vs Mobil 1 5-30 debates on several sites .Next week I will do the 20,000 change on my truck and send a 5W20 sample in I will do two changes with Mobil 1 and do a sample of it. Will post results when I get them.

 

Yeah, I think we're pretty much in the same boat, hang10. I'm using it, and not afraid to use it. It seems like a really good oil at a great price.

As for the oil forum thing, there were some people who give 5w-20 a chance. I just got sick of those who didn't, because they either had no scientific reason why they didn't like it or their facts completely backwards.

 

You get those types with anything. Those are probably some of the same people that said they would never use a multi-vis oil in their engines. The same as mentioned above that refused to use 10-30/5-30 because it was too thin. Times change, things change, who do you believe? The engineers that designed the motors, that know the tolerances, the stresses etc. and the engineers that developed the oil that know the additive packaging, the polymer chain, the shearing etc., or some Goober with a wrench and a computer, whose daddys' daddy, told him that heavier is better. I already know the answer to that. Some people though, no matter who says what, they always know better and are smarter than the rest of us.

 

I, for one, think that the Motorcraft oil TASTES a lot better than the Mobil 1.

 

Sick pup, Ken


Re: 5w-20 oil

I mean, think about it. Manufacturing advances and the pursuit of higher mileage mean that engine design/building has been moving ahead at quite a clip. Gone are the engines in newer vehicles like the ones I was rebuilding as a kid that were built in the 1960's. Tolerances and clearances in these older engines were friggin huge compared to what they can do today w/ these computerized milling machines. So that thick oil is really more of a problem if you use it in the newer engines that aren't specifically built for it. At least, this is MHO. No mystery here for me.

 

I'm a Castrol man myself, especially on fresh greens, with a bit of garlic and onion. I might have a little 40wt Havoline on those special ocassions.

 

Nah!!
Think I'll stick to 5w-20 Motorcraft...cheap, factory recommended and besides, I change it every 3000 miles and that darn $4 quart for Synthetic is a scam!!! If it was like my rear end(Synthetic) and only had to change it every 100k miles, that would be a diff story!

 

We always knew thats why you hung around the DIPSTICKS!!!!!!!!


Rich

 

C'mon Forty! I've never called you a Dipstick! No need to call yourself one...

 

Stupid question but... I have a 99 motorhome with a V10, getting ready to do an oil change and figured I'd research it a bit since I've heard a lot about this. Does for recomend 5-20 in ALL V10's?

 

It CAN be used on older V10's. Meaning it is safe, according to Ford, to do so. You, however, do not need to make the change. Older V10s were specified to use 5W30.

It is that reasoning, along with the fact that there have been no engine changes to justify to oil "requirement" change that makes this such a "heated" debate umongst V10 owners.