Engine oil slection
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Engine oil slection
I have an 06 f250 2wd, with the 5.4. I have owned the truck now for two years and had 115k when i started and now has 155k for miles.
I have always run Castrol GTX 10w 30 oil in it.
Its getting older and I want to give it the best protection
I am thinking of going to mobil1 10w30 full synthetic.
Are people still haveing issues with the syntec oils in the higher mileage trucks? or am i good to go?
I have always run Castrol GTX 10w 30 oil in it.
Its getting older and I want to give it the best protection
I am thinking of going to mobil1 10w30 full synthetic.
Are people still haveing issues with the syntec oils in the higher mileage trucks? or am i good to go?
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Canton, IL
The 5.4L needs only 5w20 and a motorcraft filter to be good to its end of life.
Walmart sells the motorcraft semi-syn 5w20 on the cheap. It's good oil, and the motorcraft filter is superior to Fram and many others
Walmart sells the motorcraft semi-syn 5w20 on the cheap. It's good oil, and the motorcraft filter is superior to Fram and many others
Elder User
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From: 92592
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Brunswick, Maryland
You should have no problems switching to synthetic oil and Mobil 1 10w30 will be fine in your engine. I'm currently using mobil 1 10w30 in my 2001 5.4. I actually used mobil 1 15w50 for the first 70,000 miles after I bought the truck new but I switched to 10w30 because I couldn't find the 15w50 (extended performance) any more so therefore the switch to 10w30 extended performance. I'm at 84,000 trouble free miles now and engine sounds like new.
Former Vendor
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 8,098
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From: Westford, MA
Those Motorcraft filters are pretty good. The Auto Value parts stores carry the Wix filters. I usually go next door over here and grab a Wix filter for my vehicles then go to Walmart for Mobil 1.
With that type of mileage you might want to stick with a blend. A full synthetic won't hurt anything but if there's some gunk pluggin a gasket hole on the pan or something it may find it's way out.
With that type of mileage you might want to stick with a blend. A full synthetic won't hurt anything but if there's some gunk pluggin a gasket hole on the pan or something it may find it's way out.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 169
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From: Anchorage, Alaska
OK, you'll have to excuse my ignorance here.
The owner's manual for my 01 F250 5.4L is very specific:
The engineers that designed my engine obviously wrote this, so this is all I ever use. I am just curious as to what information others are seeing stating why higher SAE viscosity grades are better?
The owner's manual for my 01 F250 5.4L is very specific:
SAE 5W-20 engine oil is recommended.
Only use oils “Certified For Gasoline Engines” by the American Petroleum Institute (API). Use Motorcraft or an equivalent oil meeting Ford specification WSS-M2C153–H. SAE 5W-20 oil provides optimum fuel economy and durability performance meeting all requirements for your vehicle’s engine.
Only use oils “Certified For Gasoline Engines” by the American Petroleum Institute (API). Use Motorcraft or an equivalent oil meeting Ford specification WSS-M2C153–H. SAE 5W-20 oil provides optimum fuel economy and durability performance meeting all requirements for your vehicle’s engine.
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: Stephensville WI
The '06 manual is the same. A higher viscosity would just lower your fuel mileage.
To protect your engine’s warranty use Motorcraft SAE 5W-20 or an
equivalent SAE 5W-20 oil meeting Ford specification WSS-M2C930-A.
SAE 5W-20 oil provides optimum fuel economy and durability
performance meeting all requirements for your vehicle’s engine.
To protect your engine’s warranty use Motorcraft SAE 5W-20 or an
equivalent SAE 5W-20 oil meeting Ford specification WSS-M2C930-A.
SAE 5W-20 oil provides optimum fuel economy and durability
performance meeting all requirements for your vehicle’s engine.
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Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,564
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From: Wayyy NoCal, USA
In GENERAL, the 10W30 offerings from the big companies provide the best protection due to years and years of development, experimentation, and optimization to be the best oil for long engine life.
The 5W20 grade is much newer, so less time to optimize. It was developed with fuel economy as the primary driver, so it is possible that during development, there may have been some compromises from protection to fuel economy.
Notice all the possibles, maybes, generalities. There are likely some very, very good 5w20's out there.
Using one grade higher or lower is rarely an issue with an engine, although as a rule of thumb, I would hesitate going one grade higher in very cold conditions, or one grade lower in very hot.
But a lot of folks are willing to give up a 1/2 mpg or so to get a known good protector, so they use 10W30.
Also, some of us have several vehicles and get tired of having to stock multiple grades of oil. I have vehicles specifying 5W20, 5w30, 10w30, 10w40, 10w50, AND 15w50. I don't stock all of those....
That's the why.
The 5W20 grade is much newer, so less time to optimize. It was developed with fuel economy as the primary driver, so it is possible that during development, there may have been some compromises from protection to fuel economy.
Notice all the possibles, maybes, generalities. There are likely some very, very good 5w20's out there.
Using one grade higher or lower is rarely an issue with an engine, although as a rule of thumb, I would hesitate going one grade higher in very cold conditions, or one grade lower in very hot.
But a lot of folks are willing to give up a 1/2 mpg or so to get a known good protector, so they use 10W30.
Also, some of us have several vehicles and get tired of having to stock multiple grades of oil. I have vehicles specifying 5W20, 5w30, 10w30, 10w40, 10w50, AND 15w50. I don't stock all of those....
That's the why.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: Fort Worth
In the gasoline Ford engines, only use 5W20 Motorcraft Syn Blend oil with a Motorcraft filter. It is what is designed for the engine, is cheap, and easy to find at all auto part stores. Just do it!!
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,564
Likes: 11
From: Wayyy NoCal, USA
For the OP: Castrol GTX is a very good oil with a very good detergent package. After two years of using that (assuming regularly changed), your engine is almost certainly pretty clean and sludge free. Switching to an oil with a top shelf detergent package is very unlikely to induce a leak by cleaning out sludge that was sealing up a leak.
Switch away.
Problems are most likely to appear when someone switches from VERY cheap oil that was rarely changed to a good oil. Then there will be a lot of sludge clean out happening.
Switch away.
Problems are most likely to appear when someone switches from VERY cheap oil that was rarely changed to a good oil. Then there will be a lot of sludge clean out happening.
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