ust about to do my 1st oil change on my 2013 van with the 5.4 V8. I was
thinking of using synthetic oil. Any suggestions on brand/weight, thanks curt

 

Mobile 1 is perceived by many as the best (thanks to heavy advertising). I don't believe there's enough difference between them and other synthetics to justify the price.

Run the cheapest syn. that you can find (that's from a major player) and spend the difference on a quick burger meal while you wait.


As for weight, follow whatever Ford recommends for your vehicle.

 

Motorcraft 5W20 syn blend is really good oil and I really don't believe that full syn is going to make a difference for you.

Costco sells Mobil 1 for $26 for 6 quarts when it's on sale, but having used it in another vehicle (a Subaru), find that it seems to burn off quicker than other full synthetics. And I have found scare stories about people trashing bearings in turbo Subarus with Mobil 1. I have had great experiences with Valvoline Synpower full syn, as well as Pennzoil and Quaker State full synthetics in both my van and my other vehicles, but am pretty much back into syn blends or conventional oils--none of my engines are high performance motors.

If it's a brand new vehicle, there is a school of thought that you shouldn't switch over to full syn until 10k miles or so.

I ran my '02 E150 on Quaker State full syn for about 35k of its 120k miles and found no difference in consumption, gas mileage, etc as compared to Motorcraft syn blend. (I got 24 quarts of the stuf for a buck a quart--5W20.) The only justification I might make for full syn is in REALLY cold winter temperatures or really heavy duty use as in pulling a trailer or racing.

Use the weight that Ford recommends, which is 5W20. The mod motors need the lighter weight oils to get oil into the valvetrain ASAP.

There are scores of threads on FTE about oil, and if you want to be a real oil geek, go to bobistheoilguy.com and spend as much time as you want researching.

Also, I would recommend use Motorcraft oil filters. They have the bypass valve at the base of the can, and a silicone anti-drainback valve. Do not use Fram or other cheapo filters. I have heard valvetrain clatter using cheap oil filters meaning that the ADB valve lets the oil back into the pan. I have also had good luck with Purolator Pure 1 oil filters.

Good luck for many safe and trouble free miles in your van,
George

 

Thanks for the reply's! I'm leaning toward the semi synthetic, that's what ford uses.

 

Here's what I use and where I get it:


(Choose the viscosity.)

Motorcraft filters, I order 12 at a time:


There's a small savings on the filters, have paid upwards of $8 each for the NAPA Premium version.

Oil is the big savings plus it comes right to your door---no surly sales sheeple and all the driving etc normally required. I order 3 or 4 of the 5 quart bottles each time; less packaging and much much more convenient all around IMHO.

Keep in mind I change my oil ever 3 or 4K miles regardless the suggested intervals of longer life. Its a small price to pay for (hopefully) keeping a good running motor.


HTH

 

JWA is making great choices for an older van; the MaxLife oil is designed for older vehicles and in my 1991 BMW 318is, I have been using MaxLife 10W40 for the last 3 or 4 years. It has a seeping gasket under the oil filter mount and I've been too lazy to change it out--the MaxLife reduces the seepage.

(The original oil spec for the BMW was 15W40 and I used a lot of Shell Rotella in it over the years--but I drive it very little and the 10W40 flows better on cold starts.)

For a newer van, I'd stick with the Motorcraft syn blend 5W20. My van has 120k miles on it and does great on the Motorcraft syn blend. Consumes less oil now than when it was new.

Like I said, you can research all you want, but the Motorcraft stuff is great and there is no question that it will maintain your warranty coverage. (I know that any oil and filter that can meet specs does not void your warranty, but if you do have an oil related engine failure, there is no question with the Motorcraft stuff in your motor.)

Good luck,
George

 

Just today I used nearly 7 qts. of Ford Motorcraft 5w20 (and a Purolator oil filter) on my F250. The 5 qt jug was about $17 (Walmart), the 2 additional qts. were leftover from my wifes Honda Pilot oil change.

 

Anti Drain Back valves are not helpful when the filter is mounted vertical,... Right? My V10 filter is this way.
And lately I'm getting tired of buying full synthetic. Double the cost- for what? My van gets lots of miles, but operating temps are always normal, ...
It still drinks one quart every 1,000 miles whether it's full- or semi synthetic, or regular oil.
I'm about to start using Advance Auto 5W20...

 

Seems as though the thought of using synthetics isn't really being explained enough. Using synthetics isn't about seeing some great results right now, but rather seeing savings in extended drain intervals and longer engine life. Better fuel economy may or may not happen, as driving conditions and habits are considerable factors. It has been proven over and over again that a quality synthetic offers extended drain intervals and can dramatically extend the life of the engine when maintained properly. You could not pay me to go back to regular dinosaur oil, I even use synthetics in my small engines such as lawn mowers and pressure washers etc... There really is no need to continue with the 3000 mile oil changes any more, even new cars are stretching out to 7500 miles between changes. The hard part is sifting through all the hype. Mobile 1 might be a nascar sponsor, but if you think that those cars are running the same oil you can buy at wal mart, then maybe you should just follow your manufacturers instructions. But if you can spend a little time doing some research, you will find products like amsoil and schaeffer oil among others offer some serious advantages to protecting your investment. I have been a long time user of amsoil and have seen as much as a 4 mpg increase in fuel mileage, not to mention the extended drain intervals that save time and money in the long run. OIl analysis is highly recommended , at least at the beginning, to determine the duration between changes and it's a great way to actually "see" what's going on in your engine.

 

I agree with some of the "experts" here in Florida that say engines are being prematurely killed by using 5w20 in Ford engines. We have almost 0 days below 30 degrees and almost all months have temps above 90. They recommend 0w30. 0 weight to get things lubed quickly for the short cold period of time and the 30 weight for better viscosity when hot. I realize oil is like women: pick the size and weight that makes you happy. My personal favorite is Amsoil 0w30 Signature Series. Supposed to be good for 25,000 miles. I change at 5000-6000 miles. About $6 a quart if you become a member. I also buy for my friends. ...jack

 

Many Ford modular engines have lasted 250k to a million miles on conventional or syn blend oils, and I feel just fine with running changes out to 5-6k miles on Motorcraft syn blend.

Amsoil, Schaeffer, and Purple oils are niche products who have their "believers" and big sales hype. I am not into hype and never will be. They buy base stocks from one of the major oil mfrs. Amsoil is almost like a religion among its believers (and a pyramid scheme as well)... I call BS on 4 mpg increases with any oil. And I'd like to see real evidence of anyone in Florida or anywhere else that really killed a mod motor solely because they were running the recommended weight of oil. "They say" is not a compelling argument.

Peace out,
George

 

Yanno Motroo there might indeed be advantages to Amsoil et al but all the nonsense like oil analyses between extended changes etc seem a bit unnecessary to me.

Changing oil in our vans is not a tough or overly expensive task whether we're doing it at 3 or 4K (me for example) or letting it go to 5 or 7.5 K, NOT me. Regardless how high quality an engine oil might be its still subject to all the same conditions and contaminants as any other type or brand. I have huge peace of mind and plenty of experience that proper oil for any particular engine, "frequent" changes of filter and oil leads to motor longevity.

Perhaps in systems not internal combustion full synthetics are a marvelous thing. I'm sure its never been proven or even discussed how more frequent oil changes are detrimental to an engine's life. I KNOW Amsoil et al probably have reams of facts, research and so on about their products---I still do believe its in my financial or reliability interest to let engine oil go so long before its changed, much like my BVD's!

 

Disagree--there is a siphon effect--think of the oil pickup tube as a siphon hose, just like siphoning gasoline to a lower level (the oil pan in this case). My 4.6's filter is mounted vertically (threads at the top) and once the dealer put their "economy" non-Motorcraft oil filter on it by mistake and I got huge valve clattering every day when I started it up. Took off the filter within a week, put on an 820S, topped off the oil, and no more clattering. The dealer has since stopped using anything but Motorcraft filters.

Good ADB valves are important, probably more so than the type of oil you use, as most engine wear happens on startup. It's not like Motorcraft filters cost a lot--they are downright cheap.

George

 

JWA said it best: all engine oils are subject to the same contaminants.
Even if God made a Super Eternal engine oil, it's still gonna get dirty in our engines.

20,000+ mile oil changes are not reasonable for everyday people.

And I also call BS on 4mpg increase via different oil.

Increasing fuel efficiency can be done in two ways: reduce parasitic losses, or add power while sustaining fuel useage.

- Oil cant make the explosions better inside the engine.

- And even an A/C compressor doesn't cost 4mpg. No way is magic oil able to free up parasitic losses exceeding a mechanical freon pump.

 

You can call BS all you want, it doesn't change the truth. It was a Volkswagen passat TDI that got 43 mpg before I changed over at 30018 miles. After I changed over, I immediately got 44.5, then a solid 47 mpg for a very long time. Put over 200,000 miles on that car and sold it when the original clutch went out. 100 year old technology just might not be so good after that 100 years is up. hey, Whatever floats your boat man, you wanna spend all the extra time and money go ahead, I don't, because I don't have to. oil analysis might seem like a waste of time and money, but it seems to provide a lot of useful information to people and business all over the world. Especially all those semi trucks you DON'T see getting their oil changed every 3000 miles or even every 10,000 miles for that matter. I guess all you guys that have never used synthetics and all you guys who have never tried oil analysis really know what you're talking about so I 'll just be quiet and keep my FACTS to myself.