I own a 1995 E150 van with the 5.0 liter V8 and have been running the Motorcraft semi-synthetic 5W-30 in it. I recently moved from Chicago to Florida and was wondering what thicker oil I could switch to? It also should be noted that it burns roughly a quart of oil every 600 miles. The owner's manual calls for either 5W-30 or 10W-30. Preferably I would like to stick with the Motorcraft brand.

 

These motors were originally spec'd with 10w30 in general but can use as high as 20w50 for heavy use in hot climates, the lighter weight synthetic oils recommended for later motors was mostly a move to maximize fuel economy.

 

Conanski is correct, and the thin oil does you no favors. When I use synthetic oils, I use the 5w50 or the like. Non synthetic oil I use 20-50 in everything. Almost all of the oil comes from the same place, so there is not much difference in brands.

 

My 95 was burning about a quart every 1000 miles or so, switched to Rotella T6 5w40 synthetic, and consumption went way down maybe a quart every 2500. With a quarter million miles I know it has oil getting by the rings but I think the heavier oil slows that down quite a bit.