Well, there seems to be a lot of confusion again regarding the Fords spec using the 5w-20 oils. I thought I would explain it again for those that didn't catch it the first time. Everybody wants to speculate that it is only for CAFE reasons that Ford specs this light weight oil. After reviewing the test criteria, you should understand that there is a lot more to Fords spec than CAFE. It has to do with deposits, viscosity breakdown/ thickening, and valve train wear.

Let me first explain the Sequence IIIF criteria. It is a test that evaluates oil thickening, piston deposits, and valve train wear under high speed, high temperature conditions. Test length is 80 hours ( or roughly 2 weeks), and max viscosity increase is 275%.

Now, what does that mean in regards to the 153-H oils that we are considering using and Fords requirement to use it? Ford has established requirements that exceed API SL/GF-3 standards set by API. Ford requires either a DOUBLE lenght Sequence IIIF or a DOUBLE length Sequence IIIE test with maximum viscosity increase of 200%. API Sequence IIIF requires 80 hours and a viscosity increase of 275% max while the Sequence IIIE requires 64 hours with a viscosity increase of 375% max. Ford requires the test time table to be DOUBLE and max viscosity increase of 200% only. Much tighter and higher standards and harder to meet than regular dino oils or synthetics. Ford also requires a limit of 30mg high temp deposits for the double lenght test compared to API SL limits of 45mg for single test length. So you can easily see that the oils meeting this standard are pretty darn tough.

In regards to Motorcraft Oil specs, the pour point is -49F, Flash point is 435F, Viscosity at 100C is 8.5 (9.30 is a 30W, so it is almost a 30w or a heavy 20w), Viscosity index is 147. The HT/HS rating (directly related to bearing and ring wear) is 2.78.

I also see folks attempting to justify the use of a synthetic thinking it is better in this weight oil. Mobil One has a HT/HS rating of 2.6 which is absolute minimum to stay within the Ford spec. Obviously, it is the bottom of the barrel as other "blends" exceed M1. When selecting your 5w-20 oil, I would suggest looking for one that has a higher than minimum HT/HS rating. Most of the "blends" are higher than minimum and most now contain moly which is a good barrier lube.

There has been questions in regards to high heat environment. I can't imagine that many folks live in a hotter area than I do. We have on average 45 days of over 115F, over 90 days of over 110F heat. My 4.6 sits and idles with the A/C running all day- it's too hot to let the truck heat up inside as the A/c will never cool it down. I have had no oil related problems and my oil analysis come back with very low, single digit wear metals. Using the 5w-20 oils in a high heat environment is fine, just fine.

I hope this clears up any concerns some of you have in regards to the lighter but much better oils.

 

Thanks for the info!!!!!

 

excellent work!

Some people scoff at the fact that you have to pay a few bucks more to get the warranty recommended oil, and get the cheaper stuff, but I don't. All the warranty officer has to do is get an oil sample, and even though there may be 5w20 in it now, they can tell if there ever was 5w30 or 10w30.

I am a big believer of doing what is recommended, but I will question the recommendation, and you have just answered my question. Thanks.

 

Flash,

Thanks for the great writeup. I really like this web site. All kinds of really great technical information is provided free of charge. How nice.

The Goodyear dealer where I go for my oil changes charges an extra $1.70 a quart for 5w-20. A rip but I want what Ford recommends in my vehicle. I cannot afford to pay for the damage from using the wrong oil.

Last oil change they used 5w-20 Valvoline. This time I stopped at Wally Mart and bought Motorcraft 5W-20. Figure as long as I have to pay the premium I might as well get the oil I want.

I love my Ford truck and want to keep it running for a long time.

Chip

http://www.harlinski.com/f150/f150.jpg

 

Flash, thanks for the writeup...

And as long as we're on the subject, here's a link to the Ford TSB that sets forth Ford's recommended use of Motorcraft 5W-20:

ARTICLE 02-1-9 - ENGINE OIL - APPLICATIONS FOR SAE 5W-20

 

First off, I'll agree that if you're going to use a 5w-20 it's a good idea to stick with the Motorcraft 5w-20 - it seems to be a very good oil, and has returned excellent oil analysis results. There really wouldn't be any reason to switch from this oil to a thin synthetic (like M1's 0w-20).

However, one of the primary reasons Ford had to come up with such a tough standard is because 5w-20 oils generally don't protect the engine as well as thicker oils. From what I understand (from talking to engineers within Ford) the new standard was basically a compromise - originally there was a lot of objection to using such a thin oil, so eventually the compromise was reached that they'd recommend the thin oil as long as they required the oil to meet a tougher standard. The use of 5w-20 was entirely to meet CAFE standards, and the tougher specification was put in place to ensure that these thinner oils were still good enough to protect the engine.

Is a 5w-20 oil that meets Ford's specification better than a 'normal' 5w-30 oil? That's a tough call...it would really depend on what particular 5w-30 it was. To be perfectly honest, a HT/HS of 2.6 or 2.78 really isn't very good - and thicker oils generally have better HT/HS numbers (it isn't a rule, but is definitely the general trend). To use an extreme example, M1 15w-50 has a HT/HS of 5.11 - nearly twice that of M1's own 0w-20 oil. M1 10w-30 has a HT/HS of 3.17 - better than any of the 20-weight oils, but still not really great.

As far as the Sequence IIIE/IIIF tests, Mobil used to advertise that their thicker grades could pass a quadruple (4x) length sequence IIIE test - but this was back before there was a IIIF, and I'm not sure how well they'd fare on that. However, they should easily be able to meet (and exceed) Ford's standards - though I'm really not sure about the 0w-20, as I'm not really a fan of that particular oil. As I said earlier, I'd run Motorcraft 5w-20 before I'd run M1 0w-20.

LK

 

I work at Wal mart and we use pennzoil 5w20 oil, seems to be good. Don't forget Hondas use it now as well, I think that in the future everyone will be using it. But I would still go with Motorcraft over any other product.

 

I use quaker state 5w20. I saw the penzoil at wal-mart, but I just did an oil change the week before, and wal-mart is a half hour drive from my house. Canadian Tire (where I get quaker state) is only 5 minutes away, and the price is within pennies. I guess I should check wal-mart now for motorcraft. I know they got some AC Delco oil, but wouldn't put that in my Ford anyway.

 

Wal-Mart sell the Motorcraft 5W-20 for $1.77/Qt

 

Ok, so after reading all of this, I'm just going to come out and ask. What about Castrol 5w-20 and the 5w-20 Synthetic blend. (This way I don't screw anything up in amateur interpretation)

 

Flash,

I may be wrong on this. but I thought I remembered where you posted that you mixed a quart of 15w-40 with your 5w-20 to eliminate valve train noise.

 

I am running Castrol 5W20 in my Escape presently. Will have a UOA on it in about 1,000 miles. I elected to try it after comparing specs and other UOA reports on it. I ran Motorcraft originally, but was not impressed with the UOA I got back. It was okay, but nothing to brag about. I posted it somewhere on this forum a year ago. Frankly, I think you're splitting hairs (me included) trying to pick "the best" main line 5W20 oil...Castrol, Pennzoil, Motorcraft, QS, Havoline, etc....thay are probably more alike than diffferent.

 

I saw on the TSB that Ford now recommends the 5w-20 for my 1999 Taurus. I do not think I wil be using it in the Taurus. I will stick to a good dino like Chevron Supreme that uses a high quality hydrocracked base oil...

 

As I am understanding it, though, the 153-H spec is specifically for 5W-20 and fuel economy (vs. protection, which is why they spec'd a better 5W-20, hence the newer 153-H spec).

Correct me if I am wrong here: It was not that the 153-G spec is bad at all and, in fact, 153-G oils protect as well, if not better, but at the slight detriment of fuel economy (I imagine 153-G oils are of the 30-weight series, and are often synthetic).

153-H was thrown out there not as an improvement over 153-G, but as a minimum reqirement spec for the 5W-20 oil Ford was choosing to use to lower the fleet's fuel economy (which all manufacturers have to do for the government).

So believing that 153-H is the end-all, be-all spec in as far as really protecting one's engine is a bit 'off,' for as I understand it the spec was created out of the need to balance a 'trade-off' between minimum protection and fuel economy. This is, sadly, the same thing GM did years ago when we saw the 350 c.i. V-8's coming out with "5W-30" marked on their oil-filler caps. It was not that the engine was being better protected - it was that the fleet-wide fuel economy was better with a thinner oil. (GM engineering and tolerances in a 30-year-old engine design just weren't that great)

Going back to a good, but thin enough, 30-weight oil, M1’s 0W-30 has a HTHS rating of 2.99, which sounds OK.

With a pour-point so low, and based on past posts, am I correct in assuming that Motorcraft’s 5W-20 is at least a semi-synthetic (hence the extra cost)?

Best,
Gamma

 

As you probably know, the 153-H spec has been superceded by the 930-A spec. The 153 oils were either a mostly Gp III dino synthetic or a good percentage PAO basestock. The dino basestocks have improved dramatically and the percentages of actual synthetic basestocks are down but to reliably hit the spec with production oils, it will be a blend.

Your comments regarding M1 0w-30. The HT/HS rating of 2.9 is just above the industry standard for this speced oil. An absolute minimum of 2.6 is required and for average wear a HT/HS rating of 2.8 is required. Most of the 930 oils will rate better than that. Redline will come in at 3.3 for the 5w-20 oil, Havoline will hit 2.9. In my opinion, there are better Mobil products out there. The 7500 is a favorite. Even the 5w-30 old M1 is a better oil being that it is just barely a thin 30w, generally shears to a heavy 20w and then oxidizes back to a thin 30w. Lube engineers agree that the thinnest cold start winter rating is 5w and the thickest viscosity at temp is 40. This excludes artic conditions, obviously. As the formulations change, so will be the thinking behind the formulations. Reduced ZDDP has made newer types of moly more prominent and antimony is the direction some oil formulators are looking.

In regards to the 5w-30 spec on GM engines. The oil flows better at cold temps providing better protection at cold startup. At operating temps, it is the same 30. There are no other benefits to running a 5w-30 over a 10w-30, all things being equal. Ford also specs a 5w-xx oil for better flow characteristics at cold startup for the OHC design.

One thing is for sure, the oils of today are far better products than the oils of the nineties. Even a discount oil today is a good oil as long as it is API and a current rating.