Hi, this might sound like a dumb question, but I will say it anyway. I'm going to be firing up my new 480 H.P. 351W, in a few weeks. I;m not sure what oil I should use in the engine. SO, I have narrowed it down to 2 oils.

I would appreciate it if someone would explain the difference between a 5w-30 oil, and a 10w-30 oil. Thanks a Bunch!!

 

Try this link.

www.vtr.org/maintain/oil-overview.html

I believe that it goes into some oil basics. In the end, you will have to decide which oil is best for your application and your climate...

 

Ok here goes. 5w30 non synthetic (dino) oil is 5 weight oil with polymers added to make the oil not thin out when hot so it's like a 30 wt.when hot. Same thing with 10w30, but it starts out a 10wt. The bigger the difference between the 2 numbers, the more of this polymer is needed to get the desired result. But the more there is, the less stable the oil is under heat stress, so it leaves deposits in the engine. That is why 10w40 is not recomended anymore. 5w30 is almost as bad, 40 -10= 30 difference, and 30-5=25 diff. That's why Ford and Honda are now saying to use 5w20. It's thinner for better fuel economy, and has less polymers (aka viscosity index or VI improvers) so less deposits form. Some carmakers still recomend 10w30 and it's got the least VI improvers in it, 30-10=20, but it's heavier viscosity (thickness) may not be too good for today's tight clearances. The heavier the first number, the less VI improver there is, even if the difference between the 2 weights is bigger. 20w50 has the least, 15w40 the next least, they just don't need as much VI improver because they start out heavier. In the world of synthetic oil, they need little to none VI improver due to the nature of their synthetic base stock. When you first run in your engine, a 10w30 or 30 wt dino would be a good choice. You can use synthetic, but wait until you have 10000 miles on it before you switch or you won't get a good break in, it's too slippery.

 

I am looking to start changing my oil myself as well and would like some suggestions. From what I've read on this forum so far, I am leaning towards a motorcraft filter and not a fram. What would you guys suggest I get for oil brand and type? I live in Philly and my truck has about 118000 miles on it. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

I like Valvoline.

 

Crazyromi, since availability varies across the county I won't recommend a specific brand. But I prefer the major brand oil companies because they are generally the first to advance new technology and you benefit from it. Find a supplier where you can consistently get your chosen brand at a good price. For year around use, chose an oil weight allowable for your regional Hi/Lo temperature extremes as listed in your owners manual.

 

XXL

 

I've always felt that my cars ran best on Valvoline - the engine always seem to be a bit smoother and quieter.

I've run Valvoline, Castrol GTX, Mobil 1, and a few others, and I always come back to Valvoline.

XXL

 

I like Valvoline too. Good Stuff! I have 260,000 miles on one of my engines using it exclusivley. In fact, the engine in this car is so quiet that you forget it is running at times. This was good enough proof for me to stick with it.

 

I have been told to use Pennzoil ... thoughts?

 

I've heard that Pennzoil can gum up an engine over time but maybe this is only a myth. I asked a mechanic about it though an he agreed so I thought that I would stay away from it. This is only my opinion though.

 

I've heard the same thing about Pennzoil, but they have since changed their refining process to produce their "Purebase" base oil. Other companies are doing the same thing due to the requirements of today's engines for a better oil. I've read about these and they are very pure, very good base stocks, and these were not written by Pennzoil or any other oil company. So the gumming problem can be relegated to the history books.

 

I agree that the base stocks used by Pennzoil are a highly refined Base II. The have new procedures that eliminate nearly all impurities that exist in crude. There are a bunch of oils that you can use that are made with this technology such as Chevron Supreme, Havoline, Pennzoil to name a few...