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I had just bought the pickup a month ago,it had gasoline ran in it multiple times. And a full tank of 3 year old gas sitting in it. But i had pulled the hpop off to get a good look of the cam
You may have much bigger problems than just a cam that looks suspect.
Curious why you took a chance on this truck with its history.
You may have much bigger problems than just a cam that looks suspect.
Curious why you took a chance on this truck with its history.
I got the pickup for 2 grand, it has 130k miles/4500 hours on it and has been "bulletproofed" with ton of money poured into it by the previous owner. But i am not sure after seeing the cam shaft if its worth fixing it up or going a different direction.
The cam doesn't look worn that bad based on the pic. For the price if the PO dumped money into it and worse case you need injectors from the gasoline, you're ahead.
Hell, run it. If you get a year out of it you probably got your money's worth. If it's well optioned & still in nice shape, you could even justify a rebuild if/when it dies.
LOL. I have 250k miles on 5W40 in S. Texas - original injectors, original valve train. This is an old topic and has been resolved. It does not need to be brought up again. 40 weight is 40 weight at all operating temperatures. Lots and lots of analyses .... science, not myth. Lots of others running around on 5W40 w/ similar history.
So many stiction problems from 20 degree-ish weather and 15W40.
We know all about this (it is Ford's most up-to-date 6.0L publication, if good for one 6.0L, then it is good for all).
Hey.. Again, to each there own.... Ford didn't design or build the 7.3l, 6.0l, or 6.4l.. International did.... International came out with a TSB in 2019 again stating the vt365 (Ford 6.0l) should only use 15w40 above 20 degree's.... Attached is the tsb.. The dt466, vt275, vt365 oil viscosity chart shows 15w40 above 20 degree's only.... They only approved 5w40 in there max force common rail engines that dont use the heui injection system... Back in 2009 when Ford first started selling the 5w40 oil I had a long conversation with an international FSE. He said international has never and will never recommend anything but 15w40 in any of there heui injection system engines when temps are above 20 degrees. Then again, in writing, International came out and restated this...
Everyone, including Ford, has an opinion, but I personally in my Powerstroke/Ford specialty shop, go by what the international engineers say, since they designed and built the engine..
I tried to attach the international tsb but for whatever reason the website doesnt like it.. You can cut and paste the below https into the google machine to see it. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...65643-0001.pdf
Last edited by LEEDSnDeed; Jan 28, 2026 at 09:10 AM.
LOL, me too I guess. BTW - I am fully aware of all the Navistar information and documentation, but perhaps not all the readers are. Also, it has been posted on this forum in past years.
Here are a few considerations -
International did not sell a 5W40 under their labeling (Fleetrite), not during any of the time when producing the VT365. They did have Fleetrite branded 15W40.
Ford FIRST introduced a 5W40 oil with their label (Motorcraft) in early 2008 (two references for that below - from Ford and from the DTS).
The 2009 Econoline (Ford) oil documentation for 5W40 oil being recommended at the full temperature range (except for cold extremes, and then 0W40) came out a couple of months after they started their brand of 5W40. Not a coincidence. They did have Motorcraft branded 15W40.
Both 5W40 and 15w40 ARE 40 wt oils at full engine temperature
Quality 5W40 oils do not shear as much as some/most internet posts suggest (after looking at a lot of actual analytical data).
Many technical sources state that a large percentage of engine wear is at cold startup (where a thinner low temperature viscosity will help provide some benefit over an oil with a thicker cold temperature viscosity) . Gets oil flowing more quickly. HEUI weaknesses exist at excess oil temps AND also at low temps when the oil is TOO viscous (IMO this is below 30 degrees, not 20!
My engine has no magic pixie dust - doing quite well w/ 5W40 (all but the factory fill). I have even gathered data at a number of 7500 mile OCI intervals to get shearing data beyond the typical OCI point. Same result - shearing to the very TOP of the 30 wt oil range, and not below. Not a significant difference at all in wear in this state of hydrodynamic lubrication. BTW I have UOA on EVERY oil change and a buch from other peoples engines!
EDIT - I do believe (have posted it MANY times) that it is VERY important for the oil temperatures to be managed at the lower end of the operating range. Oil in the engine gets significantly hotter than the temperature that we see on the EOT PID. Managing oil temperature was harder for Ford than Navistar because of the coolant choice. The reason for the need to keep oil temps 220*F - 230*F (as much as is possible anyway) is due to a number of reasons (rotating component protection and soft good protection, ie o-rings/gaskets/seals). Stiction w/ 15W40 is WELL documented. Darn HEUI weaknesses and the Navistar injector design, lol. The School Bus Forum was an interesting one to watch "way back when"! https://www.schoolbusfleet.com/forum...TOPIC_ID=20406 https://www.powerstroke.org/threads/...dvice.1398216/
.
All good. Yep... I try to explain the dont idling your truck up to operating temp thing when its cold out but most of my fleet operators do it anyway......
I had a customer Tomas find my shop through word of mouth about 5 year and about 120k miles ago.. He found me because he had been taking his truck to the dealer since it was new and it developed a lower end tap/knock. other then then noise, It ran perfect. He had been running motorcraft 5w40 in it.. The dealer was of course shot gunning it by recommended a new motor, which I guess is reasonable since it had about 250k on it at the time... He wanted me to build an engine.. In fact I started pricing it out but after driving it a few times and find out he was running 5w40, all I did was a 15w40 oil and oem filter and about 2 days later I get a call from him and the noise was comletely gone... Still to this day he tows almost every day with it and the noise has never returned..
May have just been coincidence.
Last edited by LEEDSnDeed; Jan 28, 2026 at 03:38 PM.
We have to acknowledge that even with a LOT of data from one shop (and especially a lot of data from one individual), that it is STILL a VERY small data set for determining statistics. Especially so since well used engines (trucks) are involved. There is no way to actually define all that the truck has been through during its "life". Even if an individual keeps good records like I do, it is insufficient for an air-tight case to be built and claim it as statistical proof. At best it can be in the category of "preponderance of evidence". I can't tell you how many people say they don't hot rod their truck, but then they are actually seen doing it!
That said, I do not believe in lucky or accidental reliability.
I will acknowledge that a slight benefit may exist with 15W40 if the suggested operating "parameters are exceeded. Even though they are both 40 wt oils, their similarity in (viscosity) operating curve are generally most significant/relevant within the acceptable operating range. In other words, if a truck is abused with excessive horsepower and engine temperatures, the difference in the two oils at the extremes may noticeably exist enough to provide some benefit (message - if you want reliability, you need to make wise decisions)!
Lastly - if you ask Ford - "What oil do you recommend?". They will refer to their own - PERIOD. Press them to recommend another brand and they won't, unless they have a business agreement/relationship with the other company. I do not believe that they (or International) would ever put in writing to use an oil that they did not provide or endorse. Please note also that a specific dealership is not Ford. They are independently owned. You may get different answers from different dealerships depending on their specific experience/knowledge/self-confidence!
Anyway, thanks for the civil discussion. We probably did a bit too much of diverting from the original topic, but if so, that can be handled by the moderators (John) !
You're both wrong..... it's that darn CK-4/SN oil sucking the nutrients clean out of the metal that does it. CJ-4 FOR LIFE
Man, can't believe it's been so long since that concern popped up. But hey, Rotella T6 has the CK-4 and SN ratings on opposite ends of the list, makes my feels better. Compared to DELO putting CK-4/SN right there on the front label, making my engine all nervous about gas oil going in.
FWIW to me the 5W is worth it in the winter, 0* cold start goes much better with it. I use to change back and forth between 5W winter and 15W summer, then eventually stopped because I wasn't seeing anything except cold start differences between the two. 20 years into this thing I don't think my bearings are going to give up before the seals start rotting away, more likely to open the engine because it won't hold oil anymore than over damage from 5W. Gotta keep some perspective from a high level - might not be too long before the truck is on the 6.9L oil change schedule - add it as it disappears and you never have to change it!
Last edited by texastech_diesel; Feb 5, 2026 at 10:23 AM.
You're both wrong..... it's that darn CK-4/SN oil sucking the nutrients clean out of the metal that does it. CJ-4 FOR LIFE
Man, can't believe it's been so long since that concern popped up. But hey, Rotella T6 has the CK-4 and SN ratings on opposite ends of the list, makes my feels better. Compared to DELO putting CK-4/SN right there on the front label, making my engine all nervous about gas oil going in.
FWIW to me the 5W is worth it in the winter, 0* cold start goes much better with it. I use to change back and forth between 5W winter and 15W summer, then eventually stopped because I wasn't seeing anything except cold start differences between the two. 20 years into this thing I don't think my bearings are going to give up before the seals start rotting away, more likely to open the engine because it won't hold oil anymore than over damage from 5W. Gotta keep some perspective from a high level - might not be too long before the truck is on the 6.9L oil change schedule - add it as it disappears and you never have to change it!
0w40 Delvac with Archoil ar9100 year round for my truck up here in Canada
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