Engine won't last as long on 5w-20?
Junior User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 85
Likes: 2
I think before you judge the 5w20 by what has always been and old wives tales and the like you should find out other people's real world usage and analysis. If you are really curious you can go to www.bobistheoilguy.com and look ar UOAs of the Motorcraft 5w20. It has done extremely well. I have not started using it in my 97 F-150 5.4 yet but still may. It is a very thick 20 weight oil to begin with as far as the Motorcraft brand and does not hardly shear down. It would seem to hav a good deal of group III synthetic and Ford markets it as a synthetic blend. For $1.77 at Wallyworld the performance so far has been amazing not only in small cars but F-350s with V-10 engines have done well. Even if you do not want to use it I would not be so quick to back it. Just like all other technologies engines and motor oil evolve as well. What may have been great 10 years ago may not be the best now. Food for thought.
New User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 14
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From: Chickasha, Oklahoma
I've too been watching the UOA's on bobistheoilguy page and WOW, they have been coming back great. In a lot of cases, better than any 5w-30's, 15W-40's, 0W-20's. One thing that I have learned from being over there is: every engine is different. You learn about the spec's of the oil and that is your starting point. Some engines perform better with a dino over a synthetic.
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 858
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From: Kentucky
As mentioned above, UOA's on the 5w20's, especially Motorcraft, have just been fantastic. I trust hard data over speculation so I'd say that motors in which 5w20 is recommended will do just fine with that oil.
New User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 17
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You know, back when I was young, the early 1950's, cars used straight weights of oil- 10 wt, 20 wt, and 30wt mostly. Most new cars used 20 wt except in really cold weather when 10 wt was recommended. Anyway, I had a 1954 Ford V-8 that I used while I was in the Army. I was stationed in St Louis and I drove home almost every weekend to see my girl. It was a 660 mile round trip. I began doing this in 1956 when my car already had 40,000 miles on it, and when I got discharged in 1959, I had over 120,000 miles on it. I always used 20 wt oil and it never burned any.. I never had to begin using 30 wt. This car got very infrequent oil changes, maybe every 5 t0 8000 miles.
Point is, cars and trucks today should do very well on today's 5W20 Motorcraft synthetic blend oil. Most of the UOA's I see seem to prove this.
Point is, cars and trucks today should do very well on today's 5W20 Motorcraft synthetic blend oil. Most of the UOA's I see seem to prove this.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 240
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From: in a house
Originally Posted by TNford27
Well BlueRanger94, It's a proven fact that 5w-20 oil is not a durable as the heavier wt's of oil,all you have to do is look at the spec. sheets,I contacted castrol today to get a spec sheet on the
new 5w-20 syntec oil,but they will not have it until september,whats up with that
I wouldn't mind to run the 5w-20 if I knew that it protected as much as the 5w-30 oils. I am going to research it a little more,(Like I haven't already)just to satisfy my own mind.
new 5w-20 syntec oil,but they will not have it until september,whats up with that
I wouldn't mind to run the 5w-20 if I knew that it protected as much as the 5w-30 oils. I am going to research it a little more,(Like I haven't already)just to satisfy my own mind.Just very untrue. 5w-20 has held up BETTER than 5w-30 in UOA.
Last edited by Stab; May 6, 2004 at 02:36 AM.
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 240
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From: in a house
Originally Posted by TNford27
Well BlueRanger94, It's a proven fact that 5w-20 oil is not a durable as the heavier wt's of oil,all you have to do is look at the spec. sheets,I contacted castrol today to get a spec sheet on the
new 5w-20 syntec oil,but they will not have it until september,whats up with that I wouldn't mind to run the 5w-20 if I knew that it protected as much as the 5w-30 oils. I am going to research it a little more,(Like I haven't already)just to satisfy my own mind.
new 5w-20 syntec oil,but they will not have it until september,whats up with that
I wouldn't mind to run the 5w-20 if I knew that it protected as much as the 5w-30 oils. I am going to research it a little more,(Like I haven't already)just to satisfy my own mind.Why would you like to run a "inferior" oil according to your "research"?
Also you still have not answered the question. Which parts have you seen worn out?
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
From: Venice, FL
seeing that the Motorcraft 5w20 is a semi-synthetic are we comparing apples to apples? how does a synthetic or semi compare to straight dino. Why are Mobil One grades "thinner" than dino. I think we are getting the same protection with 5w20 semi as 5w30 or 10w30 dino
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 53
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From: mooresburg Tn.
Stab,you are correct. I was putting the cart before the horse sort of speak,and I guess I was paniking a little bit because of what the service manager at the lincoln mercury place told me. I have done alot of research since then on bobistheoilguy,and looking at the UOA's & NOA's the 5w-20 hold's up as good if not better than the other grade's of oil,especially Pennzoil 
,that's what I run. When I first changed my oil they did not have any 5w-20 Penn at the store's yet so I put castrol syn blend in,just drained it out at 4500 miles and it was not pretty looking,not like Penn does when I drain it out. Any way I hope this clear's up my thread of two month's ago,when I was young and foolish 
. Foolish sometime's,but 42 yrs young.
,that's what I run. When I first changed my oil they did not have any 5w-20 Penn at the store's yet so I put castrol syn blend in,just drained it out at 4500 miles and it was not pretty looking,not like Penn does when I drain it out. Any way I hope this clear's up my thread of two month's ago,when I was young and foolish . Foolish sometime's,but 42 yrs young.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 221
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From: East haven ct
I changed to 5w30 mobil 1 and lost over 1mpg
a co-worker has the same truck as i 2001 f-150 5.4 auto with 250k only used 5w20 still running strong
I have switch to 5w20 redline got back the 1mpg+closer to 2mpg
this all Iin the real world not on a spec sheet
a co-worker has the same truck as i 2001 f-150 5.4 auto with 250k only used 5w20 still running strong
I have switch to 5w20 redline got back the 1mpg+closer to 2mpg
this all Iin the real world not on a spec sheet
Senior User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 108
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As i read this thread i see alot of miss information. I couldn't advice more strongly against putting thicker oils in engines than what they were designed for. First of all the magority of engine wear occures at start up while oil is taking time to circulate. The new oils also have much higher film strenth and do not require as much visciousity to do their job. The clearances on modern engines are set very tight and thick oil will not circulate until far to late hence why they will void the warrenty. Another interesting fact is that many racers these days are running on 0-20 oil very sucessfully. I run all my engines on 0-30 with alot of sucess
New User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 17
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Originally Posted by paradiddle
seeing that the Motorcraft 5w20 is a semi-synthetic are we comparing apples to apples? how does a synthetic or semi compare to straight dino. Why are Mobil One grades "thinner" than dino. I think we are getting the same protection with 5w20 semi as 5w30 or 10w30 dino
New User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 17
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Originally Posted by old farmer
OK, I've got to get in on this one.
First point: I have an old Ford owners manual from 1954 that says to use 20wt oil in summer temps and 10wt in winter between 32deg and 0 deg. Use 5wt below zero. Also have an old gas tractor with the same recommendation. So, the light oil recommendation isn't new.
Second point: CAFE still exists and because so many SUVs are being bought, it's hard to meet CAFE regs, so Ford will do anything to get that tiny bit of gas mileage to stay within the regs, even if it's just barely within. Hence the use of 5w20. On a test bed it may only be worth one tenth of one mpg, but if it gets them where they need to be, they'll do it.
Third point: I was talking to a mechanical engineer at work, responsible for the care and repair of pumps and compressors, and he said the recommendation of 5w20 is for Ford's benefit, not the car owner's. Meaning it keeps them in the CAFE regs, and the engines don't last as long so they can sell more cars. He said he wouldn't use it. He'd run 5w30 in winter, and 10w30 in hot weather. A synthetic would be even better, but a dino would be fine. Just got to remember to stay light enough so the ohc cams and rockers get oil quickly when cold. That's my 2 cents.
First point: I have an old Ford owners manual from 1954 that says to use 20wt oil in summer temps and 10wt in winter between 32deg and 0 deg. Use 5wt below zero. Also have an old gas tractor with the same recommendation. So, the light oil recommendation isn't new.
Second point: CAFE still exists and because so many SUVs are being bought, it's hard to meet CAFE regs, so Ford will do anything to get that tiny bit of gas mileage to stay within the regs, even if it's just barely within. Hence the use of 5w20. On a test bed it may only be worth one tenth of one mpg, but if it gets them where they need to be, they'll do it.
Third point: I was talking to a mechanical engineer at work, responsible for the care and repair of pumps and compressors, and he said the recommendation of 5w20 is for Ford's benefit, not the car owner's. Meaning it keeps them in the CAFE regs, and the engines don't last as long so they can sell more cars. He said he wouldn't use it. He'd run 5w30 in winter, and 10w30 in hot weather. A synthetic would be even better, but a dino would be fine. Just got to remember to stay light enough so the ohc cams and rockers get oil quickly when cold. That's my 2 cents.
I don't put much stock in the opinions of the engineer where you work. I see too many great UOA's on Motorcraft 5W-20. I also see no reason to not use 5W-30 year round, instead of changing to 10W-30 in the summer.
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