I have a 2006 F350 V10, its a great truck and I am happy with my choice. I have replaced the stock junk continental 18inch tires with the good year tires, not alot of choices in the 18inch category. I also have the hot shot windshield washer system in it and I have installed a western v-plow. If any of you have any Q's about these feel free to ask. Anyway to my question. My truck has 4500 miles on it and the oil was changed at 2000. I plan on changing the oil again at 5000 and I was wondering about my oil choice. I know what ford recomends and I know that there is alot of believers in the motocraft oil. Is there any other oil possabilities out there. I have used Shell Rotella oil before in my diesels and have had good luck with it, I know that it is also good for gas motors. I do some towing and plowing. any suggestions

 

Welcome aboard, troop, and congrats on your new truck.

As long as any oil meets the Ford specs, it will be okay. You will get many opinions on this so get ready...

 

best to do a site search on oil you will amazed, as to reality most of the guys use 5 w20 as ford states and have no problems with useage, brand wise it's your ride your call.
personly the motorcraft is a semi blend stay with that or a full syntec . i run castrol full syntec and the truck runs great uses 0 in between changes at every 3 k or 6 months what ever comes first.

 

I really like the Motorcraft 5-20. I did one long day where I put 800 miles with the camper on. Lot's of steep grades and high revs. When I checked the oil the next day it had not moved on that dipstick. My 460, two 7.3 PSDs and my 6.0 PSD all used oil.

This is the first pickup engine I have owned, gas or diesel that did not use some oil when worked and this V10 of mine will outpull stock 7.3s and it matches the performance of my 04 6.0 PSD as I have done this same trip dozens of times over the years . My 88 460 was a dog on the 8% grades and not even in the same class as my 05 V10 ( sorry 460 lovers ) .

Troop, glad you like your 06 V10 and how do you the like the Wranglers?
They are the 65 series right, so they give you a little lower gearing which the V10 likes.

One last thing on 5-20, I have a 3000 mile trip coming up this spring pulling my 06 Montana Fiver. I will weigh around 20000 pounds and I am going to do a UOA when I get back to prove once and for all to myself that a 20 weight engine oil can protect these engines because there are so many people out there that claim to know more than all the Ford and Honda engineers that recommend 5-20 in their engines.

One last testament to M/C 5-20 in a Ford modular. My Dear Old Dad took his 97 Merc Marquis with a 4.6 and pulled a 22 foot travel trailer from the West coast to the East coast. Mom packed the thing like they were towing it with a Kenworth and that thing was in low gear screaming up every grade on that trip.

He used very little oil and the only thing that happened on an 8% grade he had pulled it into low and forgot it there and was doing 60 mph for quite a while when the power steering pump locked up, snapped the shaft, lost the pulley and belts and boiled her dry. The 4.6 went into that fail safe firing mode and he got her towed in. New P/S pump put on, stranded 5 days waiting for a pulley ( new car....rare part to replace )
and made the rest of that trip with no issues. That 4.6 purred like a kitten after that trip and Dad sold it a few years later and it is probably still purring. M/C 5-20 protected that poor over worked 4.6 and it will protect a V10 just fine.

Dad is still around ,79 now,and drove him and Mom down to Yuma in his 05 Freestar Van. He still does his own oil changes and guess what oil he uses?

 

All I know is whatever crap was in my 2001 when I got it NEW, when I replaced it with Castrol GTX (dino) 5w30, the timing chains and top end made less noise.

OK, that's subjective, and has nothing to do with longevity, but given the obvious difference in noise level, I ain't going back to 5w20.

Just make sure it's 5w20 or 5w30 and it meets Ford's specs.

 

I like the Motorcraft 5W-20. My 98 recommnded 5W-30 originally, but then Ford switched to recommending 5W-20 in the newer motors, then all V10's.

I tried various synthetics, but I was 1/2 a quart to a full quart low after 5,000 miles which I never get w/MC 5W-20. Plus it's $2 a quart (*******s, it WAS $1.70) at Wally World and I get the Motorcraft oil filter there with it (NEVER, NEVER BUY THE ORANGE OIL FILTER, the anti-syphon valve is cheap, it can fail and drain all the oil out of your filter which causes dry starts).

Yea, I got piston slap, always have, don't care no more. With 120,000 HARD miles on it I'm past the point of thinking it hurts anything. She runs like a SA Ape, gets 12-16 mpg and hauls, pulls, pushes, whips anything I've ever put her up against.

I'll stick with Motorcraft 5W-20 for at least the next 380,000 miles, then I may re-assess.

 

Ken, I love ya, but ... I've used Fram for the last 22 years. On my FE 360 and 390's, two 4.6L's, and the V10. Although I don't use anything on the V10 but the XG2 Fram which has the silicone anti-drainback valve. And that's only because the V10 owner's manual specifies the FL-820S Motorcraft (notice the S suffix - that's for silicone anti-drainback).

Never a dry start.

My brother-in-law sells Fram filters to the marine industry here on Long Island for the last 25 years. He's NEVER had a warranty claim on a Fram. Motorcraft, AC, Purolator, Pennzoil etc? He's had quite a few.

To me, when someone sells tens-of-thousands of these things and never gets a complaint from the biggest bunch of whiney-babies (marine mechanics - Sorry Cap!), but gets warranty claims for others, that tells me something.

One thing I do is to pull the fuel-pump fuse, and crank the engine until the idiot-light (gauge) shows oil pressure BEFORE starting the motor.

Again, never a dry start on two 4.6L's (without the silicone anti-drainback) and my V10 (w/silicone anti-drainback).

Sorry, had to say that

 

If you love yellow they have a spec that works...if you are a die hard valvoline man..it is ok as is any orhte brand you are loyal to.

Me I am a no fuss no muss kinda guy and I found that the MotorCraft semi-synthetic 5W20 is as good as any other brand out ther but it has one quality that makes it superior. For $1.79 per quart and changed at every 3000 miles or 90 days I and guarenteed to NEVER argue with Ford over a warranty issue relating to oil.

In my less expensive vehicles that have been out of warranty for many years... I use what I love, Castrol GTX but for the expensive truck that I abuse the hell out of towing and hauling... I protect my warranty like it is gold.

Bottom line is that there is no compelling reason to switch from the MC 5W20 other then brand loyalty. my humble opinion.

For what it is worth.... these v10s are very reliable and I do not think for one minute that switching to any other oil that has similar viscosity ratings and addative package can cause any harm or damage. But every couple of thousand motors one will come out of the assembly plant with a too tight or too loose bearing cap or other bottom end part that craps out and eats the motor... do you really want some nit wit service writer claiming that the Penzoil was the cause? Or that the pretty Fram orange did not meet spec so warranty voided...... yes yes yes I know that this is lunacy and that you should eventually be able to prove the oil or the filter did not cause the bearing cap to fall off...but why risk the argument to begin with is my point.

 

Why be sorry ? You got your opinion, I got mine. I still admire ya my friend. We can differ, and still be friends, it's the American way, peace bro, Ken

PS, the XG, TG are different than the orange .99 cent filters, eh ?

 

for the record...I am not a Fram fan...but admit to removing and installing about 50 PH8A on my Ford SB v8s over the years... I never had a problem with them... I of course have changed the oil on one or more vehicle every 90 days since I was 13 years old...what the hell do I know

Some day some body will prove to me how the oil can drain out of a filter that the opening is straight up on..... I don't by the siphon it out theory either...



relax I am bored and just stirring the poo a little

 

might want to put a 3 in front of the .99 . the XG is 9.99 and tg is 5.99 last i checked.

 

I recently went through each one, of course the "FL" is the standard paper-cap filter, rubber anti-drainback. The one I've never had a problem with, even the ones that sat in my highboy for years (one was in there for three years - I recently opened it up, no deterioration of the paper or anything else).

The TG is a silicone anti-drainback valve (if I remember correctly), but otherwise the same as the FL - don't know about the media though. So, it's a FL-820S compatible.

The XG has the silicone anti-drainback, and metal end caps (on the media) and is supposedly a better media (more cubic inches - more volume to hold crap) meant for synthetics' long change interval.

All three have metal inner (the "pipe" in the middle that keeps the media from collapsing).

Like Fred, I've used FL8A's on plenty of stuff - never a dry start. Nor on my modulars.

I have a brand DIS-loyalty with Motorcraft. The first time I had the dealer change my t-bird's 4.6L oil at 15K miles, and it was almost black in 2K miles, I've stayed away from both Motorcraft oil and filters. While I understand the MC 5w20 loyalty, I just can't bring myself to accept it as a brand (except plugs, but I know who they're made by - a customer of mine)

And I don't buy the "if your oil is dirty, it's doing it's job cleaning the inside of the motor" ... SURE...

 

Up in Canada, Fram means junk and I wouldn't put one of them on any vehicle I own , and that's my opinion and no inlaw stories are going to change my mind.

 

wrenchtraveller thanks for your input. The tires are the goodyear at/s they are 275/65's 10 ply tire. I think that they are great. they are good for plowing and they are not loud going down the road. I have been told by a mechanic that puts these tires on the new police tahoe's that the tires will last along time but you have to rotate them at least every 6,000. if you have your own garage and the capability of doing them yourself then every oil change.

 

Troop, good to hear you like your Goodyears, I think they will be my next set. I want to get a little more use out of these Contis and so far this year we have had no snow and that is good because the Contis are useless in the white stuff.

Your mechanic is correct, the way to get long life out of tires is to rotate them and the first rotation is the most important. I also like the fact that the 65 series will give me gearing very close to 4.30s with 70 series. Take care and enjoy that V10.