Hello all,
I have a question.
I just bought a Screw with 1 5.4 and 48,000 miles.
Recommended oil is 5W20.
I also own a 1993 ranger 4.0 that reccomends 5W30
But I use 10w30 in the winter and 20w50 in the summer.
BTW temp here in the summer gets to the 120's so the ranger likes the 20w50.
Anyway,my question is:
Should I do the same with the F150?or should I stick with 5W20?I dont mind using synthetic or dino.
Do you guys think running Castrol Syntec 5W20 in 115 degree weather is ok?

 

Baja FX4,

You can do a search here and get alot of info on the guys running 5w20. You can also go to the Bob is the oil guy website and read the posts there and the UOA's that are posted.
www.bobistheoilguy.com/

I always run 15W-40 in my 5.4 and my diesels. I only use one oil in both gas and diesel engines and have for many years with good results. I tow alot and yest it gets mighty hot here. I have been in Arizona over 40 years.

Hope this helps

 

Sounds like you could make use of a good synthetic. but select carefully, they all aren't the same!!!!

So refer to your owners manual for it's call outs on grade & viscosity, for your tempeature extreems, driving conditions & habits.

Seeing as how these are minimum's for the lube to meet, you'll want your choice to exceed them in several catagories having to do with high temperature.

So look for one with a good low NOAC # ( % evaporation loss numbers), or high Flash Point temperatures, if the NOAC isn't called out & with low ash numbers, good HT/HS (high temp viscosity numbers), so you don't develop deposit problems from the oil being cooked off, or noise or wear, from the oil's viscosity dropping out of grade at high temp.

There are good dino lubes on the market, that can take the heat too, like Havoline, ect, but yah just gotta search the constantly changing specs, to dig the numbers out.

 

Not a hard choice, Ford tested the Motorcraft 5W20 in the 32 valve 5.4 in Lincoln Navigators for 15000 miles under max load in the Nevada desert heat. The oil proved it self by not breking down and protected the motor perfectly.

Use 5w20 year round in the 5.4 and don't worry. I had a hard time with light oil at first too, I always used 10w30 year round, but since buying a 2005 Escape I am a believer in the 5w20.

Also use 5or 10w30 in the Ranger 4.0 V6, leave the 20w50 for a old oil burner.

 

Yes 20w50, is much too thick. You are losing horsepower, torque, and the crankshaft and bottom end of the 5.4 is working much harder to overcome that thick "slop". Plus, you are losing fuel mileage. Do you like to stop for gas much sooner than you need to? You like to watch the fuel guage sink faster than normal?

Do your 5.4 a BIG favor. Stick with the recomended, 5W20 oil. Ford knows what their engines need, in an oil. 20w50 is 1967 thinking...
Ed

 

i would run the 5w20 with the 930a spec year round. if you are really concerned do a UOA around 5,000 miles on the 5w20 and i will bet it shows the oil has performed well and there is no need for concern.

 

You think so?even in 120 degree weather?

Some years ago,ford used to recommend like 5w30 in normal weather and 10w30 or 10w40 in very hot weather.
Whats different now?
Why is 5W20 such a superior lubricant?

 

Yes even in 120 degree temps..

The quality of the base oils and additives are superior today.
I don't have the link any more but Ford has all of the testing published on the 5w20 and it just plain works. 5w20 does not burn off, thicken or thin out of grade, it just stays 5w20. Use it and don't worry about, I use the Motorcraft syn blend 5w20 in my 2005 Escape and I use VAlvoline Max life 5w20 in my 99 Ranger 2.5L.
Dan

 

Yep, 5w20 has been proven stout. But, this doesn't mean you have to use it.

To keep things simple, use a synthetic 5w40 or 10w40 oil year round in both of your vehicles. Less of a hassle when you can use one oil year round for all vehicles.

What oil weight is used in the Ford GT/GT500? What does that say about the thin oil?
Motorcraft, Castrol, Synlube, Schaeffers, Maxima, Torco, Phillips, and QuakerState have 5w50 oils that can also be used year round in your climate.

 

The GT40 was designed and engineered for the thick 50 weight. The motor in his trucks were not. Stick to the 5w20 in the F150 and a 5or10w30 in the Ranger and they will run 200k plus with no issues related to oil.

 

Thats like saying that all those engines that required 5w30 or 10w30 for years, and then were back TSB'd to 5w20 were designed for it too. Not!
Hint, film thickness protects. In the most stressful environments, go thicker.

 

Might want to read this post from Flash.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/5...ml#post3958425

 

This is cool,thanks.

And BTW Id be using 5W20 to gain 0.6 % MPG?
No thank you.
If I lived in California(mild summers) I would have no problems using it,but here in AZ I wouldnt feel good using it
5W40 syntetic sounds good.
I also used 5W50 in the ranger a while back,with great success.

 

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Very dated thinking, Baja. Oil today can take the heat, 5w20 easily. You can use a 5w40, of 5w50. Numerous places on the internet recommend against using oils that cover a wide range of viscosities (5w50). The engines will run on this oil, sure, but why? Why do you feel Ford engineers would not recommend using the best possible oil for their engines, which is not a 5w40 synthetic or 5w50 synthetic? use what you want, but you will not be using the best oil for your engine, no matter what reasoning you come up with. Saying 5w20 oil cannot take the heat of Arizona heat, is frankly, lame. It simply is not true. Not for Ford. Not for General Motors. Not for DaimlerChrysler. Not for Honda. Why is this?

 

http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=735060&page=0&fpart=all& vc=1

I don't know or care about the "european autobahn test" mentioned in that link, or the proof that the test exists.
Whats funny is how an engine can do 'whatever' in testing, but what happens in the real world? when worked(read the above link)? when run at all weather or extreme weather conditions(like AZ desert or AK winter)? when tortured with short trips(soccer moms)?

I also don't care about Ford engineers or what the technical writers recommend in the owners manual. I've met plenty of moron engineers working for automakers when I worked for a manufacturer of OEM components. The list of recalls, TSBs, and issues that develops over a vehicles life, doesn't give me much faith in OEM engineering. Cost accountants also seem to keep tight leashes on the engineers. Marketing/sales group seems to keep control what is written in an owners manual(lower the cost of short term ownership).

When you have 6 cars in the driveway, and all require a different oil, what do you do? I shred the owners manual and use one quality synthetic across the board and pick one weight that'll work for my weather conditions. Having to stock 6 differents types and weights of oil is not something I want to care about. So, I'm offending a couple of eco-weenies buy losing .1 mpg!

Besides Ford/Honda/..... Toyota also jumped on the thin oil bandwagon with a TSB allowing 5w20 or 0w20 in a bunch of older engines. GM also came out with a thin ATF and backspec'd it for almost all the DexronIII trannies. These Toyota engines and GM trannies also weren't designed for thin oils but can use it. So, I don't see a component as overly engineered for a certain weight of oil. Its the lubricant that is being engineered. Ford solution for the 20wt was the double sequence test. This is why most 20wt are synthetic blends.
A stout 20wt will beat a wimpy 30wt any day. But, I use only full synthetic oils. So, there was no point to going thin.
But, why use a 5w50 in the higher powered motor? because thick protects and MPG isn't an issue, engine life is!