2001 Screw with 5.4 L. We all know she’s spec’d for 5W-20 MC synthetic blend.

Trying to settle in with one oil and stick with it. Looking for recommendations:

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MC 5W-20 synthetic blend

MC 5W-30 dino, NOT a blend

Penzoil Platinum full synthetic 5W-20 or 5W-30

Quaker State Q Torque 4x4 full synthetic 5W-20 or 5W-30

Or my old favorite back in the day: Castrol conventional 5W-xx

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Most importatnly, IMHO, since she’s “old” should I be running the 5W-30 instead of 20?

 

Stick with the 5w20. I have always used Motorcraft semi syn and have had no problems.

 

you don't think 5w-20 will allow more blow by, or other leakage, compared to the 30?

thanks again to everyone.

 

No, these engines are built pretty tight. Unless it is severely worn, I would stick with the 5w20. How many miles are on it? I have 68,000 and it has never used any oil between changes.

 

92k miles....since i've owned her, since 24k, she has always used .75-1 qt every 3k miles..."normal" according to 2 dealers in my area.

i've always stuck to the 3k mile OCI's...but am considering 5k since that's what my manual calls for.

 

It shouldn't be worn bad @ 92K. I'd try the MC 5w20 and see how it goes.
I too change it at 3K, habit I guess.

 

I have 5-fords(3-kids) and use mc 5/20 blend on all of them with k&N filters. Sometimes I use the mc filters, taurus has 160,000 miles and the engine is in great shape.........I change 5000 miles. My 150 really likes 5/20, yep, it told me..........on those minus days in the winter

 

Hmmmm, after i run this Q-power (again, i like the bottle) 5W-30 and MC filter, I'll see about changing....I'm lucky if i put 5k on my truck a year.

 

I know what you mean by the Q-Power bottles, marketing is everything----almost. I started using MC blended oil some years ago because of the price and I'd heard it was good oil. Now, I know it works well in all my engines, had a ranger with 100,000 plusmiles, our taurus has 160,000 miles, have a focus small 4-banger closing in on 100,000 miles---it has gone through 3-kids, a freestar which really gets beat up driving to detroit and back every day and oh yes, one civic with 90,000 miles. Us MC on all of them.

 

MC 5w-20/5w-30 are both group II/III blends. The 5w-20 has a little more group III though as it needs to maintain the 20wt during the entire OCI and not shear down.

The Pennsoil platinum is always the same price as the Quaker State Q synthetics. The Pennzoil does have a better base stock though. I got 4 cases of PP 5w-30 for $2.89/qt on sale at advance auto. Motorcraft is usually $2.38/qt.

 

Definition Oil Groups:
Group II - very high quality Solvent Dewaxed or Hydrocracked Petroleum Base
Group II+ - is high Viscosity Index Group II usually Hydrocracked that encroaches on GIII
Group III - is 120+ VI Hydrocracked Petroleum or Isomeritized Slack Wax Base (This is legally allowed to be called Synthetic)
Group IV - PAO (Traditional Synthetic)
Group V - Any Basestock not included in Group I,II, III, IV, VI.
Group VI - PIO

MC 5W-20 is 40% GII / 60% GIII Synthetic Blend

MC 5W-30 is 60% GII / 40% GIII Synthetic Blend

Castrol GTX 5W-20 is a GII+/GIII (80/20?) Synthetic Blend no matter how its marketed

Castrol GTX 5W-30 is all GII+

Both GTX and MC have a high quality add pkg.

Either would be excellent for 5000 mi OCI. I would prefer the 5W-20 below 60*F and 5W-30 above 60*F. However MC 5W-20 has turned in some excellent UOA's even at 14,000 lb + GCW towing in AZ at 110*F+ in a 6.8L V-10 Mod.

Of the SOPUS (Shell Oil Products United States) Synthetic my understanding is the new PP (Old formula was GV EOP) uses a slightly higher quality Shell Slack Wax derived GIII Basestock (Shell XHVI) instead of the Chevron sourced basestock they use in QS Synthetics. Both have an excellent add pkg.

Neither SOPUS has as high a TBN (Total Base Number) as Mobil 1 or Amsoil so I would limit them to around 7500 mi OCI unless I wanted to use UOA (Used Oil Analysis) to go longer.

MC and GTX are around $9 for 5 QT Jug at WalMart.

PP and QS are 2 for $5.79 at Advance Autoparts.

 

great info! Now I'm thinking about switching back to the MC 5W20 LOL.
However, i have to run thie Kendall GT1 Synthetic out and then throw in the Q-Power 5W-20 I purchased...know anything about that one???
the new quakerstate site dedicated to it, www.qpower.com , is horrible.
hell, i should just be running the MC in all three vehicles anyway.

 

(ConocoPhillips) Kendall GT-1 Synthetic is very close to the (ConocoPhillips) Motorcraft Full Synthetic. Depending on its age it could be either Group IV or Group III.

The various QS Synthetic and Blends (They sold both under Q-Power) are all variations on the QS Advanced and regular QS which is very close to Pennzoil.

Chevron and Havoline conventional is the same formula prior to "Deposit Shield".

Just a heads up if you ever happen to come up on one cheaper than the other. The Mobil 1 T&SUV 5W-30 and 5W-30 EP are the same formula. Mobil 1 TDT 5W-40 and Delvac 1 are also the same formula.

With modern SM/GF-4 oils its very hard to get a bad product. Modern GII oils have reallly closed the gap on Synthetics in everthing but extreme temperature performance (pour points and oxidation resistance). Of course most are not formulated with the TBN required for extremely long drains.

 

so what is the best value for your buck?
seems the general vote leans towards MC 5W-20 (or 30 if you must)....

 

I think 5w20 is ridiculously thin and was a play at the CAFE ratings to raise mileage a tenth or two. I have used it when it first came out and was the big craze, didn't notice any difference and got irritated by how water like it was even when cold so I went back to MC 5W30. I used some chevron 10w30 for the first 70K or so on my 5.4l then used the 5w20 for maybe 30K. I have over 200K and no problems, uses the same qt. between changes that it used at 60K still no smoke or leaking. I also don't like to extend changes past about 4K miles so it doesn't matter to me if the oil "can" go longer it is getting changed around 4K miles so there is no point paying more for a longer life oil.

All that said I don't think any oil, as long as it is made for your kind of engine i.e. gas, will ruin an engine as long as it is changed at correct intervals. I use the cheapest Coastal oil I can find for my '92 4.6L and it till runs fine, it has valve seal leakage so I don't want to burn the more expensive oil for no good reason.