Correct oil for 2002 5.4
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2001
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From: Wilsonville Canada
Correct oil for 2002 5.4
I had a 2000 F150 with the 5.4L after 40,000 klm i was runnin castrol syntec 5/30 (just the oil i prefer) seemed to run good and was told it was what saved the engine when the truck was in a rollover and was runnin upside down for almost 2 min
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2002
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From: loveland, co.
Correct oil for 2002 5.4
I have a '02 F-150 with a 4.2(yeah I know, it's not a 5.4..) it calls for 5-20 also. It looks like they want us to use it forever, howerver I'm running 5-30 Valvoline Sythetic. 5-20 is kinda hard to find around here for some reason. I remeber reading somewhere when I bought the truck Ford was using the lighter oil to help fuel economy or something like that. I can see the logic behind that, but it seems the gains would be miniscule. 
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,038
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From: South Kitsap County, WA
Correct oil for 2002 5.4
The correct oil is 5W-20 for the 2002. This is what the manual calls out for, and using anything else will void the warranty.
The 2000 owner's manual calls for 5W-30. I don't know for sure why Ford made the switch. There may be a post in this forum, the 4.6/5.4 forum, or the oils and lubrication forum.
-Kerry
The 2000 owner's manual calls for 5W-30. I don't know for sure why Ford made the switch. There may be a post in this forum, the 4.6/5.4 forum, or the oils and lubrication forum.
-Kerry
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 543
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From: LA
Correct oil for 2002 5.4
Well, calling for a thin oil means that the oil clearances are very small. If you use thicker oil, you won't get good oil films and no good lubrication. I know, 5-20 looks like water and you might think it can hurt, but it sure is according to the design of your engine tolerances.
That said, once the engine ages, the oil clearances get larger from wear of the bearings / and metal surfaces. Then you can go with a slightly heavier weight oil. We are talking 100k miles plus here and not a 20-50 oil! So this is far beyond the warranty time once you are on your own.
I went to 10-30 on my truck (97) which had 5-30 called for from the factory. That was at 122k miles when I got the vehicle. I think that is a good example. Not a huge difference and at a high mileage. Works out great so far (155k miles now). I would go to 5-30 on yours around 100k miles or more if it is out of warranty.
Hope this helps.
George
That said, once the engine ages, the oil clearances get larger from wear of the bearings / and metal surfaces. Then you can go with a slightly heavier weight oil. We are talking 100k miles plus here and not a 20-50 oil! So this is far beyond the warranty time once you are on your own.
I went to 10-30 on my truck (97) which had 5-30 called for from the factory. That was at 122k miles when I got the vehicle. I think that is a good example. Not a huge difference and at a high mileage. Works out great so far (155k miles now). I would go to 5-30 on yours around 100k miles or more if it is out of warranty.
Hope this helps.
George
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From: Baltimore
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Joined: Nov 2002
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From: California
Correct oil for 2002 5.4
Thanks to you guys for advice on correct oil to use. Think I will stick to 5w 20w as book calls for. Better safe than sorry although I really think it probably makes little difference between that and 5w 30w. 
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2002
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Correct oil for 2002 5.4
George, Why did you switch from 5w30 to 10w30? So you'd lose less oil between oil changes? What differences have you noted?
I also have a '97, F150, 5.4. Except for break-in, I've used nothing but synthetic oil, mostly Mobil 1, always 5W30, except for some early experimentation with 0W30 synthetic to see if it would improve gas mileage (it did not). I use Mobil 1 or other premium oil filters and change the oil and filter only every every 15,000 miles.
I also have a '97, F150, 5.4. Except for break-in, I've used nothing but synthetic oil, mostly Mobil 1, always 5W30, except for some early experimentation with 0W30 synthetic to see if it would improve gas mileage (it did not). I use Mobil 1 or other premium oil filters and change the oil and filter only every every 15,000 miles.
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 543
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From: LA
Correct oil for 2002 5.4
>George, Why did you switch from 5w30 to 10w30?
I generally use 'thicker' oil on high mileage engines. That is to compensate for the larger clearances in the bearings that a high mileage engine typically gets. If the clearances are bigger, the thin oil may not create a fully connected oil film. This is all hypothetic of course.
So you'd lose
>less oil between oil changes?
No, that isn't why. At 155k miles the truck uses less than a quart between oil changes (4000-4500mile intervals) which is still factory spec!
> What differences have you
>noted?
I put that oil in there the first day I got the truck, so I can't tell. It needed an oil change. Previous owner claimed to have used only 5-30 Mobil1 synthetic from day 1. The guy worked for Mobil, so I believe that it is true.
I also only use Mobil1. I change the oil every 4-4.5k miles inlcuding the filter. Works great for me. I think the engine has a much longer life span due to the high quality oil and frequent changes.
Cheers, George
I generally use 'thicker' oil on high mileage engines. That is to compensate for the larger clearances in the bearings that a high mileage engine typically gets. If the clearances are bigger, the thin oil may not create a fully connected oil film. This is all hypothetic of course.
So you'd lose
>less oil between oil changes?
No, that isn't why. At 155k miles the truck uses less than a quart between oil changes (4000-4500mile intervals) which is still factory spec!
> What differences have you
>noted?
I put that oil in there the first day I got the truck, so I can't tell. It needed an oil change. Previous owner claimed to have used only 5-30 Mobil1 synthetic from day 1. The guy worked for Mobil, so I believe that it is true.
I also only use Mobil1. I change the oil every 4-4.5k miles inlcuding the filter. Works great for me. I think the engine has a much longer life span due to the high quality oil and frequent changes.
Cheers, George
4wd Low
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 11
Likes: 1
From: Warrensburg US
Correct oil for 2002 5.4
Yes, it's good to know after your truck it totaled in a rollover that your engine will live to drag its beatup body another day. he he he
Sorry, couldn't resist.
<=^)
>
>
> I had a 2000 F150 with the 5.4L after 40,000 klm i
>was runnin castrol syntec 5/30 (just the oil i prefer)
>seemed to run good and was told it was what saved the engine
>when the truck was in a rollover and was runnin upside down
>for almost 2 min
Sorry, couldn't resist.
<=^)
>
>
> I had a 2000 F150 with the 5.4L after 40,000 klm i
>was runnin castrol syntec 5/30 (just the oil i prefer)
>seemed to run good and was told it was what saved the engine
>when the truck was in a rollover and was runnin upside down
>for almost 2 min