ok Ive got a 2000 f-150 4.6 with 113,000 miles (runs great) Im about to go on a 1100 mile road trip and I want to change the oil but the question keeps bugging me ... should I attempt to go to synthetic oil. my truck does have an annoying tap but its not the engine ... its the dang gas pedal assembly it only does it when my foot is off the gas pedal (when im on cruise) and im in the highway the second i put my foot on the pedal it stops(not changing rpm) I want to get the most miles i can out of my truck and Ive heard alot of good things about synthetic oil. Ive heard that with the newer synthetic oils you can just drain and change (filter included) but I need to know for sure I live in texas and ill be lucky to see 3 inches of snow this year so cold isnt an issue .. can someone please give me brand and weight as recomended by ford (or what works best with reasons given) Im also going to do the tune up on my truck ... whats the cost of a mechanic changing those spark plugs and what other products/cleaners/addatives do yall recomend. along with other issues I need to look at with 113,000 miles ( i purchased this truck with 105,000 miles so I have no clue what has or hasnt been changed other than oil.)

 

I have always used Motorcraft 5w20 (recommended by Ford) with a Motorcraft filter. I have had no problems at all. It has never used any oil between changes. Walmart has the best deal on the oil. It is a synthetic blend oil.
Use no oil additives. Get a bottle of Techron injector cleaner and add it to the tank when filling up for your trip. It is the best I have seen.
I would also change the fuel filter and PCV valve just to be safe. I would say probably a couple of hundred bucks on the plugs. It takes awhile. Use Motorcraft platinum plugs, they run the best in these engines. You might want to check the air filter as well.

 

I also second the motorcraft oil


I currently have mobil clean 5000 10W30 in my 5.4 superduty and in a week or so I'm switching over to motorcraft synthetic blend 5W30 or 10W30. Walmart currently is 2.42 a quart for both right now in my area of Texas.

 

rebelyell618 why the change to motorcraft oil? I am using clean 7500 mobil in my Navi seems fine to me.

I just did plugs myself to save the $. If you have the $ i would have it done, but if your cheap like me take the day and do it. 1st time takes the longest. I bet I could do it in less than 3hrs now.

 

honestly, just because. I haven't had any problems with mobil products in any of my trucks (ford and dodge) but I would like to get a 5W30 oil and the motorcraft is about the same cost as the mobil 5000 (only 10 cents higher a quart). So I get a synthetic blend oil for the cost of conventional. Plus it was made to be used with a ford engine so just another plus, but I'm not changing for performance issues just a personal preferance on oil. Mobil was and still is great oil.

the only oil I have ever had problems with was Penzoil High Mileage, that crud, sludged up my previous truck, a 98 dodge with the 360 motor and i changed that stuff every 2500-3000 miles. that was abosolute junk oil

 

i think the clen 5000 is a synthetic blend also, I know the clean 7500 is.

I see your point though. I do like to use motorcraft parts also but the cost matters sometimes. For important stuff I use motorcraft ie. plugs but i bought aftermarket boots for the plugs to save a few dollars.

 

naw the clean 5000 is just straight conventional

the 7500 is a blend (as you said)

and then you get into the mobil 1 full sythetics.



but 2.42 a quart for motorcraft oil isn't to bad considering I pay like 2.32 for mobil 5000. just something new to try. lol

 

I was told not to switch to a full syn in a motor with 100,000 mile or more. They said the nature of syn oil is thinner and may cause leaks. Also it may clean too much of the crap in the engine that built up after 100k sent it through the motor to get stuck someware else.

Talked to mobil and they sugested going to a blend if I was concerned but no real answer.

but.. i did put a ful syn in my s10 blazer before anyone told me the above. I did get a leak but still not sure the oil caused it since 1 bolt is missing from the oil pan. That bolt may have been missing for a while. Still haven't put a new bolt in there yet just no time and a little oil leak big deal. some day i'll figure it out.

 

just pickup up the oil today. 6qts of 5W30 motorcraft and a wix filter.. going to change it this weekend, I have like 700 miles till I need to change it so that'll get me there with a little left to spare.


yeah i'm much of a fan of full synthetic motor oil its just hard me for me to go past 3K on a oil change but I might start doing 4500 - 5000 with this synthetic blend. people doing one once a year or 10K is just difficult for me to even consider let alone do. lol

 

i've always done my oil change every 3000k until i had 2 kids lol. I have bumped it to 5000k now with the syn and blended oil. My 3000k was more like 3500-4000 and my 5000k will probable turn to 6000-6500. shame on me. the syn oil is too expensive to do it every 3000. I have also uped the weight to 10w-30 from 5w-30 seemed like the right thing with 100,000 plus miles

 

I've never been able to get past the 3k changes either !

 

So I went with mobile one synthetic and it is great