engine light oil pressure
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,018
Likes: 0
From: Longview, TX
Best and worst
The best thing I did was installing mechanical oil and coolant temp gauges and NOT hooking the OEM ones back up.
The worst thing, 20W-50 even in Texas Summers. I run 10W-30 high mileage year around now with 180K miles and pull a trailer most of the time. Motorcraft filter is my preference.
The worst thing, 20W-50 even in Texas Summers. I run 10W-30 high mileage year around now with 180K miles and pull a trailer most of the time. Motorcraft filter is my preference.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,182
Likes: 12
From: Gateway to the West
Keep the faith on the Motorcraft oil filter too. Its not an enthusiast thing either. For whatever reason, the FL1-A filters are better at passing cold oil at start-up than other conventional filters. I don't know why and haven't cut any open to find out.
However if practice is proof I will tell you this. After a couple different viscosity changes and additives including Lucas I still had slight lifter tick at star-up particularly on cooler damp mornings. I was explaining this to an old Ford hot rodder and without even asking he said, "Put the FL1-A back in there and never look back, son." I immediately asked how he knew and why the Mobil 1 premium filter I had in there could possibly be any lesser product than the Motorcraft OEM part. He replied just as I have here... "I don't know, I just know it works". I stopped on my way home and bought one. I have never put another oil filter in any Ford small block V8 I own and I have never heard that cold weather lifter tick again.
However if practice is proof I will tell you this. After a couple different viscosity changes and additives including Lucas I still had slight lifter tick at star-up particularly on cooler damp mornings. I was explaining this to an old Ford hot rodder and without even asking he said, "Put the FL1-A back in there and never look back, son." I immediately asked how he knew and why the Mobil 1 premium filter I had in there could possibly be any lesser product than the Motorcraft OEM part. He replied just as I have here... "I don't know, I just know it works". I stopped on my way home and bought one. I have never put another oil filter in any Ford small block V8 I own and I have never heard that cold weather lifter tick again.
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,274
Likes: 1
Some twenty years ago I rebuilt an engine (on a Jaguar) and I put Mobil 1 in it. It leaked like a sieve. I thought I did a lousy job. The Mobil 1 was too expensive, so I switched to Castro GTX. It stoped leaking right away. I still wont rule out I did a bad job. (I was real young and this was my first rebuild)
I run 5-30 synthetic in my truck. That is the oil they recamend in my wife's 97' Corvette. I'm not sure what would be differnt on our engines. I think they just learned that thinner oil on start-up is better. I've had no problems. You understand that its only 5w when its cold. I changed all the fluids to synthetic on my Bronc and I think I got a little better MPG.
I run 5-30 synthetic in my truck. That is the oil they recamend in my wife's 97' Corvette. I'm not sure what would be differnt on our engines. I think they just learned that thinner oil on start-up is better. I've had no problems. You understand that its only 5w when its cold. I changed all the fluids to synthetic on my Bronc and I think I got a little better MPG.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
Thats really good information. I decided to go with 10w40, I live in North Florida, so it gets hot and cold on the same day. Also used a quart of Lucas. The engine is so much better its unbelievable. It doesn't leak or burn any oil. I think it may have been sitting longer than I thought, Possible that some oil may have leaked past the valve guide seals. But now, it doesn't smoke when started or when romped on. Awesome. The tune up continues.
