So I'm doing the valve cover gaskets, plugs, and coils, on my mom's Ford Five Hundred again (Chinese coils failed in back, didn't do valve cover gaskets last time and they were leaking a bit.)
Anyway, here's how things look in front at least.
So that's it. There's yellow patina everywhere, but the only part with actual varnish I can see is the timing chain cover. Timing chain feels tight, still.
For oil change history, my mom got it with 60K miles, and did dealer oil changes until I think about 120K miles, with whatever the dealer used. She did them every 5000 miles. Once I took over, I used Motorcraft semi-synthetic 5W20 for 5K oil changes, but I did do one oil change with a Valvoline high mileage synthetic, maybe in 0w20, forget. At around 140-150K I switched to using Supertech conventional mostly, with a few changes with Valvoline Maxlife, almost always 5w20, but I used 5w30 in it once or twice with I think the Motorcraft oil, actually. I just switched to ST as the Motorcraft went up in price. Last two oil changes were Mobil Super 5000 5w20 I got for $1 a quart in 5w20. The cheaper ST oil seemed to run smoother than Motorcraft and leaked a little less, oil consumption went from a quart every 1500 to about 2000-2500 miles with ST conventional high mileage.
This coming oil change after I do the plugs (wish me luck today!) will be Mobil Super 5000 in 10w30 simply because I have it lying around.
Anyway, while synthetic is probably better, I think it's a pretty clean engine for conventional. I mostly always stuck to 5000 oil changes, but occasionally would go 6-7K or so, but rarely. Changed air filters every year or so. New Motorcraft filter every change, too.
What do you guys think?
Anyway, here's how things look in front at least.
So that's it. There's yellow patina everywhere, but the only part with actual varnish I can see is the timing chain cover. Timing chain feels tight, still.
For oil change history, my mom got it with 60K miles, and did dealer oil changes until I think about 120K miles, with whatever the dealer used. She did them every 5000 miles. Once I took over, I used Motorcraft semi-synthetic 5W20 for 5K oil changes, but I did do one oil change with a Valvoline high mileage synthetic, maybe in 0w20, forget. At around 140-150K I switched to using Supertech conventional mostly, with a few changes with Valvoline Maxlife, almost always 5w20, but I used 5w30 in it once or twice with I think the Motorcraft oil, actually. I just switched to ST as the Motorcraft went up in price. Last two oil changes were Mobil Super 5000 5w20 I got for $1 a quart in 5w20. The cheaper ST oil seemed to run smoother than Motorcraft and leaked a little less, oil consumption went from a quart every 1500 to about 2000-2500 miles with ST conventional high mileage.
This coming oil change after I do the plugs (wish me luck today!) will be Mobil Super 5000 in 10w30 simply because I have it lying around.
Anyway, while synthetic is probably better, I think it's a pretty clean engine for conventional. I mostly always stuck to 5000 oil changes, but occasionally would go 6-7K or so, but rarely. Changed air filters every year or so. New Motorcraft filter every change, too.
What do you guys think?
