2013 BOSS 302

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Ford loves to use 5w-20. If they didnt spec the BOSS 302 for 5w-20 I'm sure there is good reasoning. I'd use the 5w-50, or if you don't care about warranty, Rotella T6 5w-40 or M1 0w-40.
 
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Use the 5W50, in the grand scheme of things it isn't that much more than the 5W20 full synthetic. I think it was on the BOSS motors they eliminated the piston oil squirters and made some other changes to the oiling system for the sustained high RPMs that motor was designed to run.
 
The BOSS 302 motor (Coyote) did drop the piston squirters and in their place the BOSS motor got forged AL pistons instead of hypereutectic versions, forthe 2013 modelyear the non-BOSS motor dropped the piston squiters and altered the FI maps.

Recommend you stick with what the factory recommends (probably thinner than you were expecting). All of the clearances are set for the recommended grade of oil and going heavier without going hotter on the oil will reduce flow and could lead to varus oiling issues (especially cold start ones).
 
Someone should note that the clearances are NOT different, just the expected usage.

The oil is spec'd for the use of the car, which is TRACK.
 
Steve - I think you are right here.

For light use, I'd be using a 5-30 . That means an occasional foray into the redline at full throttle - not every day.

The mild weather in Tenn. would help take the edge off of using a thick 5-50 in normal driving, however.
 
Originally Posted By: Mitch Alsup
The BOSS 302 motor (Coyote) did drop the piston squirters and in their place the BOSS motor got forged AL pistons instead of hypereutectic versions, forthe 2013 modelyear the non-BOSS motor dropped the piston squiters and altered the FI maps.

Recommend you stick with what the factory recommends (probably thinner than you were expecting). All of the clearances are set for the recommended grade of oil and going heavier without going hotter on the oil will reduce flow and could lead to varus oiling issues (especially cold start ones).


It's pretty hard to get heavier than a 50wt pcmo in the US....
 
I love those cars. I cannot imagine that another oil would not be ok but I would stick with the recommended oil for warranty and maybe even resale. I suspect you can only find it at dealerships.
 
I'd run the OEM spec oil for at least a while for warranty reasons. After I were confident I wouldn't need to make a warranty claim, I might switch to something like RT6, M1 0w40, or most likely Redline 5w30. RLI 5w40 would be a good candidate too.

I ran the Ford spec Castrol 5w50 in my WRX once. It sheared to a 40wt pretty quickly. It basically turned into RT6 or M1 TDT. Search my username for the UOA.
 
If that Boss were mine it would be getting either Mobil 1 0W-40 or a 60/40 (or 50/50) mix of Red Line 0W-30 and 0W-40.

Motorcraft 5W-50 has to be one of the least shear stable oils around.
 
I looked up some oil viscosities on manufacturer data sheets:

................. @100C . @40C
Motorcraft 5w50 ... 21 ... 136 -- recommended oil
Mobil1 15w50 ...... 18 ... 125 -- Walmart 5qt jug
Mobil1 5w50 ....... 17.5 . 108 -- recent Napa sale
Valvoline 20w50 ... 20 ... 147 -- VR1 synthetic
Valvoline 20w50 ... 19 ... 139 -- SynPower


You can read about how shear-stable (or not) Motorcraft 5w50 is.

I just happen to have the other xw50 motor oils in my stockpile....
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Does the manual say to only use Motorcraft?

Mobil site says their 5w50 is their recommendation so certainly use that viscosity.

However, if the manual says Motorcraft only, I'd do that under warranty and try the Mobil product later.
 
Ford has a specific numbered specification for the application. So far, the only 5w-50 I've seen that meets it is the Motorcraft 5w-50. The previous version of Syntec 5w-50 used to meet it, but not any longer.
 
Hmm the old what weight oil I should use.

I live in Australia and Just got a new SS Commodore which is a Pontiac in the US or something. It has a L77 6L V8.

Just finished with a nice " Drive It like you stole it Break In" (of course only when the engine is warn). Its done about 1024km when I dropped the oil for 2nd time (fist time I did it at 200km).

New oil that I put in is Penrite 5W-60 Full Synthetic (Grp 4 & 5). Holden here spec this engine for a 5w30 which is the norm but it varies from dealer to dealer. I will tell you one thing, don't believe what the dealer tells you. They are using light weight oils to meet the CAFE requirements and emission levels.

Clearances on engines cant go any tighter than what they are. If they do excessive metal to metal contact will occur no matter what oil you use. Tolerances on the other hand do improve with new machining techniques and development. If mass manufactures decreased their clearances, boy would a lot of engines just go bang. When building a tight engine every part is measured 2-3 times to ensure all clearances as with spec. I cant see GM or Ford doing this on the production line.

Anyways I have clocked up about 250km with the new oil. The engine runs smoother, quieter.

In regards to people saying that you will not have enough flow with thicker oil they seem to forget that flow and pressure are related.

Go the thick stuff
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Its a V8 not a 2L milk bottle.
 
The pity is that, for the most part, the Boss and the GT500s are going to most likely be driven like Vettes - that is like by grandpas, since those are those ones most likely to be able to afford them.
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My buddy has a GT500 and he hasn't even gotten more than 3000 km on the thing, and that's all highway miles, driven rather sedately. It's pretty bad that I get more use out of my G in the winter than he does his GT500 in the summer.
 
I think the reason that Ford specs the Motorcraft 5w50 for the Boss is that it's the only 50-weight that has low zddp, in the range of 600-800ppm that is pitched by the EPA as being "cat-safe". The other 50-weights have zddp up over 1000. A lot of UOA's on the Mustang enthusiast sites have shown MC 5w50 shears about 30%, so basically after ~1000 miles, you have a 40-weight. If you track the car with MC 5w50, you end up with a 30-weight. Just put in a Euro 0w or 5w40 oil and be happy.
 
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