About 300 miles ago I put Motorcraft 5w20 in my 1995 Thunderbird, 4.6L V8 with 87,000 miles. I am thus far very pleased with the results. The engine is no noisier then it was with a 30 weight, and the car seems to have better response and is a bit quicker to rev. Gas mileage at this point seems excellent, but obviously I have not driven enough to determine if there are any real gains. I had previously tried a mix of Mobil 1 5w30 and 15w50 and the car did not seem to like that at all, it felt downright sluggish. Perhaps the modular V8s prefer a thinner oil.....
5w20 in a 1995 Thunderbird
- Thread starter Bdiddy
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Well they were designed with 5w30 in mind. Of course yours predates the CAFE thing by a few years, but it's the same engine.
I had a 93 with a 3.8. I always wanted a 94/95. Those were my fav years.
I had a 93 with a 3.8. I always wanted a 94/95. Those were my fav years.
Ford has a TSB out that retro's the new 5W20 spec to all 4.6L Mod motors. You'll be fine. I'm running it in my 97 F150 with 98K. I really like it. Have the Syntehtic Pennzoil in there right now. Going to do a UOA at the end of the run to see how it holds up.
John
John
CAFE has been around a lot longer than 1995. CAFE was passed by Congress in 1975, with 1978 model year cars being the first ones having to meet a set fuel economy standard. The stated goal at the time was to double the corporate average fuel economy by 1985.
96Outback: "Ford has a TSB out that retro's the new 5W20 spec to all 4.6L Mod motors. You'll be fine."
The usual answer would be "No, don't use it in your 1995 ride." But 96Outback has confirmed Ford's revised spec for that engine, so you're cool. But I thought it appropriate to mention, for others who might think "Cool...I'll give 5w-20 a try in my '95 Acme Splendero," that this lightweight oil is specifically meant for those Ford, Honda, and Mazda rides designed to use it.
From the Citgo Supergard spec sheet: "...5w-20 is recommended only for use in automobiles where the manufacturer recommends an SAE 5w-20 product."
From the Mobil Drive Clean spec sheet: "This unique viscosity grade should be used only in automobiles that require a 5w-20 lubricant, and it is not recommended for use in other vehicles."
The usual answer would be "No, don't use it in your 1995 ride." But 96Outback has confirmed Ford's revised spec for that engine, so you're cool. But I thought it appropriate to mention, for others who might think "Cool...I'll give 5w-20 a try in my '95 Acme Splendero," that this lightweight oil is specifically meant for those Ford, Honda, and Mazda rides designed to use it.
From the Citgo Supergard spec sheet: "...5w-20 is recommended only for use in automobiles where the manufacturer recommends an SAE 5w-20 product."
From the Mobil Drive Clean spec sheet: "This unique viscosity grade should be used only in automobiles that require a 5w-20 lubricant, and it is not recommended for use in other vehicles."
http://www.thedieselstop.com/faq/9497faq/tsb/tsb/files/020109.pdf
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