5w30 Instead Of 5w20 In Modular V8 Ford Tech..

[crazyoildude]

I hired a part time seasoned certified (Weekend) engine rebuilder that works full time for a large Ford dealer doing mostly engines and he has a 2003 or 2004 ford pickup with the 4.6 v8 42,000 miles
He was changing his oil and i saw a nice new 820s motorcraft filter and 6 quarts of pennzoil platinum 5w30!
When i mentioned his oil choice being 5w30 instead of the 5w20 he said that he always uses 5w30 in his engines and does not like the 5w20
What does everyone think of that? He also said most guys in the Ford shop where he works uses 5w30 in theirs especially in the summer

 

[pbm]

Most engines that call for 5w20 will run fine on 5w30. A lot of people (who don't frequent BITOG) are still not convinced that 5w20 is 'thick' enough for summer heat.

 

[Johnny]

Must have been a pretty smart mechanic if he was using Pennzoil Platinum.

 

[Trav]

Old modulars like my 99 5.4 were speced for 10w-30.5w-30 works fine in Ford modulars old and new.This is his personal preference,nothing wrong with his choice.

 

[badnews]

People are still not convinced that 5w20 is 'thick' enough for summer heat.


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Just because you can do something don't mean you should.
I will stick with 5W30
5W20 is a Ford concoction to get that extra MPG -- EPA -- rating.

The small and very small mileage gain is no big deal for me to use a 5W20 oil

 

[Nick R]

You'll be fine with 5W-30, but there is no reason not to use 5W-20. Heck, my cavalier specs 5w-30 and its summer, but I'll be putting 5W-20 in it tomorrow or soon, and I'm not even the least bit concerned. 5W-20 is very shear stable, and a good oil. It is a fallacy that thicker oil provides better protection.

 

[c3po]

Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
I hired a part time seasoned certified (Weekend) engine rebuilder that works full time for a large Ford dealer doing mostly engines and he has a 2003 or 2004 ford pickup with the 4.6 v8 42,000 miles
He was changing his oil and i saw a nice new 820s motorcraft filter and 6 quarts of pennzoil platinum 5w30!
When i mentioned his oil choice being 5w30 instead of the 5w20 he said that he always uses 5w30 in his engines and does not like the 5w20
What does everyone think of that? He also said most guys in the Ford shop where he works uses 5w30 in theirs especially in the summer


5W-30 Pennzoil Platinum from April until October.

5W-20 Pennzoil Platinum for November until March.

This is my recommendation for you guys leaving in the Northeast.

 

[Johnny]

I use 5W-20 all year long in my two Elements and the Grand Marquis. One less thing I have to worry about.

 

[DreamerGT]

My stang has seen nothing but 5w-20 all year round. The vic did but every since it started smoking at start up, it has seen 5w-30. Now Im thinking of going 10w-30 cause it still does from time to time.

 

[Johnny]

Does anyone find the humor in the fact the thinest oils are made in the hottest part of the country.

 

[mechtech2]

The mechanic also specifically stated summer conditions, which makes the 5-30 even more acceptable. Either way, it is not a death sentence to use 5-30 in those engines. Uncountable people do, and I have no problem with it.

Having a part timer rebuild engines for Ford is not the normal situation. It's tough to get the parts machined like the factory. He may therefore need a thicker oil.

 

[badnews]

Originally Posted By: rudolphna
You'll be fine with 5W-30, but there is no reason not to use 5W-20. Heck, my cavalier specs 5w-30 and its summer, but I'll be putting 5W-20 in it tomorrow or soon, and I'm not even the least bit concerned. 5W-20 is very shear stable, and a good oil. It is a fallacy that thicker oil provides better protection.


Not better protection - it does provide longer lasting high viscosity and shear stability

and while that may not equal better protection it does equal better lubrication

 

[Falcon_LS]

To be honest, the internal running tolerances on this particular engine have not changed much during the past 19 years, and 10W-30 was the default standard back in 1991.

I'm running 0W-30 in my '03 and 10W-30 in my '01 Grand Marquis, but I'm going to switch to Motorcraft 5W-20 Full Synthetic at my next interval.

 

[JustinH]

You aren't going to notice any difference in going from a 5w20 to 5w30.

I've owned several 4.6L v8's. They were all speced for 5w30.

Then ford changed the recommendation to 5w20 for a bunch of older vehicles.

I went to the 5w20 and noticed no change in fuel economy, performance, nothing at all.

 

[Ben99GT]

Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
I hired a part time seasoned certified (Weekend) engine rebuilder that works full time for a large Ford dealer doing mostly engines and he has a 2003 or 2004 ford pickup with the 4.6 v8 42,000 miles
He was changing his oil and i saw a nice new 820s motorcraft filter and 6 quarts of pennzoil platinum 5w30!
When i mentioned his oil choice being 5w30 instead of the 5w20 he said that he always uses 5w30 in his engines and does not like the 5w20
What does everyone think of that? He also said most guys in the Ford shop where he works uses 5w30 in theirs especially in the summer


What do I think of that? See sig...

The Stang will be getting RL 5W-20 next time around, but the 3.3 HTHS vis. gives me full confidence in that particular 5W-20.

I for one am not a big fan of a 2.6 HTHS oils in a hard working V8, the only Modulars I would run 5W-20 in at all times are the ones equipped with VCTs operated by oil pressure. I am more than aware that Modulars last just fine on 5W-20 (3V), but I'm the kind of person that always considers the worst case scenario.

 

[gfh77665]

cod, you are opening yourself to wanton scorn from the "enlightened" crowd here if you want to run a 5-30 instead of a 5-20. You will be perceived as a backward, illiterate, knuckle dragging neanderthal living in the 60's. The FACT that 5-30, 10-30- 10-40 etc. is RECOMMENDED around the globe (in many of the exact same cars) is somehow seen as irrelevant. Duck for cover, trust me...

 

[tig1]

My Duratechs call for 5-20, which I am now using, but have used mostly 5-30 in the past. Can't tell much differance, but will stick with 5-20 for a while.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: rudolphna
You'll be fine with 5W-30, but there is no reason not to use 5W-20. Heck, my cavalier specs 5w-30 and its summer, but I'll be putting 5W-20 in it tomorrow or soon, and I'm not even the least bit concerned. 5W-20 is very shear stable, and a good oil. It is a fallacy that thicker oil provides better protection.


Within a very tiny bubble and completely dependant upon power density. This is very easy to verify: Ford's own high power density engines spec a MUCH heavier oil than 5w20; they spec 5w50.

So, maybe if we rephrase what you stated to read like:

In low power density engines with adequate lubricant capacity and cooling in order to control oil temperatures and stabilize viscosity, a heavier oil MAY not offer any better protection.

However, once you step outside those parameters, a heavier oil will indeed provide better protection. Otherwise, Ford wouldn't be using it.

 

[Hitzy]

I noticed with Mobil 1/PP and others, UOA's show the 5w20 seems to have the stronger add pack versus their 5w30. Is there a reason behind this?

 

[Ben99GT]

Originally Posted By: Hitzy
I noticed with Mobil 1/PP and others, UOA's show the 5w20 seems to have the stronger add pack versus their 5w30. Is there a reason behind this?


PP 5W-20/5W-30 usually look exactly the same, with 5W-30 having a bit more calcium.