This is my dads truck. It is used primarily as a work truck and doesn't tow but often carries heavy loads in the back. It is short tripped a lot. Sees about a 10 mile run to work 5x a week and then short trips around town to lumber yard etc. we did not record mileage on previous oil change but we estimate this to be about 1,200 miles. We recorded the mileage and the next oci will have an accurate mileage reflection. This truck is of unknown mileage as it is not the original odometer and the previous owner knew very little about the vehicle. Oil was 2.5 quarts low on this change and the previous but we think that was due to a slow leak on the oil drain plug which we have since changed. Seems to run great despite the not so satisfactory UOA. Previous oil was PYB 5w30 and this time around we swapped to Castrol edge 0w40. Using a fram ultra this time and last time we used a Mobil 1 extended performance. Both oil changes we have used rislone zddp additive. Air filter was quite dirty as he lives on a dirt road and probably a third of the miles driven are on dirt roads. It wasn't completely plugged but is definitely going to be serviced soon
72 F250 360 5.9L 1,200 mi OCI
- Thread starter Danimal1q2w3
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The high lead could actually be left over from the days of leaded gasoline, if there's enough ancient sludge in the engine that's getting washed out. My brother used to have a 360 FE engine in an F-100 pickup, believe it was a '68? We had actually rebuilt it, I remember screwing up and putting the core plug behind the camshaft in backwards, resulting in hideous grinding noises & pulling it back out & putting in a new one in the opposite way. I remember it being extremely heavy too, engine crane could barely lift it & the C6 transmission together. I would think a 15W40 would be a perfect oil for one of these-cheap, just keep a gallon handy to top off.
It'll be interesting to see how much oil it goes through with the leak fixed. Every time I see a uoa on here for an engine as old as mine it looks terrible but it's always an unknown history, rarely used vehicle. I really want to do one on both my daily drivers and see how they look. The one leaks like a sieve but doesn't go through a lot considering.
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I'd almost want to put a 10W40 or 20W50 in this engine.
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
I'd almost want to put a 10W40 or 20W50 in this engine.
It was hard enough to get him to put a 40 weight in.
I'd almost want to put a 10W40 or 20W50 in this engine.
It was hard enough to get him to put a 40 weight in.
Valvoline Vr1 20w50 and put tape over the Valvoline part of the bottle.
Looks like dirt in the oil caused excessive wear. Don't let the oil level get low in the future. Depending on how much dirt ingestion continues to occur, it might be better to change the oil at a shorter OCI. I would use a less expensive oil for such short OCIs and I'd skip the Rislone.
That's a 360 FE. Not a 5.9
. It will be most happy with a straight 30.
What does: "Maybe, though, some of the metal is wear-in from work done by the previous owner." mean. Are they just throwing it out there, or is there known work.
In stock form these over oil the valve train, it is even worse if someone puts a HV oil pump in it. Add a little blockage to the oil drainback holes in the heads and it is just not good.
In stock form these over oil the valve train, it is even worse if someone puts a HV oil pump in it. Add a little blockage to the oil drainback holes in the heads and it is just not good.
Originally Posted by DuckRyder
What does: "Maybe, though, some of the metal is wear-in from work done by the previous owner." mean. Are they just throwing it out there, or is there known work.
In stock form these over oil the valve train, it is even worse if someone puts a HV oil pump in it. Add a little blockage to the oil drainback holes in the heads and it is just not good.
The history is unknown. I think they are just statin it's a possibility
What does: "Maybe, though, some of the metal is wear-in from work done by the previous owner." mean. Are they just throwing it out there, or is there known work.
In stock form these over oil the valve train, it is even worse if someone puts a HV oil pump in it. Add a little blockage to the oil drainback holes in the heads and it is just not good.
The history is unknown. I think they are just statin it's a possibility
First off is maintaining the oil level. Then I would check the air filter and all related plumbing to it. I would try a HDEO in a 40 grade and continue using a ZDDP additive. I'd run a short OCI and sample again.
Originally Posted by demarpaint
First off is maintaining the oil level. Then I would check the air filter and all related plumbing to it. I would try a HDEO in a 40 grade and continue using a ZDDP additive. I'd run a short OCI and sample again.
Going to use delvac 1300 super 15w-40 next
First off is maintaining the oil level. Then I would check the air filter and all related plumbing to it. I would try a HDEO in a 40 grade and continue using a ZDDP additive. I'd run a short OCI and sample again.
Going to use delvac 1300 super 15w-40 next
dnewton3
Staff member
The old FE engines don't wear all that well. They ran great when tuned right, but they simply shed a lot of metals; that's true of a lot of older generation engines. We take for granted how well engines of today wear. BTW - they long skirt design and thick castings make these things HEAVY.
That being said ... here are my thoughts:
- The Si needs to be dealt with; sounds like they said that you possibly had a bad air filter. That's a lot of Si for an estimated short OCI, so let's hope that is put to bed.
- The old FE engines have no large source of Al; the pistons are cast iron in these old engines. Hence you see not only Fe from the cylinder walls, but also the pistons themselves. The Si intake may well be causing the issue with lots of Fe from the old FE.
- The Pb is likely residual (let's hope with our fingers crossed). Otherwise it's bearing material. If it holds good oil pressure at warm idle, then it's probably just residual junk being sloughed back into circulation. That's not necessarily a great thing, because while Pb isn't too harmful, if there is also carbonaceous material (soot) being picked up and brought out, that's not great.
- No special lube is going to miraculously make this engine wear better; not a syn, not an HDEO, etc. It be what it be ...
Frankly, I'd just pick a good 10w-30 in winter and 10w-40 in summer and run it, and forget the UOAs. Run it until it dies, then either rebuild it or scrap it depending upon where your cost threshold crosses over sentiment.
That being said ... here are my thoughts:
- The Si needs to be dealt with; sounds like they said that you possibly had a bad air filter. That's a lot of Si for an estimated short OCI, so let's hope that is put to bed.
- The old FE engines have no large source of Al; the pistons are cast iron in these old engines. Hence you see not only Fe from the cylinder walls, but also the pistons themselves. The Si intake may well be causing the issue with lots of Fe from the old FE.
- The Pb is likely residual (let's hope with our fingers crossed). Otherwise it's bearing material. If it holds good oil pressure at warm idle, then it's probably just residual junk being sloughed back into circulation. That's not necessarily a great thing, because while Pb isn't too harmful, if there is also carbonaceous material (soot) being picked up and brought out, that's not great.
- No special lube is going to miraculously make this engine wear better; not a syn, not an HDEO, etc. It be what it be ...
Frankly, I'd just pick a good 10w-30 in winter and 10w-40 in summer and run it, and forget the UOAs. Run it until it dies, then either rebuild it or scrap it depending upon where your cost threshold crosses over sentiment.
1972 360 pistons are not cast iron. They are AL.
dnewton3
Staff member
Originally Posted by DuckRyder
1972 360 pistons are not cast iron. They are AL.
I stand corrected; when did they change?
I don't know the specifics, but were they not either cast iron or cast steel in the low powered units? I though the forged Al pistons were reserved for the higher HP FE motors.
1972 360 pistons are not cast iron. They are AL.
I stand corrected; when did they change?
I don't know the specifics, but were they not either cast iron or cast steel in the low powered units? I though the forged Al pistons were reserved for the higher HP FE motors.
Originally Posted by dnewton3
Originally Posted by DuckRyder
1972 360 pistons are not cast iron. They are AL.
I stand corrected; when did they change?
I don't know the specifics, but were they not either cast iron or cast steel in the low powered units? I though the forged Al pistons were reserved for the higher HP FE motors.
They were cast AL on low performance units. TBH, I don't know of any FE with cast iorn pistons, nor are any referenced in any of my literature. Maybe I'll throw it out there for the FE Forum... if they exist someone there will have seen it (and might have the Ford engineering drawing)...
360's which are all truck motors have what amount to car 390 pistons in them, by using a 352 crank and rods with a 390 bore you get a 360. Even with the slightly longer 352 rod the piston compression height puts down in the bore resulting in the very low compression ratio, truck 390's used a similar scheme to obtain the low compression ratio...
Mine was original when I took it down and had (Ford marked) cast Al pistons. there was no evidence it had ever been open, had Ford gaskets, bearings and everything... (it was a 360 from the factory, I turned it into a 390 when I built it.)
Originally Posted by DuckRyder
1972 360 pistons are not cast iron. They are AL.
I stand corrected; when did they change?
I don't know the specifics, but were they not either cast iron or cast steel in the low powered units? I though the forged Al pistons were reserved for the higher HP FE motors.
They were cast AL on low performance units. TBH, I don't know of any FE with cast iorn pistons, nor are any referenced in any of my literature. Maybe I'll throw it out there for the FE Forum... if they exist someone there will have seen it (and might have the Ford engineering drawing)...
360's which are all truck motors have what amount to car 390 pistons in them, by using a 352 crank and rods with a 390 bore you get a 360. Even with the slightly longer 352 rod the piston compression height puts down in the bore resulting in the very low compression ratio, truck 390's used a similar scheme to obtain the low compression ratio...
Mine was original when I took it down and had (Ford marked) cast Al pistons. there was no evidence it had ever been open, had Ford gaskets, bearings and everything... (it was a 360 from the factory, I turned it into a 390 when I built it.)
Check you air intake system I bet your getting a lot of dirt in there.
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