96 Taurus SHO

[JonnyHotcakes]

Originally Posted By: Big Jim
5/20 was not in use when your car was built. 5/30 was the oil Ford pushed for most everything. Shortly after Ford introduced 5/20 in the year 2000 on the 2001 Escape (most everything else followed shortly) they published a TSB recommending backfitting 5/20 for nearly everything back to 1991. There were a few exclusions, but I don't think any of the SHO engines were among them.

I have a 2003 Escape and it has had a steady diet of 5/20 and probably always will. I have a 98 Contour SVT that started life with 5\30 and can't bring myself to change to 5/20 due to its mileage (245,000). I don't remember how many miles it had when 5/20 was introduced, but the nature of a high performance engine combined with some age has kept me from 5/20 on that engine. This is even though the Escape engine is closely related and other than a slightly larger cylinder bore is nearly identical.



Never had a problem using 5w20 in anything that required 5w30. It's standard practice for me now.

I got a friend to use it in his Durango and the gas mileage boost was substantial.

Never seen a mpg boost myself.

 

[Big Jim]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
German Castrol Castrol Syntec 0w30


And make sure it actually says "made in Germany" on the bottle. Often, it is not easy to find.

 

[SinisterK9]

Originally Posted By: Big Jim
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
German Castrol Castrol Syntec 0w30


And make sure it actually says "made in Germany" on the bottle. Often, it is not easy to find.


Thanks.
=================

I figure I might as well ask about my wife's car, and since I already have a thread open, I see no reason to make a new one, unless someone thinks I need to.

Wife drives a 99 Honda Civic with the 1.6L SOHC VTEC in it. I've had it on M1 5W30 as well, however it's been a bit noisy on the M1. Any different suggestions from anyone based on the car, or pretty much the same as the SHO? 118K, and no burning or leaking issues. Daily driver.

 

[SinisterK9]

As everyone suggested, I got my very first Oil Analysis for the SHO. I know there is a separate section for these, but this is directly related to the thread I started so I figured it was ok. As mentioned, oil was M1 5w30. I was worried, seeing as I've only had this car since about February. So I have no way to know for sure how the car was treated all these years. Anyway, 133K and going strong.
I haven't figured out how to cut and paste the PDF document they sent me, so I'm just going to copy the report they gave me.
Any thoughts on the report?
========================================

JACOB: Nothing too unusual showed up in the first sample from your Taurus. Iron was a bit above
average, which may show excess wear at a steel part, but as all other wear looks good we aren't ready to
call this a problem. Maybe the engine is just showing its age. Universal averages for the 3.4L are based on
an oil run of ~5,000 miles. If you're okay with iron, try 5,000 miles next time. As long as wear doesn't
increase too much we think that oil change interval should work okay for you. No harmful contaminants
were found. Check back to establish wear trends.

Oil change 4500 miles
Aluminum 3
Chromium 1
Iron 15
Copper 3
Lead 0
Tin 1
Molybdenum 70
Nickel 1
Manganese 0
Silver 0
Titanium 0
Potassium 0
Boron 38
Silicon 8
Sodium 18
Calcium 1993
Magnesium 13
Phosphorus 611
Zinc 684
Barium 0

SUS Viscosity @210F 57.5/ 55-62
cST Viscosity @100C 9.49/ 8.8-11.1
Flashpoint F 380/ 365
Fuel% Antifreeze 0.0
Water 0.0
Insolubles 0.3/ <0.6

 

[kingrob]

Sodium's too low. Switch to GTX or Valvoline

 

[SinisterK9]

Originally Posted By: kingrob
Sodium's too low. Switch to GTX or Valvoline

Funny enough, I actually did. I went with Maxlife. We'll see how it turns out. I'm going to run it the exact same mileage (4.500) with the same type of filter (Motorcraft), and compare results.

Cheers

 

[D189379]

The iron isn't that bad at all. I'm suprised they even mentioned it.

 

[addyguy]

You'll 'probably see better numbers w/Maxlife. It works really well. If you life it, I'd stick with that - I'm pretty sure its robust enought to handle the bit of racing you do....

 

[kingrob]

If you do racing occasionally, why not look into Valvoline VR-1? My friend had an earlier SHO Taurus and swears by the VR 10w30.

 

[SinisterK9]

Addyguy,
I'll probably end up trying a few more before I settle on 1. I can't help it, it's just too much fun for me to try something new, have it tested, and see where it stands versus the last oil I ran. Speaking of, I am changing my wife's Civic this weekend (M1 5w30 @ 6,000mi.), and replacing with Pennzoil YB. I can't wait to see how hers turns out.
But I've heard nothing but good things about the Maxlife, so it may end up being the 1.

Kingrob,
I will probably give it a try. I am about to have some work done to the car in the March/April time frame (port-polished intake, 3rd Cat delete, Xcal tune, etc., cams checked and welded if not already done), so that would be a perfect time to give it a try. Because after I have the work done, I am going to run the [censored] out of it.

 

[lazaro]

I had a 1991 Taurus SHO since 1999 that I used Amsoil asl 5w30 for 20,000 mile OCI. Up until Sep 25 when at 1:30 am a tow truck picked it up in front of my property and it has not been seen since. My reliable transportation now probably scrapped, I miss my car

 

[lazaro]

Originally Posted By: kingrob
If you do racing occasionally, why not look into Valvoline VR-1? My friend had an earlier SHO Taurus and swears by the VR 10w30.

I am the friend and he was mistaken I swear by Amsoil that is what I use in my 1993 Bondurant, Roush built #96 Taurus SHO that is used only for road course racing I do 6 x a year at SEBRING and Homestaed Speedway.
my valve covers don't leak either.
and the wimpy ASL 5w30 and the Super Shift ATF from Amsoil has about 2000 miles and 3 years of racing use and it is still in there LOL

 

[lazaro]

Originally Posted By: kingrob
If you do racing occasionally, why not look into Valvoline VR-1? My friend had an earlier SHO Taurus and swears by the VR 10w30.
originally posted by Kingrob

Quote:
Let me clarify, as you seemed to miss my point.

One car was brand new, never burned or leaked oil. I have reasonable belief that Amsoil caused my valve cover gasket to leak. I replaced the gasket and never had another problem.

On the Plymouth, I ran Havoline 20w50 and it never burned or leaked. This was back when a quart of Havoline was about fifty cents. The guy up the street from me sold Amzoil and told me all these impressive stories about how it would never burn, leak, or sludge and that I would only have to change it every couple of years. The price was about five dollars a quart, and I believe I bought 12 quarts.

After burning four quarts within 2 weeks, what did the oil accomplish? I still had to top off with Havoline. Basically I wasted 60 bucks, which back then was comparable to what, about three hundred bucks now? I felt burned (no pun intended) so I dropped Amsoil like a hot potato. FWIW I'd experimented with Mobil synthetic and had slight consumption issues, nothing that bad.

You say I didn't let the oil do its job. Well, how many quarts would it burn before it succeeded in doing whatever you think it was supposed to do? We're not talking about a ten dollar gallon of Pennzoil, we're talking about a 100.00 gallon of something you have to sign up for, get assigned a dealer, get stuck dealing with the same guy whether he's good or bad, etc. Now, like then, I'm willing to try anything new, so long as it doesn't put me in the poorhouse.

So that was my point, I wasted my money which at the time I had very little of. Amsoil was not the oil for me, and it's not the oil for EVERYONE. It's not the lord's gift to engines.

When I see a post that goes on and on about how great something is, I feel it's my duty as well as anyone's to post a counter-point to that glowing awe. That's not being a jerk, it's called healthy skepticism.
_________________________
Be a self-proclaimed expert in any field in less than twenty posts! Call BITOG now, ask us how!!!!!

he recommends oil brands based on if they cause valve cover leaks or not and if his friends swear by the stuff... LOL!

 

[kingrob]

Originally Posted By: lazaro
Originally Posted By: kingrob
If you do racing occasionally, why not look into Valvoline VR-1? My friend had an earlier SHO Taurus and swears by the VR 10w30.

I am the friend and he was mistaken I swear by Amsoil that is what I use in my 1993 Bondurant, Roush built #96 Taurus SHO that is used only for road course racing I do 6 x a year at SEBRING and Homestaed Speedway.
my valve covers don't leak either.
and the wimpy ASL 5w30 and the Super Shift ATF from Amsoil has about 2000 miles and 3 years of racing use and it is still in there LOL

uh, I'm not your friend. You aren't the only person in the world that has a SHO Taurus. You are a troll. Go back to troll land.

If you have some sort of personal problem with me, send me a PM and explain your psychotic ramblings. Otherwise please stop harassing me.