Ford 4.6 Daily Driver Oil Question.

[JustinH]

Hello All,

I have a 98 Ford F150 with the 4.6 v8 motor. The truck has 45k miles on it, and has received regular dino oil changes (at the local quaker state station, ugh)

Anyway, I got the truck a few months ago, and I did my first oil change on it, and went to Mobil1 5w30 with motorcraft oil filters.

I think that this is a good combo for my truck. I change the oil every 4k.

Now, I am starting to think (is the mobil1 really worth the dough)

The truck takes 6 quarts. I pay 19 dollars for a 5 quart jug at walmart, plus 4 and change for an additional quart, plus 3 bucks for a motorcraft filter.

This comes to a hare under 30 bucks in supplies alone.

I take it to my buddy who works at a local mom and pop oil change place, and throw him 10 bucks to change it with my oil and my filter and lube the chassis (small price to pay to keep you hands clean, lol)

Anyway, I have read alot about the 5w20 motorcraft oil for 1.44 a quart at walmart.

Here are my questions.

I really don't want to run a 5w20 weight oil in the v8. I like the 5w30 more. I beleive that ford did this to improve gas mileage, and I'm more interested in protection.

Is the motorcraft 5w30 a semi synthetic oil? How does it stack up against the mobil 1?

At, 1.44 a quart my oil change goes from a 40 dollar oil change (with 10 dollar fee) to a 22 dollar oil change (with 10 dollar fee), and I can't really justify the mobil1 in a stock motor like this one.

Comments please...

Thanks.

 

[Chris B.]

I'd 1st get at least 3,000 miles on your current oil and then have it analyzed to make sure your engine is solid. My Friend just bought a 2002 F150 with 17,000 miles on it and I talked him into alalyzing the oil and it came out terrible! His engine (4.6) seemed to be running well but according to the kast 2 UOA's it has something wrong inside it. Terry Dyson is working with hie to get it corrected and his UOA's in much better shape! The oil he was using at 5,000 intervals was Mobil 1 5w30 form 17,000 miles when he bought it to 23,000 when he found the problem.

 

[JustinH]

ok quick question.

When I bought the truck it had quaker state dino in it, and an off brand oil filter.

I have since drained that and replaced it with mobil1 and motorcraft filter.

Should I let it go one more mobil1/motorcraft oil change before I get it analized, or should I do it right away?

The mobil1 has about 2500 on it right now.

Thanks,
JH

 

[Bdiddy]

You're not the JustinH from the TCCoA forums are you?

Regarding your truck, I think you should have the oil analysed on your next change of Mobil 1. If all is well and you're happy with the results, you should extend your drain interval to 5000 mmiles or possibly more, especially if you dont make frequent short trips. I feel that the 4.6 and 30w Mobil 1 make an excellent combo.

 

[MNgopher]

To answer your earlier question, the Motorcraft 5w30 is probably not a blend. If it were, you'd likely see it marketed that way, same as the 5w20.

With that in mind, overall the Motorcraft (and Conoco - the actual manufacturer of Motorcraft oil) oils show very well, and are considered a "sleeper" oil on the board. A low profile brand that spends little to nothing on advertising yet returns solid, consistant results. Good stuff at a decent price.

As far as the arguement on 5w20 vs 5w30, yes, 5w30 will serve you just fine. That's what was specified in my '99 F150 with the 4.6 and my '97 F150 with the 4.6. I sold the '97 at 163,000 using 5w30 the whole way, and it ran fine.

FWIW, I've switched to 5w20 on my '99 and actually found that engine wear has dropped and I am able to extend my intervals.

 

[haley10]

The back label of my Motorcraft bottle states:

Formulated with our synthetic/hydrocracked base oils....

This is a 5W-30 is just bought.

Motorcraft might be just about the best dino for a Ford in whatever the correct grade required.

Mobil 1 will probably get you a somewhat extended drain interval.

 

[Whimsey]

My wife used the Motorcraft 5W-30 in her 2002 Explorer for the first 30,000 miles. She went with 5,000 mile oil exchange intervals. Did an UOA at 25,000 miles, March to July, and the results were really good. At 34,500 did another UOA with Schaeffer's 5W-30 blend and the results were very similar to the Motorcraft's. But the Schaeffer's was in use from Nov to Feb. A very cold time period for us with LOTS of idling in 0* temps. But for the $1.40 or so that Walmart charges for the Motorcraft 5W-30 it seems like a really good oil at a really good price. As MNgopher says, it's a "sleeper" oil.

Whimsey

 

[Schmoe]

I must totally agree....The Motorcraft stuff has been exceptional lately. I might try it sometime in the Accord or my F150 truck. I can't see paying all that extra for M1 when this Motorcraft stuff will get me the same distance, same wear numbers but a lot lower in price. Geesh, right when I thought I had my oil choices summed up, along comes the "sleeper."

 

[G-MAN]

quote:

---

Originally posted by haley10:
The back label of my Motorcraft bottle states:

Formulated with our synthetic/hydrocracked base oils....

---

Well, I think Ford's marketing department is pushing the envelope a little here, but given that Group III and Group II+ are produced in exactly the same way, and both have roughly the same level of saturates and aromatics with the only real difference being the VI, it was just a matter of time before one of the oil companies started claiming that their Group II/II+ oil is "synthetic."

And let's face it, a Group II/II+ oil, from the standpoint of how the base oil is made, IS just as "synthetic" as a Group III.

 

[Whimsey]

I think Ford is purposely being ambiguous in their description of the oil. They are letting you draw your own conclusion, right or "wrong"

. I know their 5W-20 advertises on the bottle as a synthetic BLEND and states it's "Formulated with our synthetic/hydrocracked base oils and..." . I guess since Group III is technically considered a "synthetic" and Group II+ is hydrocracked and they are not calling the oil synthetic, but a synthetic blend, they are "factual". But no matter what, Motorcraft oils are really good oil for the price

. They do hold up for 5,000 mile OCI's unless you severely "beat" the engine and thus the oil. Trust me my wife is not a "gentle" driver

.

Whimsey

[ April 19, 2004, 10:56 AM: Message edited by: Whimsey ]

 

[JustinH]

thanks guys.

A couple posts above, yes I am from the Tccoa forums.

So my question would be, is the formulation for 5w20 motorcraft and 5w30 motorcraft the same? Are they both a conaco semi synthetic?

Thanks,
JH

 

[G-MAN]

quote:

---

Originally posted by JustinH:
thanks guys.

A couple posts above, yes I am from the Tccoa forums.

So my question would be, is the formulation for 5w20 motorcraft and 5w30 motorcraft the same? Are they both a conaco semi synthetic?

---

Both are made by Conoco. The 5w20 is a Group III/Group II+ blend. The 5w30 is all Group II+.

 

[Bror Jace]

JustinH, Group I, II, II+ & III are all mineral oils. The difference is the degree of processing with Group III being the most severe and often called a synthetic by some companies because it is so different from the original crude feedstock.

Many of us, however, believe the only REAL synthetics are Group IV (PAO) and Group V (esters).

Yes, the Motorcraft oils with their strong boron-based additive package have turned in some impressive results ...

... but in dinos, I prefer Pennzoil and Chevron with their added moly content.

--- Bror Jace

 

[SigShooter]

I had a 97 F150 with the 4.6 in it that I sold last October. It had 93000 miles on it and I used several different kinds of oil in it ( all dino ) 5w30 with a Motorcraft filter. The engine still ran like new and I never had any engine problems with it. I always changed at 3000 miles and even with 93000 miles on the truck the oil really wasn't dirty at 3000 miles. Personally I wouldn't waste the money on synthetic. I have a 2003 Toyota Tundra with the 4.7 iForce V8 (awsome motor ) and I am using Havoline 5w30 in it.

 

[mf150]

we run 10W30 Mobil 1 in our 97, and have had 207,950 trouble free miles with nearly all compression still intact.

I use Red Line 5W30 in my mustang GT 2003 (4.6L).