ford says to use 5w20 =[

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so i did a search and found this page http://blog.bluespringsfordparts.com/411/synthetic-oil-f150/

i guess even the first 5.4 was said to use 5w20...

truck has just about 100K on it. should i go from 5W30 to 520?

i know ford spends countless $ designing engines but im a little hesitant to run 5w20 in a truck that is used for daily driving and towing boats/trailers on a semi-regular basis =/


what do you think ?

and FWIW. i have ~ 4k on the full synthetic 5w30 and ive added about 3.5 quarts to keep it topped off. i cant see 5.20 making that better.
 
There's hundreds of thousands of these engines running around in hot climates, being worked hard on 5w-20 oil. No problems.

Run 5 or 0w-20 with confidence. A user here 2010_FX4 runs > 10K intervals on 20 grade oil with no problems!
 
You should use what it says on the oil cap and manual for your truck. Earlier 5.4's called for 5w30 then it was changed to 5w20 on newer motors.
 
It appears 5w30 has worked for you so u could stick with it. If u change to 5w20, it probably be just fine, too. Good luck
 
The first year that 5w20 was recommended was 2001. The previous models were back spec'd because 5w20 was also found to be suitable in them. 5w20 or 5w30 will both work just fine in the modular truck engines. I run either depending on sales/availability in my 04 with the 5.4 3 valve.
 
To quote the article:

Quote:

What Ford Recommends
Ford advised, and was shipping vehicles from the factory with, SAE 5W-30 motor oil in the majority of their engines since the 1990s. Then in January 2002, Ford issued a Technical Service Bulletin now recommending the use of SAE 5W-20 instead of SAE 5W-30 motor oil. The 4.2-liter V6, 4.6-liter V8 and 5.4-liter V8 from 1997 to 2002 were all listed as vehicles to be serviced with the new recommendation. It was “an improved formulation to improve fuel economy.” From 2002 onward Ford recommended SAE 5W-20 in almost all of their engines (4.2-liter to the 6.2-liter); the exception being the 3.5-liter EcoBoost. They recommend SAE 5W-30 for the direct-injection six cylinder.


The Modular engines originally spec'd 5w-30. They were back-spec'd in '02 for 5w-20. I have an '02 that has the 5w-20 oil cap and I run 5w-30/0w-30 in it as that's what the engine originally called for and was tested with during development. it is mechanically no different from the '00 my parents own that called for 5w-30.

I would have no qualms running 5w-20/0w-20 in a 3V or any of the engines that were engineered/designed on it. The back-spec'ing is what I'm not comfortable with. I know Ford did extensive testing to validate the back-spec'ing but there are no oil temp safety nannies on the old Modular like there is on the current Coyote engine and we also have no oil pressure or oil temp gauges to go by. So I feel more comfortable sticking to what the engine was originally developed on.
 
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
To quote the article:

Quote:

What Ford Recommends
Ford advised, and was shipping vehicles from the factory with, SAE 5W-30 motor oil in the majority of their engines since the 1990s. Then in January 2002, Ford issued a Technical Service Bulletin now recommending the use of SAE 5W-20 instead of SAE 5W-30 motor oil. The 4.2-liter V6, 4.6-liter V8 and 5.4-liter V8 from 1997 to 2002 were all listed as vehicles to be serviced with the new recommendation. It was “an improved formulation to improve fuel economy.” From 2002 onward Ford recommended SAE 5W-20 in almost all of their engines (4.2-liter to the 6.2-liter); the exception being the 3.5-liter EcoBoost. They recommend SAE 5W-30 for the direct-injection six cylinder.


The Modular engines originally spec'd 5w-30. They were back-spec'd in '02 for 5w-20. I have an '02 that has the 5w-20 oil cap and I run 5w-30/0w-30 in it as that's what the engine originally called for and was tested with during development. it is mechanically no different from the '00 my parents own that called for 5w-30.

I would have no qualms running 5w-20/0w-20 in a 3V or any of the engines that were engineered/designed on it. The back-spec'ing is what I'm not comfortable with. I know Ford did extensive testing to validate the back-spec'ing but there are no oil temp safety nannies on the old Modular like there is on the current Coyote engine and we also have no oil pressure or oil temp gauges to go by. So I feel more comfortable sticking to what the engine was originally developed on.


would you feel comfortable running a 10w30 for this motor?
 
If the engine (notably the valvetrain and phasers) is quiet on 5/20 then use it....if its getting a little noisy the thicker oil helps quiet them down quite a bit....let the hate begin but I have m1 15w50 in 2 of my 3v engines..
If i use the thin oil they are nasty loud and run like [censored] at idle or just off idle...oil pressure is not the issue...its the phasers.
 
Originally Posted By: cp3
Do you know where the quart of oil is going every 1200 miles? Burning or leaking?

Personally, I'd be more worried about that than 20 vs 30.


the truck does not leak a single drop of oil.... ill assume its eating it =)

when i got the truck it had 5w30 in it. i put 10w40 in it, next change was walmart 5w30, then i went to the current ST FS 5w30.

i honestly cannot say what oil is better or worse. i do know 5 months after the 1040 i consumed 2 quarts. im about double that with the 530.

if its better to run 520 ill do it, if its better to run 1540 ill do it. so far i know thses tight engines like thin oil, so if 520 is what the motor needs ill run it, coldest days in my town are 30 degrees at worse. if bumping from 5x to 10x is a wise idea then id do it.
 
I use 5w-30 in a 2003 Ford V-10... and don't lose a bit of sleep over it.

Have you considered using something like Shell Rotella T6 in the 5w-40 weight as a compromise?
 
Originally Posted By: leroyd92
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
To quote the article:

Quote:

What Ford Recommends
Ford advised, and was shipping vehicles from the factory with, SAE 5W-30 motor oil in the majority of their engines since the 1990s. Then in January 2002, Ford issued a Technical Service Bulletin now recommending the use of SAE 5W-20 instead of SAE 5W-30 motor oil. The 4.2-liter V6, 4.6-liter V8 and 5.4-liter V8 from 1997 to 2002 were all listed as vehicles to be serviced with the new recommendation. It was “an improved formulation to improve fuel economy.” From 2002 onward Ford recommended SAE 5W-20 in almost all of their engines (4.2-liter to the 6.2-liter); the exception being the 3.5-liter EcoBoost. They recommend SAE 5W-30 for the direct-injection six cylinder.


The Modular engines originally spec'd 5w-30. They were back-spec'd in '02 for 5w-20. I have an '02 that has the 5w-20 oil cap and I run 5w-30/0w-30 in it as that's what the engine originally called for and was tested with during development. it is mechanically no different from the '00 my parents own that called for 5w-30.

I would have no qualms running 5w-20/0w-20 in a 3V or any of the engines that were engineered/designed on it. The back-spec'ing is what I'm not comfortable with. I know Ford did extensive testing to validate the back-spec'ing but there are no oil temp safety nannies on the old Modular like there is on the current Coyote engine and we also have no oil pressure or oil temp gauges to go by. So I feel more comfortable sticking to what the engine was originally developed on.


would you feel comfortable running a 10w30 for this motor?


I don't see a reason to give up lower temperature performance for zero gain anywhere else
21.gif
That's why I usually run a 0w-30.
 
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
To quote the article:

Quote:

What Ford Recommends
Ford advised, and was shipping vehicles from the factory with, SAE 5W-30 motor oil in the majority of their engines since the 1990s. Then in January 2002, Ford issued a Technical Service Bulletin now recommending the use of SAE 5W-20 instead of SAE 5W-30 motor oil. The 4.2-liter V6, 4.6-liter V8 and 5.4-liter V8 from 1997 to 2002 were all listed as vehicles to be serviced with the new recommendation. It was “an improved formulation to improve fuel economy.” From 2002 onward Ford recommended SAE 5W-20 in almost all of their engines (4.2-liter to the 6.2-liter); the exception being the 3.5-liter EcoBoost. They recommend SAE 5W-30 for the direct-injection six cylinder.


The Modular engines originally spec'd 5w-30. They were back-spec'd in '02 for 5w-20. I have an '02 that has the 5w-20 oil cap and I run 5w-30/0w-30 in it as that's what the engine originally called for and was tested with during development. it is mechanically no different from the '00 my parents own that called for 5w-30.

I would have no qualms running 5w-20/0w-20 in a 3V or any of the engines that were engineered/designed on it. The back-spec'ing is what I'm not comfortable with. I know Ford did extensive testing to validate the back-spec'ing but there are no oil temp safety nannies on the old Modular like there is on the current Coyote engine and we also have no oil pressure or oil temp gauges to go by. So I feel more comfortable sticking to what the engine was originally developed on.

One argument for the back-spec'ing to the 5W-20 grade was due to the improvements in an oils' shear stability. The 5W-20 grade basically being the same oil as the 5W-30 but with less VIIs and Ford (and other manufacturers) simply were maintaining the same operational viscosity as the more shear prone API 5W-30s of days past.
 
Have u changed or cleaned the pcv valve on it?..they will use oil if they stuck or gooped up...they are not your normal push/twist in type on top of the valve cover like the old days...they are heated and are at the drivers side rear on the intake ...ill put a pic up later..
 
The ex's Marauder has run 5W-30 for the last 100,000 miles...she got it with 87,000 and it now has over 185,000. No issues at all. I also run 5W-30 in mine, but it has a blower.

My DD specs 5W-30 and I run MC 5W-20 in it...sounds and runs fine, even with 130,000 miles on it.
 
If people doubt the wisdom of using a 20 weight oil is it because they don't trust Ford? What does Ford have to gain by messing with their customers? Or does the advice of a friend of a friend trump Ford engineering?
 
I don't think the girlfriends dad has ever ran 5w20 oil in their 5.4. He has access to bulk Rotella T 15w40 and uses it year round.

I would personally run what it calls for per the owners manual and sleep well..
 
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
If people doubt the wisdom of using a 20 weight oil is it because they don't trust Ford? What does Ford have to gain by messing with their customers? Or does the advice of a friend of a friend trump Ford engineering?


+1
 
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