I want to run a thicker oil but…

[Japanese]

or just adding a quart of Lucas?

Please, don't do it!
Start with 5W-30 oil and depending on the oil consumption work you way up to Mobil 1 15W-50 or Valvoline VR1 20W-50.
Use only full synthetic oil and do the first couple of oil changes and filter at 3,000 miles.

I’m sure its burning it but not having any visible smoke is weird.

It probably smokes a bit after taking of on every traffic light and when accelerating, but it's no visible for the driver.

 

[Japanese]

VRP or M1 HM would be my choice.

With a quart every 500 miles, wouldn't be very price to use these oils?
And if he uses VRP on a 250K engine, he will need for sure to replace the oil filter every 500 miles, at least the first two or three oil filters.

 

[GI_GRIFF]

I bought a truck with 250k to use as a farm truck. It doesn’t leak oil and it doesn’t smoke but it’s using a quart of oil every 500 or so miles. I’m considering running a thicker oil to see if it slows consumption but I’ve seen so many oil experts online that say to not go heavier than the manufacturer recommended viscosity. It’s a 2004 F150 5.4L and the factory recommends 5w20. Twenty weight isn’t very thick. Would it be unspeakable to use good old 10w30?

https://www.amazon.com/Liqui-Moly-2...r+oil+saver,specialty-aps-sns,148&sr=8-2&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/Rislone-4102...=rislone+engine+treatment,aps,161&sr=8-1&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/Mystik-JT-8-...57053624&sprefix=mystik+15w-50,aps,159&sr=8-1

Change to the Mystik 15W-50, use both the Motor Oil Saver and Rislone at the proper percentages as per directions. The combination of all three may cut your consumption with continued use and time. None of this, even in combination, is all that pricy. It may work.

 

[Astro14]

A handful of gurus on YouTube advise not to go thinner than the low number and not to go thicker than the high number of the factory oil. I just watched a video from TheMotorOilGeek that said as much.

I’m located in the Mississippi delta. Low temps rarely make it below the teens and thats only a few days a year. Summer has 30 days of 90-100 degree days. The truck is driven about 50 miles a week with 3 or 4 250 mile round trips per year. Most trips are around 20 minutes long.

Should I be thinking thicker oil or just adding a quart of Lucas?

Please don’t add the Lucas - it will thicken what is in there, as advertised, but it will also create worse cold performance and potentially decrease the effectiveness of your existing additives. It’s like pouring 5lb of sugar into your favorite recipe - you’ll notice the change, but it’s not necessarily a change for the better.

There is absolutely no harm in going to a thicker oil. Use a decent 5W30, or 0W40. The truck will be fine on either. Find a decent oil, on sale, change it, and see how that affects the consumption.

 

[tblt44]

I bad pcv valve can often be the case for oil consumption.
Not sure on your Ford

 

[midnightlaundry]

I wanted to try this just because my car is getting some miles on it.. Spec is 5W-30.. I just picked up a 5qt jug of Castrol Edge 5W-40 EURO for $24 bux at Wally World.. Solid deal! It was the only 5W-40 I could find..
As long as the weather number is within the outdoor temps where you live, it will flow reliably when cold. 1 grade thicker on the hot number is more protection..

 

[F150…]

Update

I had actually already purchased some VRP in 5w20 to use in another vehicle so I just used it in the truck. I’ve driven it about 100 miles and it now smokes when starting and smoke is noticeable in the mirror when I throttle it. I’m wondering if the piston rings are so varnished that they’re not seating.

My plan is to let the VRP clean it out and then switch to 10w30. I’ll keep going thicker until the consumption slows. I’m also gonna look into the pcv valve.

 

[kschachn]

Update

I had actually already purchased some VRP in 5w20 to use in another vehicle so I just used it in the truck. I’ve driven it about 100 miles and it now smokes when starting and smoke is noticeable in the mirror when I throttle it. I’m wondering if the piston rings are so varnished that they’re not seating.

My plan is to let the VRP clean it out and then switch to 10w30. I’ll keep going thicker until the consumption slows. I’m also gonna look into the pcv valve.

Given that why wouldn't you use the 5W-30?

That smoke isn't due to the VRP. That's not how it works. In the short term it's just another API SP oil.

 

[F150…]

Given that why wouldn't you use the 5W-30?

That smoke isn't due to the VRP. That's not how it works. In the short term it's just another API SP oil.

Then why does everyone say to change the oil filter after 500 miles on the VRP? I’m not saying that VRP “caused my engine to smoke” but I’d believe that removing deposits could have that effect until things get seated again.

 

[Astro14]

Then why does everyone say to change the oil filter after 500 miles on the VRP? I’m not saying that VRP “caused my engine to smoke” but I’d believe that removing deposits could have that effect until things get seated again.

“Everybody” says that? I don’t think so. VRP doesn’t clean so fast the filter would clog, or the engine would smoke in a few hundred miles. If the engine is smoking, you have developed a mechanical problem at the same time as your VRP run, but VRP did not cause the smoking.

I would run it 5,000 miles, and then check your filter. Seriously.

Lots of folks here have run an oil that cleans, and 5,000 miles is when you start to see the effects. I’ve been running the Volvo XCs on an oil that cleans (HPL) and at 6,000 miles, there is a bit of carbon, but not enough to be concerning.

For an engine that was severely neglected, perhaps check the filter a bit sooner, but your engine wasn’t severely neglected.

 

[F150…]

“Everybody” says that? I don’t think so. VRP doesn’t clean so fast the filter would clog, or the engine would smoke in a few hundred miles. If the engine is smoking, you have developed a mechanical problem at the same time as your VRP run, but VRP did not cause the smoking.

I would run it 5,000 miles, and then check your filter. Seriously.

Lots of folks here have run an oil that cleans, and 5,000 miles is when you start to see the effects. I’ve been running the Volvo XCs on an oil that cleans (HPL) and at 6,000 miles, there is a bit of carbon, but not enough to be concerning.

For an engine that was severely neglected, perhaps check the filter a bit sooner, but your engine wasn’t severely neglected.

I just bought the truck and I don’t know if it was neglected or not. The fact that it’s using so much oil has me leaning towards “neglected”.

I shouldn’t have said “everybody” but most of the videos I’ve watched about VRP have said that you should change the filter early. They even cut the filters open and show how dirty they are.

 

[Patman]

I just bought the truck and I don’t know if it was neglected or not. The fact that it’s using so much oil has me leaning towards “neglected”.

I shouldn’t have said “everybody” but most of the videos I’ve watched about VRP have said that you should change the filter early. They even cut the filters open and show how dirty they are.

My first interval with VRP was 5400 miles and I didn’t change the filter during that interval and I had no problem. If I thought that the engine needed a next level amount of cleaning I would have rather just changed the VRP and filter after 2000 miles.

 

[Astro14]

I just bought the truck and I don’t know if it was neglected or not. The fact that it’s using so much oil has me leaning towards “neglected”.

I shouldn’t have said “everybody” but most of the videos I’ve watched about VRP have said that you should change the filter early. They even cut the filters open and show how dirty they are.

Oh, OK. That makes more sense. So without knowing the maintenance history, there is a possibility that it was severely neglected.

I just figured somebody who cared that much about oil probably didn’t neglect their engine, I didn’t realize the truck was new to you.

Look - the worst that could happen if you change the filter at 500 miles is you’re out a couple of bucks for a filter. The only thing you’re hurting there is your wallet.

I don’t see any harm of changing a filter that early, I just don’t think it’s that likely to be necessary.

But, you gotta do what helps you sleep at night - avoid the worry. Pull the filter when you think it’s appropriate, and report back, I’d be curious what you find.

 

[F150…]

Given that my engine is using oil fast enough that I’ll be topping off between changes (even at a short 2000 interval) would you keep topping off with the 5w20 or top off with thicker viscosities of VRP?

 

[Astro14]

Given that my engine is using oil fast enough that I’ll be topping off between changes (even at a short 2000 interval) would you keep topping off with the 5w20 or top off with thicker viscosities of VRP?

If it’s using oil at that rate, I’d at least switch to a 5W-30. The slight increase in viscosity may slow down your consumption a little bit.

Since the oil is the same price, might as well try the 5W-30.

And since your goal is to clean up the engine a bit, I would continue to use the Valvoline restore and protect.

 

[Plumb Bob]

As posted above, Valvoline Restore and Protect 5W-30, because you're not in Oz.

 

[kschachn]

Then why does everyone say to change the oil filter after 500 miles on the VRP? I’m not saying that VRP “caused my engine to smoke” but I’d believe that removing deposits could have that effect until things get seated again.

Deposits don’t seat rings.

 

[F150…]

If it’s using oil at that rate, I’d at least switch to a 5W-30. The slight increase in viscosity may slow down your consumption a little bit.

Since the oil is the same price, might as well try the 5W-30.

And since your goal is to clean up the engine a bit, I would continue to use the Valvoline restore and protect.

My logic for staying with the 5w20 would be to help get in all the nooks and crannies before going to a thicker viscosity.

The PCV valve is disappointing. It doesn’t seem to have any obstruction but it’s not your normal PCV valve. I can blow through it and the line just fine but I don’t know how it works/closes. Pictured below.

 

[kschachn]

My logic for staying with the 5w20 would be to help get in all the nooks and crannies before going to a thicker viscosity.

The PCV valve is disappointing. It doesn’t seem to have any obstruction but it’s not your normal PCV valve. I can blow through it and the line just fine but I don’t know how it works/closes. Pictured below.

View attachment 299147

This is a complete fallacy.

 

[Brian123]

This is a complete fallacy.

I agree with the Fallacy comment, let's be realistic when the OP says that the PCV Valve does not look normal, we need to ask what vehicle he had before where it looked normal. The OP needs to pull off the Valve Cover where the PCV goes in and see what is going on.