Is it true that all 5w20 are at least a semi-syn?

[bamorris2]

I've heard/read on other forums that all 5w20 motor oils are at a minimum semi-synthetic. I know that the Motorcraft is semi-syn. But in looking at the bottle of other 5w20's, they don't all necessarilly say "semi-synthetic". So I'm thinking that they're just conventional dino oil. After all, if they were in-fact semi-syn, wouldn't they tout that in their advertising?

Reason I ask, is because I'm wondering if it would be ok to run dino 5w20 in my 2005 Ford F150 5.4 motor. The manual calls for any 5w20 that meets Ford's ...930 spec. Again, Motorcraft's 5w20 is semi-syn and does (of course) meet that spec. Would I have any issues going to a purely conventional 5w20??

OCI would be about 5000 miles. My daily commute consists of about 55 miles round-trip. Mix of city & highway, but traffic... I have 45,000 miles on the truck, but I've never been impressed by Motorcraft. But I will continue to use their filter (FL820S). Just wondering what a good alternative, locally available, dino oil is for me.

 

[ARB1977]

I doubt it....your 0W20's would be synthetics though.

 

[PT1]

Why use something else when Motorcraft is a good oil and available at discount prices at China Mart???

 

[addyguy]

A lot are, but not all....

Pennzoil YB 5W-20 is about 60-70% group # syn whereas Castrol GTX 5W-20 is 100% group II/II+...those are the two I've heard about on here.....

 

[Iain]

Originally Posted By: bamorris2
I've heard/read on other forums that all 5w20 motor oils are at a minimum semi-synthetic. I know that the Motorcraft is semi-syn. But in looking at the bottle of other 5w20's, they don't all necessarilly say "semi-synthetic". So I'm thinking that they're just conventional dino oil. After all, if they were in-fact semi-syn, wouldn't they tout that in their advertising?

Reason I ask, is because I'm wondering if it would be ok to run dino 5w20 in my 2005 Ford F150 5.4 motor. The manual calls for any 5w20 that meets Ford's ...930 spec. Again, Motorcraft's 5w20 is semi-syn and does (of course) meet that spec. Would I have any issues going to a purely conventional 5w20??

OCI would be about 5000 miles. My daily commute consists of about 55 miles round-trip. Mix of city & highway, but traffic... I have 45,000 miles on the truck, but I've never been impressed by Motorcraft. But I will continue to use their filter (FL820S). Just wondering what a good alternative, locally available, dino oil is for me.

I've never used Motorcraft oil, but it's regarded highly here, IIRC.

Alternative to that would be Mobil Clean 5000:
http://www.mobil1.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Oils/Mobil_Clean_5000_5W-20.aspx

 

[dave1251]

Pennzoil was the test oil for Fords spec. According to my data it is mostly group II+. But you are not going to find an major motor oil valvoline, pennzoil, quaker state, gtx, havoline, chevron that does not meet you Fords spec.

 

[Lost1]

Not sure about which 5W-20's are semi-syn or not, but your 5.4 will do fine with dino. I've been running Valvoline dino 5W-20 in my '06 F-150 w/5.4L for awhile now and it seems to love it. (And at I have used the MC oil for several OCI's in my truck, as well as the wife's '06 Mustang GT. Both engines run fine on it and for the price it too is a bargain.

The MC FL820S filter has a fantastic record on UOA's for keeping oil clean so keep on using it.

 

[mechtech2]

5-20s are all well built. What technically makes the synthetic part a real synthetic is the question. If it is made chemically, it is a full synth, no doubt. But if the oil is a highly processed dino with the same attributes in the end, some call it dino.
My understanding is that all 5-20s are part synth, at least.

 

[hominid7]

I don't know the answer to your question, but my guess is the answer is technically "yes".

Even walmart supertech (WPP) 5w20, while not advertised as synthetic blend, is indeed advertised as synthetic blend in it's clone twin oil, MAG1.

Likewise, Oreilly auto parts 5w20 and 5w30 oil (Omni Specialty) is syn blend and while not advertised in big print, does say so in small print on the back of the package. Omni is not identical, but a close cousin to Motorcraft/TropArtic.

That begs the question, how much blend is required to be a syn blend? I dunno.

 

[Yuk]

Originally Posted By: hominid7

That begs the question, how much blend is required to be a syn blend? I dunno.


This is the real question. Until we have an unambiguous, industry wide, definition, the term Semi-Synthetic is virtually useless, and is nothing more then a marketing term.

 

[03cvpi]

Valvoline has a premium conventional 5w20 or so it says on the bottle. I tried it for 2500 miles on an auto-rx rinse phase and it was ok, but nothing to write home about. 4.6 seemed a little noiser using it.

 

[Drivebelt]

The average 5W-20 may not say it is a synthetic blend, but its base oils are equivalent to a synthetic blend.

I believe 5W-20 and 5w30's require about 50-60% Group II+ minimum (added to Group II) to meet the latest SM/GF-4 specifications. One can either process a Group II further (upgrade it at the hydrocracker) to get a Group II+, or, you can blend the II with III to get some Group II+ equivalent.

Common Viscosity Index's … (approximate) …

Group II = 100
Group II+ = 108 - 116
Group III = 126 - 128

A 50/50 blend of GII/III will have a VI ~ 114, making it equivalent to a good GII+. If you blend a GII and GIII to get to the GII+, you can call it a synthetic blend, but it is really no better technically than the GII+'s that come straight from the factory with the higher VI.

If the target base oil VI for your 5W-20 is say …~ 110, you can upgrade the GII to that VI by blending either a good GII+ or GIII -- it will just require more GII+ than GIII to do it. Some formulators may use the GII/III route and decide to call their oil a synthetic blend, but again, technically it won't be better than a GII/II+ that uses more GII+ to reach the target VI. I think some of the 5W's out there may be all Group II+, particularly the 5W-20's and this may perhaps depend on the company making the motor oil and the logistics of blending with GII/II+.

 

[robl]

I was always wondering that about the Motorcraft 5w20. How much is their blend. 10%? 20%, etc. because the numbers look pretty nice

 

[Iain]

Originally Posted By: robl
I was always wondering that about the Motorcraft 5w20. How much is their blend. 10%? 20%, etc. because the numbers look pretty nice

IIRC from MSDS, it was approximately 20% synthetic base stock.

 

[Bamaro]

If they are, I think that fact would be marketed.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

I thought I read somewhere that in order to say synthetic blend on the label, it must contain at least 10% synthetic.

I have a hunch the oil bottlers don't put synthetic on 5W-20 labels because of pricing. That would force them to sell that oil weight at a higher cost than 5w30. It would then create havoc with the automakers that demand 5W-20 oils -- then find these dealers arguing with still-in-warranty vehicle purchasers penny-pinching to use 5w30 instead.

 

[hominid7]

me thinks 777 makes a very valid point

 

[ChiTDI]

MotorCraft states "semi-synthetic" on its label.