Low Shear Oil For Short Trips, Long Idles, and a Heavy Foot

[Rob_Roy]

There is nothing about the way you use your truck that requires using anything other than what Ford recommends. Follow the OLM and have a UOA done if you are nervous about the OCI.

A friend of mine works for a company that puts a ton of miles on F150s. He said the only real issues they have are with the rear axle. They have had 4 trucks need pinion bearings before 100K. Based on that I think a high quality gear lube would be a good idea.

 

[kschachn]

I don’t have any to my knowledge, just something I’m trying to avoid after lurking in here for a while and seeing how certain conditions, driving habits etc can lead to it.

I guess then I'd "worry" more about an oil that carries the specification or license listed in the owner's manual. Conditions and driving habits really have little to do with it.

 

[benjy]

i second the 15-40 recommendation or at least a 10-30. on the cheap if you DIY changes you can run rotella T 15-40 + change more often + you have the better engine rather than the problematic eco bull!!!

 

[SR5]

You live in South Florida, and you want a tough shear resistant oil. You are running 5W30 right now.

How about a full synthetic 10W30 that's API SP rated?
Compared to a similar formulated 5W30, the 10W30 should be more shear resistant and with lower Noack volatility.

 

[duck__dodgers]

For short trippers, frequency (at or below the severe driving recommendation) is more important than agonizing different brands.

But only an oil analysis will tell you if you are changing the oil too often or not

 

[SagarD]

Thanks for the input. I ordered a lab kit from black stone so let’s see what they say and I think there is good advice here to help with whatever outcome the reports yields. I’m sure it will be done though.

 

[kschachn]

Unfortunately if you are attempting to detect a viscosity deviation and then ascribe it to either fuel dilution or mechanical shear, Blackstone has demonstrated they are unable to do this with their methods. You need a lab that directly measures fuel dilution rather than via a secondary estimation.

 

[Bill_W]

My thoughts are not yours. So I structure my answer to your question. Personally price to performance ratio is important to me. I usually shoot for second or third best on my list. And that list changes with the more I learn. There are unpaid and paid cheerleaders on this site, fun to learn but in reality there are no bad choices. I do a once a year UOA from Oil Analizers.

 

[dwendt44]

10W-30 is still available. I've used Rotella 5W-40 for a long
trip in my GMC Terrain V-6.

My 2¢

 

[Silver]

Short trips, oil maybe not completely up to temp when you gun it. I'd probably try a relatively high HT/HS 0W30. Disclaimer: I have never designed oil nor worked in a lab.

 

[WeyounDS9]

I heard of this but I have never seen a oil after 500 miles look golden .

The oil in my Nissan Xterra (4.0L V6) looks golden after 2000-3000 miles still and in my Pathfinder V8 after 3000-4000 miles.
My Xterra is closing in on 5000 miles but it still looks amber.
Actually I am supposed to change the oil around now but cant bring myself to do it since it looks so good.

My Pathfinder is at 1600 miles and not much darker than new.
Both consume near zero oil.
Well no engine consumes zero oil but they are both close enough I cannot detect consumption.

I think when I checked out the V8 after my longest recent OCI (7500 miles in fast summertime interstate driving though appalachia) it looked like it might have lost a 20th of a quart or so, if that, of oil.
But it might also have been filled to every so slightly less than max on fillup not sure.

But Nissan engines ( except for the VQ37s for a couple model years) tend to be tighter than most.

 

[mahanddeem]

Your truck will be happy with 5w40 or even 10w40.

 

[el Nuke]

QSUD 10w-30

 

[930.engineering]

Keep running a 5W-30. If Ford specs 5W-20 virtually any synthetic 5W-30
will do what you expect it to do. Feel free to chose an oil with low Noack
and high HTHS if you sleep better with it. It certainly doesn't harm. Lowish
Noack is something like 6 % and highish HTHS for a 5W-30 does mean 3.7
mPas but there's plenty with 3.5 mPas (all MB 229.5 or 229.51, BMW LL-01
or LL-04 and all VW 502 00 or 504 00 approved 5W-30). No, I don't claim
anything except it doesn't harm.

There is a test called HT/HS that is done at 150 c that determines the shear resistance.

Are you sure about that?

HTHS is the viscosity of a new oil at 150°C under shear stress. Don't expect
it to measure the exact same at the end of the interval. Hopefully it's close.
.

 

[Bill_W]

Keep running a 5W-30. If Ford specs 5W-20 virtually any synthetic 5W-30
will do what you expect it to do. Feel free to chose an oil with low Noack
and high HTHS if you sleep better with it. It certainly doesn't harm. Lowish
Noack is something like 6 % and highish HTHS for a 5W-30 does mean 3.7
mPas but there's plenty with 3.5 mPas (all MB 229.5 or 229.51, BMW LL-01
or LL-04 and all VW 502 00 or 504 00 approved 5W-30). No, I don't claim
anything except it doesn't harm.




Are you sure about that?

HTHS is the viscosity of a new oil at 150°C under shear stress. Don't expect
it to measure the exact same at the end of the interval. Hopefully it's close.
.

Sure? It is just a test. For the OP I have the basic concept in this video.



Agree new oil test. Agree not the same at the end of the oil interval. But depending on the oil base class used you can get a lot of base oil VI before needing VII which means less shear. Again not info for you but for the OP. VI improvers have come a long way and do not wear out (shear) as they used to. (star VII) So... For the OP this HTHS tests the shear resistance of new oil. A high number shows better protection, lower number better fuel economy. The oil is at 150 c but at the test point pressures/temps are a lot higher.

The test equipment…

TBS 2100E HTHS Viscometer - Tannas & King

The Tapered Bearing Simulator (TBS) Viscometer is a rotational viscometer for measuring high temperature, high shear rate (HTHS) viscosity of engine oils.

www.tannasking.com

Measures the resistance (viscosity) in a tapered bearing.

 

[Spike555]

When you say castrol syntec, I assume that was typo and you meant synthetic, correct? Yeah I’m sure whatever I go with will be fine but due to how we drive I don’t want my oil sheering down of getting to much gas mixed in. Appreciate the help.

Sorry, I did not realize they changed the name. Black bottle. Used to be called Syntec.
I buy the European Formula.

 

[CleanSump]

Euro Spec. Read the PSDs and look at the HTHS. Anything VW, MB, or BMW approves smokes the uh, yeah. I won't say it. But they suck.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Sorry, I did not realize they changed the name. Black bottle. Used to be called Syntec.
I buy the European Formula.

Whats the difference between the Euro 5W-30 Edge and the US 5W-30 Edge?

 

[JavierH19]

10w-30 has a pretty low vii as far as what a ton of gas engines get these days. About 144-155 vii and they're more shear resistant and have a better hths while almost always being below 11cst kv100.

 

[aquariuscsm]

A synthetic SAE30.