Oil for rebuilt 4.6 Ford engine

[MRtv]

I have purchased a NAPA rebuilt engine for my 97 Ford F150 I have had it awhile and have had no problems at all. When it came from the shop who installed the engine they had 5w30 Motorcraft synth blend in the engine. I changed the oil several times over the next few hundreds and thousands of miles with Supertech 5w30 conventional to continue the break in and flush out fine metal particles from the rebuild process. The engine seemed to do just fine and I have no complaints.

Then I decided to try 5w20. The engine didn't seem to make any additional noise while running this grade oil. Various brands were run including Motorcraft, Quakerstate, Pennzoil. Right now I have Castrol GTX Ultraclean 5w20 in it. My question is this. Being a rebuilt engine what would you prefer to run in it? I have a Versa Note that takes 5w30 and boy would it be easier to just have to stock one grade. Yet if running the 20w oil would just be better for the 4.6 then I am fine with that. I know many feel the 20w is just CAFE designation for the 4.6 so for those who have an opinion about running 20w vs. 30w in a rebuilt 4.6 engine I would like to hear some thoughts. Thanks.

 

[OVERKILL]

The engine is fine on either but the 2V modular originally spec'd 5w-30, so I'd use that, or a 0w-30 personally, which is what I ran in our 5.4L.

 

[CT8]

5W-30.

 

[maxdustington]

Whatever is cheapest.

 

[Linctex]

I would do any 0W-30 or 5W-30 all year round.

I run 5W-40 "diesel" synthetic oil in my 4.6, but I also often pull 12,000-14,000 pounds with it.

I have some Walmart clearance Pennz 5w40 Euro oil to go in next oil change

 

[Oildudeny]

5w30 synthetic

 

[bullwinkle]

Magnatec 5W30, or 5W20-it sticks to timing chains & guides pretty well (at least on my '03)-I even mix in 0W20 Magnatec in winter (all gotten for $1 or less when AZ & AAP were closing it out), combined with XG2 Ultra filters. I just came back from a 250 mile round trip to greater Louisville KY and back today-got an all time best 25 MPG out of it. WIth 4 people & luggage (granted limited A/C use).

 

[147_Grain]

5W-30 or 0W-30 year around in both vehicles.

 

[dave1251]

Cheapest off the shelf 5W30 you can find.

 

[MRtv]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
The engine is fine on either but the 2V modular originally spec'd 5w-30, so I'd use that, or a 0w-30 personally, which is what I ran in our 5.4L.


I'd like to find out what valve count I have in my engine. All I recall was how happy the shop was when the crate came in. They said it was the better version of the 4.6. Whatever that meant. There is a really nice W on the side of the block. I figure that is indicating the engine was manufactured in Windsor.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by MRtv
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
The engine is fine on either but the 2V modular originally spec'd 5w-30, so I'd use that, or a 0w-30 personally, which is what I ran in our 5.4L.


I'd like to find out what valve count I have in my engine. All I recall was how happy the shop was when the crate came in. They said it was the better version of the 4.6. Whatever that meant.


16; 2 per cylinder. Your replacement motor, if they say it is "better", it's probably the PI version, which had better heads and cams and made more power.

 

[dogememe]

5w-30. I have owned two Crown Vics and the 99 specced 5w-30, the 07 was specced at 5w-20 to eek out better like 0.01 better mpg but the oil pump and all that were not changed.

 

[MRtv]

Thanks for the nice replies. The reason I asked originally was my concern that the clearances on a rebuilt engine might require 5w30. I gather that may not be the case at all. I do have some left over 5w20 oil which I will use with confidence now and not worry I am doing some unknown harm using to light a oil on the rebuilt. Meanwhile I can decide if I want to move to 5w30 or just stay with 5w20 and relax about it.

 

[BrocLuno]

That motor will be fine with a xW-30, so standardize and be happy

 

[chainblu]

I would use the 5w20 during the Idaho winters until it's used up, then switch to 5w30 so you can stock just one weight.

 

[RazorsEdge]

We've got a 1996 Crown Vic with a 4.6

It has 320,000 miles on it and we've used 5w20 and 5w30,doesn't make any diffrence.

 

[oldhp]

+1 on the 0W30/5W30 bandwagon.

 

[69GTX]

I've owned 3 cars with these motors. I ran both 20 and 30 grades.....but most of it on 30 grade. But after doing my research, I'm now using 5w-30 in winter and 10w-30 in summer. The 4.6L engines were designed on 5w-30. Regardless of the back speccing......the engineers who built them recommend 30 grade. The Ford marketing and environmental dept's recommend 20 grade. I would not use 20 grade again unless I got some for free and used it in winter only. And even then....I probably wouldn't use it figuring that 30 grade is optimal for engine longevity.

 

[Kruse]

I also have a '97 5.4 in an F250. I've run both 5W20 and 5W30 in several flavors, lately Shield Choice (formerly TropArtic) and Peak.
My truck doesn't seem to care about brand or viscosity. Right now it's got 250K miles on it and still has the original transmission and engine
Just drive it hard and if it was overhauled properly, don't worry about it.

 

[RazorsEdge]

Originally Posted by 69GTX
I've owned 3 cars with these motors. I ran both 20 and 30 grades.....but most of it on 30 grade. But after doing my research, I'm now using 5w-30 in winter and 10w-30 in summer. The 4.6L engines were designed on 5w-30. Regardless of the back speccing......the engineers who built them recommend 30 grade. The Ford marketing and environmental dept's recommend 20 grade. I would not use 20 grade again unless I got some for free and used it in winter only. And even then....I probably wouldn't use it figuring that 30 grade is optimal for engine longevity.



We've used both 5w30 and 5w20 either or is enough to get to 300,000 miles.