Oil options for a 2016 Ford Shelby GT350

[CJs06]

Hello all, I am searching for an oil to use in my GT350.

I'm a little nervous using the factory fill (Motorcraft 5W-50) because I recently experience a spun rod bearing on cylinder 8 at 5000 miles (stock car). Fortunately Ford replaced the engine under warranty, no issues there! I don't want to assume the specifics of the bearing failure, but I do know it is obviously related to an oiling failure and additionally it occurred at high RPM.

I'm looking for an oil that will perform well in my engine; particularly interested in oil performance for severe driving. Additionally, I want the oil to be readily available and at a cheaper price than the Motorcraft oil. I have reviewed these oils, in addition to the factory Motorcraft oil:

Amsoil Signature Series 5W-50
Valvoline VR1 20W-50
Mobil 1 15W-50
Castrol EDGE 5W-50
Pennzoil Platnium 10W-60
Havoline 20W-50

I'm considering Amsoil but I'm not set just yet. Please share your recommendations and any sources for deals. Thank you in advance.

 

[Gasbuggy]

I would be very careful to only use something that meets your warranty reqs, even if it not thee best oil choice.

 

[CJs06]

Partially why I'm considering the Amsoil 5w-50 since it meets Ford WSS-M2C931-C (Mustang).

 

[A_Harman]

Use the AMSoil to maintain your warranty. Seems like you're going to need it.
I think the Castrol 5w50 also meets the Ford spec, but would choose the AMSoil over it.
Why even fret about the cost of the oil that goes into that engine?

 

[tenderloin]

Welcome

You had a engine fixed under warranty with no problems..I would stick with the factory fill. Unless Ford said it was oil related no reason to doubt the factory fill. Readily available? I am reasonably sure it is readily available from the dealer. Cheaper price? The price cannot be that much more than Amsoil..Cheaper price (2)? You just dropped $55,000 on the car and you are worried about $20-30 an oil change difference?

 

[d00df00d]

to BITOG!

AFAIK, mechanical problems are FAR more likely to be caused by parts or manufacturing defects than by oil. I'd strongly recommend sticking with the spec oil, at least until your warranty runs out.

Always look carefully at wording when you see a spec listed for an oil. For example, Amsoil says its Signature Series 5w-50 "is recommended for [cars] requiring" WSS-M2C931-C. They don't actually say it meets the spec, much less that it carries the approval. All they're saying is that they think it'll work. 9 times out of 10, they're right. And if your engine failed again with Amsoil in the sump, technically Ford would have to prove the oil was inadequate before they denied your warranty claim. But they could still cause you some headaches.

 

[QUIKSVT]

Stick with the Motorcraft. I've ran it for the past 13 years in my built Lightning 600rwhp and hundreds of pass' down the 1/4 mile. No issues.

 

[bioburner]

Sounds more like someone left something behind in the manufacturing to cause the failure.
Visited my local mechanic couple weeks ago and he was pulling remnants of a shop rag out of a factory new transmission on a Dodge truck. Snow plowing is he!!

 

[bbhero]

+1 QUIKSVT is spot on here as well as everyone else too. Motorcraft 5w50 is made by Conoco Phillips and they make great oils. Your mechanical problem would not be due to the Motorcraft oil. I'd run the Motorcraft 5w30 in my car any day. I run it in my lady's Camry with very good results.

Ohh and welcome by the way. Great car you have too.

 

[CJs06]

Originally Posted By: tenderloin
Welcome

You had a engine fixed under warranty with no problems..I would stick with the factory fill. Unless Ford said it was oil related no reason to doubt the factory fill. Readily available? I am reasonably sure it is readily available from the dealer. Cheaper price? The price cannot be that much more than Amsoil..Cheaper price (2)? You just dropped $55,000 on the car and you are worried about $20-30 an oil change difference?


You'd be surprised how much 10 quarts of Motorcraft 5w-50 costs compared to other oils. Not worried about the cost, but why not find something better, cheaper even; means more maintenance money goes towards other things: tires, brakes, filters.

Originally Posted By: d00df00d

to BITOG!

AFAIK, mechanical problems are FAR more likely to be caused by parts or manufacturing defects than by oil. I'd strongly recommend sticking with the spec oil, at least until your warranty runs out.

Always look carefully at wording when you see a spec listed for an oil. For example, Amsoil says its Signature Series 5w-50 "is recommended for [cars] requiring" WSS-M2C931-C. They don't actually say it meets the spec, much less that it carries the approval. All they're saying is that they think it'll work. 9 times out of 10, they're right. And if your engine failed again with Amsoil in the sump, technically Ford would have to prove the oil was inadequate before they denied your warranty claim. But they could still cause you some headaches.


I see your point and appreciate you pointing out that specific about Amsoil.

Originally Posted By: QUIKSVT
Stick with the Motorcraft. I've ran it for the past 13 years in my built Lightning 600rwhp and hundreds of pass' down the 1/4 mile. No issues.


Originally Posted By: bioburner
Sounds more like someone left something behind in the manufacturing to cause the failure.
Visited my local mechanic couple weeks ago and he was pulling remnants of a shop rag out of a factory new transmission on a Dodge truck. Snow plowing is he!!


Originally Posted By: bbhero
+1 QUIKSVT is spot on here as well as everyone else too. Motorcraft 5w50 is made by Conoco Phillips and they make great oils. Your mechanical problem would not be due to the Motorcraft oil. I'd run the Motorcraft 5w30 in my car any day. I run it in my lady's Camry with very good results.

Ohh and welcome by the way. Great car you have too.


That's reassuring. I'm curious what Ford determines the cause of the bearing failure; they currently have the original engine. This is partly speculation but I have a hunch the cylinder 8 rod bearing failed under high rpm because of a lack of lubrication; it did have alot of heat discoloration.

 

[Merkava_4]

I'm surprised Motorcraft 5W-50 wiped a motor out. I can see 5W-20 wiping a motor out, but 5W-50 is surprising.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: CJs06
You'd be surprised how much 10 quarts of Motorcraft 5w-50 costs compared to other oils.


I'm thinking it's $10 a quart,right?

 

[aquariuscsm]

I just saw $10 a quart on Ebay,$15 a quart on Amazon.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I just saw $10 a quart on Ebay,$15 a quart on Amazon.


I pay right around that for my car. The expensive part on the GT350/R oil change is the filter. I haven't yet burned the number into memory, wait it is FL-2069-ST, but it is not cheap at all.

 

[rodinator1234]

With the number of GT350's that are out, and the number of video's on YouTube of these cars being trashed about on race tracks, back roads, ect. If there was a problem with the factory Motorcraft oil I would suspect there would be many more engine failures due to spun bearings. This is the first one I've read about, anywhere.

 

[CJs06]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I just saw $10 a quart on Ebay,$15 a quart on Amazon.


Unfortunately the dealership charges more per quart.

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I just saw $10 a quart on Ebay,$15 a quart on Amazon.


I pay right around that for my car. The expensive part on the GT350/R oil change is the filter. I haven't yet burned the number into memory, wait it is FL-2069-ST, but it is not cheap at all.


I've been able to find the Motorcraft filter FL2069ST on Rock Auto for $14.34.

 

[Gasbuggy]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I'm surprised Motorcraft 5W-50 wiped a motor out. I can see 5W-20 wiping a motor out, but 5W-50 is surprising.



To my knowledge the Motocraft 5w50 cuts down to a 5w30 pretty quickly in regular 5.0. The oil is nothing special, but the 5.2 in his GT500 cranking out to 8250 rpms is. I would run the AMSOil if it meets specs.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: rodinator1234
With the number of GT350's that are out, and the number of video's on YouTube of these cars being trashed about on race tracks, back roads, ect. If there was a problem with the factory Motorcraft oil I would suspect there would be many more engine failures due to spun bearings. This is the first one I've read about, anywhere.

^ This.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: Gasbuggy
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I'm surprised Motorcraft 5W-50 wiped a motor out. I can see 5W-20 wiping a motor out, but 5W-50 is surprising.



To my knowledge the Motocraft 5w50 cuts down to a 5w30 pretty quickly in regular 5.0. The oil is nothing special, but the 5.2 in his GT500 cranking out to 8250 rpms is. I would run the AMSOil if it meets specs.

1. No one said Motorcraft 5w-50 "wiped a motor out" (notwithstanding Merkava's assumption). All we know is that there has been an engine failure. And again, that's much more likely to be due to a parts or manufacturing defect, or to some other kind of problem.

2. "If it meets the specs" is a really big "if." Again, Amsoil doesn't even claim it meets the specs, and it certainly doesn't carry Ford's approval.

3. As I said in another thread, shearing is probably the most obvious thing to notice about an oil in use. If you think it happens regularly, the logical conclusion is that either Ford was insanely lax in their testing, didn't know it'd have a bad effect on their engine, or didn't care. None of those is likely. Far more likely that the oil doesn't shear in normal use, and the UOA's you've seen were flukes -- OR, it does shear, but that's not a problem if it's used as Ford recommends.

 

[Fatboymoe]

I have a question. Has the dealer serviced the the car before the bearing let go ? The reason I ask is because I had a local Ford dealer service my EcoBoost F150 and after paying for the Motorcraft full synthetic 5w30, they put in bulk 5w20 instead.