Tried Maxlife, now what?

[Rodbuckler]

Dave1251: How can I be misinformed about dino oil quality when I experienced the dino oil failure firsthand in my 4.6L (among other engines)? Also, 90K miles is low mileage for the Modular Motor. Expect the rings to oil-coke and the hydraulic lash adjusters to varnish-stick with oils that can't take care of themselves in this engine.

SmrtJustin: The only conventional oil I would consider running in my '96 4.6L is Castrol GTX 5W-20 because it is a thick 20 weight that is apparently proving itself in UOA's. My engine runs super-good on very thick 20weights or very thin 30weights with some stickiness to the oil, thus my Syntec 5W-20 choice.

I highly recommend the 5W-20 in the winter since your engine is rated for it. You will be very impressed by the cold start performance with the 5W-20 in the dead of winter (when all the wear occurs). The Syntec 5W-30 is a thin 30weight that might be a good combination oil for both of your engines. You won't have to worry about wear or cleanliness with this oil with 5-7.5K mile OCI's.

 

[dave1251]

Rodbuckler
Member
Member # 12180

posted 05 July, 2006 04:01
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Dave1251: How can I be misinformed about dino oil quality when I experienced the dino oil failure firsthand in my 4.6L (among other engines)? Also, 90K miles is low mileage for the Modular Motor. Expect the rings to oil-coke and the hydraulic lash adjusters to varnish-stick with oils that can't take care of themselves in this engine.


I am not going to argue with you your mislead to say least.

 

[Rodbuckler]

Misled by whom or what? The results are obvious. Also, you can not assume what works OK in fair and dry weather on the west coast will work in more humid and harsh weather elsewhere. It doesn't.

 

[dave1251]

I am only stationed on the west coast. I am orginally from Indiana. Talk about climate change I dont call 112 degree heat one day and raining the next day fair and dry. Then traveling through sand dunes, then moutians, then finally nice coastal climates any walk in the park. Pennzoil, Cheveron, and Castrol GTX hold up. Motor-craft is only group II/III blend to meet GF-4 valve train wear standards. Like I said its a good oil but it does not mean its better than any other dino meet manufactors spec's.

 

[SmrtJustin]

I'm open to the idea of synthetics and running them to 5-7.5k OCIs, but what I'm afraid of is making the 4.6 burn more oil than it is currently.

I'm sure the castrol oils are great, but using the syntec blend in my Tahoe made it knock or piston slap on cold startups in the winter.

If I was to go for a synthetic I'd probably go with the Pennzoil Platinum, and if I go with a dino it'll probably be Havoline.

Opinions?

 

[Rodbuckler]

quote:

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Originally posted by dave1251:
Pennzoil, Cheveron, and Castrol GTX hold up.

Motor-craft is only group II/III blend...

---

I currently have one engine that didn't work on the Chevron, and two that didn't work on the Castrol GTX. The operating conditions were too demanding. The short OCI's were not enough to prevent the varnishing and the carbon fouling and sludging. Steady-state operation, regardless of how hard you think you are running the engine on the street or open road, is easy on the oil and engine. Its the cold starts, humidity, sitting in traffic and other bad operating conditions that exceed the abilities of the conventional oil.

I have one engine (351W) that did fairly well on Castrol GTX to 200K miles when I pulled it apart to have a peek. The engine was a daily driver that towed a trailer about 50% of its miles. Half of that was in Central Texas. The engine was moderately varnished, and had nice black cookies on the back of the intake valves from coked oil. Rings were "mostly" clean. Rebuild has 100K+ miles on it using primarily M1/GTX blend. It has no visible varnish and runs better by far than new.

The type III synthetic can take care of itself. The Motorcraft 5W-20 is a proven performer in fleetland, despite the non-type III in it. I'm not too sure about the type II oils ability to keep the engine clean, and don't intend to find out.

My brother's LT1 has been run on Syntec 5W-30 for most all of its life (85K miles), and the top of the heads and valve covers are absolutely clean of any deposits whatsoever. The oil fill cap sits low with no baffle so the view is extensive, and all the metal is at least as clean as the day the engine was made. I mean there is not one single molecule of carbon or varnish within site or feel. Castrol's formulations work great if you pick the right oil (Syntec, then work down from there). Chalk one up for Type III synthetic (it's quiet,too!)!

Sorry SmrtJustin, I am ruining/hijacking your thread.

 

[Rodbuckler]

quote:

---

Originally posted by SmrtJustin:
I'm open to the idea of synthetics and running them to 5-7.5k OCIs, but what I'm afraid of is making the 4.6 burn more oil than it is currently.

---

You might just have coked rings like I did.

I ran the PP in my 4.6L, part 5w-30 part 5W-20, and it was a nice running oil. But the more 5W-20 PP I poured into the engine the more it drank. The Syntec 5W-20 has resulted in less consumption at 1qt/1700miles or so. But my engine is high-mileage and I drive very hard. Best consumption has been 1qt/2500 miles with a Delo blend.

If the Castrol blend you tried is noisy, then definitely try something else. The Chevy might want a different thickness oil than your 4.6L because of the way they set up the piston-to-bore clearance. A stickier oil will help with the slap in any case.

 

[Black Thunder]

I'll stand by my Havoline Suggestion and perhaps throw another one at ya.


Have you ever thought of Mobil 5000?

i've recently changed the oil in my 97 T-bird with the 4.6 and used the Mobil 5000 5w30
1000 miles on the oil so far hasn't burned a drop and it is still a nice golden color, won't break your wallet either, i got it for $2.07 a quart at Walmart.

 

[SmrtJustin]

quote:

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Originally posted by JK:
I'll stand by my Havoline Suggestion and perhaps throw another one at ya.


Have you ever thought of Mobil 5000?

i've recently changed the oil in my 97 T-bird with the 4.6 and used the Mobil 5000 5w30
1000 miles on the oil so far hasn't burned a drop and it is still a nice golden color, won't break your wallet either, i got it for $2.07 a quart at Walmart.

---

I have thought about using Mobil 7500, I just haven't seen as many posts praising it as I've seen MC, Havoline, or Pennzoil Platinum.

 

[SmrtJustin]

[ July 06, 2006, 02:25 AM: Message edited by: SmrtJustin ]

 

[Black Thunder]

i was going to stay dedicated to the 7500 mobil myself when i could get it for less then 3 bucks and walmart.


then they stopped carrying it.....so now i think i'm gonna stick with the 5000

 

[SmrtJustin]

Rodbuckler: Isn't it possible that the formulations for Cheveron/Havoline have changed for the better since the PO of your F150 used it?

I have no problem running the MC, but Havoline is HIGHLY praised, and its more common around here.

I did think about using Syntec after your suggestion, but I couldn't find one UOA with it in a Ford 4.6 or 5.4, so I'd feel a bit more comfortable using Havoline or Motorcraft where UOAs have proven it.

If you truly think the MC will do better in my 4.6, then I'll go for it.

 

[Rodbuckler]

quote:

---

Originally posted by SmrtJustin:
Rodbuckler: Isn't it possible that the formulations for Cheveron/Havoline have changed for the better since the PO of your F150 used it?

---

I don't know what the deal is with the Chevron 10W-30 bulk dino, but it wasn't keeping my engine clean. This was only a little over a year ago when I bought the GT. I have put 32K miles on it, and the oil is finally staying clean. I bet the Delo 400 10W-30 would have kept the engine clean, and possibly the latest Havoline 5W-20.

You will have to make your own oil decision based on research and people's experiences. But if it were my engine I would make sure the oil is at least as good as that spec'd for the 2006 Modular Motors. Also, use an oil that will keep the engine clean with 100% certainty.

Here are a few interesting UOA's:

Syntec 5W-20, 2003 5.4L, high silicon, 10,000miles, 10.0cSt
http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=002654#000000

MC 5W-30, 1997 5.4L, 9.3cSt
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=001274

MC 5W-20 and MC 5W-30, 1999 4.6L
http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=001972#000000

MC 5W-20, 1998 4.6L, high dust
http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=001877#000000

 

[dave1251]

All of the major oil companies pass ford's 2006 modular motor spec's for 5W-20 including deposit control and wear. SmrtJustin use 5W-20, 5W-30, 10W-30, havoline, chevron, pennzoil, castrol, valvoline, tropartic, kendall, unocal 76, amsoil, mobil, quaker state, shell, royal purple, redline, and any other API SM oil and you will be fine. Anyone who's say X brand is a lot better than Y brand is talking out the side of thier neck.