UOA: M1 SS 5W-30 on a Ford 4.6L V8

[johnicon]

2001 Crown Victoria LX
Miles on car: ~21,000
Miles on oil: ~5,100
Make-up oil: None
Filter: Mobil 1
Oil was used between April 1 and June 6 in NYC weather. "Enthusiastic driving"

As Tested Average
Aluminum 3 5
Chromium 1 1
Iron 14 22
Copper 3 11
Lead 1 2
Tin 0 1
Molybdenum 76 31
Nickel 0 1
Manganese 1 1
Silver 0 0
Titanium 0 0
Potassium 3 0
Boron 143 45
Silicon 26 13
Sodium 8 7
Calcium 2756 1768
Magnesium 35 450
Phosphorus 775 787
Zinc 874 971
Barium 0 1
SUS @ 210F 60.6 55-62
Flashpoint 420 >365
%Fuel %Antifreeze 0.0 0
%Water 0.0 %Insolubles 0.2 TBN 4

Comments:
Silicon was the only unusual find in this oil. This may be from dirt getting past the air filter, though some types of spray lubricants or oil additives will also cause the silicon level to read high. All metals were well within the normal range. Universal averages column shows typical wear from this type of engine after about 4,300 miles on the oil. No fuel dilution or anti-freeze was present. If your air filter looks good, we would not worry about the silicon too much. The TBN reat 4.0, so the oil still has some life left. Suggest going 6,000 - 7,000 on the next oil.

My comments:
I would like to go a little longer on the oil, but I don't want to go through the trouble of
changing the oil filter between oil changes. I always use a Mobil 1 oil filter. Would 6K or 7K be accepptable with a Mobil 1 oil filter?

[ June 26, 2003, 12:19 AM: Message edited by: johnicon ]

 

[Patman]

Based on your low insolubles level, I'd say you'd have no problem going 6-7k on that oil filter.

 

[Bror Jace]

Results look pretty good ... but a TBN of 4.0 and you want to go longer? I wouldn't.

I ran Red Line in my Honda for over 7,200 miles and wasn't exactly thrilled with a TBN of 4.5.

Of course, my car had a coolant leak and that might have given the oil a bit of a hard time.

--- Bror Jace

 

[Patman]

Bror, if that TBN reading is the D4739 scale though, then it would be ok until it hits 2.

Perhaps the TBN dropped faster on this run if it was the first run with this oil, but subsequent runs will show a better retention.

 

[johnicon]

This is the 3rd oil change that I've used M1 5W-30. I bought the car with ~7,200 miles on it, at which point I started with the M1. Any more comments from the peanut gallery?

 

[buster]

quote:

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Any more comments from the peanut gallery

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No, other then I would stick with Mobil 1 5w-30 in winter and 10w-30 in the summer and drain at 7,500 miles. These are very good wear numbers. How do you define Enthusiastic driving?...hard?

 

[johnicon]

Yeah, I get on the car a lot. It's not like I'm laying patches at every stop light, but I like to go WOT-ing around now and then. Do you really think I should bother switching to 10W-30 for the summertime? Maybe when I change out this batch of 5W-30 after 6000 miles (sometime in August) I'll send it to Blackstone and see what the results are.

 

[MNgopher]

I'd check out summer numbers to see how the 5w30 stands up. Looks like it did AOK in this interval.

Silicon is high though - what kind of air filter? Fram air filters have actually done well in my 4.6l applications.

Find the source of the silicon (dirt) and nooo problems...

 

[johnicon]

Yes, it was a Fram filter...hmmm, maybe I didn't seat it properly...