UOA Penn ULTRA 5w20 08 Ford F150 5.4 3v FX4 91,530

[USAFACE]

Howdy everyone just posting up the results on my 08 F150 5.4 3v FX4 with 91,530 mile at the time of oil change. I ran this Pennzoil ULTRA 5w20 for 1 year in the truck and 3,683 miles I also used the OEM Motorcraft oil filter. This truck is a weekend cruiser/4 wheel and side by side hauler so it sees mostly highway miles. I run a stock intake with a Amsoil air filter, filter may have been opened once or twice to check. Even though the truck is flex fuel I only ran 87 octane in it. I was suppose to get a TBN but they goofed on my order and did not do it. Well here are the results, just let me know what you think and if you have any more questions. Thanks, Cody

Code:


Pennzoil ULTRA 5w20

DATE TAKEN 2/14/2013

Aluminum 1

Chromium 0

Iron 34

Copper 0

Lead 0

Tin 0

Moly 56

Nickel 0

Manganese 0

Silver 0

Titanium 0

Potassium 3

Boron 47

Silicon 12

Sodium 97

Calcium 2044

Magnesium 17

Phosphorus 612

Zinc 750

Vanadium 0



Nitration 0.14

Sulfation 0.00

Oxidation 0.10

Visc 100 C 11.5

Water Negative

Anti- Freeze Negative

Fuel Negative

 

[gregk24]

looks good to me..the iron is probably just high because of the 1 year oci, I just ordered 5 quarts of the ultra 5w20 online becuase its NO where around where I live..going to try it out on the accord next oil change.

 

[USAFACE]

The Pennzoil line up has always been easily available here in Houston but SOPUS is based out of Houston last I recall.

 

[LeakySeals]

Would expect other metals like copper, lead, aluminum, tin if the oil wasn't doing its job. You have none. Mobil 1 gives similar analysis results. Elevated iron. Assumption has been its something about the additives in the oil vs something wrong with the engine.

Your Amsoil air filter is dry, no oil right? Did you use any fuel system cleaners during the interval?

 

[147_Grain]

Iron is likely high due to more cold-starts than normal over a year's time and only 3,683 miles.

 

[USAFACE]

Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Would expect other metals like copper, lead, aluminum, tin if the oil wasn't doing its job. You have none. Mobil 1 gives similar analysis results. Elevated iron. Assumption has been its something about the additives in the oil vs something wrong with the engine.

Your Amsoil air filter is dry, no oil right? Did you use any fuel system cleaners during the interval?


Yep the Amsoil filter is a dry type. I did add about 2 bottles of Chevron Techron to help break down some carbon on my spark plugs so I could change them. Also when I did change my spark plugs I sprayed a little Kano Labs Aerokroil in each hole to break down the carbon on the grounding straps.

 

[Swissdieselfan]

Ask the oil lab for a set of universal averages, as it's difficult to interpret UOA results without some idea of what is normal. Some engines shed a lot of Iron and other don't. In the long terms it's the trend that counts, although the low Pb, Al and Cr look real good.

 

[LeakySeals]

Originally Posted By: USAFACE
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Would expect other metals like copper, lead, aluminum, tin if the oil wasn't doing its job. You have none. Mobil 1 gives similar analysis results. Elevated iron. Assumption has been its something about the additives in the oil vs something wrong with the engine.

Your Amsoil air filter is dry, no oil right? Did you use any fuel system cleaners during the interval?


Yep the Amsoil filter is a dry type. I did add about 2 bottles of Chevron Techron to help break down some carbon on my spark plugs so I could change them. Also when I did change my spark plugs I sprayed a little Kano Labs Aerokroil in each hole to break down the carbon on the grounding straps.

When you sprayed Aerokroil were the plugs out? Did the Aerokroil enter the combustion chamber? I would suspect techron and Aerokroil (if it made it into the combustion chamber) skewing readings. A clean UOA with no adds will confirm.

 

[USAFACE]

Originally Posted By: Swissdieselfan
Ask the oil lab for a set of universal averages, as it's difficult to interpret UOA results without some idea of what is normal. Some engines shed a lot of Iron and other don't. In the long terms it's the trend that counts, although the low Pb, Al and Cr look real good.


I will look into this. Thanks

 

[USAFACE]

Originally Posted By: Swissdieselfan
Ask the oil lab for a set of universal averages, as it's difficult to interpret UOA results without some idea of what is normal. Some engines shed a lot of Iron and other don't. In the long terms it's the trend that counts, although the low Pb, Al and Cr look real good.


I will look into this. Thanks
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Originally Posted By: USAFACE
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Would expect other metals like copper, lead, aluminum, tin if the oil wasn't doing its job. You have none. Mobil 1 gives similar analysis results. Elevated iron. Assumption has been its something about the additives in the oil vs something wrong with the engine.

Your Amsoil air filter is dry, no oil right? Did you use any fuel system cleaners during the interval?


Yep the Amsoil filter is a dry type. I did add about 2 bottles of Chevron Techron to help break down some carbon on my spark plugs so I could change them. Also when I did change my spark plugs I sprayed a little Kano Labs Aerokroil in each hole to break down the carbon on the grounding straps.

When you sprayed Aerokroil were the plugs out? Did the Aerokroil enter the combustion chamber? I would suspect techron and Aerokroil (if it made it into the combustion chamber) skewing readings. A clean UOA with no adds will confirm.


The plugs were in just backed out barley to help it seep down to break up the carbon. I would image a little entered the combustion chamber. Since then I have done a fresh oil change with PU 5w30 and a MC filter and I will test again.

 

[dnewton3]

The Ford mod-motor generally doesn't need anything super-duper extra to last a long time. Read my normalcy article for reference to the 4.6L, which is the short-deck version of your 5.4L. Therefore, quit using the fuel additive, and quit messing with the other things. Ditch the expensive air filter and get a good quality Puro, Wix or Fram; seat it correctly and leave it alone, as air filtration passes 90% of the particulate load it will ever pass in the first 10% of the lifespan (insert credit to Jim Allen here).

The high Fe is way over the "normal" expectation for 3.7k miles. That is not what you want. You should only see about 2ppm of Fe per 1k miles, give or take a bit. I'm not saying your engine is dying or on it's last leg; that simply not true. But the Fe you see in your report is nothing but high and should not be so. I suspect all the messing around you're doing to "help" the engine is just confounding the issues. To be frank; cut it out.

Check out 2010_FX4's UOAs; he ran PU and now runs MS5K. You could learn a lot from his experiences.

You are wasting lube and money if your OCI is 4k miles a year on PU.

Sorry to be so harsh, but facts don't lie.

 

[USAFACE]

Originally Posted By: dnewton3
The Ford mod-motor generally doesn't need anything super-duper extra to last a long time. Read my normalcy article for reference to the 4.6L, which is the short-deck version of your 5.4L. Therefore, quit using the fuel additive, and quit messing with the other things. Ditch the expensive air filter and get a good quality Puro, Wix or Fram; seat it correctly and leave it alone, as air filtration passes 90% of the particulate load it will ever pass in the first 10% of the lifespan (insert credit to Jim Allen here).

The high Fe is way over the "normal" expectation for 3.7k miles. That is not what you want. You should only see about 2ppm of Fe per 1k miles, give or take a bit. I'm not saying your engine is dying or on it's last leg; that simply not true. But the Fe you see in your report is nothing but high and should not be so. I suspect all the messing around you're doing to "help" the engine is just confounding the issues. To be frank; cut it out.

Check out 2010_FX4's UOAs; he ran PU and now runs MS5K. You could learn a lot from his experiences.

You are wasting lube and money if your OCI is 4k miles a year on PU.

Sorry to be so harsh, but facts don't lie.


I appreciate you comments and suggestions. The only reason I used the additives was to help with the horrid 5.4 3v spark plug change. I will not be using these anymore since I did the proper steps to prevent this again.

Since I already spent the money on the Amsoil air filter why change it now?

The truck does see quite a few quick starts for a few mins just to shuffle cars around here and there which could contribute to the wear maybe. Reason I went with the PU was because I did not want to change my oil but once year since I will likely never hit the milage point of the oil being worn out.
MS5k is this Mobile Super?

 

[JavierG]

Originally Posted By: USAFACE

MS5k is this Mobile Super?

Yes. It's great stuff and super inexpensive. Although I prefer it for use in my Acura I do admit to preferring PU in my truck.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Would expect other metals like copper, lead, aluminum, tin if the oil wasn't doing its job. You have none. Mobil 1 gives similar analysis results. Elevated iron. Assumption has been its something about the additives in the oil vs something wrong with the engine.

Your Amsoil air filter is dry, no oil right? Did you use any fuel system cleaners during the interval?


Iron is acceptable up to 100-150PPM. No problem with the iron. As for the lead, tin, or copper, Ford bearings use bi-metal bearings made of Alum and silicon.

 

[Swissdieselfan]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
Would expect other metals like copper, lead, aluminum, tin if the oil wasn't doing its job. You have none. Mobil 1 gives similar analysis results. Elevated iron. Assumption has been its something about the additives in the oil vs something wrong with the engine.

Your Amsoil air filter is dry, no oil right? Did you use any fuel system cleaners during the interval?


Iron is acceptable up to 100-150PPM. No problem with the iron. As for the lead, tin, or copper, Ford bearings use bi-metal bearings made of Alum and silicon.


Where did you get that Iron figure, looks like a real old big truck engine figure? I don't think I have seen a UOA posted in this forum with more than 100 that was not sent after or just before something expensive failed.

 

[KCJeep]

Calcium is way low for Ultra. Should be 2,600 to 3,000 ppm depending on whether it's SM or SN IIRC. Ultra shouldn't have sodium either although at that level (97ppm) it could easily be from the previous fill.

What was in the truck before this?

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Iron is acceptable up to 100-150PPM. No problem with the iron.

Not in that engine; I have one with a few more miles than the OPs and I have never had an iron reading as high as his (34PPM) much less something in the 100-150PPM range. While short trips **may** contribute to higher levels of iron, based on all that I have seen in the way of UOAs (mine nothwithstanding) for the Ford modulars (short of racing) his iron reading is high (for the low mileage) and PU is not the reason.

 

[LeakySeals]

I think a bottle of techron concentrate plus at the end of an OCI is a good thing to do. I do it the end of every other OCI, approx 20k. When your planning a UOA skip it thats all. Because its not clear how techron and the carbon it cleans will impact results.

 

[USAFACE]

Originally Posted By: KCJeep
Calcium is way low for Ultra. Should be 2,600 to 3,000 ppm depending on whether it's SM or SN IIRC. Ultra shouldn't have sodium either although at that level (97ppm) it could easily be from the previous fill.

What was in the truck before this?


I had just purchased it from the previous owner which his last oil change record that was in it right before he sold it to me was Valvoline Maxlife 5w30 with same brand oil filter

 

[USAFACE]

So why would my iron level be high? Just because of the short trip and quick turn on the off run times when I am shuffling cars? Sometimes the truck does not ge started for days.

Based on all the previous owners oil change records the truck always had pennzoil or valvoline high milage, semi sythetic, and conventional.