Valvoline Premium Convention

[mickalo]

Being new to the forum this may have been covered but couldn't find the info I'm look for. I've been using the Valvoline premium conventional oil for sometime now in my other vehicles. I have recently picked up a 2010 ford explorer w/4.0L sohc engine. Would it be better to use a full synthetic oil with this engine or would the premium conventional work just as good? I've read about all the problems with the timing chain in this engine. It got about 109,000 on it now and have no problems as of yet. I change oil about every 3,000mi.

Appreciate any info about this.

TIA

 

[Linctex]

I'd consider a full synthetic "high mileage" oil.

Probably run 10w30 or 5W-40 in summer and 0w30 in the winter.

 

[Linctex]

No need to change the full synthetic every 3,000 either.

 

[bbhero]

Valvoline Premium conventional oil meets the Ford WSS-M2C-946a specification for this vehicle. So I would say the Valvoline Premium conventional would be just fine for it. Question what is your driving profile? Long drives with no stop and go traffic?? Or in town driving near say Des Moines?? Lots of dust in the air regularly?? Heavy foot or light foot on the right hand skinny pedal?? Towing anything at all?? What does your manual say about change intervals? Those answers will help with how long you can run the Valvoline conventional.

Ohh and

 

[mickalo]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
Valvoline Premium conventional oil meets the Ford WSS-M2C-946a specification for this vehicle. So I would say the Valvoline Premium conventional would be just fine for it. Question what is your driving profile? Long drives with no stop and go traffic?? Or in town driving near say Des Moines?? Lots of dust in the air regularly?? Heavy foot or light foot on the right hand skinny pedal?? Towing anything at all?? What does your manual say about change intervals? Those answers will help with how long you can run the Valvoline conventional.

Ohh and

I normally do all highway driving approx., 25mi a day an occasional road trip maybe 1500mi once a year, i don't tow anything drive normal highway speed at my age my lead foot days are long gone

I'm up in NW iowa other end of the state. Very little city stop&go driving here.

And thanks for all the great info guys appreciate it.

 

[volk06]

Originally Posted By: mickalo
Originally Posted By: bbhero
Valvoline Premium conventional oil meets the Ford WSS-M2C-946a specification for this vehicle. So I would say the Valvoline Premium conventional would be just fine for it. Question what is your driving profile? Long drives with no stop and go traffic?? Or in town driving near say Des Moines?? Lots of dust in the air regularly?? Heavy foot or light foot on the right hand skinny pedal?? Towing anything at all?? What does your manual say about change intervals? Those answers will help with how long you can run the Valvoline conventional.

Ohh and

I normally do all highway driving approx., 25mi a day an occasional road trip maybe 1500mi once a year, i don't tow anything drive normal highway speed at my age my lead foot days are long gone

I'm up in NW iowa other end of the state. Very little city stop&go driving here.

And thanks for all the great info guys appreciate it.



I'm from NW Iowa as well. 3k ocis is a waste of good oil, you can do 5k easily.

 

[bbhero]

I agree with volk06 here. 5k miles is the way to go.

 

[mickalo]

yea i believe the interval for this engine is 7500mi I tend to be over cautious oil is cheap compared to a replacement engine.

 

[bbhero]

Yeah I agree with you a 100% on that. A 5 qt container of Valvoline is $16 at Walmart. Pretty inexpensive compared to a new or even rebuilt motor

 

[bullwinkle]

Originally Posted By: mickalo
yea i believe the interval for this engine is 7500mi I tend to be over cautious oil is cheap compared to a replacement engine.

BTW-I use Valvoline 5w20 conventional in my company 3.7 Transit-and both the 5W20 and 5W30 Valvoline Premium oils are actually synthetic BLEND now, and it does an excellent job at 5000 mile OCIs.
http://content.valvoline.com/pdf/premium_conventional.pdf

 

[Kuato]

Valvoline conventional is a very solid oil. I performed several used oil analysis at 5000 miles awhile back, and the oil could have gone further and the wear numbers were very low - in fact as low or lower than M1 and Amsoil.

 

[donnyj08]

Originally Posted By: Kuato
Valvoline conventional is a very solid oil. I performed several used oil analysis at 5000 miles awhile back, and the oil could have gone further and the wear numbers were very low - in fact as low or lower than M1 and Amsoil.


Valvoline has always been underrated here. It's one of the best oils you can buy. It's not a rockstar on paper but in between two pieces of rotating metal it's pretty hard to beat.

OP run Valvoline 5w20 conventional like you have been doing, you've been right all along!

Welcome!

 

[xtell]

At the oil change interval you are doing (3,000 miles), conventional Valvoline would be an excellent choice. As other posters have mentioned, you could even take it up to a 5,000 mile OCI and still be good to go. With your noted driving routine, you are pretty easy on oil. I have had good results with conventional Valvoline in my vehicles (valve train and lifter valley clean when I did a intake manifold gasket and valve cover gasket install, compression on cylinders is also good, engines run quiet.

 

[tenderloin]

Business fleet is mostly SOHC Explorers...150,000+ is about the norm. Two long timing chains. Strange oil passage ways with oil pressure timing chain guides. I have tried about every oil there is. They run well on 5w30 or even 10w30 if not cold. Had no luck with Torco 10w40 when workers went up to the mountains. Not good start up noises.Have had one valve spring let go..engine was rebuilt and run 40,000 miles so far. My advice is to run synthetic but even then change at 5,000-6,000 miles although I have one running now on 4 qt's 10w30 QS conventional and 1 qt Quaker State Synthetic..(Using up old stock) Runs fine at 3,000 miles. Will be changing out within 1,000 miles

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Valvoline conventional is good stuff. My LR3 has had a steady diet of it from day one, changing it between 5000 and 7500 miles (LR says go 7500, I don't go that far), at 155k now and it doesn't burn enough oil during an oil change to warrant a top off. Pretty good I think!

 

[4ever4d]

The issue with the timing chain guides crumbling was more than resolved by 2010. Valvoline conventional will work well for you in that 4.0. I would use a 30wt be it 10-30 or 5-30.

 

[Oilied]

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Originally Posted By: mickalo
yea i believe the interval for this engine is 7500mi I tend to be over cautious oil is cheap compared to a replacement engine.

BTW-I use Valvoline 5w20 conventional in my company 3.7 Transit-and both the 5W20 and 5W30 Valvoline Premium oils are actually synthetic BLEND now, and it does an excellent job at 5000 mile OCIs.
http://content.valvoline.com/pdf/premium_conventional.pdf


I like the sound of Valvoline conventional being a synthetic blend. And at around $16 a bottle at walmart, that's a solid deal to use this stuff.