Which synthetic oil?

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You are way overthinking it. If you will consistently put 2-3K miles in 6 months on the engine, any commonly available synthetic will do fine and be a step up from the semi synthetic you're running now.

Short trips could take advantage of the synthetic oil. Supertech Syn, Cosco or amazon copies of Supertech also are fine. Pennzoil, Moble 1, Castrol Magnetec, Havoline Syn, Quaker State Ultimate, all would be more than enough for that application. Motorcraft is a good filter for that application.

Walmart is the best place to shop for oil stuff. good stock and much lower prices compared to autoparts stores.

I agree with this opinion. I just put some high mileage in an old Ford thinking it might help longevity. But for a younger vehicle any of these synthetics should do well with the OPs use of 6 months or 3k miles, and be a big improvement over conventionals.
 
Don't believe any of that stuff. Sludge is a thing of the past (1990s) except in very few engines. Then the recommendation is just to change the oil more frequently. From an performance point of view, all oils of a type are nearly the same and fall in the "more than good enough" for consumer applications. I run whichever synthetic I can get cheapest. $22 pennzoil with a $10 rebate. $8 Quaker state ultimate durability on clearance, $22 moble1 and their $12 rebate. Shell RGT and its $12 rebate. I have run supertech but after rebates it is the high priced spread. :)

As long as you are running a synthetic, the engine insides will be very clean as long as you run to the manufacturers recommended interval. I don't buy into long runs beyond 10K miles (my Toyota sienna specs 10K miles). When you can get oil this cheap why extend unless you don't like getting your back dirty. If that is true, why research oil at all. just get the premium from the dealership. :)
I like sticking with one brand so I guess that's what I need to do.. Is just pick one.. Thanks.
 
I have a 13 Ford Edge 3.5 108k I purchased it 4 years 1 owner always dealer serviced. So when I got it i started using Motorcraft synthetic blend, and switched to Valvoline maxlife synthetic blend as well. I change my oil every 6 months I typically have about 2 or 3,000 miles on it at that time.. I'm considering switching to a synthetic oil. To maybe help extend the life of the water pump. The cooling system was serviced right before I bought the car at Ford it still has the orange coolant in it, but only has about 20,000 miles on it.. question being is what are my best using in the way of a synthetic? I always use Motorcraft filters. Hopefully to hear from fellow Ford Edge. owner's. From what I have, read it would be hard to find a synthetic oil that's actually running group 3 4 & 5 Base oils..

Thank you for your help!!
You screwed with that water pump can’t believe ford would to this to there customers by putting it in that location
 
I like sticking with one brand so I guess that's what I need to do.. Is just pick one.. Thanks.

If you go over to the Virgin Oil Analysis section and learn a little about the additive packages you can see that different companies use different formulas for cleaning detergents and lubricating. Some use a lot of boron and others calcium, some use a lot of moly, some instead use a lot of phos or zinc, etc. Different solutions to the same cleaning and lubricating properties.

There might be a marginally different / better oil for your application, but it's almost unknowable without spending significant amounts of money to figure it out. So the advice to pick whatever happens to be on sale among the availably full synthetics is solid advice. They're all very good.

What is interesting is that if you look at old conventional oils, they contain relatively little of these additives and seem to mostly rely on the natural lubrication of the oil itself and with little "cleaning" power.
 
I always like a higher moly oil. Oils high in moly have that BITOG legendary "smooth and quiet" status:D. To my memory, this dates all the way back to the PYB rage years ago, because it was the "smooth and quiet oil" here on BITOG for a very long time. That was said because it had 200-300ppm of moly.
 
You screwed with that water pump can’t believe ford would to this to there customers by putting it in that location
I'm not really screwed, I've had the car for 4.5 years, I've had nothing but good luck with it, all I put in it was shocks and struts, also set a tires. I mostly run around town, disabled for the last 10 years. I've made a few trips to the Caroline's with it, as well as, Western PA. I'm from DE. If the water pump ever goes, obviously I will have to get it done.
 
If you go over to the Virgin Oil Analysis section and learn a little about the additive packages you can see that different companies use different formulas for cleaning detergents and lubricating. Some use a lot of boron and others calcium, some use a lot of moly, some instead use a lot of phos or zinc, etc. Different solutions to the same cleaning and lubricating properties.

There might be a marginally different / better oil for your application, but it's almost unknowable without spending significant amounts of money to figure it out. So the advice to pick whatever happens to be on sale among the availably full synthetics is solid advice. They're all very good.

What is interesting is that if you look at old conventional oils, they contain relatively little of these additives and seem to mostly rely on the natural lubrication of the oil itself and with little "cleaning" power.
I will take a look at that, thank you..
 
If you go over to the Virgin Oil Analysis section and learn a little about the additive packages you can see that different companies use different formulas for cleaning detergents and lubricating. Some use a lot of boron and others calcium, some use a lot of moly, some instead use a lot of phos or zinc, etc. Different solutions to the same cleaning and lubricating properties.

There might be a marginally different / better oil for your application, but it's almost unknowable without spending significant amounts of money to figure it out. So the advice to pick whatever happens to be on sale among the availably full synthetics is solid advice. They're all very good.

What is interesting is that if you look at old conventional oils, they contain relatively little of these additives and seem to mostly rely on the natural lubrication of the oil itself and with little "cleaning" power.
I will take a look at that, thank you
I always like a higher moly oil. Oils high in moly have that BITOG legendary "smooth and quiet" status:D. To my memory, this dates all the way back to the PYB rage years ago, because it was the "smooth and quiet oil" here on BITOG for a very long time. That was said because it had 200-300ppm of moly.
Thank you
 
I will take a look at that, thank you

Thank you
Look through this site too. Some good reading here!
 
If you go over to the Virgin Oil Analysis section and learn a little about the additive packages you can see that different companies use different formulas for cleaning detergents and lubricating. Some use a lot of boron and others calcium, some use a lot of moly, some instead use a lot of phos or zinc, etc. Different solutions to the same cleaning and lubricating properties.

There might be a marginally different / better oil for your application, but it's almost unknowable without spending significant amounts of money to figure it out. So the advice to pick whatever happens to be on sale among the availably full synthetics is solid advice. They're all very good.

What is interesting is that if you look at old conventional oils, they contain relatively little of these additives and seem to mostly rely on the natural lubrication of the oil itself and with little "cleaning" power.
I may give Castrol magnetec or Valvoline a try. From what I have read, Castrol magnetec has been doing real well in the newer 3.5, and been holding up well, also Valvoline has a lot of Molly. What do you personally use?
 
I may give Castrol magnetec or Valvoline a try. From what I have read, Castrol magnetec has been doing real well in the newer 3.5, and been holding up well, also Valvoline has a lot of Molly. What do you personally use?

Right now I have Valvoline synthetic in 2 of my cars and they run smooth and quiet. I can barely tell the engines are running! I have Quaker State in another. Pennzoil, Mobil1, and Kirkland in others right now. All performing very well. My inventory is across the board, hundreds of quarts of Quaker State, Valvoline, M1, Carquest, Kirkland, and Castrol. Totally confident in any/all of them. I don't have much conventional, and any I have remaining are just used for short OCIs and topoffs. I have 1 blend, the discounted Chevron Supreme Walmart is selling for cheap online. I have not used it but folks rave about it and it has apparent excellent chemistry. I have probably 100 qts. of it on hand for future use.

I'm down to about $10-$15 for an oil change including the cost of the filter, which is around $5. As they say, buy cheap and stack deep. The sales and rebates and clearances have been fantastic in the last year.
 
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