6.7 PSD why is 10W30 not approved for trailer tow

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Newbie here, I have a 2015 Ford F250 PSD and tow a 7,000lb. TT 6-7 times a year. Tow on the Coast, in the Sierras and Cascades. I have 18,000 miles on the PSD and after the first OCI switched to Motorcraft 15W40. I'm approaching my next OCI and have a dilemma. Stay with 15W40 which seems to be "old school", go to synthetic 5W40 which is "spendy" or return the factory fill 10W30. Why does Ford consider trailer towing in excess of 1,000 miles severe service requiring 5W40? Can I run 10W30 year round?
 
If it were me, I'd say yes. The likelihood of something going wrong and Ford finding out about it are pretty remote, but that's your choice to make. Do they allow the 15w-40 for towing or just the 5w-40? If they want just the 5w-40 for towing, well, that's nuts.
 
IMO this recommendation is a blanket recommendation that covers even the F350, F450 which has GCWR of 40k. Your setup is 13-14k.
I would say 10W30 is fine for what you are doing, but its your warranty.
 
Ford corporate gives the impression of being nuts on this, especially since heavy commercial diesels have no issues using 10w30 to move 80,000 lb of truck and cargo from sea to sea, Canada to Mexico, etc. Year round, summer or winter. Almost gives the impression that the PStroke is a inferior engine. I didn't say it was inferior, just Ford's idea of things can give that impression. Many of the HDEO 10w30 oils, especially the syn blends which can be had at very good pricing, are more than adequate for serious working diesels. They have been the factory fill and recommendation of every heavy diesel engine OEM for several years. Even the heavy diesel folks have the new 10w30 CK-4 oils showing up on their approved oil lists.
 
Let me get this right. You have a 2015 Ford F250 and you are worried about being "spendy" on motor oil?! Am I missing something? How much did you pay for that truck?! Why not run full syn 5w40? Im sure you wouldnt have an issue running the other stuff but run syn and extend your intervals a bit. Not to be rude, but its like buying a ferrari and putting cheap tires on it to save 20$.
 
Originally Posted By: Rolla07
Let me get this right. You have a 2015 Ford F250 and you are worried about being "spendy" on motor oil?! Am I missing something? How much did you pay for that truck?! Why not run full syn 5w40? Im sure you wouldnt have an issue running the other stuff but run syn and extend your intervals a bit. Not to be rude, but its like buying a ferrari and putting cheap tires on it to save 20$.


Probably because it's easy to find 15w40 and 10w30 oils approved by Ford after this CK4 fiasco, but a pita to find and obtain approved 5w40s. Good question by the OP.
 
I own a '15 6.7 also and use 10w-30 year around, I will agree with most here thinking the Ford recommendation is a bit absurd for 5w-40 in severe use. In Fords defense the 6.7 was introduced in '11 and the manual could need an update????

In the HDEO UOA section I have UOA"s posted throughout the ownership of my '15, they can help you make your decision.
 
You are rude and it appears you're simply adding to your post count because it's obvious you don't have the slightest clue how to address his legitimate question. Move along.

Originally Posted By: Rolla07
Let me get this right. You have a 2015 Ford F250 and you are worried about being "spendy" on motor oil?! Am I missing something? How much did you pay for that truck?! Why not run full syn 5w40? Im sure you wouldnt have an issue running the other stuff but run syn and extend your intervals a bit. Not to be rude, but its like buying a ferrari and putting cheap tires on it to save 20$.
 
I have been trying to figure this out as well. My F550 6.7 is on a motorhome and is always under load and towing a 5,000 tow car. After factory fill I have been using 5w-40 synthetic. There are compelling UOAS that show 10w-30 is fine under those conditions.
 
Originally Posted By: jmacd
Newbie here, I have a 2015 Ford F250 PSD and tow a 7,000lb. TT 6-7 times a year. Tow on the Coast, in the Sierras and Cascades. I have 18,000 miles on the PSD and after the first OCI switched to Motorcraft 15W40. I'm approaching my next OCI and have a dilemma. Stay with 15W40 which seems to be "old school", go to synthetic 5W40 which is "spendy" or return the factory fill 10W30. Why does Ford consider trailer towing in excess of 1,000 miles severe service requiring 5W40? Can I run 10W30 year round?
I have a feeling that Ford is attempting to circumvent an "Ecodiesel" type situation by recommending a heavier weight, with NO CK-4 rating, for long distance towing & HD usage. Now, if you wanted to lock out OD or not use 6th gear on a manual, keeping the RPMs well above 2000 all day long, I bet the 10W30 would be just fine. I'm not the biggest fan of Ford engineering, they've made a lot of mistakes (see the 6.0/6.4), but I'm inclined to trust them on this one. BTW, if you time your purchases correctly (rebates, etc.), Delvac 1 ESP 5W40 & Rotella T6 can be gotten for a reasonable price-heck, I bought 50 individual quarts of D1 5W40 a couple years ago when AutoZone was (stupidly, IMO) dumping it for $1/quart.
 
As others have said, according to Ford, it does not take much to nudge the operation into severe duty category. From my own experience, I used 10W-30 (Delo XLE) a couple of times, but I see nothing excessively positive or negative about it. According to Ford, most of the duty my 6.7L sees is in the severe duty category, so I use either 5W-40 Synthetic or 15W-40 SynBlend and after a few UOAs have moved my OCI to 7.5K. I am sure there are those who would argue the extra $20 or $25 to use a synthetic is "outrageous" but for the cost of the truck and its overall life span, I find that cost inconsequential and so I say to each his or her own.
 
It seems to me if you were always under load and driving in stop and go conditions...ideling, etc...I would go with 5w-40 synthetic. My driving conditions are 90% highway for long periods of time...which seems to be easier on the oil. When my 5w40 stash runs out I am considering 10w-30 as my driving conditions don't seem to merit 5w-40 (at least that is beginning to be my belief). Is it not so much if you are towing but rather the conditions by which you are towing in?
 
The various oil recommends will work. It really has more to do with comfort level and what one is willing to spend that is the major factors here. It is strange the while engines that are cruising at 1200 RPM moving 80,000 lb can do just fine on a 10w30 but the little PStroke can't do just as well at the normal RPM's it runs at road speed. I admit, I was pretty much in the 40w camp, mostly from habit and practice, until I saw many UOA's and engine performance and wear numbers on 10w30. Under high stress, I tend to think that 10w30 actually is a little more shear stable from what I have seen. But whatever gets the job done and helps someone sleep well at night.
 
Originally Posted By: TiredTrucker
It is strange the while engines that are cruising at 1200 RPM moving 80,000 lb can do just fine on a 10w30 but the little PStroke can't do just as well at the normal RPM's it runs at road speed.
True to a degree, but if memory serves your OTR engine is pre-emission is it not? If is my guess that DPF and SCR increase operating temperatures and add other operating factors that cause Ford to set a low threshold for severe duty versus normal.
 
I am too uneducated in this field to really understand. Even FCA has moved to 5w-40 (in response to aggressive transmission tuning). I have stuck with 5w40 since I have been able to run it super cheap. Only thing I can go on is the UOAs for 10w-30 vs 5w-40. Take care all.
 
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Thanks everyone for your comments, this forum is a great resource. I think my everyday driving and towing is fairly typical of many non-commercial PSD owners and doesn't seem to me to be "severe service". My GCW while towing is 15,500lbs. Another issue that confuses me is Ford's wording in the PSD Supplement requiring 5w40 for severe service (towing over 1,000 miles) and 15w40 or 5w40 if you run bio-diesel. So does that mean that Ford does not approve of 15w40 for "severe service"? That doesn't make sense. Maybe just a poorly edited section of the booklet, it's unclear, but I doubt it. According to the Diesel Supplement Ford wants 5w40 for long distance trailer towing and so that's that! I'd still like to have a more detailed explanation from Ford, but that's just me.
 
Originally Posted By: 2015_PSD
Originally Posted By: TiredTrucker
It is strange the while engines that are cruising at 1200 RPM moving 80,000 lb can do just fine on a 10w30 but the little PStroke can't do just as well at the normal RPM's it runs at road speed.
True to a degree, but if memory serves your OTR engine is pre-emission is it not? If is my guess that DPF and SCR increase operating temperatures and add other operating factors that cause Ford to set a low threshold for severe duty versus normal.


I was referring to current production engines in heavy trucks. All of them are SCR and DPF equipped. The factory fills are 10w30 on ALL the brands.... Mack, Volvo, Paccar, Navistar, Cummins, Detroit. Have been for a few years now. And the trend of the last several years has been down speeding the engines. Many of them are turning 1200 to 1400 RPM at regular highway speeds, some even down to 1100 RPM at highway speeds. To get there, differential ratios of clear down to 2.21 are being used. Lots of stress on engines and drive train components when moving full gross of 80,000 lb. And all of that is even the case if running in 120F heat in AZ in summer. 10w30 being used widely and with no problems.
 
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