motor oil for ford 5.0

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Riptide

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Hi Guys. I am going to be draining the factory fill soon on a mustang. Factory fill is motorcraft synth. blend 5w-20.

I'm planning on going to 5w-30 but I am not sure what brand to choose. Pennzoil Platinum used to be great but I noticed they just switched to this new stuff made from natural gas. I'm not sure what to think of that.

Should I stick with the Pennzoil or swap over to a different brand of synthetic?

Car is driven about 4000 miles in the spring/summer/fall. Lightly driven over the winter. I live in a cold winter climate area.

Many thanks in advance.
 
Most of the guys in mustang la la land are moving over to 5W-30 so I'm just sort of following the herd in that regard. The car will see some light drag strip usage on hot summer days so I think that is some of the motivation there.

Regardless as I'm sure you guys are aware it will tolerate a range of viscosity.

I still have some of the older Pennzoil Platinum left over. Can I blend it with the new stuff or is that no bueno?
 
Originally Posted By: Riptide
Most of the guys in mustang la la land are moving over to 5W-30 so I'm just sort of following the herd in that regard. The car will see some light drag strip usage on hot summer days so I think that is some of the motivation there.

Regardless as I'm sure you guys are aware it will tolerate a range of viscosity.

I still have some of the older Pennzoil Platinum left over. Can I blend it with the new stuff or is that no bueno?


Use up the old stuff. Its not quite as good as the new, but its plenty good and far better to use it than wasting it. No harm in mixing at all. If it were me, I'd stick with 5w20. It seems almost a universal trend that Xw20 oils seem to have a better base stock and fewer VIIs than their Xw30 counterparts in the same brand. But again, the difference is very, very minimal and wouldn't ever really have a noticeable effect.
 
Really.
I live in mustang land and I know of no one adjusting grade choice during the warranty period.
And if you track it I'm sure you're aware that a 20 grade is actually better on the strip then a thicker counterpart.
Unless you are experiencing oil temps high enough that the engine management is neutering power then you gain nothing by going thicker.
This engine was built with thinner oil in mind and only the engines without neutering devices spec a 50 grade.
I live in mustangland,and the 5.0 certainly isn't dissolving using a 20 grade.
 
Just use 5-20
This is what this engine was built for unless it has a bunch of miles on it which yours doesnt
Motorcraft is very good oil by the way
I would just keep using it
 
M1 0-20 will stand up to high oil temps if that becomes an issue, and very cold temps as well. It also has the Ford specs. if your engine is spec'd for a 20wt oil.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Dallas69
Just use 5-20
This is what this engine was built for unless it has a bunch of miles on it which yours doesnt
Motorcraft is very good oil by the way
I would just keep using it

The engine was built for 5W-50.
 
Originally Posted By: hatt
Originally Posted By: Dallas69
Just use 5-20
This is what this engine was built for unless it has a bunch of miles on it which yours doesnt
Motorcraft is very good oil by the way
I would just keep using it

The engine was built for 5W-50.


I use 5W50 because mine is a Track Pack and that is what it calls for. OP you are fine with 5W20 on yours unless yours really is a Track Pack.
 
That's kinda the point. The engine in the track pack cars is basically the same thing. And yet they spec the 5W-50 there. Hence my comment about it tolerating a range of viscosity. A lot of people feel the slightly higher viscosity out of the 5W-30 is a good thing especially in a car that is raced even if lightly.

The debate over this is nothing new and while it's true that a lot of people have stuck with the 5W-20 the switch is something that has been tossed around for a while. Ever since Scott Whitehead made those remarks of his about never using 5W-20 in a modular. You'll find threads about it on every mustang forum I've ever been on.
 
Originally Posted By: Riptide
That's kinda the point. The engine in the track pack cars is basically the same thing. And yet they spec the 5W-50 there. Hence my comment about it tolerating a range of viscosity. A lot of people feel the slightly higher viscosity out of the 5W-30 is a good thing especially in a car that is raced even if lightly.

The debate over this is nothing new and while it's true that a lot of people have stuck with the 5W-20 the switch is something that has been tossed around for a while. Ever since Scott Whitehead made those remarks of his about never using 5W-20 in a modular. You'll find threads about it on every mustang forum I've ever been on.


Both Mustangs are not the same. That is the difference. The track pack does not have the ability to automatically go into "limp mode" when oil and or coolant temperatures reach levels that could possibly cause engine damage. Thus the 50 grade recommendation. If you do not have the track pack using a more viscous grade could actually cause your engine to engage in limp mode more often and faster than using a 20 grade because 50 grade oils do not "shed" heat as fast as lighter oil grades.

Your 5W30 of choice will likely shear into a 20 grade after short use. So I doubt any harm would be done.
 
My 'stang ('01 modular bullitt) ran like a dog pulling a trailer thru a tar pit with 30 grade. Back then the dealer didn't have any 20 on the shelf and the tecjh thought it was OK to use 30 in the built bullitt engine - W-R-ON-G!

STAY with the 20 on a lightly tuned coyote.

And TIG, what is "20wt" - no such terminology unless you mean 20w20.

And guys, isn't this a 2 gallon sump? - do you know how a sump size helps maintain low oil temps? Oil visvaries with temp (duh!) and the big sump may have thicker oil than it need with the 20 with just some moderate frisky street driving or 1/4 mile stuff which doesn't bother the engine much to bother on a 12 seconds with a mild tune.
 
Originally Posted By: loyd
What is done during design to cause an engine to need thinner oil?


Mostly it's management of bearing clearances. Limiting maximum clearance at the high end of the tolerance bands. Then if oil flow has gone up too much, it may be necessary to increase pump displacement. The coming of variable displacement pumps will probably change the protocols somewhat.
 
Originally Posted By: hatt
Originally Posted By: Dallas69
Just use 5-20
This is what this engine was built for unless it has a bunch of miles on it which yours doesnt
Motorcraft is very good oil by the way
I would just keep using it

The engine was built for 5W-50.


Then why does Ford recommend a 5W-20?
 
I'd recommend running nothing thinner than 20w-50 in the winter and 30-70 in the summer. If you are going to tow in the summer, 85w-140 at a minimum.

Those modular V8s just don't last on water weight 5w-20.
crazy.gif
 
Originally Posted By: dave1251
Originally Posted By: Riptide
That's kinda the point. The engine in the track pack cars is basically the same thing. And yet they spec the 5W-50 there. Hence my comment about it tolerating a range of viscosity. A lot of people feel the slightly higher viscosity out of the 5W-30 is a good thing especially in a car that is raced even if lightly.

The debate over this is nothing new and while it's true that a lot of people have stuck with the 5W-20 the switch is something that has been tossed around for a while. Ever since Scott Whitehead made those remarks of his about never using 5W-20 in a modular. You'll find threads about it on every mustang forum I've ever been on.


Both Mustangs are not the same. That is the difference. The track pack does not have the ability to automatically go into "limp mode" when oil and or coolant temperatures reach levels that could possibly cause engine damage. Thus the 50 grade recommendation. If you do not have the track pack using a more viscous grade could actually cause your engine to engage in limp mode more often and faster than using a 20 grade because 50 grade oils do not "shed" heat as fast as lighter oil grades.

Your 5W30 of choice will likely shear into a 20 grade after short use. So I doubt any harm would be done.




Exactly. The track pack cars have no engine neutering capability so the 50 grade recommendation is because they are expecting oil temps in excess of 280f,which would turn most 20 grades into vapour.
Just because some idiot In A mustang forum thinks 5w-20 is too thin in an engine with 2 gallons of oil doesn't make it so.
Ford thought about this,a lot,so unless you've got some insider knowledge that you aren't sharing I suggest not overthinking this whole thing.
 
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