What oil weight do you recommend for a 3.0 V6 with 120K miles

[Slim]

Seeing as how i've been playing the oil game for 15+ years now .....

I'd like to point out one notable comment made by oldfordman that I think is very, VERY important - HOWEVER- I always let my engine warm up a few minutes in the morning, and never run it hard until things have warmed up well.

I don't think many people enter this factor into the equation of which oil to buy. Personally I believe it's the number one factor, followed closely by climate. I let the engine run at idle for 2 - 4 minutes during winter (depends on how long it take me to clear the snow), but once it's in Drive it's time to friggin' drive.

I use either Mobil1 5W30 or the Ford equivalent (which is the same as the Mobil1 stuff). I get whichever is less expensive at the time. I don't bother switching viscosity during different seasons because my engine still runs at the same temp all the time. I have seen in the past that running a conventional (ie non-synthetic) engine oil is not something I should do to an engine I want to live long under MY foot.

 

[Slim]

For what it's worth- here is my 2 cents. In all my vehicles, I run manufacture recommended viscosity until the warranty is up. Then I switch to a higher viscosity oil. For my high mileages cars/trucks, I personally like the Valvoline 20W50 Racing oil for the summer, then run a high mileage 10W30 for the winter. Here in eastern PA, we don't usually get below about 0, so the 10W30 works fine. HOWEVER- I always let my engine warm up a few minutes in the morning, and never run it hard until things have warmed up well. Currently have a 91 s-10 with 236K miles, and a 94 Astro van with 220K. Both use less than a half quart of oil between oil changes at 4K miles, and have power and gas mileage almost as good as when new. Right now, I am running 10W40 in my 3.0 Ranger with 95K miles, and will probably go a bit thicker next summer. The zinc question is mostly important for us people with older engines running flat tappet camshafts, which puts a lot of shear on the cam, thus the need for a higher level of zinc (ZDDP) to protect the cam. Most (all?) newer engines have roller cams, and do not need as high a level of ZDDP. Diesel oils usually have a higher level of zinc than auto oils, and I have run the Rotella T 15W40 for many years in my 700 HP 66 Chevy big block and never have a problem. Also run that in my motorcycles. The zinc also provides start-up protection. ZDDP levels have been reduced drastically over the past 5-10 years. Please note that the link to the "bobistheoilguy" additive listing goes to a posting that is over 4 years old. Additives change all the time. Current spec for ZDDP in SM oil is a max of 1200 ppm, but even the synthetics are way below that, usually about 600. I have heard a lot about how zinc can ruin a cat converter, but have not been able to find any hard data on how much is too much, and if the engine isn't passing oil, does it matter if the zinc level is high? That's my 2 cents worth. If you are not sure, stick with manufacturer specs. Or, try a few things, and see what works best for your particular engine/climate/driving style.

I'd appreciate your input on this, oldfordman. I have read about others' mixing oil viscosities and such. One guy I read about runs Mobil1 5W30 and mixes in one 1L bottle of Rotella 15W40 "for the zinc". My understanding of the Rotella is that it's not a full synthetic. It's my belief that he's wasting money, time and energy mixing for very little gain.

Any input?


..... i'm off to the local Canadian Tire now. They have Mobil1 on sale AGAIN! Man oh man, talk about timing - I have 2 vehicles to change oil in today.

 

[barrys]

Slim, how often do you do oil changes with your synthetic?

 

[Slim]

Slim, how often do you do oil changes with your synthetic?

I change every 5000 kms and do a filter every time.

I've experimented up to 10000 and even tried skipping the filter (ie filter every other oil change) and won't be going that route again. Tearing an engine down and seeing grooves on cam and crank journals kinda jades me to believing both are bad practice.

I buy synthetic simply for my abusive driving style.

 

[oldfordman]

I'd appreciate your input on this, oldfordman. I have read about others' mixing oil viscosities and such. One guy I read about runs Mobil1 5W30 and mixes in one 1L bottle of Rotella 15W40 "for the zinc". My understanding of the Rotella is that it's not a full synthetic. It's my belief that he's wasting money, time and energy mixing for very little gain.

Any input?


..... i'm off to the local Canadian Tire now. They have Mobil1 on sale AGAIN! Man oh man, talk about timing - I have 2 vehicles to change oil in today.

Yeah- the Rotella is NOT SYNTHETIC, just a good conventional oil for us old farts that still run the older engines, especially with high valve train loading. As far as mixing a quart of Rotella in with synthetic, you are correct- it's not worth the trouble, and the guy is diluting the benefits of using a synthetic. Some place I read that there is an STP additive labelled for 4 cyl. engines that has a pretty high ZDDP content- I have not checked it out. There are a lot of sites out there that address the use of higher zinc oils in older engines with flat valve lifters, worth the reading on a rainy/snowy day. BTW- My brother's Porsche Boxter requires 0W40 synthetic. Dealership got real upset when he asked about using different viscosities. He has been runing the snot out of it for 4 years w/o a single problem, so I guess it works for that engine.

 

[barrys]

I just heard about Rotella today too with the same "for the zinc" rational.
His car takes 9 quarts and he pays 20.00 to get the oil shipped. He takes it out to about 10K == once a year.

We also looked up the vulcan engine and found that from 94 on it's got tappets. With that he said, "you got nothing to worry about."
He explained it but it was a little over my head -- something about the noses of the cams being machined on a slight angle to rotate the valves as they are actuated. So, I guess at least some believe that the extra zinc is good for valves that don't get rotated.

Any more info on this would be appreciated.

 

[Rearanger]

Two good articles:

http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/goss/2806.shtml

http://www.ford-trucks.com/article/idx/18/141/article/Snake_Oil__Is_That_Additive_Really_A_Negative.html

The second one is 1992, but I think still valid.

 

[barrys]

All of these posts are amazing and more than a little mind bending.

I decided to throw in the towel and call my indy mechanic who's been running a Ford only shop since 71. I trust them a lot so why not ask...

They recommend going with the label and a Motorcraft filter every 3-5K -- especially in northern CA unless changing the oil weight to address some particular issue. Also, they seem to consider "high mileage" to be 200K plus.

I can't count how many times they've tried to get me to not fix things on my truck that I get anal-retentive about. They also install parts I supply, have given endless free advice, and done 10 minute fixes for free more than once. So, I have no reason to suspect that they're trying to get me to kill my engine so they can get money...

5-30 or 10-30 it is from now on until I hear otherwise from them. I don't drive like a grandma, but I'm not standing on the gas all the time either.

Now for a little plug...
Just in case you're in the San Jose area, they are Campbell Ford Performance. You can eat off the floor in that place. They do classic restorations too which makes bringing my truck in more fun.

 

[drifterawh]

I use MOBIL 1 in my F&$#*%^ lawn mower runs like a cup car.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

I use MOBIL 1 in my F&$#*%^ lawn mower runs like a cup car.

mobil 1 sucks. i hear brand new fords knock with that crap. its way to thin for my taste. i swear by quaker state. sometimes penzoil or valvoline.

and a good filter goes a long way, for the d.d i use bosch or mobil 1 filters, for the old cars, i use k&n filters. well worth the extra money.

I NEVER USE FRAM CRAP. too many bad experiances.

 

[exbass94]

mobil 1 sucks. i hear brand new fords knock with that crap. its way to thin for my taste. i swear by quaker state. sometimes penzoil or valvoline.

and a good filter goes a long way, for the d.d i use bosch or mobil 1 filters, for the old cars, i use k&n filters. well worth the extra money.

I NEVER USE FRAM CRAP. too many bad experiances.

Wow...where to begin....You "heard" that new Fords knock with Mobil 1? Who did you "hear" that from? Whoever it was doesn't know what the hell they're talking about. It's too thin? You do realize Mobil 1 is offered in more than 1 viscosity right? A 5w30 is a 5w30, doesn't matter the brand.

Mobil 1 and K&N filters are good, but IMO too damn expensive. I'm not too fond of Fram either.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

Wow...where to begin....You "heard" that new Fords knock with Mobil 1? Who did you "hear" that from? Whoever it was doesn't know what the hell they're talking about. It's too thin? You do realize Mobil 1 is offered in more than 1 viscosity right? A 5w30 is a 5w30, doesn't matter the brand.

Mobil 1 and K&N filters are good, but IMO too damn expensive. I'm not too fond of Fram either.

re read my post, I SAID I HEARD FORD, NOT I HEARD FROM SOMEONE. ive had mobil 1 in my BRAND NEW FORD, and they knocked in the morning. obviously i know mobil 1 is offered in more than 1 viscosity. i used what ford reccommended. i believe it was 10w-30 at the time.

and there is a difference in oil. say a walmart brand super tec is a 5w-30 and castrol is a 5w-30, the different material they use will differ which one will perform at the desired tempurature that oil is rated at, and which one will protect better.. also which one will thin out faster.

i personally dont like mobil one, just like i hate fram oil filters. i just saying my opinion. nothing more. if you wanna use mobil 1 and fram filters, by all means do so.

my information comes from personal experiance, not just "the hype" or word of mouth. ive used mobil 1, it made my engine tick in the morning, switched to quaker stae full sythetic of the same viscosity, same tempurature, same conditions, and no tick in the morning.

thats just my opinion. now lets continue with the oil discussion, shall we

for you my friend.

 

[strvger]

wow! guess i'm the only one here using semi-synthetic!! use 5W30 for the cold winters here and then 10W30 for the summers. been doing it that way for the past 19 years on all my vehicles, new and old. never any problems with it. change it 3 times a year on each one as i average about 10k on each. and i get whichever name brand is on sale at the time: Castrol, Quaker State, Penzoil, Kendall, Motorcraft, etc. i can't tell any difference in performance or the way it looks when it comes out at change time. i do, however, use better filters. seen the tests, cutaway pics, etc. and will never get a Fram again.
just my $.02

 

[barrys]

I called my Ford mechanic who also recommended going back to the original 5W30 viscosity rating. So, I put that in a couple of weeks back and I think I'm seeing lower gas mileage. Would that make any sense at all?

One one hand, I would think a lower viscosity oil would mean less resistance while running but it could also mean less compression or oil pressure like someone mentioned in this thread. The oil pressure gauge settles at dead center of "normal" range. I don't remember what it read with the old 10W40 oil. I should have tracked that.

It's too early to tell for sure. And, it could just be a guage that's getting a little older and not moving evenly through it's range.

 

[Bob Ayers]

I called my Ford mechanic who also recommended going back to the original 5W30 viscosity rating. So, I put that in a couple of weeks back and I think I'm seeing lower gas mileage. Would that make any sense at all?

One one hand, I would think a lower viscosity oil would mean less resistance while running but it could also mean less compression or oil pressure like someone mentioned in this thread. The oil pressure gauge settles at dead center of "normal" range. I don't remember what it read with the old 10W40 oil. I should have tracked that.

It's too early to tell for sure. And, it could just be a guage that's getting a little older and not moving evenly through it's range.

Your oil pressure gauge either reads zero, or half-scale, it will not show pressure variations. This is because the oil pressure sending unit is a
NORMALLY OPEN switch, that closes with about 7 PSI of oil pressure, causing the gauge to read half-scale.