• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

15w40 Motor Oil Safe for Use?


Mylesofsmyles

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2013
Messages
210
City
San Francisco, CA
Transmission
Automatic
New to Rangers...

I use Diesel 15w40 motor oil in my 2.1 and 2.3 Volvo Engines, which are quite similar to the Ford 2.3 motor...

Is 15w40 too thick to run in my '85 2.3L Ranger?
 
Be careful, I tried just 10w-30 in an '88 2.3 and had tick when cold that would make a Chevy Quad 4 sound nice.

Think basically NO oil in the top of the motor for about 30 seconds till it warmed up.

Not saying it's a no go. Just be prepared to change again soon after if you have the same problem.
 
Yeah sure it will work fine, but 5w30 is better
 
summer fine to use, winter go lighter unless your where it doesnt drop below 55 degrees, like San Diego, Ca.
 
If you are purely after the detergents go with a CJ-4 oil. It has all the good LSD detergents and most of them are 10-30.
 
I run 20w-50 in both of mine.

It got down to 17degrees once already. Oils aren't that much different when cold. Cold oil is thick no matter the grade.
 
Last edited:
Back when your engine was built, 5W20 was not on the recommended list. I don't think it was even being produced.

I would be getting the diesel rated oil for the shear protection as the 85 has non-roller cam followers, which need the ZDDP{I think} protection. Given the non-roller and the shear, I would avoid using oils that depended on viscosity index improvers for their viscosity. A good 10W or 20W base oil, with improvers to bring it to 30 or 40 hot would be my best suggestion.
Translated, the oil numbers are a measure of viscosity at cold and hot temperatures. The first, 20W for example, means viscosity {thickness} of a 20 weight oil COLD, the second number - 30 or 40 - indicates when hot, this particular oil will have the viscosity that a good quality 30 or 40 weight oil has when it gets hot. That magic is done by long chain polymers that expand when heated. They make the oil 'seem' thicker when hot, but are subject to getting cut shorter, or sheared by the cam followers. Start with a good base, and you'd always have at least that base viscosity when the improvers are worn out.
tom
 
I tried to run this oil in my truck...the results were it created an enormous amount of "smog" for some reason...but it cleaned up the inside of my engine wonderfully!

Currently running 20w50...works much better and no smog...
 
If you get any rpm on cold diesel oil, you will start breaking parts. My first experience was with a brand new 1988 Mustang GT convertible , and I was young and dumb and thought thicker was better. I put in a nice Rotella 15w40 , and on a cold burnout, I broke the oil pump drive shaft. I replaced it with a stronger shaft, and promptly did it again two days later. I changed the oil and reinstalled a factory oil pump driveshaft, no more problems.
Fast forward to my 2.3l turbo. I put a 15w40 diesel oil in for the additional zinc and broke the dist gear and screwed up the aux shaft. I forgot the lesson I learned earlier.
I went to a 5w30 and have no problems since.

Thicker isn't always better.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1596606


FYI... I have a ZX2 I bought new , and since oil change number 3, I've run only 0w20. It has 178,000 miles on it, uses no oil, and it still sees 6000 rpm daily. The engine has never been apart. (except for a timing belt at 120k miles)
 
Last edited:
WTF? 20w50 in Canada? Run what ford recommends. And the above post is right on the money. I am a member over at bobistheoilguy. There is more knowledge on that site then any one of us will ever know about oil.
 
WTF? 20w50 in Canada? Run what ford recommends. And the above post is right on the money. I am a member over at bobistheoilguy. There is more knowledge on that site then any one of us will ever know about oil.
Exactly,way to thick in the cold, would starve the top end until engine is warm.Use 5W-30. Good quality name brand oils have a good detergent package in them already
 
Yeah...but with the block heater and some other oil (I don't run straight 20w50) it's been fine...well...almost fine...but running anything thinner results in oil burning, blowing and oil miraculously disappearing...

Hope once I get my swap sorted out (yes, I'm still working on it) I can get back to normal oil...but I do have to fix a leaky oil pan in the new engine...hopefully before I actually start driving it.
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

TRS Events

Member & Vendor Upgrades

For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.

Latest posts

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

Ranger Adventure Video

TRS Merchandise

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Sponsors


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Sponsored Ad

Back
Top