Best oil to use?

[James Morse]

I need to change oil/filter one of these days. Truck seems to use little to no oil. What brand oil and brand filter do you guys prefer? 5-30 is the spec afaik.

 

[Curious Hound]

I'll always say"Do what the manual recommends.

But.. I have switched to Mobil 1 high mileage 5w-20 and us it in my 93 Ranger, 97 F150 and Mom's 09 Ford Flex. Just keeps everything simple. I order Wix filters, normally from Rock Auto. I buy several of each size for those vehicles (Ranger and Flex share same filter size). Then, when I run out or get low, I stock up again.

 

[James Morse]

well, yeah, I'd go by the spec, usually. I have 188K miles, sounds like maybe I should go the 5-20 route
wonder if others have done this

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I run 10w40 valvoline high mileage in my 2.9 with a motorcraft filter and 1qt lucas to shut the lifters up.

10w30 valvoline high mileage and motorcraft filter in the 460.

 

[DILLARD000]

Best oil & filter to use is the "oily" & "filtering" kind !!!
Just changing your fluids & filters often is more important than the specific brand.
Ignore any "lifetime fluid" claims made by Ford or any other car manufacturers; change your fluids & filters often, all of them!

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

I have been a mobile 1 guy for years now. Used their conventional oil in my 05 Sport Trac from day 1 till it rated it in with 270000 something miles. I use the synthetic in my 20 Ranger. But always use the Motorcraft filters. Of course the synthetic one now.

 

[19Walt93]

well, yeah, I'd go by the spec, usually. I have 188K miles, sounds like maybe I should go the 5-20 route
wonder if others have done this

I would stick with the 5w30 Ford recommends, it's worked this long.
I use Motorcraft oil filters on everything- including my John Deere and Husqvarna lawn tractors. Most everything gets Motorcraft 5w30 except my Mustang. I started using Mobil 1 in the Mustang because drag racing with a stiff clutch ate up my thrust bearings every couple years and Mobil 1 fixed it. It would be fine with Motorcraft now.
There are many decent oils, Valvoline, Mobil, etc. I will filter Motorcraft through an old sock and reuse it before I would buy Pennzoil- they own Jiffy Lube. Quaker State and Oilzum are the only 2 brands I've seen sludge up engines that I know were maintained. We had several oil burn comlaints from people using Amalie and a few with Castrol.
Wix filters(including Napa and Carquest brands) are fine, as is Purolator, Mobil1, K&N, and such are probably good, too but too expensive. Farm makes junk. The ones Jiffy Lube uses barely even qualify as filters, they weigh nothing.

 

[rubydist]

You should never switch from a recommended 5W30 to 5W20, especially on an older engine. As engines wear, clearances loosen up and thinner oil will result in oil starvation at the end of the oil stream (which is the valve train in most of these engines).

I use Mobil1 high mileage, but where you are in VA is warm enough that Walmart synthetic will work just fine for you. The Motorcraft synthetic blend and full synthetic are also very good oils. Any of those will serve you just fine.

Walt's description of oil filters matches the research that I have done - stay away from Fram, use Motorcraft if you can get them.

 

[19Walt93]

When 5w20 appeared, Ford didn't approve it for use in any 4.0 or anything older than about 92. When EcoBoost engines came in, they were not approved to use 5w20. Cynic(realist) that I am, I suspected that Ford was willing to accept increased engine wear as a consequence if they could squeak another .1 mpg out of an engine.
On the other hand, I wouldn't use 10w40 in anything newer than early 80's because the formula has never been updated like 5w30, 10w30 and the others. A friend- our old body shop manager- who built a V8 Ranger before I did, insists on running 10w40 in his 5.4 3 valve F150 and he's had to replace his cam phasers twice.
When all else fails, follow the manual.

 

[James Morse]

What's the Motorcraft number for my filter? I see Walmart has the brand.
My owner manual doesn't say or I can't find it if it does.

 

[dvdswan]

What's the Motorcraft number for my filter? I see Walmart has the brand.
My owner manual doesn't say or I can't find it if it does.

1999 mazda b3000 oil filter number - Google Shopping

scroll down, you'll see the Motorcraft filters.

 

[James Morse]

@dvdswan Cool thanks much
How's the D21? Is that extended cab or regular? Stock engine or swapped?

 

[James Morse]

It seems like the Motorcraft oils are synth blend or full synth. does that matter, and which should I use between those?

 

[rusty ol ranger]

It seems like the Motorcraft oils are synth blend or full synth. does that matter, and which should I use between those?

It doesnt really matter.

I try to stay away from full synthetic in older stuff cause ive had it cause leaks.

 

[James Morse]

yeah now that you mention it, I've heard about leaks from synth
should I try to find totally non-synth in a non-Motorcraft brand?