Higher Viscosity Oil for Knocking 3.0l?

[Blue_Bunny72]

I've got a '98 ranger with a 3.0l and it has an obvious spun bearing. I was wondering if bumping up the oil's viscosity on the next change would help squeeze a little more life out of the motor before it kicks a rod through the block (if so, what viscosity would you recommend?). Any feedback is appreciated, thanks!

 

[Ranger850]

Sounds like a game of "Russian Roulette"
Thicker oil will not get into the tiny spaces good enough, which could cause failure
Thinner oil will get into the tiny spaces, but wont help you with your issues, which could cause failure.

 

[Dirtman]

If the bearing is spun how would oil get to it now anyway. The oil passage would no longer be open.

 

[19Walt93]

Do you really want the engine to decide when and where you'll be stranded? It's not going to heal up if you don't fix it and if it has a catastrophic failure the repair cost will go way up.

 

[Blue_Bunny72]

Do you really want the engine to decide when and where you'll be stranded? It's not going to heal up if you don't fix it and if it has a catastrophic failure the repair cost will go way up.

I never drive more than 20 miles away, and I'm already planning a 5.0 swap for when the time comes. I just want to milk this 3.0 for all it's got. No need to worry

 

[Dirtman]

Have fun with that I guess.

If it truly has a spun bearing you probably wont make that 20 miles...

 

[19Walt93]

I have a pair of bright orange nitrile gloves, you should get some,too. That way your thumb will be easier to see when you're hitch hiking back home.
Squeezing out the last 20 miles is a Yankee thing to do, I didn't think Wisconsin had any.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Are you saying you hear a little lower end noise?

If you spun a bearing... well... you would know... and wouldn't be asking us what oil to use.

Fill it up with 20w50... then drive it like an old man. Get your part together for your swap.

 

[Rick W]

Yeah, my 5-cylinder ranger doesn’t work so good...

I don’t know how handy you are, but 50 years ago on my first truck, a 3-wheel drive Chevy (it was 4-wheel drive 18 years before I bought it), I could drop the pan, shine up the crank with emery paper, put in a new bearing and get another 4-500 miles on it driving it gently. I was broke in college, and I could do the swap in about 1-1/2 hours in the snow. Did it three times before old “Candy” blew up. I paid $135 for the truck and sold it for $75 with the blown engine. Financially, it was probably my best automotive investment....

I agree with Ranger850, I don’t think there’s any oil that would make a difference without causing equal problems on the small ports. The viscosity isn’t the issue. Once there’s space (the knock), it will keep hammering out the bearing until it breaks.

If the engine is otherwise tight, before it breaks, if it’s not spreading shavings now, you could probably pull the crank without pulling the heads and pistons, and have it refinished or replaced for less money than a rebuild. I think the engine has to come out in a Ranger. My old Chevy, you could pull the pan and swap it if you just loosened up one motor mount...

good luck with it.

 

[cbxer55]

Sounds like a game of "Russian Roulette"
Thicker oil will not get into the tiny spaces good enough, which could cause failure
Thinner oil will get into the tiny spaces, but wont help you with your issues, which could cause failure.

Haha. I've been running 20w-50 oil in my 98 3.0 Ranger since January 2000. Had 10,000 miles on it at the time, near 170,000 now. Never a single problem.

 

[Rick W]

& let’s be careful with that “old man” stuff....

 

[Ranger850]

Haha. I've been running 20w-50 oil in my 98 3.0 Ranger since January 2000. Had 10,000 miles on it at the time, near 170,000 now. Never a single problem.

I personally run thick oil too, that's a whole other debate i do not care to have, again. I just dont think it was going to help with OP's issues.

 

[Dirtman]

I don't say this enough, but....

Engines is goes vroom.

 

[Rick W]

Hmmm, not rat-a-tat-tat?

 

[Uncle Gump]

& let’s be careful with that “old man” stuff....

Didn't mean to offend anyone... so I'll change it to... Drive it like Uncle Gump...