Oil type for 1987 2.3 non turbo diesel is 5w30 motorcraft ok

[Rebecca Scoffield]

I did an oil change recently used the motorcraft fl1a filter. Used valvoline high mileage synthetic blend. Ever since it seems like I've been constantly adding oil. At one point I put in blue devils engine revive. Now not only am I still constantly adding oil I'm losing oil pressure. I'm hoping another oil change will fix that. I was going to use motorcraft 5w30 synthetic blend but they're saying it doesn't fit my vehicle is that right?

 

[19Walt93]

Motorcraft 5w30 blend is what I run in the 351 in my 93 Ranger. An 87 probably called for 10w30. So called multi viscosity oils aren't really, the viscosity is just less affected by temperature. A 5w30 would be no thicker at low temperatures than a 5 weight and no thinner at high temps than a 30 weight. If anything 5w30 would flow better cold than 10w30 would. I've never seen a problem with Valvoline but we had multiple oil use complaints with Amzoil, Amalie, and Castrol over the years. During the winter of 81-2 Quaker State would congeal like thick cottage cheese in sub zero temps and junked a bunch of engines. They claimed it was a one time problem but I don't like their products anyway.

 

[pjtoledo]

diesels need oil designed for diesels,, the bearings are under different pressure as the burn is
more of an explosion than gas ignition. that spikes the bearing load.
the oil rating label should have CD or CK specs, check the list on the container.
15-40 is a common weight, I used it in an '82 VW diesel with good results.
just checked online and Shell Rotella has a 5-30 syn diesel oil.
still have the owners manual? any stickers under the hood?
try to find the original engine oil specs for the weight.

 

[rubydist]

Motorcraft oil is very good quality oil. However you do need diesel rated oil.

 

[bobbywalter]

delovac or shell rotella 15/40

maybe just straight 30

 

[19Walt93]

Motorcraft 5w30 blend is what I run in the 351 in my 93 Ranger. An 87 probably called for 10w30. So called multi viscosity oils aren't really, the viscosity is just less affected by temperature. A 5w30 would be no thicker at low temperatures than a 5 weight and no thinner at high temps than a 30 weight. If anything 5w30 would flow better cold than 10w30 would. I've never seen a problem with Valvoline but we had multiple oil use complaints with Amzoil, Amalie, and Castrol over the years. During the winter of 81-2 Quaker State would congeal like thick cottage cheese in sub zero temps and junked a bunch of engines. They claimed it was a one time problem but I don't like their products anyway.

I didn't notice that your truck is a diesel. You should definitely use diesel spec oil.

 

[JohnnyO]

Most diesels specify a 15w-30 diesel rated oil.

 

[pentode]

+1 for Rotella. I use it in all my older cars, usually 15W40 (they don't drive in sub freezing temps though). Used to be you could get full syn T6 at walmart in the states really cheap, otherwise T4 is just fine for normal oil change intervals.

 

[Rebecca Scoffield]

diesels need oil designed for diesels,, the bearings are under different pressure as the burn is
more of an explosion than gas ignition. that spikes the bearing load.
the oil rating label should have CD or CK specs, check the list on the container.
15-40 is a common weight, I used it in an '82 VW diesel with good results.
just checked online and Shell Rotella has a 5-30 syn diesel oil.
still have the owners manual? any stickers under the hood?
try to find the original engine oil specs for the weight.

I don't have a diesel it's non turbo/diesel I must've messed up when filling that out sorry

 

[Rebecca Scoffield]

Sorry guys that was supposed to say non turbo/diesel. It's regular gas

 

[Rebecca Scoffield]

Also I changed the oil and it was very black for as much oil as I've put in recently but the oil pressure only went above the red a couple of times. So now I'm going to dump it again and put some Lucas stabilizer with a few quarts of new and hope that helps.

 

[Rebecca Scoffield]

diesels need oil designed for diesels,, the bearings are under different pressure as the burn is
more of an explosion than gas ignition. that spikes the bearing load.
the oil rating label should have CD or CK specs, check the list on the container.
15-40 is a common weight, I used it in an '82 VW diesel with good results.
just checked online and Shell Rotella has a 5-30 syn diesel oil.
still have the owners manual? any stickers under the hood?
try to find the original engine oil specs for the weight.

My original oil specs say 5w30 but the thing online when I try to purchase said the motorcraft 5w30 wasn't for my vehicle that's why I was questioning it because it didn't say it was for diesel on it like the others did

 

[2011Supercab]

I'm getting confused here on what engine you have

I don't have a diesel

Sorry guys that was supposed to say non turbo/diesel. It's regular gas

1 - Gasoline
2 - Diesel - Non Turbo
3 - Diesel - With Turbo

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

^^^ I agree. You need to tell us which of the 3 choices; 1,2, or 3...

 

[sgtsandman]

If the engine is a gas engine, as you seem to indicate, 5W-30 is perfectly fine if the oil fill cap and the owner's manual says it is.

All three of my Rangers speced 5W-30. So, it would seem to follow the trend that yours would as well.

As far as the oil not being listed as compatible, auto parts stores and their websites aren't always the most reliable source of information. I've run into problems a few times with their systems saying a part I removed from the vehicle not being listed and they showed something else instead.

Also, one thing I've run into in the past with Honda is that they changed the oil specified sometime later after the vehicles were built, going from 5W-30 to 5W-20 or something similar. It has something to do with fleet fuel economy numbers or something along those lines.

As far as the oil usage, you could have developed a leak or started burning oil because of the change in the additive package when changing oils. But this is just speculation. If you don't have smoke coming out of the tail pipe, I would start looking for leaks.