So, what weight oil are you all using?

[DamnYankee]

My (new to me) 88 Ranger has 176k on it. Getting ready to do an oil change. What weight oil are y’all using in your 2.9’s?

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

4 quarts Walmart brand synthetic, one quart Lucas Synthetic Oil Stabilizer, 2Oz bell's X-tra lube. FL-1A filter.

Running a catch can on the pcv as well. Helps out a lot.

Cannot stress how much the synthetic has quieted down the engine. 2.9s are known for top end oiling issues. The synthetic seems to help, and the lucas and bells stick to friggin everything.

 

[DamnYankee]

4 quarts Walmart brand synthetic, one quart Lucas Synthetic Oil Stabilizer, 2Oz bell's X-tra lube. FL-1A filter.

Running a catch can on the pcv as well. Helps out a lot.

Educate me...what is this catch can you are referring to?

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Educate me...what is this catch can you are referring to?

Catch Can - weird (but good) results

So, changed valve cover gaskets recently. Noticed an undue amount of oil in the pcv vac lines coming off the valve covers, which seemed odd to me. New pcv 4000-5000 miles ago; it still seemed to be working fine. Just for poops and laughs, tried an experiment. Ordered a $30 amazon catch can...

www.therangerstation.com

Got mine on amazon. You'll need to get real hoses. The ones mine came with were worthless.

Posted some updates tonight. It essentially keeps the oil mist out of your intake, and out of the engine.

RonD posted an awesome blurb about it.

 

[OldMan2]

I read 5W30 came about because of mpg mandates from the government. Manufactures showed an increase in mileage due to less friction in the engine with the lighter oil. The increase was slight but when measured over a total number of new manufactured trucks in a year it helped them meet the governments requirements. Any thoughts on 5W30 vs 10W30?

 

[Dirtman]

5w30 and 10w30 are the same weight oil. 5w30 is just better in colder temperatures. At operating temp both oils work identically.

 

[Paulos]

I run 10w40 in mine. In a tight motor I can see using 10w30, but not with high miles and the 2.9's upper end lubrication issues (e.g. worn cam bearings, etc.). After 300k+ miles I think the only ticking I hear is coming from the injectors (it's that quiet, surprisingly).

Many years ago, I ran Castrol GTX 20w50 in my high mileage '86 Ranger with a 2.9. I don't recall having any lubrication issues , but looking back, the 20w50 may have been a little too thick (like me sometimes ).

 

[Curious Hound]

I don’t know what my oil weighs. But by the time I lug a couple 5 qt jugs from the back of Wal-Mart way up to the cash registers and then way, way out to where I have to park, it starts to feel pretty heavy.

 

[Paulos]

I don’t know what my oil weighs. But by the time I lug a couple 5 qt jugs from the back of Wal-Mart way up to the cash registers and then way, way out to where I have to park, it starts to feel pretty heavy.

I hate it when that happens. Fortunately my Wal-Mart has these high tech gadgets they call "shopping carts" (I think that's how they spell it). They even have electric ones (they may be Tesla's, but I'm not sure).

 

[Curious Hound]

I hate it when that happens. Fortunately my Wal-Mart has these high tech gadgets they call "shopping carts" (I think that's how they spell it). They even have electric ones (they may be Tesla's, but I'm not sure).

Those are for wimps

 

[Paulos]

I'll agree with you as far as the electric ones go, but I think the pushin' kind are ah'ight.

 

[Snoranger]

I hate it when that happens. Fortunately my Wal-Mart has these high tech gadgets they call "shopping carts" (I think that's how they spell it). They even have electric ones (they may be Tesla's, but I'm not sure).

It's Walmart... They are Chinese knockoff Teslas.

 

[Mike Tonon]

My dad always did Castrol 10w30 with Fram filters. Then I did Castrol high mileage 10w30 with Motorcraft filters.

I tried Castrol 5w30 one winter and the engine just sounded different. I don’t know if that was a good thing to do or not. On startup, the lifters clacked very loud, but the noise went away in about 2 seconds. Where as with 10w30, the lifters were quieter, but the noise lasted more like 5 or 10 seconds.

 

[OldMan2]

My 2.3l calls for 5W30, but I run 10W30.

 

[gaz]

I have been using full synthetic 10w40 since 1988.

1987 Ranger 2.9l
1987 BII 2.9l