What engine oil are you using?

[Tims03svt]

Hey guys I just got an 88 stx High Ryder with the 2.9l and it needs an oil change. I was wondering what oil and weight everyone is using? Also what spark plugs? Thanks!

 

[dave2575]

I use synth. 5w 30 eng oil, and stock motarcraft plugs. I recomend this for all stock 2.9s.

 

[bobbywalter]

valvoline in my gassers


rotella in my diesels....though i been lookin at the valvoline for those too.

 

[90B24wd]

Mobile 1 10W-30
Motorcraft oil filter FL-1A

 

[Tims03svt]

What did ford recommend 10w30 or 5w30?

 

[dave2575]

Ford recommended 5w-30 on all 2.9l cologne motors

 

[Big Jim M]

I use whatever is on sale.. I keep it in the engine for 6 or 7,000 miles and then put whatever is on sale at that time in it..
All oil is so close to the same that I see no difference in it.
No reason to use synthetic oils. They do NOT lubricate any better than standard dino oils do.. ALL synthetic oils CAN DO is resist higher heat than our engines can produce! Standard oils do just fine in our Ford engines.
Big Jim

 

[RustedRanger]

I use 10w40 in my 2.9L since it has 163,000 miles. I'd rather use synthetic but cant afford it right now. Synthetic does lubricate better or it wouldnt add HP and mpg's, Ive learned that from using it on a vehicle with a milelage computer,well I already knew it did but that proved how much.

 

[Tims03svt]

I use whatever is on sale.. I keep it in the engine for 6 or 7,000 miles and then put whatever is on sale at that time in it..
All oil is so close to the same that I see no difference in it.
No reason to use synthetic oils. They do NOT lubricate any better than standard dino oils do.. ALL synthetic oils CAN DO is resist higher heat than our engines can produce! Standard oils do just fine in our Ford engines.
Big Jim

Jim, there are major differences between synthetic oil and regular oil. I think you might want to do some research on oils.

On another note do you need snythetic oil in the 2.9? If it was not designed to use it then no. Motors that use synthetic oil have tighter clearances on main and rod bearings, rings, seals an so on. Most engines that use synthetic oil will be hurt in the long run due to using regular oil.

Thanks for the input guys.

 

[Big Jim M]

Howdy Tim

Jim, there are major differences between synthetic oil and regular oil. I think you might want to do some research on oils.

On another note do you need snythetic oil in the 2.9? If it was not designed to use it then no. Motors that use synthetic oil have tighter clearances on main and rod bearings, rings, seals an so on. Most engines that use synthetic oil will be hurt in the long run due to using regular oil.

Thanks for the input guys.

Nope! You have drank the cool-aid! You are mouthing just what them synthetic vendors WANT you to! Nowhere do they actually SAY what you just wrote!

Synthetic oil WILL NOT do anything to our engines that regular dino oil doesn't do..

See I HAVE done the research and YOU haven't. It's all about selling the stuff. Mobile one even gives the stuff to Corvette, and possibly others just to get their name on the filler cap.

ALL the difference is between regular and synthetic oils is synthetic will withstand more heat before breaking down than regular oil will.. HOWEVER our engines don't get hot enough to break down regular oil...so WHY put synthetic oil in there if it can't do anything that regular oil isn't doing?

OIL is in there to lubricate the bearings.. regular oil does the same lubercating that synthetic oil does.. There are some cleaning additives added to both types.. The engine NEVER knows which is in there...

As for the design of the engine.. Didja ever see a plate on an engine that says.. NEVER USE ANYTHING EXCEPT SYNTHETIC OIL...? Hell no! Engines aren't designed any different when they have that MOBILE ONE filler cap! Oil is just oil!
Big JIm

 

[Tims03svt]

Jim, I would like to hear what you did to research this. I'm not trying or wanting to create an argument so please do not take any of this in that direction. Either myself or you are miss informed about synthetic oils. I would love to be proved wrong so fill me in with what you know.

Ok you know the gizmo with an electric motor, a bearing, a small dish to hold oil and a pressure bar to load the bearing... I'm sure you have seen one. You can test oils and additives using this machine.

Synthetic oil wil out perform regular oil hands down no questions asked. It will take twice or even three times the load of regular oil before it locks up the bearing. So if it takes two or three times the load it has to withstand heat better and lubricate better. You can not have one without the other if the oil withstands heat better that means it lubrciates better.

Facts:
Regular motor oil does not retain its viscosity like synthetic oil does. It becomes very thin under a lot of heat and stress.
Regular motor oil clumps together in cold weather making it a lot thicker then it's viscosity rating on the container.
Synthetic oil is a cleaner finer oil.
Synthetic oil retains its viscosity better in cold weather and even under high load and high heat.

Have I ever seen anything that says "DO NOT USE ANYTHING BUT SYNTHETIC OIL" honestly yes I have. I will gladly go into more detail with that later.

 

[Big Jim M]

Howdy Tim

Jim, I would like to hear what you did to research this. I'm not trying or wanting to create an argument so please do not take any of this in that direction. Either myself or you are miss informed about synthetic oils. I would love to be proved wrong so fill me in with what you know.

Ok you know the gizmo with an electric motor, a bearing, a small dish to hold oil and a pressure bar to load the bearing... I'm sure you have seen one. You can test oils and additives using this machine.

Synthetic oil wil out perform regular oil hands down no questions asked. It will take twice or even three times the load of regular oil before it locks up the bearing.
Sure it will...However that LOAD isn't inside our engines! Regular oil will withstand ALL the loads our engines can provide.

So if it takes two or three times the load it has to withstand heat better and lubricate better. You can not have one without the other if the oil withstands heat better that means it lubrciates better.
Again you are correct... However none of that load nor heat is there for it to withstand.. so the lubercation is zackly the same as regular oils.

Facts:
Regular motor oil does not retain its viscosity like synthetic oil does. It becomes very thin under a lot of heat and stress.
Yep! But not inside our engines! That "lot of heat and stress" just don't exist in our engines.. so the viscosity of regular oil remains good.

Regular motor oil clumps together in cold weather making it a lot thicker then it's viscosity rating on the container.
That's zackly WHY there is a viscosity rating on the container! It's there to tell us just what happens when the oil cools and what happens when it gets to temperature. Them ratings are correct. Advertising by synthetic oil brands to the contrary are simply LIES!

Synthetic oil is a cleaner finer oil.
Nope! All oils have in them zackly what the oil company wants in them. As for "cleaner" I wonder who found dirt in their refined oil?

Synthetic oil retains its viscosity better in cold weather and even under high load and high heat.
As stated above them high loads and heat you mention simply aren't inside our engines. YES synthetic oil will do things regular oil will NOT do! However, there is no use for it in our vehicles.


Have I ever seen anything that says "DO NOT USE ANYTHING BUT SYNTHETIC OIL" honestly yes I have. I will gladly go into more detail with that later.

Big Jim

 

[richlands55]

I use Castrol 5w30. 2007 Ranger 4.0. I also only use Motorcraft oil filters. It states in my owners manual that synthetic blend or full synthetic is recommended. I used synthetic blend until the last oil change then I went with full synthetic. Most engine wear occurs at cold start up which is another reason to use synthetic oil. Get two quarts of oil..one reg. oil one synthetic and put both in the freezer and after a few hours see which one pours easier.

 

[7.5L_STX]

Get two quarts of oil..one reg. oil one synthetic and put both in the freezer and after a few hours see which one pours easier.

we did this a few years back in my auto class. we put a little can of regular oil and another one with synthetic in a cooler filled with dry ice. the regular oil was like sludge and didnt want to move at all. the synthetic stayed liquid-y(?) (is that a word?) anyways the only real benefit i see is during really really cold weather.

but im with big jim on this one, i use whatevers on sale. besides that super tech crap.

 

[Hahnsb2]

Jim, I would like to hear what you did to research this. I'm not trying or wanting to create an argument so please do not take any of this in that direction. Either myself or you are miss informed about synthetic oils. I would love to be proved wrong so fill me in with what you know.

Ok you know the gizmo with an electric motor, a bearing, a small dish to hold oil and a pressure bar to load the bearing... I'm sure you have seen one. You can test oils and additives using this machine.

Synthetic oil wil out perform regular oil hands down no questions asked. It will take twice or even three times the load of regular oil before it locks up the bearing. So if it takes two or three times the load it has to withstand heat better and lubricate better. You can not have one without the other if the oil withstands heat better that means it lubrciates better.

Facts:
Regular motor oil does not retain its viscosity like synthetic oil does. It becomes very thin under a lot of heat and stress.
Regular motor oil clumps together in cold weather making it a lot thicker then it's viscosity rating on the container.
Synthetic oil is a cleaner finer oil.
Synthetic oil retains its viscosity better in cold weather and even under high load and high heat.

Have I ever seen anything that says "DO NOT USE ANYTHING BUT SYNTHETIC OIL" honestly yes I have. I will gladly go into more detail with that later.

Don't bother arguing with Jim, he's arrogant and always "right".


Synthetic oil works, oil samples don't lie.