What engine oil and viscosity are you using?

[lincolnmatthews]

My manual calls out 5-20wt syn for the V-8 and I think it was 5-30wt for the V-6. I am an old school guy and don't use any synthetic in anything I own, just dino oil. In my Harley's I only use dino oil and have never had issues just change it regularly.
I know these 4.6 engines have small passages and I guess require thin oil, and cold weather's coming. But 5-20 seems so light. I use a 10-30 Valvoline in my V-10 motorhome with never any problems.
Is everybody using synthetic and follows the manual?
I did try a search but couldn't find any threads.

 

[Dino Dino Bambino]

I used Motorcraft 5W-20 semi-synthetic for the first 80k miles. Since then, I've been running Castrol Magnatec 5W-30 full synthetic and the engine's currently at 103k miles. I change the engine oil/filter religiously every 5k miles and the oil level hardly moves.
After I installed oil catch cans some five years ago, I noticed the engine oil stays cleaner for longer. Therefore I'd highly recommend a driver's side catch can at any mileage (a passenger side catch can is overkill but it's a bit more underhood bling.

 

[JC SSP]

Mobile 1 full synthetic 5W-30 with Motorcraft oil filter.

 

[Road_Trip]

Mobil 1 full synthetic 5w-30 with Motorcraft filter, just like JC. It's what I'm running in the wife's Explorer ST so figured instead of getting two different batches of oil, I'd just get the one. Then again, my car just rolled 31k I think so there's that.

 

[GlassTop09]

Ford Motorcraft 5W-30 Full Synthetic motor oil w\ MotorCraft oil filter.

 

[GriffX]

Almost impossible to get a Ford approved 5w20 in Germany, so I use Fuchs 5w30 C3 right now, but next will be Shell Helix 5w30 A3/B3 (a 5w30 A3/B3 was also hard to find, 5w30 is usually used in Diesel engines here and 0w30/40 in gasoline) The Diesel oils have a lot of carbon solve capability.

 

[lwarrior1016]

My car has 222k miles on it. I got it with 186k. Previous owner bought in new, had it changed at the dealer for 40k miles with 5w-20 motorcraft, after that it was 5 minute oil change cheap oil.

I use Driven racing Fr20 (synthetic) with either k&n or mobile 1 filters. Change every 6k miles.

My ‘99 f250 5.4l has around 380k miles on it and I use the same Fr20 oil in it.

I guess the take away here is, and fresh 20 or 30 weight oil will work. I prefer synthetic in everything because it doesn’t break down and leave deposits like conventional oil does.

 

[AHaze]

I've always run synthetic 5W30. I see no possible benefit to running 5W20 other than maybe squeezing out a couple extra 10ths of a MPG which I'm convinced is why Ford specced it in the first place (to help with CAFE). That said, there's plenty of high mileage 3Vs that have run 5W20 from day one too. I just feel better with the higher viscosity stuff, especially with FI.

 

[Midlife Crises]

Mobil 1 synthetic 10w30 in the Mustang.
5w20 in the Thunderbird.
5w20 in V10 Motorhome.
20w50 in EVO Harleys.
Motorcraft Blend 5w20 in Super Duty.
5w20 in Lincoln.
Delvac 10w40 in the nasty diesel Super Duty

 

[MrBhp]

Never pay for semi-sythetic. Absolutely snake oil. BTW, synthetic oil also comes from crude, with the exception of Shell, which comes from natural gas.

 

[skwerl]

5w-30 synthetic for the last couple decades. Used Mobil1 for most of that, recently switched to something in a green bottle since it is cheaper on Amazon but still full synthetic. I would absolutely not run dino oil in a newer Ford modular engine, 3v or 4v.

Just remembered, I'm running Castrol Edge now. Never had any significant oil usage in my last 4-5 vehicles. Worst was about 1/3 of a quart every oil change (5-6K miles) in my 2002 F150 5.4 with 200K miles.

 

[bambam 06]

5W30 Royal Purple hps and Ford Racing Oil Filter since day one. Engine is like new, 4,800 miles.

 

[MrBhp]

Well, 4800 miles...

 

[lwarrior1016]

4800 miles, it IS new.

 

[eighty6gt]

I actually don't know - maybe the costco 5w30 synth with some 5w50 ford mixed in????

 

[crjackson]

Engine is like new, 4,800 miles

You don’t drive it often enough, or hard enough then

 

[Miker]

Interesting timing for this thread. I researched this subject for a few hours the other night. I have a 2004 F150 4x4 with the 5.4 and the 4.6 Mustang. I have from day one ran the Motorcraft 5w-20 semi synthetic in the F150. I also changed the Mustang from what was in it to the same oil when I bought t with 32k on the motor. The F150 now has 120K on it. Probably 40k miles pulling a toy hauler over the Siskiyous weighing 9k.
OCI has always been at 4k miles.
After everything I have read the last few days I am switching to 5W-30 Supertech full synthetic from Walmart (oh no!) in both rigs at the next change. Many reports and Blackstone lab reports has it finishing ahead of many of the most respected brands.
I plan to stay with the 4k mile OCI schedule and not look back.
Here is a vid from a ford Tech on the subject. Skip to 1:20 for the recommendation for 5w-30 over 5w-20. He is pretty adamant about it.

 

[bambam 06]

You don’t drive it often enough, or hard enough then

It is a garage queen, only comes out when is sunny. Most of those miles have been at Homestead Speedway.

 

[GriffX]

What do you pay for a liter or quart?
If I buy it in a 20 liter barrel I pay 7€ per liter for e.g. Helix, the dealer takes 25 + tax 19%, labor not included.

 

[lincolnmatthews]

Thank you for the replies! I just bought the car with 50k and want to do an oil change (drove it 1300 miles from Vegas home). I will be using a synthetic 5-30wt.