Synthetic Oil?

[Golions]

What mileage did you guys go to Synthetic Oil?

[POLSMACH03]

Actually 5K. Had it done yesterday @ 5000 service; Mobil 1.

[rsnider]

I have a very close friend that works at Ford. He told me about testing standard oil against synthetic while trying to get extra fuel milage in the flex-fuel program. They took two new identical Ford Taurus cars. Every morning they would start, drive at the test track in Dearborn then park them side by side (I think he called it the "Aunt Minnie Test". At 100,000 miles they tore down the engines. The standard oil cylinder walls looked typical. A slight mirror finish. The synthetic oil car however still exhibited the hash marks from the hone during manufacturing! After hearing this I was convinced of the benifits of using the new type oil, BUT it also tought me that to complete break-in, I should not change to the synthetic oil too early ( maybe 2000).

Personaly... I think any of the oils will do just fine if you take care of busines and do the required maintenance. I believe the benifits will begin to show when the miles build up during the extended life of the car.

[badjoey]

going to do my first oil change at 2000,will switch to synthetic then.
but what's the best brand?

[Totoland Mach]

I agree with the use of synthetic like Mobil 1..but also strongly recommend frequent oil changes (3,000 miles or, especially with Mach's that stay in the garage over the winter, every 3 months). My minivan has a whopping 293,000 miles on it (it's a Mazda MPV but at least Ford owns 30% of Mazda). I changed oil 3,000-3,500 miles (you should see the 13 year old spreadsheet!). Never had engine work (except for a new radiator+water pump and 200/k).

A lot of folks I know just ignore maintenance until something a) smells funny, b) makes funny noises, c) causes a light to blink.

Richard Seward
Overland Park KS

[TRMach1]

Just switched mine over this afternoon! 3000 miles and went with full synthetic Mobil 1 5w30.

[badjoey]

Originally posted by Richard Seward
I agree with the use of synthetic like Mobil 1..but also strongly recommend frequent oil changes (3,000 miles or, especially with Mach's that stay in the garage over the winter, every 3 months). My minivan has a whopping 293,000 miles on it (it's a Mazda MPV but at least Ford owns 30% of Mazda). I changed oil 3,000-3,500 miles (you should see the 13 year old spreadsheet!). Never had engine work (except for a new radiator+water pump and 200/k).

A lot of folks I know just ignore maintenance until something a) smells funny, b) makes funny noises, c) causes a light to blink.

Richard Seward
Overland Park KS

i agree still gotta do the timely maintainence

['70 Vert]

I'm a Mobile 1 freak, myself.
If your Mach sits in the garage alot, be sure to change it every 6 months or sooner, even if it's only been a few hundred actual miles since the last change. Oil wears out by time as well as miles.

[04Retro]

converted to Mobil 1 at 500 miles--that was the warranty mileage requirement on my Saleen...and if Saleen wants the engines in their cars changed at 500 miles to full syn who am I to dispute that with the Mach 1.......

[L.B.]

First oil change at 500 miles...Motorcraft natural...

Second oil change at 1,500 miles...Motorcraft natural...

Third oil change at 4,500 miles and every 3,000 after...Mobil 1 full synthetic...

Drive it like you stole it... :THUMBSUP:

[jbrad88]

I am a real fan of mobile 1 also. I have run it forever in my lx, and when the engine was rebuilt at 115000. I would not have believed it unless I had seen it, but the cross hatches in the cylinder bores were perfect. The engine shop did a .001 hone just to clean the bores. The original engine was run very hard, and I even changed cams on it at 87k. The mobile 1 made the difference. If I were driving a taurus, or your average troll-mobile, I would not worry about it, but in these engines, at 3k, the mobile 1 is going in...

[Shaker Dan]

I will be switching at 1000 just to give it a little break in time. That is the only time regular oil should be run in any vehicle like the Mach. Thought about changing at 500. When I switch it will be Mobile 1. Available anywhere and best oil for the money. Redline, Amsoil and Royal Purple are all excellent. If I am running syn it will only be one of those three.

[Chaucer]

I talked with a friend of mine who owns a ford dealership and does racing on the side. He said that the oil in the new cars is what is listed in the owners manual which is a decent oil. I said that since I was moving to a synthetic oil (AMSoil - might as well use the best to protect my investment), I should wait until at least 3000 miles to allow the break-in of the engine.

[Ralph Greene]

Originally posted by Golions
What mileage did you guys go to Synthetic Oil?

I'm not sure I will. I see no advantage over Ford blend 5W20. My cooling system works good, and I don't spend winters in Alaska. How well it cleans is mostly a function of the additive package, and $1 per qt oil can have that.

However, I don't think synthetic will hurt anything either. They do have a great advertising program. So good in fact....most of you guys plan to use it and will flame me for this statement. (I know synoil operates better in extreme hot and/or cold. I just don't operate in those conditions)

I do have a case of Amsoil 5W20 synoil in the garage, maybe I'll use it.

[L.B.]

Originally posted by Ralph Greene
I'm not sure I will. I see no advantage over Ford blend 5W20. My cooling system works good, and I don't spend winters in Alaska. How well it cleans is mostly a function of the additive package, and $1 per qt oil can have that.

However, I don't think synthetic will hurt anything either. They do have a great advertising program. So good in fact....most of you guys plan to use it and will flame me for this statement. (I know synoil operates better in extreme hot and/or cold. I just don't operate in those conditions)

I do have a case of Amsoil 5W20 synoil in the garage, maybe I'll use it.

As usual Ralph, you are the only one on this site who knows anything...the rest of us are just hapless victims of the advertising industry...:rolleyes:

[Ralph Greene]

Originally posted by L.B.
As usual Ralph, you are the only one on this site who knows anything...the rest of us are just hapless victims of the advertising industry...:rolleyes:

Sorry....I don't intend to come across that way.

Like most of you, I believe synthetic oils are a superior lubricant.

However, in all my years of being on various forums, and for years of owning a much higher HP car than my Mach (and hanging around with owners of same type cars), I have never heard of an engine problem that would have been avoided with the use of synoils.

There are many testimonials from people who have hi mileage cars, and who have used synoils, and they have worked great. No question there.

My local newspaper recently ran an article on cars which had accumulated over 1,000,000 miles, such as old Volvo's etc. None had ever used a synthetic oil. What they did do was change their oil and filter religiously, and kept the engine in great condition, thus eliminating a lot of contaniments getting into the oil.

I may use synoil just because...why not? It's relatively cheap. But even though we all know synoils can lubricate in conditions where conventional oils don't do well, IMHO for most people for most uses, it just doesn't matter whether you use conventional oil or synoils. It does matter a lot how ofter you change your oil (mileage or time), and the condition of your engine.

If you are seriously racing, I would tend to gravitate toward synoils, but i know a lot of serious racers, with very hi HP cars (1000+), who still use conventional oils. They have no oiling problems. Some change oil every week though.

RE oil changes...Some of the hi dollar German cars determine oil change interval by mileage, how many times car has gone thru warm up cycle, average temps of oil and coolant, and probably some other measurements. Now this makes a lot of sense to me. Under ideal contions, some of these cars are going 10,000-14,000 miles between changes on sysnoils (and as short time as 3000-4000 as I recall). The car's computer keeps track of this data, and tells owner when to change oil. If BMW actually believes synoils can be used under ideal conditions for this long, that is one big advantage for synoils. Synoil manufacturers claim their oils hold solids in suspension better than conventional oils, and if that is so, I can see how a normal use car that racks up a lot of mileage between cold starts, could go extended intervals between oil changes using synthetics.

Ford claims their relatively new 5W20 blend gets the job done. I believe them. It's 1.77/qt at my local Walmart.

As usual MHO

[Shaker Dan]

I am a firm believer in Syn Oils. I believe the cars run better, last longer and gain HP from using them. In fact that has been proven in most cases. I know my SHO ran like new on syn even after a over heating problem that was not noticed. I believe it would have baked regular oil.

However, I also believe in regular oil changes! This is imperative when it comes to your baby. I attempted to do the 5K thing with Syn in my truck rather than 3K. I really think there was a difference in performance like the last 500 miles. This truck was driven hard also. Getting on it was something that was done daily. The Mach will get syn at 1K and at 3K intervals except in the winter where it will be on months not miles.

[Joe]

Just my 2c also, but my daily driver is a 1993 xlt Explorer that has 210,000 miles. I have used dynosaur oil, synthetic and even at times half and half. I have mixed brands, and weights. I have been pretty good at changing the oil at 3-4k intervals for 9 years and the dog still gets over 20mi/gal just like it did with 30k miles. I have even used the Fram oil filters, which have been in the negative spot light the last few years. I think if you keep track of the color of the oil (gold vs black) and change it when it looks dirty that's all it takes.

Amsoil has gotten my attention this last year so I've been using it. I like the idea of changing the filter every 6mos and the oil every year. Some of you all might sh*t hearing me say that, but i only put about 1k mi on the Mach per month.

by the way, i use mobil 1 in my wife's 2002 explorer and I go 3k mi and change the filter and go another 3k mi and then drain it.

Joe



:COOL: :COOL:

[Ralph Greene]

Originally posted by Joe
[B

by the way, i use mobil 1 in my wife's 2002 explorer and I go 3k mi and change the filter and go another 3k mi and then drain it.

Joe



:COOL: :COOL: [/B]

You might find an oil analysis interesting of the oil just before you chage it at 6K. If she doesn't do too much stop and go driving, I bet it will look OK. If we going to use synoil, seems to me we ought to take advantage of their advantages.

[Joe]

True, I could probably just keep changing the filter and just add a bit of oil to get it to the full mark and would never really have to change the Mobil 1 completely. Isn't that the claim with synthetic? that it takes a very long time to break down, if ever, but it gets dirty and needs to be filtered.....

Amsoil says the synthetic is good for 20,000 if you just replace the filter to clean the oil.

Anyways, this is another Lion's den subject...........there's so much information out there. We can all choose to believe whatever we want.....All I know for sure, is that if you don't change the filter you're gonna have problems no matter what oil you use....

Joe

:COOL: :COOL:

[Ralph Greene]

[iAnyways, this is another Lion's den subject...........there's so much information out there. Joe

:COOL: :COOL: [/B]

Actually...I don't think there is much information out there. Those that know, like Ford engineers, are afraid to comment about synoil for fear of law suit, and I believe most everything else you read is mostly opinion based on advertising.

Fact....synthetic oils are superior lubricants in some conditions. What is not so clear is whether or not they offer any real advantages for most users. Ford hints they are not an advantage for most users. Conventional and blended oils have improved a lot and are pretty good also. You've got to change your oil regularly by the owners manual to preserve your warranty, so extended drain intervals are not really an option. So it's really tough to take advantage of the synoil qualities.

Some claim you make more power with synoil. My friend Jake Lamotta (Lamotta Performance) has his own dyno, and won't claim that. As a matter of fact, he still uses conventional oil in his twin turbo almost 700 RWHP DOHC with no problems at all. He just thinks it doesn't matter a lot which oil you use, and he just uses what he has around and can get cheap. He does think thin oils (0W10 racing oil, 0W30, 5W20, 5W30) make more power than thicker oils.

One thing for sure, it don't hurt to use it.

[jbrad88]

If you look at the dyno tests over the years in the various publications, the synthetic oils do pick up some power on most cars. However, although that may be a plausible by product of using them, for me it comes down to the wear and tear factor on the engine internals. I for one am a strong believe in OVER maintaining the car, especially if I am beating on the thing...I always change tranny fluid if I am racing and I miss a gear at the track. Excessive? Probably, but I ran 12.20's with a z-code t-5 leaving on slicks between 5000-6000 prm for 6 years without even so much as a groan from the tranny. the lx weighed 3300 with me and my fat a-- in the driver seat. I always used mobil 1 synthetic atf, and changed it as often as needed, with no interval going longer than 6k miles.

The condition of the engine when it was torn down for its first re-build was incredible. it looked brand new...that was with 115k hard miles on it.

I know I over do it. However, I have had nothing but success and great reliability out of my cars by being anal about this kind of stuff. Oil every 3k, tranny every other oil change (when racing) etc.

The mach will get the same attention to detail. Will it cost more for me to do it than it may be worth??? Possibly. I just know that it has worked well for me in the past, and I stick with what works...I do a good job of researching this stuff, and I do have a lot of hands on experience with the lx. I have seen first hand the benefits of being a little bit overzealous with maintenance...

[loosaMACH]

I read Scott Hogue's comments about break in (on this site I believe). I went to a blend yesterday at 895 miles. I believe Scott recomended to change the oil after 500 miles and then drive the car the way you intend to drive it during it's lifetime.

Does Scott say anything about synthetic's?

[fordfreak]

Here in my Service Dept. I see many motors that last well into the 100-k mile range using conventional oil change practices (every 5-K) and zero problems!

[jbrad88]

please do not misunderstand me...i have no doubt that conventional oils do the job they are suppossed to do over the lifetime of any vehicle. I have plenty of friends that do not do anything but conventional oil, and do the proper service intervals, and the vehicles have good service lives...

For me it is about using the best there is in the high performance engines that I have...I ran castrol gtx in an escort gt I had back in 1988, a car that saw redline every day of its life because you had to wind it out to get anywhere, and the conventional oil did fine. I have just had great success with the mobil 1...It has a proven track record of being a little bit better. And, with all the harsh driving conditions we have here in the southern part of texas, i want the best for my engines...

[Chaucer]

This is my first new car so I am sticking with the best on everything. I am going AMSoil all the way.

:THUMBSUP:

[67bird]

Local dealer will change my oil/filter for 12.95 for as long as I own it, every 3,000 miles. Guess I won't bother with the syns!

Lee

[Shaker Dan]

While I believe Syns are superior as I have stated on different occasions, I have never stated that I did not think a good convential oil did not do the job. Most of them are fine and good for any application. I am just a firm believer in going a little beyond on almost everything I do so I use Syn. It is not for everyone and certainly not cheap to use. I fault no one for using a branded oil.

[twojack1]

haven't done my firsst oil change yet (only 700 miles) but plan to swithc to Mobil 1 at 5k:cool:

[MACH & ROLL]

Originally posted by '70 Vert
I'm a Mobile 1 freak, myself.
If your Mach sits in the garage alot, be sure to change it every 6 months or sooner, even if it's only been a few hundred actual miles since the last change. Oil wears out by time as well as miles.

I've never bought into the "time wears out oil" idea. If that was true why wouldn't oil have a good til date? Or wouldn't it get bad if it was on the shelf too long? I drive less with the Mach 1 so I will probably change every 2k(about 6 months). I did first change at 500 miles, coming up to 2k and I'm going to synthetic(just not sure which one yet).

[Fill]

Synthetic oils are a good choice. It does not break down from hydro-carbons (blow by) which is what causes motor oil viscosity to break down. Either way you can't go wrong if you are relegious about changing the oil and filter regularly.

[007]

Mobil 1 syn 10-30 here.:COOL:

[Walt]

OK, which one should I use 0w-15, 0w-30, 0w-40, 5w-30, 10w-30, or 15w-50 ???

[sutyak]

I'll be using 0-w20 from Mobil 1 with the Motorcraft filter.
Bought it this weekend at Advance Auto Parts.
It's formulated specifically for the Hondas and Fords that use 5w-20.

Mark

[wdwrdcrzr]

Your owners manual calls for Motorcraft 5w-20 SYNTHETIC blend.Pg 199.

[Chaucer]

Originally posted by Walt
OK, which one should I use 0w-15, 0w-30, 0w-40, 5w-30, 10w-30, or 15w-50 ???

I am using 0w-30 AMSoil.

[67bird]

"I've never bought into the "time wears out oil" idea"

I work for one of the very few companies that make the additives that go into oil. Over the years, I've found sample bottles of some of the additives that were misplaced and allowed to settle for months, sometimes years! Given enough time, SOME of the additives can form precipitates.

But, there is typically so little of any one specific additive that I really doubt you'd have a problem.

Now, I wouldn't use a bottle of oil that has been sitting for a few years...

[Walt]

Originally posted by wdwrdcrzr
Your owners manual calls for Motorcraft 5w-20 SYNTHETIC blend.Pg 199.

Well, Mobil 1 isn't a "blend", and they don't happen to make Mobil 1 in 5w-20.

If I go onto the Mobil 1 website, and try to find out which oil I am suppose to use, they seem to think that Mustangs only come with 3.8l V6 engines (that is the only engine size offered for selection).

So, I was just wondering for those already using Mobil 1, what weight did they choose.

[Ralph Greene]

I'm using the Ford Blend 5W20 mostly. I also have a case of Amsoil 5W20 in the garage.

I guess, to summarize my views, we all know high quality synthetics will lube better in extreme conditions (that includes extreme hot, cold, and extended drain intervals), but I have seen xero proof my engine cares about that, for the way I use this car.

I have seen too many cars with 200,000-300,000 miles on them, that used conventional oil, to believe it makes much difference for normal use.

I do believe regular changes with good filter make a huge difference, and using as thin an oil as possible (to clean away sludge) is very important. Syn oils have beem selling light weight viscosities for years, while many die hard conventional oil users have been gumming up their engines with stuff like 20W50 oils and relatively short trip use. When comparing the history of engines using light weight synoils VS conventional heavier oils, synoils look like miracle oils.

I predict we will soon all be using 0W20 oils, than 0W10, etc as engineers learn how to make them thinner, and still protect the engine. One could probably just add the additive package to a quart of water, and almost get the job done.

[Ralph Greene]

I don't recall the exact percentages (maybe one of you do) of additive in a quart of oil, but in comventional oils I seem to remember it's close to 1/2, and synoils it's a little less because of their superior qualities. This tells me that it's mostly the additive package (formulation) that does the cleaning, acid dispersing, non foaming, etc, and the base oil, whether conventional or "synthetic" , makes less and less difference. As oils even get thinner in the future, this discussion we are having will maybe get moot, as the additive package will probably do it all, and all the rest does is just be a "liquid" in which to mix the additive package.

Look at ATF's, especially so called conventional oil ones. They take extremely hi temps, clean, provide required coefficient of friction, etc.because of their formulation.

I imagine engineers, even now, can easily formulate conventional oils to do the job, as US specs get tougher, and still sell cheaply. Look at European oil specs, many are tougher than US specs, and conventional oils easily meet those tougher specs.

Because of the increasingly complicated formulations of future lubricants (notice I did not say oils), future discussions like this may be about who has the best additive package, not whether it is conventional or synoil based. It seems to me we are already heading in that direction, as I notice the red plastic bottle of Ford blend 5W20 I am looking at claims to meet some new specs my Mobile 1 5W30 (which I use in another vehicle) does not claim to meet.

As usual...MHO

[Indy Mach]

I've been using Mobil 1 for 15 years now. I still own a 88LX that I use Mobil 1 in exclusively. I did the first oil change at 1000 miles. I also changed the transmission and rearend fluid with Mobil 1 soon after that. Car currently has 8800 (Eighty Eight Hundred) miles to date. For no more than I drive it, cost is no issue to use synthetics. Now, for my Mach 1. I will change to Mobil 1 (5W30) at 1000 miles. Then every 2000 miles after that. I drive about 8k miles a year. So that's less than $150 a year for oil changes using Mobil 1 for the Mach1. As was stated earlier in this thread, oil change intervals are just as (if not more) important than what brand of oil to use. This just happens to be my maintenance program I follow. I also have a car lift at my house which makes it easier to service both my Mustangs.

[keckd]

I am just curious of what oil weight you guys are using. I know Mobile 1 and Castrol Syntec do not make a 5W20, and I was told if you do not use the right weight oil it will void the manfacture warranty. Do you know if this is true or not??

:confused:

[Chaucer]

I would not think that is true that it will void the warranty. If it were true my friend who owns the ford dealership would have told me before I put my amsoil in. btw, I use 0w30 Amsoil.

[Ralph Greene]

If you were to have an engine problem that could be shown was caused by a non approved oil weight, sure...your engine warranty could/would be voided.

But...I can't think of any way you could have an oil problem with any kind of oil, conventional or synoil, in the 5W20 or 5W30 range. IMHO if you had an engine problem using 0W oils, and it could be proven it was caused by the oil, you might have a problem with Ford. But I have heard of no problems with 0 W oils. I personally see no reason to use a 0W whatever, unless you live in a cold climate.

[MACH & ROLL]

Originally posted by Ralph Greene
I have heard of no problems with 0 W oils. I personally see no reason to use a 0W whatever, unless you live in a cold climate.

Unless you use Mobil 1 and do not want to use their 5w-30. Then your choice is their 0w-20. Which they claim is designed for Ford's requiring 5w-20.

[jbrad88]

Indymach...

8800 miles on your 88..how cool is that...I have 160k on my 90lx.

got some pics of the old fox????

and yes, I am going with 5w30 unless mobil 1 comes out with a 5w20...

[Indy Mach]

John and Renae: Sorry I can't post any pictures from my web tv setup. However, there is a picture of it as a feature car in the July 2001 issue of Mustang Monthly. Jeff Ford, the editor at the time, photographed it at a Shelby Show in Nashville Indiana. He thought it was a restored police car since it is a coupe. It's black with a very rare red vinyl interior. It's has a 5 speed, Performance Gear Ratio (3:08) no charge option, Premium Sound, and 5 Liter engine. Notice this car has no air conditioning or power windows. Car is stripped of comforts. That's just the way I ordered the car from the factory, and I would NOT change a thing on the car the way I ordered it today. I paid $10500 for the car excluding taxes. I guess those were the good ole days. Thanks for the interest.

[jbrad88]

indymach...

thanks for the info. I grew up with the fox body cars, so I am most fond of them.
You have the car that set everyone on their ear. A non ac car, with no power options and the 3.08 gear was the car that everyone wanted (speed density notwithstanding). I knew a few people with cars pretty close to yours, except most had the ac...I remember these cars running low 13's with nothing more than mh race masters...

One of the reasons we bought the mach was the uniqueness of this car. One reason I have held onto my coupe is because one day it will be recognized for the FACT that the 2nd muscle car era started with the plain old lx 5.0 sedans...even today when I get into the coupe it just feels right...and I have run it thru the ringer of daily driver, weekend drag car, weekend crusier, and now stable mate to the mach...Glad to know you have a well preserved piece of mustang history.

Thanks for the info...

and sorry to everyone else for getting off topic...:OFFTOPIC:

[Angus66]

Originally posted by MACH & ROLL
I've never bought into the "time wears out oil" idea. If that was true why wouldn't oil have a good til date? Or wouldn't it get bad if it was on the shelf too long? I drive less with the Mach 1 so I will probably change every 2k(about 6 months). I did first change at 500 miles, coming up to 2k and I'm going to synthetic(just not sure which one yet).

Time (a reasonable amount that is) by itself won't cause oil to go "bad" if it's in the container it came in.

HOWEVER, oil can & does break-down over time after being poured into your engine, as it quickly becomes exposed to un-burned fuel, exhaust gasses and other things while lubricating your engine. Even though only small amounts of these contaminants find their way into the oil (assuming the engine is in good working-order), they eventually lessen the oils' ability to protect your engine.

That's why it's a great idea to change your oil before putting a car away for storage (like over the winter time), and then change it again before driving it after storage as well.

[forcefed]

Originally posted by keckd
I am just curious of what oil weight you guys are using. I know Mobile 1 and Castrol Syntec do not make a 5W20, and I was told if you do not use the right weight oil it will void the manfacture warranty. Do you know if this is true or not??

:confused:

I've used castrol 5w50 Full synthetic oil in my 355 ci with a 6-71 blower only because, running a blower would make the engine oil temp higher. works great. Now i have read everybody's opinions on useing synthetics or not. my 2cents is this, there used to be a time when synthetics weren't available. and you had to make due with what was out there, seems to me that with todays technology even conventional oils are better today than yesteryears, so it come to this, your preference, r you the type that wants to change the oil every 3k with or without synthetics. I'm having this problem deciding too. What warranty, is it a guarantee maybe, like valvoline claims if i use their oil they will guarantee my engine for 300,000 miles. If I don't use that oil it wont effect my manufactuers warranty.

[Yates...Man]

Well guys you all know quite a bit about oil. I myself like redline oils, and that's what I have used in my cobra from the beginning. I can tell you with 8k miles that it doesnt use a drop of oil. I use the 5w30 blend. You guys should read up on redline and what the oil is designed to take as far as heat etc. Redline was initially used in high temperature tubine engines. I like what I see and have read. It works great this far. I have also used mobile one in Mark VIII's and a 5.4 liter truck. Also I know a couple of Royal Purple users that really like in their cobra's as well. But redline will be going in the Mach 1 like the cobra. Maybe this helps.

[Phil]

Originally posted by MACH & ROLL
Unless you use Mobil 1 and do not want to use their 5w-30. Then your choice is their 0w-20. Which they claim is designed for Ford's requiring 5w-20.

I understand that synthetic oils do not break down as fast from hydrocarbons (blow by) as conventional oils. Extreme heat protection from synthetic oils is important just incase your motor overheated from a coolant leak or malfunctioning thermostat. I've read articles that claim storing your motor with synthetic oils is better due to the moisture absorbing ability of theses oils.


Bottom line is it depends on how often you change your motor oil.
The breaking down of viscosity is what harms the engine internals. If you run your car hard, change the oil more often. If you run forced induction, change your oil more often. The more forced induction, the more blow by.

[Swweetness]

Originally posted by keckd
I am just curious of what oil weight you guys are using. I know Mobile 1 and Castrol Syntec do not make a 5W20, and I was told if you do not use the right weight oil it will void the manfacture warranty. Do you know if this is true or not??

:confused:

There is a lot of misinformation out there about what does or does not void a factory warranty. The brand, grade or quality of engine oil you use can't affect your warranty or else they would require you to use only Motorcraft oils. That would be a little restrictive on consumers and not good for sales. I realize that there are a bunch of dealerships who use the fact that there have been aftermarket pieces installed or different lubricants used to say that you have voided your warranty, but if you check, it takes more than basic add-ons to void warranties. Blowers, yes! Aftermarket headers, no. If this did, what good does it do Ford to have the Motorsports catalog with all those goodies. Anyway, IMO you just have to selective on what you take as fact regarding warranties, even my own thoughts. Thanks for listening.

[lamach1]

I ran my 85 Gt 200,000K very hard miles. After I wrecked it, a friend bought the motor to put in an old falcon. He decided to rebuild the engine before installing it, but after pulling the heads he found absolutly zero ring grove around the top of the cylinder bore and the engine was clean as new. He bought new gaskets, put it back together and ran it for years with no problem. Last I heard it was pushing 250,000K miles. I changed the oil between 3-4K miles, using mostly motorcraft oil, but many times it was Castrol or Mobil-1, or what ever was available. When I was younger, cost was sometimes a factor in choice.
So anyway, I'm of the camp that says frequence is more important than brand or type as long as it's the recommended viscosity.

[mach1speed]

Years ago a service rep at a Ford dealer told me he put in 1 quart of synthetic along with 4 quarts of conventional. His theory was the synthetic has more detergent and whatever techincal stuff as if I'm supposed to remember. :SMASH:

I'm a believer of frequent changes regardless of type of oil. I've never used synthetic, but if somone is on a tight budget and isn't all oil compatible? i.e. why not use 50/50 synthetic and conventional oils?

[badjoey]

Originally posted by mach1speed
Years ago a service rep at a Ford dealer told me he put in 1 quart of synthetic along with 4 quarts of conventional. His theory was the synthetic has more detergent and whatever techincal stuff as if I'm supposed to remember. :SMASH:

I'm a believer of frequent changes regardless of type of oil. I've never used synthetic, but if somone is on a tight budget and isn't all oil compatible? i.e. why not use 50/50 synthetic and conventional oils?

i wouldn't mix the 2 myself--don't want tar in my motor

[sharp4.6]

Look in your owners manual, Ford has a spec for oil to use in this engine, if you use an oil that dosen't meet this spec, Ford can void your warranty, and guys correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think that "any" 5w30 or 10w30 oil meets this spec. Ford doesn't say that you have to use Motorcraft 5W20 oil, they say that use oil that meets their specs, I know that castrol syntec blend does.

I questioned a service manager, about using 5w20 oil here in Florida, I think it is too thin, he told me that, there is a lawsuit against Jiffy lube right now for putting 10w30 in a Mustang that blew an engine, so if use use an oil that doesn't meet Ford specs, and you blow an engine, you are on your own.

Ford spec for oil----WSS-M2C153-H

[loveOliver]

http://www.performanceoiltechnology.com/ford5w20.htm

Ford can't void your warranty if you use a 10w-30 or a 5w-30 or a 0w-20 etc...oil

[sharp4.6]

""Ford can't void your warranty if you use a 10w-30 or a 5w-30 or a 0w-20 etc...oil ""

I wouldn't bet my engine on something I read on an internet site.
OJ,s site says he is innocent .....................:SMASH:

[bigjack]

Mobil 1 0w-20 meets Ford specs for 5w-20. It is so stated on the label.
Bigjack
Commercial & Industrial Lube Specialist

Black on black stock

[loveOliver]

Originally posted by sharp4.6

I wouldn't bet my engine on something I read on an internet site.
OJ,s site says he is innocent .....................:SMASH:

First, you must understand what API service requirements are as well as understand oil ratings and usages. Second, Amsoil, the company that wrote that article, is a well respected company that will take appropriate legal action on this matter. Read that article to understand exactly what it is talking about and even write to Amsoil about it.
AMSOIL Inc.
AMSOIL Bldg.
Superior, WI 54880

Ryan

[DSG2003Mach1]

if you change the oil like ya should, I dont think itll make alot of difference..I think Im gonna order a few oil sampling kits to determine drain intervals.

I would suggest against going to synthetic until after a few thousand miles.

Proof that Synthetic is a better lube and could inhibit proper break/wear in:

I have an 01 Honda 300EX sport quad, which has a manual clutch. Clutch worked perfectly fine..changed the oil with some Mobil 1 (trans and motor draw from the same oil tank), clutch immediately started slipping badly, wouldnt grab for anything. Consulted the Honda dealer who said the Synthetic oil was the problem. Drained it, refilled with dyno goo and it no longer slipped nearly as bad..didnt take long before I no longer had any slipping and the clutch bit just as hard as it did before I changed the oil.

[loveOliver]

Magicfan,

I have no idea why your honda did that.

But, you are incredibly right--and i forgot the mention this--use the oil that comes in the car from the plant for at least an oil change (3,000-5,000). This'll ensure proper breakin.

r

[kerleyfries]

i have been told and have read on several occasions that using anything other than a 5w-20 oil is not good on the dohc. they say that anything with a thicker viscosity than 20 wait will not reach the cams. this is why they require a thinner oil. several motors have locked up because of use with the wrong oils. ford will do a oil analysis test to see if it is the right oil and if not you dont get a new motor. i wish that mobil mad a 5w-20 i would buy it over motorcraft anyday. :eek: :rolleyes:

[DJS 95 CBR R]

Originally posted by kerleyfries
i have been told and have read on several occasions that using anything other than a 5w-20 oil is not good on the dohc. they say that anything with a thicker viscosity than 20 wait will not reach the cams. this is why they require a thinner oil. several motors have locked up because of use with the wrong oils. ford will do a oil analysis test to see if it is the right oil and if not you dont get a new motor. i wish that mobil mad a 5w-20 i would buy it over motorcraft anyday. :eek: :rolleyes:

:rolleyes: If this was true... how have the '96 - '98 Cobra's been still on the road? :SMASH:

The only reason for 5w20... is EPA/CAFE... nothing else!

If you want to run 5w/30 or 10w/30 (depending on your climate)... you will be fine.

Peace!

Dave

[ECJ]

Here's a link to the tech section at the Boss 302 website. There is a very good article on motor oils. It is very informative and a bit long, but interesting reading none the less.

http://www.boss302.com/techmenu.htm

[DanK]

Kerleyfries, I believe Mobil 1 already has or is coming out with a 0w-20 that is supposed to be equivalent to 5-20 protection.

OOPS! ...put the w in the right spot.

[TexasShadow]

Mobil does have 0W-20 available now. I saw it in Wal-Mart a couple of days ago. It states on the bottle that it is designed for vehicles that require 5W-20 oil (the 0W means it has a better winter rating).

[farmboy]

I am going to go to a full synthetic oil so I have been doing alot of reading from all the companies. Mobile 1, AMSOIL, Red Line and etc.

After reading all the propaganda I have decided to go with Royal Purple full synthetic. You can get it in SAE 5W-20. It does meet all Ford spec. and will not void your warranty. You can buy a quart for $4.99 and that is alot less than others. At this price I can change it every 3000 miles or less and not break the bank.

Before you choose which oil, you may want to choose what you want dino, blend , or full synthetic. Check your oil of choice, you may be paying a high price for a blend.

[DJS 95 CBR R]

Good Choice Farm Boy...

Royal Purple is all I run... But I run the Racing 21 stuff... which is an equivalent to a 5w30

Peace!

Dave

[mach1speed]

Originally posted by farmboy
Before you choose which oil, you may want to choose what you want dino, blend , or full synthetic. Check your oil of choice, you may be paying a high price for a blend.

I saw 5/20 Castrol Blend for 2.49 per quart at GI Joe's and Ford sells Motorcraft Blend for 2.78.

[stangdiablo]

Just recieved my AMSOIL in the mail yester day.... Putting it in this weekend :THUMBSUP:

[Orange whip 04]

I would just like to say for the record what Ford explains in the 2004 Mustang owners manual, is as followed:

On page 6, Your vehicle does not need an extensive break in. Try not to drive continuously at the same speed for the first 1,000 miles (1,600 KM) of new vehicle operation. Do not add friction modifier compounds or special break-in oils during the first few thousand miles of operation, since these additives may prevent piston ring seating.

On page 219, the owners manual shows that the use of motorcraft SAE 5w-20 premium synthetic blend motor oil or Motorcraft SAE 5w-20 super premium motor oil can used on the OHV V6, 4.6L SOHC V8, 4.6L DOHC V8 (Mach1) engines. Which is basicaly all current mustang engines. All this is right out of the owners manual. Its your choice, your investment. Synthetic is the way to go if you can aford it. I work in a dyno lab and we deal with all different blends and brands of oil and i have to say most testing we do is with synthetic by choice of our clients. We also have to take into account that engine technology has changed for the better. Engines are lasting longer and running harder than they ever were. If a synthetic oil can prolong an engines life today, wouldnt that be a good reason to start using it for your prized pony?? Thanks dudes

2004 comp orange Mach1
1970 Mach1 (in restoration)
1970 Cougar eliminator clone (460 init)
1971 LTD 4door (Gator McKluskys ride)
1977 E-250 4x4 Pathfinder
1994 Ranger splash 4x4

:CHEERS:

[Southern Mach&Roll]

If you're REALLY interested in synthetics, brands to use and when to change... go to http://www.boss302.com/oil.htm and learn the real deal from an expert, though slightly long and technical at times. Sure turned my head around. Even printed for future reference and arguements. It's by Kit Sullivan- 20 yrs. in auto lubes and Master Tech from A.S.E. Try it.

[2k4mach]

i switched to amsoil 5w20 at 2000 miles

[Jack of LI]

stay with Ford oil...change at about 2,000 miles

[azureT03]

Right now I am at about 3600 miles and I got the motocraft oil change at 3000, should I wait until I take my car out from the garage ( it snows a lot in CT Nov-Mar) or should I change it before, because I know that if your car sits for over 6 months you should change it anyway.:D

[Taylor04]

Hey Guys...after reading this whole thread it seems like the different weights are for different climates. So for example where I live here in sunny southern california it gets pretty hot here in the summer and is mild in the winter. Right now I have about 4100 miles on it and I will switch to full synthetic when I hit 6000 for its 2nd oil change. My question is what weight should I use. 0w20 or 5w30. My brother's 96 cobra takes 5w30 and its the same engine...but my oil cap says 5w20:SMASH: This is where I get confused. I want to use full synthetic and don't know which weight is best for my WARM climate. It's well over 100 degrees today for example. What should I use?:CHEERS:

[red4vshaker]

Changed mine to mobil 1 at 18,000

[rsnider]

I changed to full synthetic at 5k. Was that too early? Did the engine have time to break in?

[Ford-O-Matic]

Run whatever oil you like,
just remember to change it
every 3,000 miles.
I do like the MotorCraft 5W20 Blend.

Gotta Love It!:COOL:

[Sapperstang]

I used nothing but synthetic on my last thing. The only thing I can say is that you're wasting your money by using it. Just stick with the motorcraft synthetic blend for your car.

[paulman]

I agree - the 5W-20 blend is fine

[Lonestar 7]

I went to royal purple at 9000 miles and use a Mobil 1 filter. When I first got the car I drained oil and went with Castrol 5-20 to break the engine in which worked well. At 6000 I went back to Motorcraft 5-20 blended like the factory had in her when she was bought and used a Motorcraft filter. I really like the Royal Purple and can tell the engine runs very smooth and gets a tad better gas mileage. Mobil 1 or KN makes the best filters for running synthetic oil in my opinion.

[UK_Mach]

Well for what it's worth, I changed to Mobil 1 5W20 after 8735 miles, 3K after purchasing the car when the dealer changed the oil (just regular Ford stuff).

As a Brit living here in Texas, I was surprised by the viscosity motor oil due to the high temps. As a long time Castrol GTX (10W40) user in my Triumph Stag in the UK the first time I did my own oil change here I nearly poured oil all over the engine, it poured out of the can so quickly. UK service intervals are typically 9K to 12K for oil changes, probably because the oil doesn't get the roasting through summer when ambient temps are in the 100's.
(We still think 70f is a nice warm day)

Will be interesting to see how the oil fares when I take the Mach back to UK next year!

[MvCrash]

Oil report from Blackstone:
Royal Purple, 2100 miles on oil, 6500 miles on car, Motorcraft Oil Filter:

: The engine in this Mustang is still going through the wear-in stage and most wear metals improved. Copper is probably lingering from wear-in. It jumped a bit and we will look for it to improve in the next sample. Silicon dropped nicely. Viscosity was a bit low but since we didn't find any fuel dilution, we don't think it's hurting anything. Oil filtration was very good as indicated by the 0.1% level of insolubles. No water or anti-freeze was found. Another oil change should improve copper and
silicon readings. Check back to monitor.

Seems to me the Motorcraft filter is doing the job well. Low viscosity I'll let go for now. Next time if its low, I change oil manufacturer. As far as the copper, I think it is still in the oil from wear in, but doubt the engine is still in the "wear in" stage.

[Funhog]

I am due for an oil change in a few hundred miles. It will be the first oil change I perform since buying it. The car will be at 19,000 miles. Can I use Mobil 1 fully syn? Also, I know this is brought up A LOT, but if I cannot get a Mobil 1 oil filter, what one would you suggest? O, and is it 6 or 7 quarts? Thanks

[lilmachlady]

I am due for an oil change in a few hundred miles. It will be the first oil change I perform since buying it. The car will be at 19,000 miles. Can I use Mobil 1 fully syn? Also, I know this is brought up A LOT, but if I cannot get a Mobil 1 oil filter, what one would you suggest? O, and is it 6 or 7 quarts? ThanksYes, by all means use Mobil 1 synthetic 5w20. The Motorcraft filter are the best, even better than the Mobil filters.

[vpMach1]

6 quarts

[toad]

I bought my Mach with 6800 miles on it. I started using Mobil1 right away. Now I use Royal Purple becuase I can't find Mobil1 5w10 anymore.

[3150Mach1]

I bought my Mach with 6800 miles on it. I started using Mobil1 right away. Now I use Royal Purple becuase I can't find Mobil1 5w10 anymore.

So you were forced to upgrade. Not bad.

[racingb]

?????6 quarts

[nitmare]

A few years back i was changing the oil in my 89 coupe w/supercharger. After draining the oil (mobil 1 synthetic ) and putting on the filter i started the car. I let it run for 10 minutes kept getting out and checking for any leakes from the pan, there was none so i got back in and started really reving the engine up, it sounded great. About that time 12 minutes or so later i realized i had not put the oil in yet. NO OIL :OUCH: and there was never any noisy lifters or anything. I did a compression test and it came back strong, it had not done a thing the the motor. I have used it reguarly since. More wear and tear is from cold start/ups and that is were the synthetics are far superior.

[rsnider]

Holy cow where did this antique thread come from! I guess it goes to show that some threads have enough interest to just keep going and going and going. Back a few years ago I posted a story told to me by a Ford engineer. He said that Ford ran an "Aunt Minnie" test on two identical Taurus. They would cold start them, run them around the test track and park them. They repeated this for around 100,000 miles. Simultanious testing was taking place. When they tore them down the Taurus with the standard oil had cylinders with the usual mirror finish. The Taurus that was running the synthetic oil still had hash marks from the hone.

It didn't take much to convince me to run synthetic starting at 2k.