motor oil debate.

[steelers06steelers]

someone once told me that politics, religion, and motor oil are three things that will always start a debate.

I am going with motor oil this time. Just curious what you guys run, and or your thoughts and opinions on the best motor oil and filter combinations for long life on the ecoboost engines.

I am getting ready to do my first oil change and want to start off right, and carry thru for the long haul.

Also, I always change my oil when the monitor screen reads "change oil soon" on all my vehicles, and I plan to stick with that on the new Explorer, but what are your thoughts on and early initial oil change for break in? maybe like 3,000 miles or so?

 

[Centaurus5.0]

First one is the most important. You want to get all the assembly lube and contaminants from manufacturing out. What ever oil you end up using, do it asap.

 

[steelers06steelers]

First one is the most important. You want to get all the assembly lube and contaminants from manufacturing out. What ever oil you end up using, do it asap.

asap like what? 1500 miles? Im just over 1000 miles now.

 

[CDW6212R]

You want to keep regular dino oil in a new engine, for at least 1000 miles. There are break in oils if you wanted to spend $6 or more for them, but just a quality non synthetic will do fine for the break in period. After that, the best oils will keep the engine in the best shape, along with a high end air filter.

The air filter is the main thing keeping the oil clean. Almost all of contaminants in engine oil, come through the air filter. So do not be cheap selecting the air filter, and change it at proper time. Amsoil is my preferred oil, in engines that don't leak or use any oil, you can save a bunch on time and money by using their best, once a year. They used to also make air filters for every application, unfortunately they discontinued that EA air filter line.

Always use a quality oil filter no matter what.

 

[CDW6212R]

asap like what? 1500 miles? Im just over 1000 miles now.

There you go, now choose a great synthetic oil. Walmart is the best place to get typical good brands, they have the best pricing. Amsoil and a couple other high end oils you'd have to source from special dealers, I pay $15 a year to get the special prices from Amsoil. An oil change with their $11 filter would end up being around $60, taxes and shipping vary.

 

[JAPeterson]

For my 2 cents worth, run the oil that came in your Explorer for the 8000-10000 miles that it will run and then change it. I don't believe in wasting money but if you feel better at changing it at 2000 miles then go for it.

I run Valvoline synthetic 5w20 with a Motorcraft filter. Others will run something totally different and that is their choice. Just make sure that the oil that you use meets the ratings that Ford says that it should.

 

[Centaurus5.0]

For my 2 cents worth, run the oil that came in your Explorer for the 8000-10000 miles that it will run and then change it. I don't believe in wasting money but if you feel better at changing it at 2000 miles then go for it.

So you'd be comfortable if someone squirted a bottle of assembly lube and a pinch or two of metal dust into your engine right after an oil change then running it for 10,000 miles in your new $40,000 car?

 

[Centaurus5.0]

asap like what? 1500 miles? Im just over 1000 miles now.

More like at 20 miles. Then one at 500. Then 1000. Then once a year after that for the life of the vehicle with Amsoil 25,000 mile signature series.

Don't know if 5th gens come with some kind of magnet for the oil but a magnetic drain plug goes a long way in extending drain intervals. On 2nd gens the rear diff and transmission fluids are "lifetime" (that means 150,000 miles without a change according to Ford). They both have magnets and the magnets are always cover with fine metal particles. Metal particles that would have otherwise been floating around increasing wear, tolerances and gunking up solenoids and passages. Don't see anyone getting 150,000 miles out of a transmission with same fluid without a magnet.

In other words:

-Change oil often within the first 1000 miles.
-Swap in a magnetic drain plug on the first change
-After "flush" cycles, use the highest quality oil

A pre-oiler, larger aftermarket oil cooler and a nano oil additive would extend engine life even more if you wanted to get "NASA level" ****.

 

[JAPeterson]

So you'd be comfortable if someone squirted a bottle of assembly lube and a pinch or two of metal dust into your engine right after an oil change then running it for 10,000 miles in your new $40,000 car?

Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are ran with the original factory lube in them every year with zero problems after they are purchased.

I have never heard of a problem arising from running the factory oil until the oil minder told the owner to have it changed. Also if you took your vehicle into the dealer to have them change it on their dime at any time before the oil minder told them to they would tell you to come back. Now if you want to foot the bill then they would be glad to take your money.

 

[Lexingtonian]

This is probably the best article (most pragmatic) I've read on the topic of Motor Oil efficacy.

TL;DR version:
All motor oil is effective and when changed before the point where the additives in that particular oil are used, all motor oil _rated_ for your vehicles engine can provide more than adequate protection. Period. Debate over. Just change your darned oil while it's still optimal and you'll be fine. Are some oils better than others? Yes. Will some oils let you run longer on that oil before needing to change? Yes. Does that really matter to you? Probably. Does it really matter to your engine. Probably not.

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f6413...e6-44ac-42f3-bf55-9dcaa234d223/Aug_17_ENG.pdf


Side note:
I ran a 97 VW TDI to 348,000 miles Mobile Delvac 1
I ran a 2000 Buick Regal to 311,000 miles on Mobile 1 Standard Full Synthetic.
I have a 2004 Lexus RX330 at 170,000 Miles on Mobile 1 Standard Full Syn.
I'm running Mobile 1 Standard Full Syn in my XSport.

Here are my Oil Reports and a PTU report for good measure -

 

[swshawaii]

^ This EF thread has shifted from best oil and filter to new car factory fill interval.

How To Break In A New Car (Oil)

I customarily change the oil in a new engine after about 20 miles, and again at 1000 or so. That 20-mile oil, you would think, would look pretty much like fresh oil right out of the bottle. Wrong. It usually looks more like metal-flake paint, iridescent with tiny particles of metal worn off rubbing surfaces inside the new engines. After a few hours of operation, this completely normal phenomenon slows down as the rings, camshaft, lifters and bearings burnish their respective mating surfaces

New Car Care – How to Take Care of a New Car

 

[Lexingtonian]

^ This EF thread has shifted from best oil and filter to new car factory fill interval.

^ I apologize for adding low value content so far off topic. I'll try to not do that in the future..

 

[Centaurus5.0]

This is the OP's first oil change. This information is relative to him and everyone else who buys a new 5th gen or anything else with and engine.

You can't debate oil without debating overall cost, drain intervals and what can increase or decrease the intervals.

The effects show up when the engine gets past 100,000 miles. Like smoking, millions of people smoke and they felt and functioned perfectly fine when they started. It's 20-40 years later when the effects start to show themselves.

 

[Centaurus5.0]

It would be interesting to see what the original oil filter caught after 1000 miles. And especially after 10,000 miles!

Filter has been clogged and in bypass mode for the last 2 months are you are waiting for a light to come on, for the car to tell you to check it.

 

[Centaurus5.0]

LOL! I've never seen that wepage sws. (And I didn't turn off my pop-up blocker to read it ) it but it sounds like we are on the same wavelength.

It all fell into place for me after reading Motoman's site.

 

[steelers06steelers]

It would be interesting to see what the original oil filter caught after 1000 miles. And especially after 10,000 miles!

I will let you know. I have sample bottles and planned to cut the filter open just for my own curiosity. I am a mechanic by trade so I understand engines and breakins. I will not shop Walmart for my maintenance supplies. I use Napa Gold filters on all my other vehicles which are Wix, I have read nothing bad about Wix filters. I run 15W40 premium diesel oil in all my high mileage vehicles with great results. I obviously will NOT run 15W40 in my new explorer so my main question was what oil and filter is the best for normal oil change intervals, I will not change my oil once a year either, like I said I change it when it comes up on the screen.

I will more than likely run Castrol GTX but I was just wondering if anyone on here has any opinions or information on which oil is best for these high reving ecoboost engines.

 

[steelers06steelers]

This is probably the best article (most pragmatic) I've read on the topic of Motor Oil efficacy.

TL;DR version:
All motor oil is effective and when changed before the point where the additives in that particular oil are used, all motor oil _rated_ for your vehicles engine can provide more than adequate protection. Period. Debate over. Just change your darned oil while it's still optimal and you'll be fine. Are some oils better than others? Yes. Will some oils let you run longer on that oil before needing to change? Yes. Does that really matter to you? Probably. Does it really matter to your engine. Probably not.

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f6413...e6-44ac-42f3-bf55-9dcaa234d223/Aug_17_ENG.pdf


Side note:
I ran a 97 VW TDI to 348,000 miles Mobile Delvac 1
I ran a 2000 Buick Regal to 311,000 miles on Mobile 1 Standard Full Synthetic.
I have a 2004 Lexus RX330 at 170,000 Miles on Mobile 1 Standard Full Syn.
I'm running Mobile 1 Standard Full Syn in my XSport.

Here are my Oil Reports and a PTU report for good measure -

great article, thank you.

 

[Centaurus5.0]

Ah! Ok.

If your under warranty, and if your going by when the car says to drain the oil, why arn't you taking it to Ford for the changes and having them put whatever weight motorcraft oil and filter in they suggest. It's better to have them do the oil changes anyway in case of a warranty issue. One less excuse for them to try and weasel out of a warranty claim.

 

[CDW6212R]

^ This EF thread has shifted from best oil and filter to new car factory fill interval.

Yeah, this thread went to crap. We try to help people to learn how to best take care of a new engine, ... and the answer of the new generation seems to be ... "let the book or a machine tell us what to do." Why ask a question, if you aren't going to actually listen to the answers, and use your brain to decide what is best for you? I won't waste more time trying to help here.

 

[Centaurus5.0]

Sometimes I feel like I'm debating with my 16-year-old-self not to make all the same mistakes I already did, all over again.