Switching to Mobil 1 Synthetic Oil

[JLindley]

I've been running Motorcraft 5w-30, motorcraft filter since I bought the car back in 12-31-05 and it had 50,000 miles on it at that time. The X was previously a lease/demo car so it had to be maintained during that time. I have changed the oil every 3,500 miles since then. So my X has always been well maintained since new. My Explorer currently has 193,000 miles on it. The timing chain would rattle sooner than it use too towards the end of the oil life with motorcraft. It would really rattle in the winter time. And the oil has beginning to seep at the rear main seal. Its not dripping on the ground or anything. So i decided to switch to mobil 1 synthetic high mileage 5w-30 yesterday and it immediately runs much quieter "no chain rattle" And im hoping that the synthetic oil will condition the older seals and swell them back up. I want to know yal opinion, was it ok to switch this late in the game??
By the way my X has the 4.0L SOHC V6 and this motor has never been worked on!! Everything on this motor is original except for the thermostat, thermostat housing, serpentine belt and the spark plugs.

 

[lincolnshibuya]

well you already switched, let's see if it's an old wive's tale.
it might not have any effect or could be worst, let's hope for the best. keep us posted. it's too early to tell and most guys who did this experiment never followed up.

 

[Fpo]

You shouldn't see it leak any worse than it did with the regular oil in it.


And it should start easier ( especially when cold).

 

[JLindley]

You shouldn't see it leak any worse than it did with the regular oil in it.


And it should start easier ( especially when cold).

I did notice that it started easier, the timing chain use to always rattle for a few minutes after i started it up "when engine was cold" until it warmed up. But since I changed to synthetic it does not rattle on cold engine starts. I guess its because the oil gets to the chains much faster than Motorcraft conventional synthetic blend oil

 

[JLindley]

well you already switched, let's see if it's an old wive's tale.
it might not have any effect or could be worst, let's hope for the best. keep us posted. it's too early to tell and most guys who did this experiment never followed up.

I'm hoping for the best!! I want to run this X for many more years. Hoping to reach at least 250,000. I'm really shooting for 300,000. Thats if my transmission will make it that long. I've already put a new jasper transmission in it at 165,000 and i'm not putting in another!! In the original transmission I lost 3rd gear and I drove it like that for 25,000 miles. Was getting tired of not having 3rd gear so I got a new one put in.

 

[Tyleryac]

Just because the rattling stops or quiets, it doesn't mean that the chain is good.

Mine was rattling and when I had my chains replaced, the entire guide was broken...

 

[JLindley]

Just because the rattling stops or quiets, it doesn't mean that the chain is good.

Mine was rattling and when I had my chains replaced, the entire guide was broken...

The X has always had a rattle to it on cold starts even when it had 50k on it. Not spending 4 grand on an engine thats got near 200k on it, gonna drive it till it breaks. If the chains were messed up i doubt the synthetic oil would quiet it up. I'm still getting 18-19mpg out of it and it still don't burn a drop of oil. I think the reason why its quiet now on start ups is because the synthetic oil is getting to the chain & chain guides much quicker than the conventional oil did.

 

[Tyleryac]

I hope it lasts you for as long as you need it to, I'm just off of experience.

 

[JLindley]

I hope it lasts you for as long as you need it to, I'm just off of experience.

Hoping for to last another 3 years which i believe it will. Still runs and looks just a good as it did 9 years ago when I bought it. I know what you mean though, i had a friend that had one when the chains were messed up. The rattle on his was alot louder and it continuously rattled even when it was warmed up and been running for 10miles.

 

[Exproblems]

. I guess its because the oil gets to the chains much faster than Motorcraft conventional synthetic blend oil

Next time you change the oil and filter, check to see if you get any "sludge" coming out of the oil drain hole in the oil pan. Might want to use some kind of a screen to filter the oil as it drains out, see if you have any clumps of sludge in it afterwards. Some have said in the past in here that the cleaning detergents in full synthetic oil can loosen conventional oil sludge deposits from an engine that has been running conventional oil most of it's life. I bought my EX with 82K in miles on it, started using Mobil 1 shortly after that and at 96K in miles, my rear timing chain tensioner caused the timing chain to slip or jump out of time at startup one day. That engine was shot and I have a new reman engine now.
I'm not positive on this because I wasn't filtering out the oil when I did my oil changes, but I could have swore I saw a few clumps of sludge coming out of my oil pan drain hole after the first or second Mobil 1 oil change that I did. Something to keep an eye on at oil changes.

 

[JLindley]

Next time you change the oil and filter, check to see if you get any "sludge" coming out of the oil drain hole in the oil pan. Might want to use some kind of a screen to filter the oil as it drains out, see if you have any clumps of sludge in it afterwards. Some have said in the past in here that the cleaning detergents in full synthetic oil can loosen conventional oil sludge deposits from an engine that has been running conventional oil most of it's life. I bought my EX with 82K in miles on it, started using Mobil 1 shortly after that and at 96K in miles, my rear timing chain tensioner caused the timing chain to slip or jump out of time at startup one day. That engine was shot and I have a new reman engine now.
I'm not positive on this because I wasn't filtering out the oil when I did my oil changes, but I could have swore I saw a few clumps of sludge coming out of my oil pan drain hole after the first or second Mobil 1 oil change that I did. Something to keep an eye on at oil changes.

I'll keep an eye on it when i change the oil