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Full synthetic oil

Risky Bizness

Well-Known Member
Joined
August 3, 2019
Messages
155
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Location
Kansas
City, State
Humboldt
Year, Model & Trim Level
2008 Sport Trac Limited
Our 2008 ST with a 4.0 presently has 119k on the clock. Has always had Synthetic Blend MC oil. Am considering going to Full Synthetic MC oil.

Would it be better, for the truck, or make no difference. Oil is changed every 5k.

Opinions??

Thanx
 



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Honestly, the biggest thing is to not run it out of oil! he he he he
In my opinion, and there might be a bunch, is to run it it will not hurt it.
 






You can safely run the full syn no problem, i do not know that you are going to gain anything from it The MC blend stuff is used in all my Fords and they all run like champs. Only one of them has under 200k miles on it.
 






I was just thinking it might be a "slicker" oil in a truck with 119k on it.
 






Our 2008 ST with a 4.0 presently has 119k on the clock. Has always had Synthetic Blend MC oil. Am considering going to Full Synthetic MC oil.

Would it be better, for the truck, or make no difference. Oil is changed every 5k.

Opinions??

Thanx
With you changing oil every 5k miles, I don't think moving to full synthetic will make any difference long term. IMO, you are better off pocketing the money saved and putting it toward transmission, transfer case, differential, coolant, brake fluid and power steering fluid maintenance. Also, if you haven't done any transmission or transfer case service then make this a top priority. Especially regarding the transmission. Ignore Ford's 150k service recommendation for the transmission because the interval should be no more than 60k miles and preferably less for 5R55 transmissions.
 






I've been running Mobil 1 full synthetic since my '93 Explorer was new. I pulled the heads for a valve job when it had about 120,000 miles and the engine was super clean inside. No sludge, no varnish. That definitely told me I was running the right oil.
 






I had a 2010 F150 with a 5.4 that had cam phaser problems. It too was clean when torn apart. Semi-Syn Motorcraft.

I was just thinking it might be better lubricant on a engine with over 100k on it. :confused2:
 






Either will be fine.
 






It cant hurt, but i have 275k,250k,211k,140k, and the hot rod ranger that i didnt account for earlier at no more than 35k but its pushing 600hp out of a junk yard 5.0, all run MC semi syn all stay clean and run like a champ. I will say i do change my oil at no more than 4k miles though and i am down to changing at 3k on the 275k one i really want it to break well past the 300k mile mark before a rebuild no signs of it giving up but ya never know. Long story short it cant hurt it might help but not really going to know until a few years pass and its still going strong.
 






My phasers were clicking pretty good. So I dropped in some Vavoline Racing 20W-50
3QTS. and 3QTS. Mobile 1 thin stuff. It ends up a little heaver than some of the multi-vis
stuff but, more importantly, it has some Zinc Phosphate to help "slick" the metal.

The EPA says that ZnPO might pollute the cat after 150K!?
All I know is that it does not click so bad.

Now a 3.5L '08 Edge W/ 190K+ is still
running on borrowed WATER PUMP time!
 






I use M1 Full Synthetic 20w 50, every 6K miles. Been running it since 100K, have 233K now.
 






Our 2008 ST with a 4.0 presently has 119k on the clock. Has always had Synthetic Blend MC oil. Am considering going to Full Synthetic MC oil.

Would it be better, for the truck, or make no difference. Oil is changed every 5k.

Opinions??

Thanx
Find your favorite synthetic and stick with it. Always use a Motorcraft oil filter!
 






Our 2008 ST with a 4.0 presently has 119k on the clock. Has always had Synthetic Blend MC oil. Am considering going to Full Synthetic MC oil.

Would it be better, for the truck, or make no difference. Oil is changed every 5k.

Opinions??

Thanx
Find your favorite synthetic and stick with it. Mobil 1 Extended is a readily available choice and fine quality (I still change and rotate every 5,000); available at virtually every big box store. Always use a motorcraft filter and stay away from high-mileage oil options unless for some odd reason you experience a leak (other than the drain plug) 😂😂. High mileage oils simply expand seals and o-rings and you really shouldn’t ever need this in a well/maintained vehicle!
Enjoy!
 






Plenty of filters are as good as/better than Motorcraft. If you use a short change interval even the Walmart branded oil is fine.
 






The best oil is the best oil, same for filters. The best will reduce wear, and it likely will be immeasurable because everyone changes their oil at different intervals. The subject is about comparing everyone's choices for their value of their engine etc. It's not about what is the best oil to use, logically the full synthetic is the best of course, and Amsoil for example than Mobil 1 of course.

So choose your personal level of protection, how much you feel comfortable with spending on oil changes, and how often. 10k miles is too far for any oil except top brand oil and filters, which most are not good enough for. Changing at 5,000 miles is much smarter than waiting over 10,000 miles for a vehicle device to hint at you to change the oil.
 






yeah, motorcraft filters are at or close to the top of the heap spec. wise
 






If you've been running Motorcraft blend. Just stay with it. If your really serious about oil quality send a oil sample in for analysis
Edit: posted because of adds.

People read that an oil is good for 10k miles etc. What they don't realize is that the engine may not need changing buy your filter does.
Think about this. Have you noticed how the filter on your houses heating and air works better after changing. Or have you ever had a really good respirator with the side filters. They get clogged.
I've sent oil samples in with 3k and results show low contaminants. Sent in at 6k and numbers about double. Sent in oil that had filter changed half way through on a 6500 change. The numbers for metals were about the same as the 3k change.
Changing your oil has more to do with contamination of the oil then anything else. Running some oils can be better or worse for engine sludge. Synthetic oils are blended usually for a purpose. Either racing, high heat, long-term, diesel performance,
Filters have a valve built in that will bypass after the filter has started to get clogged. After this happens it doesn't matter what oil you run if trash just keeps circulating through the system.
Anybody who's been driving for over a couple decades remembers the jiffy lube, oil express gimmicks about change your oil every 3 months or 3000.
Its why they used regular oil and cheap filters. The filters are done filtering by 3k. Even if the oil is still viable to use.
 






Service records from PO report my Ex always had full synthetic. Don't know when the last oil change was, had been parked sitting about a year when I bought it in March 2021. HOWEVER (and yes I've searched the new and old threads) I'm uncertain whether 5W-30 or 5W-20 is what to use! 98 Explorer XLT 4x4, 175K, no chain rattle, I do 1500-2500 miles a year, 80% of which are short trips in town. 4L SOHC. And it gets cold here - 90 miles east of Minneapolis MN. Does oil lose its good stuff with time? Waiting for 3K on the odometer puts me at yearly or less often oil changes.
 






Service records from PO report my Ex always had full synthetic. Don't know when the last oil change was, had been parked sitting about a year when I bought it in March 2021. HOWEVER (and yes I've searched the new and old threads) I'm uncertain whether 5W-30 or 5W-20 is what to use! 98 Explorer XLT 4x4, 175K, no chain rattle, I do 1500-2500 miles a year, 80% of which are short trips in town. 4L SOHC. And it gets cold here - 90 miles east of Minneapolis MN. Does oil lose its good stuff with time? Waiting for 3K on the odometer puts me at yearly or less often oil changes.

You can go a year for any good oils, I'd say try to not let go much past a year if you really drive it that little. either of those weights will be fine, the quality of the oil is a bigger deal than whether it's a 20 weight or the 30. The SOHC just needs really good oil, kept nice and clean all the time.
 



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