GrimaceTimus

I might agree with you; however, my oil pressure is above spec (caveat below). Also note that my pressures this morning were IDENTICAL to the pressures that I experience during heavy, passenger-side, phaser-tick and chain-slap.

Cold Start fast idle - 66 PSI
60 seconds after fast idle, normal idle - 62 PSI
Full operating temp idle - 26-28 PSI
Full operating temp 800 rpm - 2200 rpm - 44 - 64 PSI
2200 to WOT - 64 - 72 PSI

According to everything I can find, "normal" oil pressure is "40 to 75 PSI @ 2000 rpm" (and I am at ~62-64 PSI). Of course there is also the claimed minimum pressure of 25 PSI to operate the VCT properly. I am well within these numbers except for ONE condition.

After I have driven the truck for 40+ minutes (or 20+ minutes in 110F+ heat), at a stop-light, truck in gear, foot-on-brake, I come down to 24 PSI ... sometimes 22 PSI in an extremely hot environment (bumper-to-bumper traffic, 110F+)

I would not be surprised if I do have a marginal or blown gasket on the passenger-side tensioner. However, I think my experience with extreme heat driving and then this morning's 72F temps ... correlated with consistent oil pressure and the temporary resolution of my tensioner function, speaks volumes about the viability of 5W-20 in these modular engines. At least in the dry desert heat.

I am headed home tonight and my first stop on the way is a new PCV valve and 7 quarts of 10W-30 (I have a couple MC filters already on hand). Will post video results later tonight or tomorrow morning.

FordSilly

I have heard of some people running 10w-40 for years, it was on a different chat site tho. That's where I got the idea

And didn't you say you are already running 5w-30?
The only difference between 10w-30 is the viscosity at 0 degrees f ( or maybe 32? )

GrimaceTimus

Nope. I am running MC SynBlend 5w-30 (oops...YES, I am running 5W-30). I don't really know what the previous owner used in the truck, but I decided on the 5w-30 based on several threads I had read, here and elsewhere as well. Obviously it hasn't made a difference.

Do you think the jump to 10W-30 is enough? Or should I consider 10W-40 or 15W-40? My gut tells me the 10W-30 ... with what I experienced this morning, I am thinking it would be enough without going overboard?

GrimaceTimus

I researched this years ago, but my aging brain did a dump of my viscosity research long ago. These articles provide some intriguing, albeit somewhat conflicting points...

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/oil-viscosity.php
http://www.upmpg.com/tech_articles/motoroil_viscosity/

Basically the first number is pretty much meaningless until you start to approach 32F/0C. I am sure that 5w-20 is 10w-20, or 15w-20 or even strait SAE 20 as you move from 40F on up to 210F (the temp viscosity is measured). Check out this video too...


So..."5w" is NOT the same as saying SAE 20 (or SAE 30, etc.). The "W" designation is a totally different test than the second number showing true oil viscosity at full optemp (like you mentioned FordSilly).

Consequently, for my test, I am going to try some 10W-40 in my truck.

joe mcmillan

A few days back I said I would post some I s of the undercarriage of my '04 to show how little rust. The truck came from New Mexico last year. Here they are. Yes the truck is now under coated but very little rust.

GrimaceTimus

Well ... I did the switch over to 10W-40 tonight. Wanted to do Rotella 5w-40, but couldn't find any.

Intro video...

Pay no attention to the man with the shaky camera, claiming that "In my case, I think it may have quieted it down a little ... Oh yeah, it definitely quieted down ..." Thank God I actually have video proof that there is absolutely ZERO difference for me between 5w30 and 10w40.

Blasted passenger side phaser is still trying to rattle right off the sprocket.


I am definitely done troubleshooting and theorizing, as soon as that timing kit gets here, apart it comes and we'll see how bad it is in there.

Still waffling about the Livernois lockouts.

FordSilly

Shoot!!

That's too bad it didn't work for you.

And if you are reluctant to install the phaser lockout kit, maybe you want to give it a shot without the lockout kit, and (hopefully not) the noise returns then the lockout kit be installed at that point.

Jaybernn

Well I've read many posts the oil pump may be what's resulting in this however a bad crankshaft forced keeping will cause oil pressure, variations that may be destructive phasers and tensioners.

GrimaceTimus

According to everything I have read, the oil-pumps on all the 5.4 Tritons (both 2V and 3V) have a pressure relief system in them to keep the oil pressures at a level that the seals and VCT (in the 3V) can handle / need.

GrimaceTimus

So ... I am going in with either M1-EP or Amsoil SS (in 5w-30) during the timing system swap out.

Good idea? Or should I use some cheap dino 5w-30 for a 500-1000 mile break-in?...then go to the full-syn?