Especial86

iTrader: (1)

Wow this debate still rages on!!

Very simple answer/advice incoming!!!
From someone who will no longer debate this topic while full well knowing the very slight differences between the 2 oils. (I.E.:: Research the 2 oil weights and see).....

5w-30 is more shear stable than 5w-20...
In hotter or milder climates 5w-30 is the safest bet for year round protection with a heavy duty film strength. ESPECIALLY in the 5.4 3v.
If you even anticipate Higher temps, longer trips, or varied climate throughout the year... choose 5w-30.

5w-20 film strength is quite good compared to 5w-30. But it's not better.
Cooler climates, short trips and a softer worked engine, mostly commuting. 5w-20 is fine.
But if you even work that engine hard for 1-2 days a year, you better believe that 5w-20 is offering less protection than 5w-30 at the operating environments extremes with a stock 195 degree T stat..

Now It just so happens that the 5.4 3v has it's own unique set of cascading issues and failures. All dependent on a reliable oil circuit delivering a robust oil from the crank to the heads, through the cam phaser to the tensioners.. At 1 point or another one of these connected pathways will experience an issue due to a flat out poor design.. Not a terribly bad design, just not ideal at all.
When any of these components begin to excessively wear, elevate friction, or leak, you are now demanding more from that lighter duty "skinnier" film strength offered by 5w-20 at operating temp.

Well check around, the 5.4 3v is notorious for having several oil circuit related issues..

Lash adjusters wearing down, or seizing..
crank shaft thrust washers wearing down, or falling completely out and into the pan..

Phasers veins leaking, locking pin damage, low oil pressure feeding and bleeding issues, higher internal friction, and sometimes just flat out oil starvation (vct solenoids issues/plugged valve body).
Tensioner seals rupturing, leaking.
Plastic chain Guides breaking introducing tiny little wear particles amongst many other unrelated particulate.
Valve seals leaking (inevitable)
Keeper/follower rollers wearing down(inevitable)
Lash adjusters wearing down, leaking, and or seizing.. (inevitable)
Timing chain tensioners leaking (inevitable)
Broken chain guides from cold start "chain slap" (inevitable)
Ford's terrible and leak prone crankshaft thrust washer design failure (inevitable)

Minus all the oddity's revolving around the blanket spec of North American 5w-20..................
At least in my mind, and in my own whipple supercharged 5.4 3v that is new with only 20k on it. 60k miles supercharged on my old 5.4 3v up to 195k before a lash adjuster seized and caused a dropped valve on cylinder 3.

I still highly recommend most 5.4 3v owners use 5w-30.
When it comes to protection..
I'd rather be looking at IT than looking for IT with the 5.4 3v..

I think the most naive thing to do is to discount the facts and evidence while owning this engine.

luvf150

Tried searching for Oil change info for 2006 5.4L, Having a difficult time removing the oil filter...Fram chain wrench turned it a bit but No help. Is Oil filter wrench (the circular cap one with nut head) the only option..if so i dont know which size to buy...The one on truck now...Pennzoil is smaller than the New Mobil one i have. Thanks in advance.

mcama47

FX4Marco

I I have a traditional oil filter wrench and there is not much room for it when I try to use it on my truck, not enough clearance. Years ago I purchased other ones and they work great. I will attach the picture, the black one is specifically made for the size filter you are using - the one I use is for the Motorcraft 820S, which goes on my 5.4L engine. The metal looking one is adjustable and the one that I mostly use, because I can really get a snug fit on the filter and it comes off every time. The orange one is not filter specific, I will try to zoom in so you can see it, but it has different diameters as you go further up , so the farther and you go it steps down to different filter diameters. This one works out okay but it needs a little more clearance than the other two. They all use a 3/8 ratchet or breaker bar. Another option is to get an an oil filter that has the nut on the end if the can, I have seen the K&N filters use this method but I haven't tried them. In case u are wondering, I got all of mine at autozone. Btw, mine is a 2006 as well.

PDX1953

Truck goes in for new plugs/boots and oil/filter tomorrow. I've used Mobil 1 Synthetic 5w-30 in all of my cars since 2003 & my '03 Escape had 257,000 miles on it when I traded it in on a Flex in 2014. The Escape ran great - I was just tired of looking at the same dashboard & used to commute 600 miles / week for years.

Costco just ran a sale (may still be on) so I got Mobil 1 for $4.50 / gt (two six packs). I bought a two-pack of Mobil 1 filters on Amazon for $25 so I'm set for a while. I always add a bottle of Marvel Mystery Oil & although some say it's snake oil it's never caused me any problems. Probably just psychological on my behalf.

mcama47

Fordjunkync

Just noting that the F150 mobil1 filter has the bypass valve on the opposite end than the FL820S.




other
The F150 K&N filter has the bypass valve on the opposite end than the FL820S.
The F150 FramUlta filter has the bypass valve on the opposite end than the FL820S.

The F150 FORDRACING filter has the bypass valve on the SAME END as the FL820S.


.

Nino67

Page from ford's manual for an f150 made in kansas destined for mexican market.

Drago17

I recently had an incident that brought me to this thread on oils. I live in Southern California and recently went camping in the Eastern Sierras. On the trip home, after diving for about 3 1/2-4 hours in 100 degree heat. my oil pressure went to zero. After sitting, for about 20 minutes, I restarted and was able to drive another five miles before the same thing happened again but this time with a "rattling" noise. I stopped, had the truck picked up and taken to my mechanic the next day. He was unable to find anything wrong with the vehicle and suggested I add Lucas Oil Stabilizer, and/or use 10w30 instead of the 5w20. The truck is a 2006 and has 156,000 miles on it, and has not lost the oil pressure again, although I have only used it for short trips to work or running errands. One friend says the oil pump is at fault, and another thinks maybe the oil pick up was blocked temporarily. Yet another says that with the heat I was driving in, the oil lost it's viscosity and wasn't able to do its job.
So do I change to 10w30? Add the Lucas Oil Stabilizer? Stay with 5w20? Or...?

BadFish523

I would guess you need to read this. https://www.f150forum.com/f4/final-r...-sound-141266/ Sounds like broken chain guides floating around in your oil pan and getting sucked up into the oil pickup tube and killing your oil pressure. Thats just my guess.