Bad mpg on my 5.4l
05-20-2014, 06:32 PM
#11
oh and my mechanic told me to but 20w-50 because of the phasers tick and its valveline synthetic oil should i just stay with fords 5-20 and i live in miami so its always hot
05-20-2014, 07:21 PM
#12
Senior Member
If you want to cook the engine go ahead and put 20W-50 in there. The passages and tolerances won't allot that thick crap to flow properly. This isn't a 1970s pushrod motor. Some guys on here have used 5W-30 without issues (IIRC there's a thread about it).
05-20-2014, 07:43 PM
#13
ok soo ill run 5-20 instead of the thick crap next oil change because my friend/mechanic told me it would help with the noise/ phasers which is false cue still clicks on start up but it quiets out on idle ( with any oil) and only here the tick when I'm driving with windows up ac off and radio off lol and may that cause some decrease in mpg due to thick oil
05-20-2014, 07:56 PM
#14
Senior Member
If you're running 20-50 now I'd change the oil ASAP. It's increasing the amount of effort it takes to spin the rotating mass, and your bearings aren't made for that viscosity oil.
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Mattloz (05-20-2014)
05-20-2014, 08:10 PM
#16
does to matter if i use motor craft or can it be any oil that 5- 30 or 40 because i know with these ford engine ford are very specific when i come to these and ford begs owners to use motor craft parts is it really a big deal for at least the oil
05-20-2014, 08:12 PM
#17
Senior Member
20-50 is an OLD school fix for engines that are burning oil or starting to get a little rod rap.
The clearances in the new engines are what the spec tolerances used to be in the new engines.
The clearances in the new engines are what the spec tolerances used to be in the new engines.
05-21-2014, 12:12 AM
#18
Senior Member
As to the oil itself, any decent oil of the correct viscosity should be fine, but the motorcraft semi-synth is hard to be for price ($18 for a 5qt jug at wallyworld) and it's decent quality oil as well.
05-21-2014, 08:39 AM
#20
that thick oil is not doing you any favors for mpg either...
Also it depends on how you drive city. I have ridden with people who swore they were easy on the throttle and brake. Let me tell ya they weren't
on and off the throttle constantly braking all the time. I got car sick...
I get 16-17 MPG city in the summer. 13-15 in the winter. I drive easy. I accelerated rather quickly and get into top gear and lock up and stay there. My city driving is rather easy. I can coast to most stop lights or roll through them on green. 45 MPH is the back roads around here. So thats perfect for fuel economy. low rpm torque converter is locked up.
I also have the edge cts, which bumped me up from 13-14 city in the summer to where I am now. Plus i lowered the torque converter lockup 3 mph, which for me and my speed limit helped out a lot.
When was the last time your plugs were changed? How many miles do you have on it now?
Also it depends on how you drive city. I have ridden with people who swore they were easy on the throttle and brake. Let me tell ya they weren't
on and off the throttle constantly braking all the time. I got car sick...I get 16-17 MPG city in the summer. 13-15 in the winter. I drive easy. I accelerated rather quickly and get into top gear and lock up and stay there. My city driving is rather easy. I can coast to most stop lights or roll through them on green. 45 MPH is the back roads around here. So thats perfect for fuel economy. low rpm torque converter is locked up.
I also have the edge cts, which bumped me up from 13-14 city in the summer to where I am now. Plus i lowered the torque converter lockup 3 mph, which for me and my speed limit helped out a lot.
When was the last time your plugs were changed? How many miles do you have on it now?
