oil?
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 36
From: Cleveland, OH
im thinkin im gonna go with 5/30 motorcraft. im runnin 5/20 now but it rattles a bitt when its warm so i think a thicker oil will help. but these overhead cam motors are new to me, i wonder if the ports or something are extremly small or something. i cant understand why they would want such a thin oil. my wife has an 04 explorer and it take 5/30, ive seen other explorers same year and motor take 5/20, its wierd
.The tolerances are small, so you need a thinner oil.
Yeah it's a long...bed =P
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 136
Likes: 0
From: Santa Clarita, Ca.
I use 5w30 in my 97 and it has 185,000 miles on it. Instant oil pressure at startup and no noises in the hot 110 degree summers we get here. It does specify 5w30 though. Guy who owned it before me ran 10w40! Don't think it hurt the engine though...
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 718
Likes: 47
From: TEXAS
you know i bout this truck with 125k on it idont know what they ran in it before i got it. but i was reading someone elses post on oil filters and they said a clogged port can make the "lifters" rattle, kinda spooks me a bit. maybe ill flush it and see if that helps the tickin, like i said its only when its warm tho, and i do live in texas. i know the bearings would like a heavier oil but i dont know about the valve train.
Moderator (Ret.)
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 9,460
Likes: 486
From: Lake Mary Florida
Very rare these days for oil to "sludge" an engine, as 99% of them contain cleaning detergents.
Used to be (a long time ago in a land far away) that parafin based oils (Quaker State was famous for this) would sludge up. The parifin "base" oils cooled down when the engine was turned off and sat overnight; it would sludge. I can recall using Castrol in engines that used Quacker State to clean them out. Castrol used to have one of the highest content of cleaners. After about two or three oil changes, I'd remove the valve cover to verify the sludge buildup was gone.
This was several years ago, and is not an issue these days, unless your using some sort of "third world" cheap oil that I'm unaware of.
Used to be (a long time ago in a land far away) that parafin based oils (Quaker State was famous for this) would sludge up. The parifin "base" oils cooled down when the engine was turned off and sat overnight; it would sludge. I can recall using Castrol in engines that used Quacker State to clean them out. Castrol used to have one of the highest content of cleaners. After about two or three oil changes, I'd remove the valve cover to verify the sludge buildup was gone.
This was several years ago, and is not an issue these days, unless your using some sort of "third world" cheap oil that I'm unaware of.
Ford/Mazda Parts guy
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 937
Likes: 7
From: USA
Since the oil discussion comes up a lot I won't start my own thread.
Here in Oklahoma it gets pretty warm this time of year. Easily into the 100s. Would it be ok to run 5-30 in the summer and 5-20 otherwise? Or do you guys really think it matters?
Just something I've thought about.
Here in Oklahoma it gets pretty warm this time of year. Easily into the 100s. Would it be ok to run 5-30 in the summer and 5-20 otherwise? Or do you guys really think it matters?
Just something I've thought about.
im thinkin im gonna go with 5/30 motorcraft. im runnin 5/20 now but it rattles a bitt when its warm so i think a thicker oil will help. but these overhead cam motors are new to me, i wonder if the ports or something are extremly small or something. i cant understand why they would want such a thin oil. my wife has an 04 explorer and it take 5/30, ive seen other explorers same year and motor take 5/20, its wierd
you know i bout this truck with 125k on it idont know what they ran in it before i got it. but i was reading someone elses post on oil filters and they said a clogged port can make the "lifters" rattle, kinda spooks me a bit. maybe ill flush it and see if that helps the tickin, like i said its only when its warm tho, and i do live in texas. i know the bearings would like a heavier oil but i dont know about the valve train.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 718
Likes: 47
From: TEXAS
Very rare these days for oil to "sludge" an engine, as 99% of them contain cleaning detergents.
Used to be (a long time ago in a land far away) that parafin based oils (Quaker State was famous for this) would sludge up. The parifin "base" oils cooled down when the engine was turned off and sat overnight; it would sludge. I can recall using Castrol in engines that used Quacker State to clean them out. Castrol used to have one of the highest content of cleaners. After about two or three oil changes, I'd remove the valve cover to verify the sludge buildup was gone.
This was several years ago, and is not an issue these days, unless your using some sort of "third world" cheap oil that I'm unaware of.
Used to be (a long time ago in a land far away) that parafin based oils (Quaker State was famous for this) would sludge up. The parifin "base" oils cooled down when the engine was turned off and sat overnight; it would sludge. I can recall using Castrol in engines that used Quacker State to clean them out. Castrol used to have one of the highest content of cleaners. After about two or three oil changes, I'd remove the valve cover to verify the sludge buildup was gone.
This was several years ago, and is not an issue these days, unless your using some sort of "third world" cheap oil that I'm unaware of.
Ford/Mazda Parts guy
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 937
Likes: 7
From: USA
dude cheap oil still sludges up. i work in an oil change shop and i can tell when pennzoil is comin out every time cus it looks terribal, the better oils dont get that bad. plus you run a pennzoil or quaker motor with new oil in it 1 min and it looks like crap on the stick, valv and cast motors dont