Jbrew

Your running the right thing. In fact, it IS the very best you can do for a modular....the 5/20 blend.

1970Ronnie

I have now got over 320k miles on her and still rolling, switched to "Delo" 15w40 this summer and it really doing good. runs smooth and does not tick or knock or anything at crank up or idling. It now has a leaking head gasket and you can smell antifreeze in the exhaust some when its cold.So i will be switching the motor out probably in the fall. So will update then. Thanks, Ronnie

blupupher

iTrader: (2)

Psst, this is a 5 year old thread, and the post you quoted was only here once.

Jbrew

Yea but, there's quite a few that haven't caught on yet.

1970Ronnie

Everybody knows the 5w20 story it was brought on to get the emissions down and fuel milege up supposedly. Back in the 90's they had the 4.6 v8s and recommended 5w30, So that tells me they for sure can run it. I just have seen to many times 5w20 thin out or shear and at towing or high performance use i would not use 5w20. At least a good 5w30 full syn. With age a thicker will not hurt for sure i can testify to that.

Jbrew

Yea tolerances were a little different back in the 90's. The change should of told you to research why, IF you really wanted to know. Vs maintaining old habits anyway. 5/20 has better wear ratings for the 10th gen modulars under most conditions and in most climates.

339,000 miles and this modular has never used oil between changes. Best thing you can do is listen to the engineers who designed and built these engines. They are on your side and want to see that their products go the distance.

1970Ronnie

What facts do you base this on?? There is no difference in the Bearings clearance on the rod and mains on the 97-04 modular as far as i have seen. And neither on the OHC, And i sure would like to see a proven wear test on 5w20 over 5w30??

Jbrew

Not interested anymore really, I was when it came to be. You need that interest if you really want to know and I'm sure the info is still out there. I mean, it very old news. I'm thinking between 01-03 was when Ford/Engineering released the info. It was about the same time that the synthetic formulation changed. Making them less harsh. Ford was at Daytona for years, lots of years testing at the track and actual vehicle/engine miles. Before the formulation change, in 1998 Ford began using syn proof gaskets lol (no lie, sounds goofy) and that went to Daytona ( use to be make shift proving grounds). Later on (after 98) the formulation changed which made everything better, - wearing , leaking all related. It's why the Modular won't leak unless overheated or other mishap. If they leak now, it's not from gasket wear and look how long these engines can run. A lot of changes need considering, important ones like just how much have tolerances changed for 10th gen modular's ? Well, all said and done, that's the formulation which works best for longevity.

What you don't realize is how much effort that actually goes into this. It's not a trick. Being skeptical is normal and healthy, but I put this one to rest long ago....so can you, if you search it out yourself.

Your welcome for the shortcut lol.

EDIT: btw, if really interested, search http://www.tccoa.com/ . That's pretty much where everyone hung out back then, engineers and such when all this was going on. I think most over there are still getting kicks out of coyote swaps now a days. When you search, constrain it to 96-01 or 03 for the best articles from the Ford guys and others.

cvwheeler

I've been using Mobil 1 10W-30 in my 2V and 3V Tritons (3 Vehicles) for 10 years and here's why. The Motorcraft 5w-20 is a "Catch All" oil grade, it doesn't distinguish between the owner's geographic or climatic differences and the weight rating only applies to a "cold soaked" engine startup since it will be at max viscosity when the engine reaches full operating temperature. The Motorcraft 5w-20 reaches 5 weight at around -22 degrees and reaches 20 weight at around 68 degrees. I live in Houston TX, -22 degrees in Houston is very unlikely. Even 10w doesn't reach 10 weight until -4 degrees. The ambient outside temperature is above 68 degrees about 80% of the time in Houston which means that the 5w-20 oil will be at max viscosity 80% of the time. With that said, my vehicles don't need the low temperature protection as much as the high temperature protection and the 30 weight provides a little extra bump. My 3V Tritons seem to like the 10W-30 in this climate. I've never had any issues with the Phasers, cam chain tensioners, or any oil related issues for that matter. I would go into the actual make up of the components of synthetic oil, the carrier, the polymers, etc. and the effect of heat on the viscosity of the carrier, and again why the 10w-30 is a better fit for me but that is a lengthy discussion on it's own. I don't recommend deviating from the Ford recommended oil for the 2V and 3V Triton but Mobil 1 10w-30 has worked well for me in the hot, humid, Houston TX climate.

white89gt

This is a really old thread.. but I am confused. You say this......

.....right after you go into great detail as to why you feel 10W-30 is better. You completely negated your stance at that point.... and for the record, I agree with your quote above. Stick with the Ford recommendation.