Who's running 20W-50, I'm thinking about switching

rzimmerl

Registered User
i have been running Valvoline 10W30 synthetic since I bought the car last year. Couple of guys at work say i should run 20W50 because the motor has about 100K on it and runnin 18lbs of boost. Should i switch to help prolong the motor, it only gets driven about 6 months a year.
 
Last edited:
rzimmerl said:
i have been running Valvoline 10W30 synthetic since I bought the car last year. Couple of guys at work say i should run 20W50 because the motor has about 100K on it and runnin 18lbs of boost. Should i switch to help prolong the motor, it only gets driven about 6 months a year.

I think I have mentioned it before. ;)
 
i think its ok in the summer but in deep winter near zero i think your better off with 10w 30 my 90 recommends 5w 30
 
On thing I learned in my tractor power class, is to not use any "friction reducers" a lot of times these are just a corosive that breaks down the microscopic peaks in bearings etc.

Thought that was kind of interesting, I just wish I knew exactly what to look for in the label.

15-50 year around (118k 18-22#'s) er wait, 20k on motor lol.
 
The oozing synthetic oil from seals is an urban legend..

The lighter the oil the more power you will make.....Hell you can make power by running your engine 1 quart low as well....Tis true as Ive done it with my stangs..As for the 3.8 I'll pass;O)

I used to run 20/50 synthetic in everything..Now I go with a sythetic of the manufacturers reccomendation...Unless its a built motor..

20 50...nahhhhhhhh
 
Evidently Damon hasn't had many 3.8's apart. :p I've had a lot of them apart and ALL of them have had worn out rod bearings and consequently large clearances and no babbit cushion to save you if you wipe that 5w30 oil off them.

However, if you have a BUILT motor and are runnning blueprinted clearances with a high performance coated 351 rod bearing with a high volume oil pump THEN you might be able to get away with a light weight oil and make some more HP.

But then again I've never spun a rod in a 3.8 so what do I know? :)
 
I was uncomfortable with low oil pressure using 10w30 so I switched to 20w50 and the oil pressure stays a little higher now.
 
sounds like the crowd agrees with the higher viscosity in the summer which my car is only run in the non snowy months. Going to switch sounds like Mobil 1 15W50, or Valvoline Synthetic 20W50. Going to the track on Friday so I will see how it reacts.
 
I am the 2nd owner of my f150 and its always ran on mobil 1 15w40 or shell rotella 15w40 1st owner ran its from day one and i have too. 256k miles no oil leaks awesome oil pressure and i don't have the anoying start up rattle that most high mile 300's have! I am about the change the oil for the first time in the s/c and was debating on running 15w40 mobil 1 or 10w40 castrol GTX ive had good luck with castrol GTX holding up in turbo engines. Sounds like these things can also benefate from the heavier oil so im going to go with the 15w40 mobil one.. By the way what is the oil capacity of an s/c anyway?
 
rzimmerl said:
sounds like the crowd agrees with the higher viscosity in the summer which my car is only run in the non snowy months. Going to switch sounds like Mobil 1 15W50, or Valvoline Synthetic 20W50. Going to the track on Friday so I will see how it reacts.
You can also get 15w50 Napa synthetic (Valvoline).
 
theres another thing that goes with the oil. what filter to use? i use good ol motorcraft 400s any one else using the same?
 
I've run the 15w-40 Mobil1 in my SC since I purchased it 5 3/4 years ago and 55K miles and I had the ol spun rod bearing. Of course it seems my 94 was cursed from the previous owner compaired to my 91. The 94 must be a Monday build day instead of the Wednesday that soo good. :p


As for a filter, I use the Puroilator Pure One in all my automobiles. Seems in the last test I read it was the best out of the group. May have changed.


Now on to the oil. Recently I was researching starting my own business, a lube center. I had the chance to go to the AOCA.org (American Oil Changers Association) new owners boot camp, were the guest speaker was several reps from big name companies in all aspects of the lube business. Their basic message was there is really not much difference between say Penzoil, Valvoline, Texaco etc. They all use the same base stock oil, only difference was the little bit of "their" additives they have come up with and added. If I remember there are only about 2-4 companies that produce the base stock for all motor oil used in the world. Also since we were going to use Penzoil another little bit of FYI, Penzoil purchaed Quaker State several years back, which then was purchaed by Shell sometime in the last 2 years.
 
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