any tips for my 1st time changing oil on Terminator?

[choate]

Alright so I drained it and added 6. Drove to subway and got a sandwich. Let it sit after I got home for about 30-45 min and re-checked it. It was about 2/3 of the way up the min/max bar. I added about another 1/4 quart and gonna drive it some more then check in the morning when it's dead cold and see where it's at.

 

[specracer]

+how ever many, on the form a funnel.

 

[jbrown1238]

Best advice I can offer is to double check that the filter o ring comes off with the old filter. I have had a couple stick to the engine with the Factory Ford filters.

 

[nl5882]

What oil filter do you recommend? Once I get my mystic delivered next Thursday, I'm going to change all fluids.

I've been running 7 qts for 10 years...

 

[Bdubbs]

7 quarts puts mine right to the max on the stick. Just some information for those that don't know, the cobra pan can actually hold 9 quarts. Someone did a test quite some time ago. Obviously DON'T do this!

You guys can put what you want in, but I'll stick with 7 quarts. The previous owner did the same on my car. So 10+ years of 7 quarts.

 

[03cobra#694]

What oil filter do you recommend? Once I get my mystic delivered next Thursday, I'm going to change all fluids.

I've always ran the Motorcraft myself.

 

[nl5882]

Thanks, I appreciate the info. I'm going to run the RP 5-30 as you recommended to OP. Is that best practice on the terminators with stock internals?

 

[jblood37]

I seem to recall a lot of threads mentioning that our dipsticks were not acurate for our engines.

I just put 7 QTs of full synthetic and forget about it (normally Mobil 1 or RP - 5W-30). Track the miles and change it every 4K - 5K miles.

I've seen the same thing on the forums several times. Wonder if there is any truth to it? For the guys running E85, does your oil smell a bit like E85 when you change yours?

 

[c6zhombre]

I've seen the same thing on the forums several times. Wonder if there is any truth to it? For the guys running E85, does your oil smell a bit like E85 when you change yours?

Not really....maybe a very faint smell. But it's not overpowering.....and as you probably know, E85 is a distinct and somewhat pungent aroma. This is one year on the oil maybe 1500 miles.....been running ethanol pretty straight use for 5 years now....5 oil changes.

 

[nxhappy]

The oil level should not be at max on the stick. Ford recommends 6qts and that puts it right in the middle where it is supposed to be. Too much oil can destroy an engine. Running it a little low won't hurt a thing. Be careful.

um no. it's better to have a little too much rather than not enough. Low oil levels means low oil pressure. Also, oil is naturally burned through the PCV system and combustion chamber. IMO 6.5-7 quarts would be the perfect amount.

 

[choate]

um no. it's better to have a little too much rather than not enough. Low oil levels means low oil pressure. Also, oil is naturally burned through the PCV system and combustion chamber. IMO 6.5-7 quarts would be the perfect amount.

Mine ended up taking 6.5 to get it to max line

 

[nxhappy]

Mine ended up taking 6.5 to get it to max line

yep I think that's perfect

 

[03cobra#694]

Jesus, just 7 run and be done. As Brady mentioned, there was a thread way back showing how big the pan was. Big ****ing heads that hold a shitload of oil when running.

 

[Bdubbs]

I've seen the same thing on the forums several times. Wonder if there is any truth to it? For the guys running E85, does your oil smell a bit like E85 when you change yours?

I had quite a bit of e85 smell on royal purple hps 5w30. Had maybe 700-800 miles on it. Last year was the first time running Amsoil ss 10w30 and I couldn't smell any. About the same mileage on this oil.

 

[CobraBob]

um no. it's better to have a little too much rather than not enough. Low oil levels means low oil pressure. Also, oil is naturally burned through the PCV system and combustion chamber. IMO 6.5-7 quarts would be the perfect amount.

That's pretty much spot on. The entire time I had my '03 Cobra I used between 6.5 - 6.75 quarts. 7 quarts once (dealer). As you can see in this thread, the majority use between 6.5 and 7 quarts. That's a pretty safe fill zone.

 

[c6zhombre]

I have never and would not go by this after reading it.....but I figured what the heck.....check the '03 SVT owners supplement guide included with the manual. It says capacity with filter is 6.0 LOL

http://www.terminator-cobra.com/2003SVTCobraSupplementGuide.pdf

 

[jrgoffin]

Factory fill when the engine was built: 6.5 - 6.8 quarts.

 

[c6zhombre]

Factory fill when the engine was built: 6.5 - 6.8 quarts.

Interesting.....that 6.5 to 6.8 is about exactly what I've been doing (filling to just below the "max" mark on the stick).

It's really bizarre, almost unprecedented from any vehicle, high performance or not, that not only the manual...but a very specific "supplement" to the manual can be so far off the proper measurement for capacity. Ford did a very poor job on this one, really important, aspect for this vehicle IMO

 

[jblood37]

I had quite a bit of e85 smell on royal purple hps 5w30. Had maybe 700-800 miles on it. Last year was the first time running Amsoil ss 10w30 and I couldn't smell any. About the same mileage on this oil.

That's odd haha.

 

[Bdubbs]

That's odd haha.

Yup, but Amsoil is now my number one oil for the cobra. Oil pressure is exactly the same between the two.