Oil

[bLk 03 c0uPe]

OK so at my local wal mart they do not carry 5w20 mobil 1 full synthetic oil. My question is the following, is it safe to run mobil one 5w30? or shall i just go out and find amsoil 5w20? iv heard a lot about how ford made it 5w20 for emissions and such. but i just want to be certain everything will be 110% ok. any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[Jroc]

5W30 is fine and is what I ran for a long time. I now run German Castrol which is a 0W30.

I think Ford went with 5W20 for better MPG.

 

[Brutal Metal]

Actually it has been heavily debated on this site for years and the consensus is 5W30 is the right choice, NOT 5W20, your FINE!

 

[R3dn3k Flyby]

I now run German Castrol which is a 0W30.

This ^

Hit up your local AutoZone and pick up Castrol Syntec 0w30. Should say "Made in Germany" on the back of it.

Also, as a side note, I run 7 quarts. Did some research on here and found that the factory recommendation on oil for both weight and the amount isn't the best.

 

[bLk 03 c0uPe]

thanks i appreciate this a lot!

 

[TVSCobra]

This ^

Hit up your local AutoZone and pick up Castrol Syntec 0w30. Should say "Made in Germany" on the back of it.

Also, as a side note, I run 7 quarts. Did some research on here and found that the factory recommendation on oil for both weight and the amount isn't the best.

Yes sir! +10000000000000

 

[cobracide]

0w multigrade is the way to go.. Amsoil is the best.

 

[SUPERSEXY32V]

0w multigrade is the way to go.. Amsoil is the best.

elaborate a bit

 

[cobracide]

0w flows the best when cold starting. It is thin when the engine is cold as compared to a 5w, 10w ect. thus lubricating the parts immediately as opposed to the engine having to warm up first.

 

[SnakeBit]

elaborate a bit

With oem oil, my engine had a noticable tick when cold started. It went away as the engine heated up. I switched to Amsoil 0W30 and the tick completely disappeared. I figured that it was my lifters pumping up. The 0W30 is real thin at cold start so it gets everywhere to lube the engine right away. Now I'll never go back. Amsoil sees 12,000 miles between changes (filters are replaced every 3,000 and topped off). Blackstone Labs does an analysis at every change. So far, every report comes back telling me to leave the oil in for another 2,500 to 3,500 miles and sample again.

IMO, Amsoil seems to be a better oil, but it's a lot more expensive than Mobil 1. I can't say for sure that the engine will last any longer with Amsoil vs Mobil 1 (my 98 used Mobil 1 and when the valve cover gaskets were replaced, the valvetrain was spotless. Mechanic thought I had cleaned the engine because he was used to seeing a varnish coating on the inside), but my research indicates that Amsoil was one of the first 2 companies to develop synthetic oil. I haven't tried German Castrol yet because for me, Amsoil is easier to get, so I'm sticking with it.

 

[SUPERSEXY32V]

With oem oil, my engine had a noticable tick when cold started. It went away as the engine heated up. I switched to Amsoil 0W30 and the tick completely disappeared. I figured that it was my lifters pumping up. The 0W30 is real thin at cold start so it gets everywhere to lube the engine right away. Now I'll never go back. Amsoil sees 12,000 miles between changes (filters are replaced every 3,000 and topped off). Blackstone Labs does an analysis at every change. So far, every report comes back telling me to leave the oil in for another 2,500 to 3,500 miles and sample again.

IMO, Amsoil seems to be a better oil, but it's a lot more expensive than Mobil 1. I can't say for sure that the engine will last any longer with Amsoil vs Mobil 1 (my 98 used Mobil 1 and when the valve cover gaskets were replaced, the valvetrain was spotless. Mechanic thought I had cleaned the engine because he was used to seeing a varnish coating on the inside), but my research indicates that Amsoil was one of the first 2 companies to develop synthetic oil. I haven't tried German Castrol yet because for me, Amsoil is easier to get, so I'm sticking with it.

interesting. I have always used a 5w30...maybe I should look into switching to a 0w30. so you run amsoil for 12k miles?!? that just seems crazy. how are your driving habits?

 

[Jroc]

With oem oil, my engine had a noticable tick when cold started. It went away as the engine heated up. I switched to Amsoil 0W30 and the tick completely disappeared. I figured that it was my lifters pumping up. The 0W30 is real thin at cold start so it gets everywhere to lube the engine right away. Now I'll never go back. Amsoil sees 12,000 miles between changes (filters are replaced every 3,000 and topped off). Blackstone Labs does an analysis at every change. So far, every report comes back telling me to leave the oil in for another 2,500 to 3,500 miles and sample again.

IMO, Amsoil seems to be a better oil, but it's a lot more expensive than Mobil 1. I can't say for sure that the engine will last any longer with Amsoil vs Mobil 1 (my 98 used Mobil 1 and when the valve cover gaskets were replaced, the valvetrain was spotless. Mechanic thought I had cleaned the engine because he was used to seeing a varnish coating on the inside), but my research indicates that Amsoil was one of the first 2 companies to develop synthetic oil. I haven't tried German Castrol yet because for me, Amsoil is easier to get, so I'm sticking with it.

I'm not trying to say you need to switch or anything, but Autozone sells German Castrol so its pretty easy to find. Another true Full Synthetic you can buy OTC(over the counter) is Mobil 1 0W40. Autozone is the only OTC common store that I know of the sells German Castrol. No other big chain autoparts store that I'm aware of sells it. Most sell Mobil 1 0W40 though.

Amsoil is extremely good oil, but German Castrol is the value leader for synthetic oil IMO. Its extremely good oil, and is the same price as any other falsely advertised OTC Full-Synthetic.

 

[orange2004cobra]

+1 on the Germas Castrol 0w30

Have also had really good results on blower cars w/o cats with 5w40 Shell rotella-T in cars w/o cats..

 

[scotmach]

I use Amsoil in all four of my cars. The two Mustangs get the oil changed but once a year regardless the miles. My two daily drivers get their oil changed every 20,000 miles. To me the Amsoil Signature Series 0w-30 is the best oil to run bar none.

 

[Rambro]

Last year I went on a search for this elusive german castrol and couldnt find it. I must have went to at least five autozone stores in my area and no luck. I use mobil1 ep 5w30 7 quarts btw.

 

[03SnakePlissken]

Signature Series Amsoil here. I run it in all my gassers and do 25K oil changes and filtr changes with the Amsoil EaFilters. The Cobra will get once a year changes, or about 4-5K miles and it's using a Amsoil Ea Filter sized equal to the old FL-1A motocraft filter, this matches the filter relocation kit on the car.

Amsoil is a true class IV synthetic, many others are primarily a class III with some (expensive compared to class III) class IV synthetic blended in. Also, Amsoil carries a very high TBN count to begin with, I believe that the Signature series is a 10.4 TBN (total base number, a measure of the very expensive additives that make modern oils so fantastic) vs. Mobile coming in somewhere around 7 or 7.5 TBN. So your Amsoil after a few thousand miles is still protecting with both the oil and the additive package better than the Mobile1 that is brand new in the bottle.

The best way to go is become a prefered customer and buy your Amsoil at wholesale prices.
Pennsylvania Amsoil Outlet

 

[03SnakePlissken]

All Synthetics Are NOT Created Equal
In the past, it was always believed that purchasing a synthetic oil meant just that, you were buying an oil that was man made rather than a petroleum that was pumped out of the ground. Towards the end of the 1990s this all changed with the reformulation of Castrol Syntec. They had changed their formula from a PAO base stock, which was one of the most commonly used base stocks at the time, to a petroleum base that had gone through a process called Hydrocracking. This process refines the oil very well, to a point that Castrol called it a Synthetic. While doing some testing Mobil discovered the formula change and took Castrol to court claiming that they were false advertising the oil as a Synthetic, since it's base stock was made from a petroleum. Mobil's stand basically said that a "synthetic" oil is something man made in a lab to certain specification that cannot be found in nature that way, which was the common thought even consumers had at the time. Castrol's stand was that this process the oil went through was so refined that it no longer resembled anything in nature, therefore it was a "synthetic." Because the API couldn't come up with a good definition of a synthetic themselves, they accepted Castrol's definition.

This type of oil was less costly to produce than the PAO based synthetics (although it has been effected by the rising petroleum costs of the past few years). Unfortunately the consumer never benefited from the lower manufacturing costs, and it seems the oil manufacturers most likely made a bigger profit from each sale. This has now changed how oil is made and sold, and it's classification. There are five Groups of oils. Group I rarely is used anymore, while Group II is your common petroleum oil. This "hydrocracked" oil is commonly referred to as a Group III oil, while the PAO synthetics are a Group IV. Group V oils do exist, but are uncommon, and typically not often used for automotive use.

From the information given to me last, EVERY synthetic on the market today has converted over to this Group III oil, with the exception of most of the Amsoil line, Mobil 1, and a few other specialty oils, usually more difficult to find. Amsoil's XL line of oil is a Group III oil. It is not designed for the extended drains that their other lines are, therefore, the Group III formula is perfect for it's recommended drain interval. When this oil became a Group III oil, Amsoil did lower their price, unlike the competition. Amsoil's standard 25,000 mile oil and their Series 2000 is a Group IV "Genuine PAO Formulated Synthetic" oil.

Yet there are differences between the Group III oil qualities as well. Many manufacturers purchase a base stock that is refined just enough to push it out of a Group II classification and into the Group III where they can call it a synthetic and charge the higher price. In many cases, these oils are not much better than a quality Group II oil. In the case of the Amsoil XL oils, Amsoil purchases the highest quality Group III base stock available. This is one of the reasons it performs so well.

Group III oils have been around for a few years now, and are being used in other applications as well, such as Transmission Fluids and Gear Lubes, however, as time continues, it is being found and noted that they do not last as well as the PAO Synthetics. And this seems logical, it is still a Petroleum based oil, and suffers the same breakdown temps as the less refined Group II oils. For this reason, these fluids are being beefed up with additives. But rather than slowly breaking down over time, like the Group IV fluids, these fluids tend to remain stable until the additives wear out and rapidly drop in their performance and protection. For this reason, many vehicle manufacturers who were putting a synthetic into their products for the added protection, are finding that they are not getting what they expected, and it is predicted that many future Owner's Manuals will stop requiring merely a "synthetic" oil, but specify a Group IV synthetic.

Note: I do know that Royal Purple and Joe Gibbs are Group V Synthetics.

 

[Bluebullit]

i think im gonna look into this for the gt. I run 5w20 mobile 1 but once the car warms up the oil pressure drops to about 10psi... Is that normal cause the oil pump was changed out when i spun a bearing using royal purple... and sometimes when the a/c in on it will idle closer to 500rpms sometimes and it will fall to zero. Now my ? is do i have a problem or is low Idle oil pressure normal cause as soon as i give it gas it jumps back up

oh and my car has a nice size cam and a vortech so that is why the rpms drop like that sometimes

 

[Bluebullit]

Note: I do know that Royal Purple and Joe Gibbs are Group V Synthetics.

well i ran royal purple for about 1200 miles and spun a rod bearing from low oil and i didnt have any leaks and when i tore the engine down there was stuff caked all along the side of the block by the crank so i will never run their product again. I immediately drained that same oil out of my moms 04 cobra cause we didnt need 2 blown motors lol

 

[blackmagicmach]

so what would ford's motorcraft synthetic oil be classed as, a class III?