Validation for 5k Oil Change Intervals

[nikhsub1]

My oil dummy meter generally tells me to change the oil right around 5k miles anyway... must be the stop/go la traffic

 

[1BAD454SSv2]

Better hurry up! I can see E85 going away soon. Once the greenies are happy with the number of EVs, they will remove the mandate to carry E85 as a "green fuel" since it still has gasoline in it. The fuel stations will be more than happy to see it gone.

Your Right only local station that sold E85 in my town just put bags on the pump handles last week. Guess back to 91 octane tune .

 

[Old-Raptor-guy]

I said I would revisit this this subject and Honestly I am not sure Why. This will take a bit of time to compose and honestly with all the doubters I am not sure it is appreciated.

So there is at least one question you should ask yourself.

In who's best interest is it that I/You follow the manufactures recommendations?

As I stated earlier, why is the average engine life not changed in 40 years. Extended drain intervals and honestly mostly lighter oils IMHO have pretty much offset any gains in oil tech for the long term.

Yes to reach 300k you may do 10 extra oil changes but, what is the actual cost. $1000 using the most premium products available. When a replacement engine is $15k+ it seems like a no brainier.

Next look at oil specs.

The non-ecoboost engines "recommend" (remember what that word means) 5W-20. While the Eco-boost engines "recommend" 5w-30. But is there anything actually different between a 3.5 and a 3.5 eco-boost. When it comes to the oiling system the answer is NO!!. The oil pump is the same, the crankshaft is the same, the connecting rods are the same and most importantly the main and rod bearings are the same. The cams and heads appear to be the same (I need to do a bit more research on part #'s) but most importantly ALL clearance specifications between the crank, rods, cams and their "wear surfaces" (bearings on crank/rods, bare cylinder head aluminum on the cams is the same). So why "recommend" a grade higher (thicker) oil.

The difference is the turbos and the heat they create. Ford knows the 5W-20 can not hold up to that heat and protect the turbos. So why would you run 5W-20 oil in a non-ecoboost engine.

Lets look at some more evidence. everyone will agree the 90's to 2002 ford crown vic 4.6 and F-150 4.6/5.4 are very very reliable and cases of 300k miles are pretty much normal. With 0 parts changed Ford all of a sudden comes out with 5W-20 oil and with in a couple years timing chain issues pop up around 150-180k. Things that make you go hmmmmmm.

PS: This is NOT a FOMOCO issue, all the manufactures do this. (honda was actually 2nd manufacture to adopt 5W-20 i believe)

PSS: The 5.4 3V was an even worse ball of shit.

Now, lets look at a couple other things. The Ford GT had a 3.5 eco-boost, pretty much no parts are the same, but all oil clearances are the same. "recommended" oil 5w-50, Ford mustang GT500 nothing eco-boost about this engine but all the oil clearneces are the same, "recommended" oil 5W-50. hmmmm why so you think that is? Well both cars are expected to go to the track and if so will create a ton of heat and seriously lighter oil can not handle heat that well.

(had to step away from this for about 6 days, going to add some pictures and edit please bare with me)

 

[Old-Raptor-guy]

 

[Zeusmotorworks]

So what does @Old-Raptor-guy run in HIS 3.5 turbocharged EB? 5w-50? If so, not that you are "recommending", what 5w-50?

 

[Old-Raptor-guy]

I could only post 5 pics at a time so lets talk about the pictures posted.

the first 5 pictures are from a vehicle (ford 2.7 i believe but honestly it has been a few months)

the 6th and 7th pictures are from my wife's personal SHO.

The 2.7 in question has been running 5w30 it's whole life.

My wife's 2013 SHO has been running 5w40 5000 miles MAX!! since 2015 when we purchased it.

There is alot more than might be noticed at first in these pictures, so lets discuss and I can answer questions.

Keep in mind that while coolant temp might not go over 225, parts of the engine (such as cam gear) are NOT water cooled and as such can reach well over 300 degrees, as the pictures of carbonized oil show.

You do you, but I nor my family has had any oil related failures in about 3.8 million miles and 62 years of driving. ( something like 400 years of driving if you split it up per family member like the miles)

 

[Old-Raptor-guy]

So what does @Old-Raptor-guy run in HIS 3.5 turbocharged EB? 5w-50? If so, not that you are "recommending", what 5w-50?

I run 5w-40 in all my vehicles (2002 7.3PSD, 2013 SHO, 2020 Raptor) I have thought about the 5w50, and that is what I have my buddy run in his 2017 Shelby Super Snake. ( which Ironically is what Shelby recommends on an engine that ford recommends 5w30 on)

 

[Old-Raptor-guy]

My wife's SHO was getting water pump done which is the Achilles heal of the FWD 3.5 ecoboost. I have about 200 customers "converted" to the 5w40 oil and in 10+years I have had 0 engine repairs on any of them. I seriously had to wait for my wife's water pump to fail to get pictures inside of an engine that had been running that oil for any length of time.

 

[Nex]

I run T6 15w-40 in my 1996 7.3

 

[Old-Raptor-guy]

just look at picture #3 vs picture #7, the differences are obvious.