Higher viscosity oil OK?

Bill Schaible opined in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

You're under warranty, right? Dont do that yet.

What are your driving habits? Be specific!

How long is your typical trip once car is started.

What brand oil do you use?

Have you done your oil changes per the manual?

I'd check for an exhaust leak - propably in the area of the manifold to head interface or possible at the flex joint.

Thicker oil is not likely to fix piston slap, and besides your description doesn't sound like piston slap.

If you really want to try thicker oil, I'd go no thicker than 5W30.

Ed

I had a newish Chevy that just absolutely didn't like Pennzoil. Changing to a different brand got rid of some nasty squeaky valve noise.

The only Ford TSB regarding problems realted to the use of thicker oil was in reference to using 10W40 or thicker in certain 4.6L Modular engines (94-1-17). Becasue of the releif valve design, the thicker viscosity oil could lead to an over pressure condition that could swell up the oil filter can and lead to a leak. The relief vavle design was changed to prevent this condition in 1994. During cold start-up 5W20 and 5W30 oil have similar viscosities, and in all cases the cold start-up viscosity is much higher than the operating temperature viscosity of even 50 weight oil. There were no internal changes to engines when Ford changed the recommendation from

5W30 and/or 10W30 oil to 5W20 oil. Ford has issued a couple of TSB recommending the use of first 5W30 and then 5W20 in older engines, but these did not warn against the use of 5W30 in "newer" engines. Even the language in the operator's guides is wishy washy. Mine says

"SAE 5W-20 engine oil is recommended. Only use oils "Certified For Gasoline Engines" by the American Petroleum Institute (API). Use Motorcraft or an equivalent oil meeting Ford specification WSS-M2C153-H. SAE 5W-20 oil provides optimum fuel economy and durability performance meeting all requirements for your vehicle's engine."

As far as I know, only 5W20 and 0W20 oils meet specification WSS-M2C153-H, but I am not sure of that.

Ed

I have the same car with 30K miles on it (oil changed religiously every

3K). When I *floor* it I hear extra vibration that I don't hear during normal operation.

In my (long) experience, I've found you are just about as far ahead to take a whiz into your crankcase as to put in Penzoil.

Flame away.

opined in news

Gee..i thought it was just me!

I did a long empirical study with Q.S. in the late sixties and swore I would never use another brand with a keystone state reference.

I ALMOST quit using Valvoline a couple years ago, because they were advertising a lot, and I figured they had gone the same direction. as PZ, QS and Fram

Mabee so, maybee no.

The 2300 Pinto/Mustang engines had problems in the south with accelerated camshaft wear when they first started recommending 5W30 oil. Really serious stuff. Finally, in desparation, Ford took the advice of a dealership mechanic to run 10W40 oil in moderate temperatures and 20W50 in the hot southern summers - and the problem dissapeared.

Perhaps Ford has improved the metalurgy of their cams, or the design of their engines, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I'm running 10W40 in my 2.5 Mystique. It's off warranty, and if it goes bad I pay for it - and I'm betting on the heavier oil. If Ford wants to pay for it I'll use what they ask for.

Well, back in the late sixties/early seventies, I thought I would give my car the "best" and used Quaker State Supreme. I had the occaision to open up the engine to do a valve job and found the entire interior of the engine coated in a waxy deposit like cosmoline. When I reassembled the engine I flushed it well with kerosene and refilled with Havoline.(I worked at a Texaco garage at the time) Have not used Quaker state sinse.

About 15 years ago I was on a trip with the company Grand Caravan delivering some computers about 200 miles away. The boss had just had an oil change done (Penzoil). Less than 60 miles from home the oil light started to blink on at speed. Went out at idle. I checked the oil level, and it was fine, but appeared to be the consistency of #2 fuel oil. I took it into a garage and had the oil changed - got rid of the Penzoil and put in Shell Rotella 10W40. No more problems.

I've had other experiences where the Penzoil foamed excessively, and air does not make good oil pressure. Had the same problem with some cheap ESSO 10W30 (green can from a lube shop that I could not buy at the local ESSO station) in customer's cars.

Valvoline still seems to be half decent oil, but I'm back to Havoline again. I was using Castrol but the rep gave my brother too much grief, so he switched his shop to Havoline, and since I do my oil changes at little brother's shop, using the Havoline made sense - and it IS good oil.

I forgot about my '73 Mazda RX-2. Pennzoil smoked like crazy.

I think changing brands would be more effective than changing viscosity.

Interesting thread. I thought the problems my old car had with pennzoil was a fluke. 89 park ave, did a few oil changes with pennzoil and the oil pressure went down like a sonofabitch (the idiot light would come on at idle, or under any light engine load), switched to valvoline (same grade) and the problem went away. drove the car another 40,000 miles after that experience, so I'm sure it wasn't a case of the engine being on the way out.

This is a new one on me. We are in North Carolina and had a '79 with the

2.3L Engine. We got a letter from Ford specifically warning against the use of certain 10W40 oils (anything that was rated CC in addition to the spark rating as a I recall). We never got any sort of recommendation for using 20W50. We also never had any problems with our engine. I looked through all the Ford TSBs back as far as I could, and never found one that made these recommendations. Do you have a source for this claim?

Ed

The article was an interesting opinion piece, but it includes a number of obvious errors. No engine I have every worked on requires 5 minutes to provide enough pressure to the overhead to lubricate the valves and cam. Castrol Syntec is a highly refined Group III oil, not a Group II oil. I have a very hard time believing that changing from 20W50 oil to Mobil 1 could increase a Mustang's mileage from 10-11 mpg to 17-18 mpg. I might have believed a 3% to 5% increase, but no way will I believe a greater than 50% increase.

I agree with some of what he says and think some of the rest is just an opinion I don't share. I particularly think his break-in recommendations are ridiculous. But then that is my opinion.

Ed