Ford released the 5-w-20 for the 2001 vehicles and depending on the engine size. Ford just released a list of years and models that the oil has been approved for. The TSB is in the new release 02-01

 

my understanding is that Ford went to 20 weight oil to squeeze another small fraction of a percent fuel economy for CAFE ratings.

 

See thread in engine forum.

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...5&pagenumber=6

 

J150 you are correct.

If you really want to treat your engine right, then I would recommend staying with the more conventional 10w-30 oil. It will give you better lubrication than the 5w-20. Ford speced this oil out so that they could squeeze a little more mpg out of their vehicles. By doing this, it allows them to produce more of the gas thirsty SUV's and pick up trucks that are thei best sellers. It has nothing to do with better lubrication. Ford is gambling that their will be very little warranty work for excessive wear in the 36,000 mile warranty, but their is no proof on how long an engine will last beyond that. Do you think Ford cares? No! As long as they make it past the warranty and save a little on total fuel economy, they are ahead of the game. Most dealers that I have spoken to will not void a warranty if you use 10w-30 on the newer vehicles that require 5w-20. If it's definitely not required for warranty then stay away from it. Besides, 10w-30 is much more readily availabe, and cheaper. You could also use 5w-30.

 

I have an interesting story for you guys. My neighboor had 1994 Nissan pickup with a 2.4L 4 cylinder engine. He saw me changing my oil and told my this story. His Nissan had 133,000k miles on it and he only changed the oil THREE times. After getting rear ended he sold the truck to a high school mechanic shop teacher. He later ran into the mechanic and the mechanic told my neighboor that he must have really taken care of the engine because when he rebuilt the engine at 160,000k everything looked great and could have gone another 50k before the rebuild.

 

I have owned Nissans in the past and they are built to last.

You oculd throw a grenade in the engine and it would probably still run. I love my Ford (American iron) but I wish Ford could get on par with Nissan's quality....

 

I have read my owners manual and it recommends 5w-20 for my 2001 F150 4.2. I have always brought it to the dealer to have the oil changed. The past few nights I have been looking around town, Wal-Mart, VIP auto, Autozone etc. and none of them sale 5w-20. I figured there must be something wrong with this picture since my dealer "must" be using 5w-20. Well after looking at the work orders the dealer gives you to my surprise my Ford dealer does not have 5w-20 either. It states right on the work order that they used "5w-30" so must not be to important, nor a "requirement" to use 5w-30 to in order to "not" void your warranty. Nothing like having evidence

 

I have been using 5w-30 valvoline durablend since i bought my truck new. asked the dealer service if 5w-30 is o.k.? he said "sure, won't hurt a thing." i asked if it would void my warranty? he said "no it would'nt." so i'm no longer worried about the oil issue anymore. just my 2 cents.

 

...motor oil than can be believed. 10w-30 is not better for your vehicle than 5w-30 when 5w-30 is recommended. EVER. Period.

The multiweight oils do not (repeat: NOT) refer to winter and summer performance; they refer to engine temperature. When the engine is "cold", the oil's viscosity under stress (that means when pumped and shoved against a cylinder wall) are like those of SAE 10 oil, and when at operating temperature (your engine is "warmed up") it will behave as an SAE 30. If you are told to use a 5w-30 then using a 10w-30 can ONLY cause more damage at cold start. PERIOD. Why? Simple; 5 weight flows more easily and coats more quickly at startup than 10 weight. Once the engine is warmed up, the cooling system (you know, that radiator, antifreeze, and water pump are there for a reason!) will maintain the engine in its designed operating range, which (SURPRISE!) will be the desired temperature for the specified oil to act like its higher designated weight in an SAE multiweight system, and thus provide the design-mandated resistance and flow characteristics.


In typical (that means anything but Formula One and Drag racers, etc.) automotive applications, there is also NO REASON to get a heavier oil (like a 10w-40 or 20w-50 racing oil) for its inherently greater viscosity. Although it will be a heavier barrier in the engine, it will also have worse friction characteristics and not pump the way your system was designed to do so.....


And, before you tell me about how many years you have sold Amsoil or raced lawnmowers out behind Grampy's house, you better line your facts up and present them clearly. The "Dr." in my logon represents a Ph.D. in Viscoelastic (visco.....viscosity....hmmmmm....) Materials Science from Texas A&M University and I will be thrilled to see what smack you want to throw out there to hawk your point of view.





SO:
If the manual says to use SAE 5w-30, then GET 5w-30!!!! They (the people telling you this in your owners' manual) only designed the freakin' engine, from oil pump to valve openings....and everything in between.

 

Sorry you missed the class on automotive engines Doc, but you are off base when it comes to oil viscosities and wear for automotive engines. The whole concept of reducing the viscosity from 10w-30 to 5w-30 was to gain valuable mpg ratings for the manufacturers. Some of the engine manufacturers hadn't made any changes in the design of the engine, but yet they switched the recommended oil from 10w-30 to 5w-30. Was it becasue they were idiots in their first recommndation? I don't think so.

If Ford can gain a very minimal percentage in mpg per vehicle then the overall picture for the mpg ratings will allow them to build more SUV's and trucks, which has been the single most growth in automotive sales. That's why they are pushing 5w-20 now for some of the newer vehicles. If you could show me less wear on an engine that is recommended to use 5w-30 over the same engine that uses 10w-30 then I would admit I'm wrong, but you won't be able to. Talk to an engineer who has designed the engines. He'll set you straight.

I know you will fire back at me, but let's just leave it at we disagree with each other.

 

Looks like Drdevil is full of himself. Answer this question for me: If the men and women that designed an engine in say, the early 90's recommend 5W-30 and no specs have been changed, why recommend 5W-20 now? I already am aware of the "true" answer, I'm interested to hear your explanantion....

 

...and neither did a lot of these engineers who read charts (set up by people I went to school with) and obey them, without understanding the underlying mechanical behaviours.

Again, changing the FIRST (that's the "5" in the 5w-30) number has to do with cold operation, and the second has to do with "warm" operation. So, "Frank S", moving from 5w-30 to 5w-20 does in no way contradict my post, although this apparently goes over your head. Whether the 20w shear strength exceeds Ford's engine lubrication needs at "warm" operational temperature and compression or not has nothing to do with whether one should use a 5w-xx or 10w-xx as discussed by "Navi Man". Again, the CRITICAL point here is the FIRST number, where "Navi Man" recommended going from a 5w-30 to a 10w-30.

Going to a lighter weight regime "cold" weight (say, 10w-30 to 5w-30) is entirely founded on reducing wear at cold starts. It has almost no effect on efficiency ratings because engine efficiency is modeled under WARM operation, when the "30" in 5w-30 applies.

Moving to a lighter weight in the operational temperature range (say, moving to a 5w-20 from a 5w-30) is designed to reduce fluid friction loss (and thus theoretically improve fuel efficiency) while the engine is at design operational temperature, thus answering the Mighty Frank S's question.

Navi Man, in your infinite (sic) wisdom, show us all where Ford EVER recommended 10w-30 for use with the 4.6L V-8. Ever. I own two of them, a 1995 model and a 1997 model, and await your answer with baited breath. You said the "engineers who designed them" didn't change the design and still recommended the lighter low temperature range oil, yet this really only matters for the engines we own, doesn't it. Additionally, why on earth would you use an oil which does less to prevent wear at start-up? I don't have to show you an engine; all you have to do is follow your own advice on a higher level and ask someone who consults on fluid friction under all conditions.....i hope no one follows your suspect advice, but i guess they'll get their money's worth from dealing with you, eh?

 

Thanks Drdevil, you just proved my point without even realizing it. And don't you mean, reduce fluid friction and not "reduce fluid friction loss." It's called comprehension, try it.

 

...I guess you can make yourself feel better; i had a typo. Reduce Fluid Friction.

Anything of substance or will you just go back to patting yourself on the back? I hope no one follows rotten advice whackos like Navi Man hand out here on a regular basis....

 

Is everyone finished arguing?