Just an inside scoop from the oil industry: The oil recomended by ford is motorcraft. that is because Motorcraft and ford have some kind of deal. It is for them to make profit on YOU! Don't stick with a brand cause the dealer recommended it. the best Oil out there is Either SWEPCO or Royal Purple. Both cost more but a couple extra bucks to protect thousands of dollars worth of equipment, you be the judge. And LABnerd was right, not all synthetics are created equal. SWEPCO out performs any Synthetic, any day!!! If you want more info on it let me know! Or on any oil for that matter...

 

I hear what your saying but with anything about dealerships I want to stay within the warranty guide line that way when something happens to my truck I can walk in and take no bulls**T.

 

I'll keep my Amsoil, thanks anyway.

 

the thing about people running mc 5w-20 isn't necessarily about ford and warranties, but often about a reasonably low price point, widespread availability and the reality that quite a few people have quite acceptable results verified thru oil analysis

that being said, i agree a synthetic would be a better oil, and a pao synthetic better still--but for those of us who'd prefer to run shorter, 3k intervals with a blend, mc 5w-20 seems to be a pretty good oil

 

There's no "deal" going - Motorcraft is PART of Ford.........

I believe MC oil is made by Conoco Phillips. It's a quality semi-synthetic that is carried by all kinds of parts stores and discounters (think Walmart) at a very decent price. If I were not running a full synthetic by MY choice, that's the oil I'd use.

 

Just curious, but can you back that up? Will you please produce a data sheet on Swepco and compare it to some oils of same multi-viscosity? Please show comparisons to:

Renewable lubricants, Inc.
Amsoil
RP
Leading Edge Lubricants

The first one listed, RLI, has probably one of the best add. packs on the market, and analysis has been used to demonstrate this. But, this oil certainly isn't cheap at $7.85/quart on average.

 

To the original thread starter; after all the replies, have you learned anything worthwhile?
The spec oil for your truck cost $2.32 qt in my area.
It is a 5 w 20 syn blend and is all you need to use.
Change it and the filter at 5 to 6 k miles and don't worry about anything else.
I have 88k miles and heavey towing to boot at gross total weights of up to 12,000 lbs in dead heat of summer.
The motor is full quiet at all times with this oil change procedure.
There is no big magic in oils for common street use that you will ever be able to get any large gains from by using hi cost full syc .
Doing the cost vs time thing is not worth while.

 

IMO, even with synthetic you shouldnt run longer between oil changes. No matter how good an oil is, it still gets dirty over time and you need to change the oil often to drain that dirt out of your engine.
Even if you change the filter every 3,000 miles, that only going to catch the big particles. The really, really small particles are still in the oil and only draining the oil will get those out.
There are a couple of benefits you will notice with synthetic though. The molecules of dino oil are random and jagged whereas the molecules of synthetic oil are round (kind of like ball bearings), so you will get better fuel economy with synthetic.
Also, synthetic flows better at cold temps, so your engine will start easier in the cold.
Im personally not a believer in synthetic oil in my daily driver. I dont feel that the benefits justify the added cost. I used Castrol GTX 5w-30 in my truck, I change the oil and oil filter every 3,000 miles and thus far my truck has held up well. Right now Im at 163,000 miles and my truck still runs strong. I have aboslutely no reservations in mashing the gas pedal into the floorboard and letting the engine rev up to 5,500 rpm when passing or merging on the interstate.

 

Use synthetic motor oil when the outside temps are very cold or very hot. Otherwise, your semi-synthetic blended 5W-20 Motorcraft oil is pretty hard to beat on a cost/performance basis for the Triton engines.

 

Interesting about Swepco oils. I have never run into them but I don't see many boutique oils anyway. From MT post it sounds like it is a synthetic. From their website it claims to be a high viscosity index solvent paraffinic. That makes it a Gp II dino oil. That's as far as solvent refining will get you without going to severe hydrocracking and if you are hydrocracking, why bother with solvent refining. The API rating that they give it would be an SJ. They do not say they actually have API certification- kinda like Amsoil says it meets or exceeds but doesn't really have the certification. The main additive they tout is dimonyl. That would be a very fine moly disulphide. While I can't say that it doesn't work, it didn't in the 60's, it didn't in the 90's, and it didn't in 2005. It hasn't ever worked in an internal combustion engine so I doubt that it works now but who knows what they've done with it. Their claims of 100,000 mile oil changes on diesels is pretty optimistic yet the same oil is suppose to work in a gas engine without overbasing. It would be an industry first. Anybody have any other technical info on the stuff, I'd like to read about it. Please- no advertizing hype. I could care less what the advertizing agency has to say. Just the facts.

 

My two cents, and one more time just for the sake of saying it:

Use the proper weight oil for your engine.

Use a (preferably) reputable brand, or at least something with the latest API rating. Synthetic or conventional, it don't matter.

Use a good filter - especially for those of us running 5.4 3Vs, a filter with a good anti drain back valve like an FL820S.

Change it regularly.

Sleep well at night, and quit thinking so hard about oils.

 

Just for kicks, when it comes time for a new truck, dump a handfull of dirt into the oil fill tube, then fill the crankcase with dollar general oil. Don't change it, but drive it until it quits. I bet it'll go another 100,000 miles if you keep the oil topped off.

 

Oooh - Dollar General oil - you are moving up in the world, I figured you would say drain oil.

 

I used to like the infomercials for pro-long engine treatment, when they would drain out the oil of a running engine after treating it with Pro-Long Engine treatment.. & it would run up the coast of Cali......nowadays Pro-Long sounds like some kind of ED medicine......(LOL).........

 

Thanks for the heads up, honestly had no idea motorcraft was actually part of Ford. However that backs my point even more. not saying its some kind of crap oil (actually i've only heard good things) but Ford makes money if you buy that oil. that is why it comes recommended by Ford. I thought the original thread was looking for the best Oil out there. Synthetic= Royal Purple. Conventional= SWEPCO. And yes I do have fact sheet on SWEPCO along with other info on there products. I will post this info on my lunch break. Thanks for all the input, the more info the better.