Howdy,
After reading on this board, I decided to try switching to Mobil 1 5W20 Synthetic oil. Here's the math:

Motorcraft 5W20 Synthetic Blend 5qt - $12
Motorcraft 5W20 Synthetic Blend 1qt - $2
Motorcraft FL820S Oil Filter - $4

Total: about $19.50 after tax for oil that'll last 5000 miles

Mobil 1 5W20 Synthetic 5 qt - $24
Mobil 1 5W20 Synthetic 1 qt - $7
Mobil 1 Oil Filter - $10

Total: about 44.40 after tax for oil that'll last 10000 miles

But that's assuming that the filter will still do it's job up until 10000 miles, which shouldn't be expected. Add another $10 to change the filter at 5000 miles, and the total for synthetic oil comes to less than $60.

While I can certainly afford the synthetic oil, I can't justify getting under the truck just to change the oil filter when the additional work of doing the complete oil change with synthetic blend is negligible and less expensive.

So my question is: Is the protection capability of synthetic oil really worth the extra cost and work?

 

You will get better gas milage, the engine will start easier in the cold and it will last longer with synthetic.
Personally, I use Motorcraft 5w-30 semi-synthetic in my truck. My gas milage has improved, the engine has a lot less piston slap in the morning and overall it just seems to run a little bit better than when I used Mobil Clean 5,000 and Castrol GTX.
I personally dont believe in running an oil any longer than 5,000 miles between oil changes. No matter how good the oil is, it still accumulates dirt and you need to change the oil often in order to drain that dirt out of your engine.
Also, my engine has the infamous passenger-side headgasket oil leak and it seems to leak less oil with Motorcraft oil. It makes no sense that it would leak less with a semi-synthetic over a mineral oil, but it definetly seems to leak less now. All in all, Ive been very pleased with Motorcraft oil.

 

With synthetic based oils, there are several types on the market. The first would be the Group III synthetics often referred to as dino synthetic. It is a severely hydrocracked oil, will have Viscosity Indexes 120 and above, will appear to be clear, is a liquid and gas to liquid technology, has the same lubricity as any other synthetic. There are the Group IVs better known as polyalphaolefins or PAOs. In previous years these base oils were known for their ability to handle heat. They were also known to cause leaks at seals as the PAOs do nothing for the seal swell like normal oil. Most folks still think they are made in a lab somewhere by magic. They are a gas to liquid technology and are made in refineries. Ethylene gas is converted in the process and gas suitable for conversion is getting harder and more expensive to find. Then you have the Group V base oils. The Group V is everything else not covered by the other Groups but it is mostly an ester that is used for lubes. An ester is a reaction of a fatty acid and an alcohol. There are an infinite amount of esters that can be made for specific uses. Esters handle seal swell and are used sometimes in PAOs to address the seal swell issue. They have a very slight advantage in lubricity but not enough that you or your engine will ever know it. Usually these types are expensive but I've never seen an ester based motor oil that was more than 25% ester. None of the above types of base oils will get your engine, under normal driving conditions, one mile farther down the road. You will not get better fuel mileage by changing to a synthetic of any kind. With today's technologies in processing regular dino oils, heat is no longer an issue and will have the lubricity that a synthetic will. Any formulation that can be made to give a synthetic an advantage can also be formulated in a normal dino with the same results. The only advantage of a synthetic today is that IF it is formulated accordingly, it can go farther between changes. Most of the OTC synthetics are not formulated for the extended oil changes. Only Amsoils PAO based oils and Mobil One Extended are formulated for that. Pushing any other synthetic past the makers recommended OCI is reckless at best. There is a myth that says synthetics have more protection. And that's just what it is, a myth.
So why do folks use it? Same reason they change oil at 3000 miles. Old habits are hard to break. I always find it amuzing that somebody will jump up and say "well I've been using X brand for the last 15 years and haven't had any oil related issues". Two things. First, he has never put the same formulation in his engine more than once unless he bought a bunch at one time. Formulations change about as often as some folks change underwear. Two, how many of you have even heard of an oil related failure? It's rare and with the newer specs on oil, even rarer. Use what ever makes you feel good and you can afford. There are loads of engines on the road today well past the 200,000 miles mark on WalMart oil.

 

Syn Oil dramatically reduces wear in the engine which is always good amongst other things. I'd stick with the Motorcraft Oil Filter either way.

It costs more because it is better for your engine. Truth is, it just really depends on what you want. If you do any towing, off roading, etc, it would most definitely be a better option. If you just drive the truck as a DD of sorts, the syn blend will most likely be fine. I run RP 5W-20 and a Motorcraft OF in my Mustang because it will help the engine last longer and it is generally run under more strenuous conditions than most. IDK know about Mobil 1, but RP also meets and exceeds Ford's Motor Oil Requirements.

There are all kinds of articles about it. These are some from the Royal Purple site:
http://www.royalpurple.com/corvette-enthusiast.html
http://www.royalpurple.com/modified-mag.html
http://www.royalpurple.com/fleet-maintenance.html

 

I put Royal Purple in at my last change. I didn't notice any improvements in performance or MPG (contrary to what some may claim). I simply like using synthetic and thought I'd give RP a try.

A short answer for the original question: You would switch to synthetic to lengthen time between oil changes. I'm with you though... if you're already getting under the truck to change the filter, might as well just change the oil while you're at it.

Here's a thought... when it's all said and done, the filter is perhaps more important than the oil. This is assuming that for the most part, oil is oil. I don't see a whole lot of discussion about oil filters on here. I don't care how long the oil can last if there's junk in it.

 

That makes a lot of sense. I think I'm just going to stick with the regular old Motorcraft synthetic blend and oil filter.

By the way Aggie class of 2007 here!

 

Just stick with whatever you can get cheap at Walmart. It's not changing your oil that is the problem. If you forget to change the oil on a regular basis, then synthetic extended use oils will benefit you. But if you change your oil every three months or 3,000 miles, Motorcraft OEM oil & filter will do just fine.

 

Synthetics have their advantages in extreemely cold temps at startup time in the early morning! I run a good Synthetic during the winter months as where I am there are some sub zero temps & 10 degree startup temps, after the truck sat in the cold all night!.....

 

Even the Motorcraft OEM 5w20 blend will get you up to 7500 miles. 3000 mile changes are a waste of oil except in extreme cases. I change my oil once a year. This is usually between 12K and 15K miles. I use Amsoil 0w30 which is tested to 35K miles with Oil Analysis and bypass filtration. Unfortunately the shop that rebuilt my front end changed my oil as well without asking. I did not pay for it either but I noticed a Purolator filter. I only use Motorcraft or Amsoil filters so I knew they changed it. No biggie, I will go until the end of the summer and change it. No need to waste free oil.

 

I ran up 160,000 miles on a 01 ranger using motorcraft oil and filters,changed every 3000 miles with no problems,no leaks,runs great.
The f150 is on Synthetic oil and on 1120 miles total so i will get back to you in a few years.

 

If your engine operates in a dusty enviornment, is it not better to change the oil and the filter more often? Say at least every 5000? I drive in some very sandy and dusty conditions, I would think some of that grit has to get into the oiling system.

 

Correct. Some grit may make it past your air filter so it is a good idea to change both more often. You should upgrade to something other than a pleated paper filter as well if you have not done so already. I see you have a K&N so that is a start.
Make sure it is properly oiled etc.

 

There is a lot of oil and gas drilling going on around here. They are laying pipelines everywhere. The roads stay dusty and dirty from all the trucking activity coming and going from the fields.

I have been running that "horrible" K&N drop in for 73,000 miles. I was a little concerned when I first installed it, that dust would get by the filter. So far, the oil level barely moves on the dip stick at 4500 miles, between changes. This last time, I went 4750. I used to change it at about 3800, so I have started stretching it, for me.

 

Personally I would not trust am old K&N air filter, driving in the conditions that you had described, & would switch to an OE MotorCraft filter ASAP....& change every year! That is what I follow, with the harsh Salt/Sand conditions that I experience in the winter months.......IMHO.....

 

If you just have a K&N on it's own I would agree. Outerwares makes a prefilter that slids right over the K&N for most applications. It adds extra protection and makes cleaning the filter way easier. I personally would not run a K&N or like oiled filter without a prefilter. All that extra air flow comes with a cost and that is less overall filtration than a paper filter.