oil choice?
06-20-2011, 01:07 PM
#11
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Arlington, Virginia
Posts: 1,305
Your car came from the factory with MotorCraft 5W30 synthetic blend, good for up to 7500 miles or 6 months, as well as the OE Motorcraft filter being good for that 7500 miles (and is also about as good a filter as you can get for the $$). With that being said, I wouldn't go over 7,000 miles on most any blend; 5,000 miles if you do a lot of city driving. Full synthetic is good for 10,000 miles or more along with a high capacity filter and suits you if you tend to put a lot of miles on the car. Blend or full syn will take your engine beyond 200,000-300,000 miles and more with little difference to be seen, if any. Take your pick but, for the money, you can't beat the price of the Motorcraft oil and filter at Wally World. Oil changes are simply too simple to let a shop do it.
Unlike the lube shops that let only the heavy flow exit before putting the plug back, in and out in 10 minutes.
06-20-2011, 02:03 PM
#13
6th Gear Member
The pay back for the cost of the basic tools you'll need (some of which you may already have) from doing your own oil changes is easily after only 3 - 5 oil changes. Plus, it allows you to get more "intimate" with your car. While the oil is draining, I usually check other things like tire pressure and give a good overall visual.
There's a "How-To" in the stickies in the main forum but it's really so simple you don't need one.
A set of Rhino Ramps is priceless. Some guys use jacks.
There's a "How-To" in the stickies in the main forum but it's really so simple you don't need one.
A set of Rhino Ramps is priceless. Some guys use jacks.
06-20-2011, 02:12 PM
#15
6th Gear Member
06-20-2011, 03:29 PM
#17
6th Gear Member
[quote=Ares05;7589375]...do you have to change the oil filter at every oil change? ...quote]
You don't HAVE to but it's prudent.
You don't HAVE to but it's prudent.
- Why contaminate your fresh oil with about 1/2 quart of old oil?
- The oil filter only holds so much particulate. Trying to stretch the mileage on a filter could end up clogging the filter and opening the bypass valve which simply allows those particulates to circulate thru the engine. NOT good.
- The OE MotorCraft filter is very good and is rather inexpensive. You can pick them up at WalMart.
06-20-2011, 07:58 PM
#19
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: WA
Posts: 276
A run Amsoil 5w30 100% synthetic oil. My mustang has 140,000 miles on it and I autocross and open track on the weekends with it. I have also had oil analysis done and it always comes back stating I could run it much longer. I change it between 7,000-10,000 miles. Depending on how hard I have run it.
For even more protection I also run:
Motorcraft - FL-820-S or Amsoil - EaO11 Oil Filter (They are both about as good as it gets).
FilterMAG - HP-365 Magnetic Oil Filter System.
A note about Synthetic VS Dino oil: One of the main differences, but certainly not the only differance, between synthetic and dino oil is that synthetic oils stocks start with the higher number and the additive package brings it down to perform at the lower number when the engine is cold. Dino oils start with the lower number and the additive package bring the oil to the upper number when at operating temperature, around 212°F for the oil. The obvious advantage here is as the additive package dissipates over time you are left with the higher operating temperature number with synthetics and exactly the opposite with dino oil which inherently degrade much faster than synthetics. There are other advantages to synthetics but I feel this is one of the most important to understand especially for those that run there oil for extended periods of time between changes.
For even more protection I also run:
Motorcraft - FL-820-S or Amsoil - EaO11 Oil Filter (They are both about as good as it gets).
FilterMAG - HP-365 Magnetic Oil Filter System.
A note about Synthetic VS Dino oil: One of the main differences, but certainly not the only differance, between synthetic and dino oil is that synthetic oils stocks start with the higher number and the additive package brings it down to perform at the lower number when the engine is cold. Dino oils start with the lower number and the additive package bring the oil to the upper number when at operating temperature, around 212°F for the oil. The obvious advantage here is as the additive package dissipates over time you are left with the higher operating temperature number with synthetics and exactly the opposite with dino oil which inherently degrade much faster than synthetics. There are other advantages to synthetics but I feel this is one of the most important to understand especially for those that run there oil for extended periods of time between changes.
06-21-2011, 10:41 AM
#20
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Arlington, Virginia
Posts: 1,305
Learning how to work on cars 25 years ago has saved me tons of money over the years, and I love doing it.
Enjoy