96 2.3 oil and filter reccomendations

[83blackbandit]

i have a 96 ranger 2.3. under the hood there is a sticker that saiz to run 5w30 motor oil. if i look it up on mitchell on demand it saiz 5w20 synthetic blend. i always thought it was 5w20 synthetic blend. anyone know what to run for sure. i had about 190.000 miles on it and the truck decided it was time for a rebuild. i usually run a napa 1515 which is made by wix. on cold starts i could here a little rattle coming from the top end of the motor. my dad has an 01 with a 2.5 and he said his does the same thing when he runs napa filters. anybody have similar problems with the napa or wix filters?

 

[RangerFabWorks]

napa or wix filters are great filters

i would ditch the sythetic and run 10w30 if the engine is starting to make noise.

sythetic is too thin to run if the engine is getting tired. and 5w20 is way too thin to run with high miles. switch over to 1w30 or 10w40 and it should make a difference.

 

[exbass94]

5w30 is a fine oil to run, synthetic or convetional. Synthetics are no thinner than conventionals, that's what viscosity ratings are for. Also, a 10w30 is the same viscosity as a 5w30 above freezing. The only difference is the winter rating(5w vs 10w) The 5w30 flows easier in freezing temps.

 

[Hopman]

If you want to try something thicker than a 10w30, try the Rotella T 15w40. It's the same stuff they use in heavy diesels. You MIGHT be able to get away with it in in your Ranger.

 

[scotts90ranger]

diesel oils aren't the best idea in a gas engine, the detergent package won't work as well

and as for filters, like said, napa or Walmart carries Motorcraft filters, I just use their cheapies though...

 

[Cyrus2000]

i run mobil 1 5w30 full synthetic w/ motorcraft oil filter. 175k and going strong.

 

[exbass94]

diesel oils aren't the best idea in a gas engine, the detergent package won't work as well

and as for filters, like said, napa or Walmart carries Motorcraft filters, I just use their cheapies though...

Diesel oils work fantastic in gas engines. The detergents are stronger and can help clean the engine. Most diesel oils are dual-rated for both gas and diesel apps.

 

[Hopman]

I had a friend of mine who was a diesel mechanic for many years before he retired. Be bought a brand-new '92 Chevy 1500, and after driving it for a week (about 500 miles) switched to the Rotella T. Well, a few years before he sold it to my dad, he dropped the oil pan and pulled the vavle covers off (the truck had about 175,000 on it at the time) and the engine look like it had ZERO abuse on it. The truck was used as a daily driver AND to haul a slide-in camper.

 

[hartwrenches]

oil

Just use the oil recommended for the outside temperature you'll be running in.

I run heavier oil in the summer ( 35+ degrees ) and lighter in the winter ( -30 degrees ).

As far as filters go, if you change it every time, the brand doesn't really seem to matter. We've tracked filters for 5 years on our fleet with no noticeable difference.