What oil weight do you recommend for a 3.0 V6 with 120K miles

barrys · Sep 6, 2009

I've got a 3.0 V6 in my 94 Ranger with an auto tranny.
It's got 120K miles on it. I've been using 10-40 Castrol GTX in it for 6 years.

When I went to buy some from Kragen, the store manager (who has an Explorer of pretty much the same vintage) said, "That's pretty heavy oil for that truck."

I know that's just an offhanded comment, but she'd been giving me good advice on other topics over the years.

So, what do you all think?

Beanmachine7000 · Sep 6, 2009

5W-30... Or whatever it says on the sticker under the hood (5W-30)... Why use a different viscosity than what is recommended?

BTW - Something that bugs me.... It's not WEIGHT, it's VISCOSITY... Weight isn't a scientific measurement (it's never constant, weight is affected by gravity, and gravity, depending on where you are on Earth, isn't constant)...

Bob Ayers · Sep 6, 2009

Beanmachine7000 said:
5W-30... Or whatever it says on the sticker under the hood (5W-30)... Why use a different viscosity than what is recommended?

+1

fourwheelford · Sep 6, 2009

That is a minimum requirement for the motor but when it gets to be 100 degrees I dont think 5-30 provides the lubrication or pressure that 10-30 or 10-40 provides, I use 10-30for the summer and 5-30 during the winter I think 5-30 is fine for a fresh motor but when you start getting up there in miles I like the little extra protection. Of course that is my opinion and everybody knows whats best for their rig, I know people that use nothing but 20-50 for years and years and never have problems. Oil use is one of those things that most vehicle savvy people will never agree on becuase not all vehicles are the same, my truck is different than every other 2000 ford ranger out there and only I know what runs best in it, same goes for everyone else. I love castrol high mileage 10-30, I have 2000 miles on this oil and its as clean as the day I put it in there, thats a pretty clean running motor and I attribute it to the oil I use and I use it in every car I have owned and have never blown a motor. Im sure people will disagree with me but thats ok.

Beanmachine7000 · Sep 6, 2009

Motorcraft 5W-30 for me any and every time...

Duke · Sep 6, 2009

Your engine was designed from the manufacturer with certain tolerances and they tell you what oil you should use. If you need more protection for towing, if it's hot or you have a hard time starting in the winter then buy synthetic, since all the particles are not irregular and it doesn't thicken up nearly as much as conventional oil. In most cases, over 95% of engine wear is on the initial start up when there is no oil on your internals. If you have an engine that calls for 5-30 (the 5 is the viscosity of the oil on start up and 30 is the viscosity at operating temperature) and you put in 20-50 it is going to take longer for the oil to travel to those vital internals, and you will be wearing out your engine sooner. If you have a leak, yes, thicker oil may slow it, but it is much better for you to fix the problem, or treat the oil with additives. If you have a leak and use synthetic, it will leak out faster than regular oil since all the molecules are the same size and not irregular in shape like conventional oil.

barrys · Sep 6, 2009

I did know it was a viscosity measurement but it's always referred to as "weight." I'm not a car or oil expert.

This discussion is interesting. Now to give you all a good laugh at my expense...
I started using 10-40 on my 63 F100. When I got the Ranger, I thought to myself "it's a truck, use that 10-40 truck oil..."

I've been using that for years and I think it runs fine, but I have nothing to compare it to. I have heard that it's not a bad idea to thicken it up a bit as the miles go up. But, I can try 5-30 next time and see how it goes.
When I drain at 3000, it's definitely browner than when it went in. I don't know if that's my motor wearing or the PCV or something else making it dirty.

Big Jim M · Sep 6, 2009

Howdy Barry

I can give ya a little oil 101.. First the 5w 0r 10 or whatever.. The first number before the W is the viscosity the oil will be at 0*F.. Since you live in the Bay area I doubt your oil will EVER be 5W.. So if you buy the 10W you should be Ok.

The second number after the W.. 30, 40 or whatever.. Is the viscosity the oil will acheive at 100*C.. and maintain that viscosity up to 400*F.. I don't know why they use F and C interchangably..but they do.
So a 10W30 oil should flow like 10w at 0F and 30w at 100C.

The important thing for an older engine to look for in the oil is the ZINK which is added to the oil. For your engine .11% would be in order. The Zink fills in worn areas of the engine parts to make them slick again and slow anymore wear at that area.

Here in the Austin area a standard 30W is all we need but the lube places push the variable oils and we use them anyway.

Using 5w or 10w in the Bay area would be the same oil on any day, I would suspect.

Older engines shouldn't use oils such as Mobile One as it, among others, does not have Zink in the oil. So even though the Mobile one will suffer more heat and still lubricate it will NOT fill in worn places and slow the wear in an older engine.

Most modern, if not all, oils will preform similiarly in newer less worn engines. With or without the zink. However with an older engine always look for the Zink.

Big JIm :wub:

barrys · Sep 6, 2009

Nice. Thanks Jim. Looks like someone's having fun in the hot tub...

RangerFabWorks · Sep 6, 2009

10w40 is the ONLY thing i would recommend. if the engine was brand new with in the factory specs. the ideal oil is what on the cap. but with 100k on the truck, everything has worn down to a certain degree. the engine has a degree of sludge in it. and the engine doesnt have the close tolerants like it did when new.

with that said. with 5w30, i would expect 25-30 pds of oil pressure out of that engine when at operating temperature. but with something like a 10w30 or a 10w40, you can see as much as 45 pds of oil pressure because at operating temperature, the oil doesnt thin out.

in my older cars, i use 20w50 in the summer, i like the way it clings to the valves better. in the winter ill use a 10w30.

imo, keep the 10w30 in there, i would even go to 10w40, but 10w30 is good all year round.

Duke · Sep 6, 2009

Fourwheelford is correct that this is something we will not all come to an agreement on. This is one of those things that people have very strong opinions on and when the topic comes up fur can fly. Hopefully, with the wealth of knowledge being brought into this discussion everyone will have a better understanding of the oil they use. Big Jim M made some good points about Zinc and blackwidow67 made good points about maintaining oil pressure as your engine ages.
The fact is no one here can tell you without a doubt that they know what is best for your engine unless they can perform tests like what they have at the engine manufacturer.
All I can go off of is what I have experienced and an example of that is when my wife had a well maintained 1996, Taurus with a Vulcan 3.0 like your Ranger. I use what is recommended, 5-30, and at 170,000 miles the car burned virtually no oil. Anyone can tell you that the engine, at 120,000 is worn more than it was new but no one could tell you exactly how much.

barrys · Sep 6, 2009

So, thicker oil gives less wear supposedly, right?

Maybe running the 10-40 might not have been that bad.

What is the proported advantage of using the "lighter," lower viscosity oil?

Rearanger · Sep 7, 2009

Big Jim M said:
Older engines shouldn't use oils such as Mobile One as it, among others, does not have Zink in the oil.

Wrong, Mobil 1 does contain zinc and I've got the oil analysis to prove it. My last used oil analysis (UOA) was the best ever with Mobil 1 0w-30. I also use Mobil 1 0w-30 in a Camry with 145k on the engine and have great UOA results. You can't choose a motor oil or understand how it is working for your engine and operating conditions without used oil analysis.

Big Jim M · Sep 7, 2009

Read on the can..

Rearanger said:
Wrong, Mobil 1 does contain zinc and I've got the oil analysis to prove it. My last used oil analysis (UOA) was the best ever with Mobil 1 0w-30. I also use Mobil 1 0w-30 in a Camry with 145k on the engine and have great UOA results. You can't choose a motor oil or understand how it is working for your engine and operating conditions without used oil analysis.

Your oil alalysis is after it has went thru your engine.. read on the can to find the zink. The oil analizers of new oil in the can say it don't have zink in it..

Possibly your Mobil 1 has rinsed the zink out of your worn spots in your engine.. and now you have less protection from wear..

All mobil 1 does that normal, on sale, oil don't do is to lubricate at heat temps that our engines don't get up to. (above 400*F)

So if we can never use it's ONLY potential...why spend the bucks?

Advertising at it's best is why.
Big Jim :wub:

graff104 · Sep 7, 2009

Didn't Ford send out a service bulletin a few years back recommending 5w20 in all Vulcan 3.0s? That being said I use good ole Valvoline 5w30.

What oil weight do you recommend for a 3.0 V6 with 120K miles

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The O.G blackwidow67

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