now, lets talk oil!

[Nataphen]

300V 5W-40 would probably be a great replacement oil for the GT350. It smells delicious too, like you could drink it right out of the can.

Sponsored

 

[Hack]

Motor oil brands are like religions; there are many different options, but everybody is certain that their choice is the only logical choice.

My two cents: be skeptical of claims without evidence. Without a UOA (Used Oil Analysis), any comments about one oil being better than any other don't carry any weight. I look forward to seeing UOAs on this site and making an evidence-based decision on what oil to use.

A UOA would only be worthwhile if you have a number of UOAs all from GT350s and all driven in a similar fashion at similar temperatures but with different oils. Comparing a UOA from a Voodoo to a UOA from a different engine in a different car doesn't provide much evidence IMO.

 

[1LEThumper]

300V 5W-40 would probably be a great replacement oil for the GT350. It smells delicious too, like you could drink it right out of the can.

That is what I am thinking too, especially in the colder weather, and given it does run a bit thicker than some other oils. Have to see what temps it runs on track this summer too.

 

[Nataphen]

That is what I am thinking too, especially in the colder weather, and given it does run a bit thicker than some other oils. Have to see what temps it runs on track this summer too.

I'm no engineer, but I would think GT350 replacement oils should go something like this:

First of all, always switch to a high quality full synthetic after break-in. Motorcraft has been proven to NOT be a good quality oil.

0W-20 if you drive it moderately on the street only. I'm assuming that 90%+ of GT350 owners will drive it beyond moderately on the street, but there will be some out there who just toddle around in their cars except for the very occasional WOT blast for a just few seconds. A good quality 0W-20 will keep the engine from wearing when the oil is not up to temp, which would be the majority of these types of owners' engine wear.

5W-30 if you drive aggressively on the street. Like, more aggressively than you legally should. LOL! This is probably going to be the most common type of GT350 owner. Driving kind of aggressively pretty much everywhere you go, taking the occasional canyon run for 10 minutes or less of continuous hard driving, and common pulls through a few gears to the upper RPM range. A good 5W-30 would be a decent lightweight oil for lower oil temps, and offer a little more protection for the times that it gets pretty hot.

5W-40 or 5W-50 if you are actually tracking the car and getting oil temps up high for extended periods.

I feel that 5W40/50 is overkill for someone who isn't tracking the car. Many owners will not track their cars. A thicker oil won't benefit them because it will never get hot enough to necessitate the protection. It would most likely cause premature wear on the engine because it's thicker than what is needed for street driving.

It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to run a 5W-30 on the street, then change to a 5W-40/50 when you go in for your track day tech inspection. Leave the thicker oil in there if you plan to do a few events within the oil change interval. Switch it back to 5W-30 for when you finish with your events and just plan to drive it on the street for a while.

Again, I'm no engineer, but this is most likely what I'll do with my own car. It makes the most sense to me. Different oil weights have different uses just like different tires do. You wouldn't want to drive a car on the street with racing slicks regularly, right?

 

[Trackaholic]

Ford recommends 5-50 no matter the driving type, so that's what I'll be using.

As far as quality, can you show a link to anything indicating that the factory oil isn't very good? I don't know much about oils, but in another thread someone linked to a page showing that the Ford oil was actually pretty good. Not sure how much stock to put in that article though. The guy claimed to be an engineer and did testing that measured the pressure a sliding plate could support without wear. The testing seemed sound, but the guy didn't write like an engineer, so it was tough to take all his data seriously.

Ill see if I can find the article.

-T

 

[Nataphen]

It shears down quickly though. It starts off ok, but after a few miles, it shears down to about a 5W-30 IIRC. I'll have a look for the testing later. It was on another forum, so I'll shoot you a PM.

 

[Hack]

The factory oil is fine. Just do oil changes per Ford's recommendations and you won't have any problems with engine wear. Most of us won't put enough miles on our GT350s to wear them out anyway.

 

[mustang_guy]

That is what I am thinking too, especially in the colder weather, and given it does run a bit thicker than some other oils. Have to see what temps it runs on track this summer too.

0w40 is a better cold weather climate oil and year round oil. 5w40 is a good choice for those who track a bit but dont drive like the stig or just drive the car harder on the street. It can be used as a year round oil for those that dont see temperatures below 32 degrees. 5w50 is purely a track based oil weight. Its the same as how it was with the boss. Eventually people figured out 5w50 wasnt ideal for a mostly street car.

 

[Hack]

0w40 is a better cold weather climate oil and year round oil. 5w40 is a good choice for those who track a bit but dont drive like the stig or just drive the car harder on the street. It can be used as a year round oil for those that dont see temperatures below 32 degrees. 5w50 is purely a track based oil weight. Its the same as how it was with the boss. Eventually people figured out 5w50 wasnt ideal for a mostly street car.

We have two threads on this forum I would like members to consider. In one of them many forum members criticize Ford's recommended oil and state that they will be using different oils.

In the other thread, many forum members criticize shipping companies for not following Ford's recommendation on how to load the GT350 onto trucks and state that it's obvious the cars will be more likely to be damaged if Ford's recommendations aren't followed.

Hmm.

 

[Nataphen]

We have two threads on this forum I would like members to consider. In one of them many forum members criticize Ford's recommended oil and state that they will be using different oils.

In the other thread, many forum members criticize shipping companies for not following Ford's recommendation on how to load the GT350 onto trucks and state that it's obvious the cars will be more likely to be damaged if Ford's recommendations aren't followed.

Hmm.

I see your point, but they are going to recommend an oil that best suits the track if they think people would take it there. All I mean is that you don't need a 5W-50 if you aren't tracking your car at all.

 

[mattlqx]

I see your point, but they are going to recommend an oil that best suites the track if they think people would take it there. All I mean is that you don't need a 5W-50 if you aren't tracking your car at all.

So you're telling me to stick with 5w50.

 

[Nataphen]

So you're telling me to stick with 5w50.

I hope every owner needs to!

 

[Hack]

I see your point, but they are going to recommend an oil that best suits the track if they think people would take it there. All I mean is that you don't need a 5W-50 if you aren't tracking your car at all.

That could be. However, I know that Ford publishes a guide for wheel alignment for track use, but Ford doesn't align the wheels to that spec. Ford has the wheels aligned for mainly street use.

5W-50 is expensive, so I can understand people considering going to different weights to save money. They will probably be ok, but I'm just stating my reasoning here as to why I won't be using a different weight. I also understand people using a more expensive oil such as Amsoil. I'm sure it's great, but I don't think it's necessary. I feel like I'm falling in between the two extremes of opinions expressed in this thread.

 

[mustang_guy]

That could be. However, I know that Ford publishes a guide for wheel alignment for track use, but Ford doesn't align the wheels to that spec. Ford has the wheels aligned for mainly street use.

5W-50 is expensive, so I can understand people considering going to different weights to save money. They will probably be ok, but I'm just stating my reasoning here as to why I won't be using a different weight. I also understand people using a more expensive oil such as Amsoil. I'm sure it's great, but I don't think it's necessary. I feel like I'm falling in between the two extremes of opinions expressed in this thread.

As an ex ford master tech i can assure you that fords motor oil WSS-M2C945-A=API SN;ISLAC GF-5. As for fords own branded 5w50. It is not a brand oil in that weight you should trust works as well as it should. In less than 1000 miles its no longer a 50 weight oil. If you are hell bent to run 5w50 make sure it is not motorcraft garbage. For an economy car their oil weights they sell offer fine protection. For a performance application they are horrible. Do not use motorcraft.

I understand you are worried where to listen to ford and where not to. Certain things do not need to be followed. 5w50 will cause much higher oil pressures. It is purely racing oil weight to stand up to high temperatures. If you arent getting it to the temperatures it operates best at its not good. Daily commute it is not an ideal oil to be using, especially a year round driven car that sees cold 40 degrees or less. These cars are a purpose built track car as was the 302 boss as everyone knows. Ford tells you to use that weight because they are expecting people are going to use it for its intended purpose. For people that only go a fair amount or average skill is too much for their use. Which is where a 5w40 is better. But like i said for Trackaholics and people that have the skills to push their car like the stig 5w50 is well suited. But still not ideal for taking the car for errands. For someone that will see cold temps or not go to the track hardly at all 0w40 is a great choice.

 

[Shift]

As an ex ford master tech i can assure you that fords motor oil WSS-M2C945-A=API SN;ISLAC GF-5. As for fords own branded 5w50. It is not a brand oil in that weight you should trust works as well as it should. In less than 1000 miles its no longer a 50 weight oil. If you are hell bent to run 5w50 make sure it is not motorcraft garbage. For an economy car their oil weights they sell offer fine protection. For a performance application they are horrible. Do not use motorcraft.

I understand you are worried where to listen to ford and where not to. Certain things do not need to be followed. 5w50 will cause much higher oil pressures. It is purely racing oil weight to stand up to high temperatures. If you arent getting it to the temperatures it operates best at its not good. Daily commute it is not an ideal oil to be using, especially a year round driven car that sees cold 40 degrees or less. These cars are a purpose built track car as was the 302 boss as everyone knows. Ford tells you to use that weight because they are expecting people are going to use it for its intended purpose. For people that only go a fair amount or average skill is too much for their use. Which is where a 5w40 is better. But like i said for Trackaholics and people that have the skills to push their car like the stig 5w50 is well suited. But still not ideal for taking the car for errands. For someone that will see cold temps or not go to the track hardly at all 0w40 is a great choice.

I'm loving the discussion in this thread so far. I live in Cali where my area has never dipped below 25F in the past ~60 years. Would it be safe for one in never-freezing conditions to use a ~10W oil to help with engine wear on start ups? I can't imagine me ever needing anything less than that unless I am travelling into/through snow and cold conditions. The car would probably never be tracked or be in high-performance events, so with that being said, would a 10W40 be a good choice for my situation or what would you or others recommend?

Sponsored