What oil do you use?

[Schwerin]

Motorcraft full synth 5w-30. Motorcraft hasn't given me issue in 20+yrs of usage.

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[Silver Bullitt]

Just did my second oil change at 5K with 5w20 blend. I will change again at 8K and then go 4K OCI after that. Plan on just sticking with the 5w20 blend. Been running the 5w30 blend in my '13 Ecoboost F150 at 4K OCI for almost 130K now. That's what Ford recommends, so that's what I use.

 

[Cardude99]

Amsoil signature series

+1 same here

 

[Bespinoza66]

I just started using Redline. I also switched the gear oil and transmission fluid to redline so my auto runs really smooth right now. I've heard Amsoil is one of the best as well.

 

[Shifting_Gears]

Penzoil Platinum 5w20. First oil change I’ve done, but it’s smooth and quiet.

 

[GT Pony]

I switched from Motorcraft 5W-20 synthetic blend to Valvoline Advanced 5W-30 full synthetic and my 2015 Coyote sounds quieter on the Valvoline.

 

[BrettT]

First Oil change and Castrol Edge 5W20. Going to go with Edge Extended Performance going forward. Probably 5-20 for next 2-3 oil changes, then go with 5W30 after that.

 

[RacinJason]

Regarding oil, my dad always said pick a brand and stick to it. I tell you guys now, choose your own poison. Bread on the tailpipe, but this isn't a snack.

 

[TheLion70x77]

I did an experiment and found the following for my 2016 PP GT:

5W-20 MC Semi-Syn (old formula) from 0 to 5,600 miles. Factory fill. FL-500S Filter. I did NOT own the car during that time as I bought it Factory Recertified at 5,600 miles with a 100k extended power train warranty. Stock Tune.

5W-20 MC Semi-Syn (old formula) from 5,600 miles to 10,000 miles. FL-500S Filter. Dealer changed when the car was traded in. Noticed some piston slap when cold for first few minutes (minor rattle). Just a bit under half a quart oil consumption. Stock Tune.

5W-20 Penzoil Ultra Platinum from 10,000 miles to 16,000 miles. FL-500S Filter. Noticed the engine revved more freely. Slight increase in fuel economy (0.5 mpg). Oil consumption was low, 1/2 quart over the interval. I did hear a pronounced ticking a few times at idle, but it went way and faded away as RPM's rose. Stock Tune.

5W-20 MC Semi-Syn (old formula) from 16,000 to 20,000 miles. FL-500S Filter. Noticed the car started a mild form of the BBQ tick. May have been there all along and just didn't notice it because of the Corsa Extreme, swapped the mufflers for the quieter Touring muffles from Corsa with a local guy. Also dealer installed a Ford Performance Power Pack 2 at 17,000 miles. Oil consumption still about 1/2 quart. Added a catch can after I noticed power fade under heavy sustained high RPM use (also recommended by Ford Performance, but used JLT since theirs won't fit Power Pack 2).

5W-20 Mobil 1 Fully Synthetic (newest formula) from 20,000 miles to 25,000 miles. FL-500S Filter. Added TriboTEX diesel concentrate DLC coating material at 21,000 miles. Engine noise at idle was substantially decreased. No sounds like a sowing machine. There's still plenty of mechanical noise at idle, but it's more defined and clean sounding. Noticed substantial increase in pull and fuel economy (about 2-3 mpg increase on the highway from 25 ish to around 28 ish and up to 30 in a few cases). Oil consumption still about 1/2 quart.

5W-20 Ravenol (AECA A5/B5 certfied for 2.9 HTHS) from 25,000 miles to 26,500 miles. FL-500S Filter. Car started ticking loudly at idle about 1,500 miles into the oil change on this oil. Changed it out for MC Semi-syn (new formula).

5W-20 MC Semi-Syn (new formula) from 26,500 miles to current (about 29,500 miles). FL-500S Filter. Back to normal. Oil consumption is only about 1/8th of a quart however. Seems to be less. Not sure if it's a fluke or related to MC's new formula.

Considering going back to PUP 5W-20 or even PUP 5W-30 and also moving over to the Ford Racing FL820 filter as it's 99% at 20 micron vs. 95% at 30 micron of the FL-500S, has 283 sq inches of filter media vs. 150 sq inches, same silicone anti-drain back valve, higher flow than the 500S and same clean side bypass as the 500S. It's pricey but engine wear is directly related to particle size and concentration.

My car is under warranty and I need to keep the receipts for the oil changes to maintain it, so I will be sticking with 5W-20 / 5W-30 unless it sees track, in that case I'll run 5W-50 for the track sessions then change it back out. The PUP base stock is pretty darn robust and does not seem to shear down much, if at all, even in TDI engines.

I can say I got the best fuel economy on it prior to TriboTEX and the car had the best overall throttle response. Some good stuff for sure. I cannot tell the difference between MC and M1. So I doubt there's a huge difference in performance of their base stocks. MC is better than most give it credit for even if it's not the best.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Ultra vs platinum? What is the benefit of ultra? I am sure oil questions come up on here very often, so sorry if it’s repetitive.

According to attached comparison from Pennzoil, Ultra = for extreme performance. For NA seems a no-brainer between the two.

I use 5W30 Platinum Ultra in the Mustang but 5W30 non-Ultra Platinum in my FI Cadillac because Ultra is not labeled SN+ which includes protection from LSPI. Hard to know which is more important LSPI or more protection in extreme conditions.
Update April 22, 2019: I just bought some more 5W30 Ultra and it has SN+ labeling. The UPC is the same for an empty jug that did not have the SN+ labels. I would think that means the oil did not change but just the labeling.

There is a current rebate program for $10 back 5 quart jugs of Pennzoil synthetics: https://www.pennzoil.com/en_us/prom...motion-14.html#iframe=L2RpeS9TcHJpbmdNSVIxOS8

You can do the entire rebate on-line. Maximum 2 rebates, each one for a single jug, so I recommend buying them on separate receipts/orders. This is the second year I've done these from Pennzoil. Both went smooth. Got checks within 3 weeks of submission.

Many stores don't stock Ultra but Walmart.com has it for store pickup. Use your order status page showing picked up as the receipt. Ends up being around $3/quart after rebate.

 

[TheLion70x77]

According to attached comparison from Pennzoil, Ultra = for extreme performance. For NA seems a no-brainer between the two.

I use 5W30 Platinum Ultra in the Mustang but 5W30 non-Ultra Platinum in my FI Cadillac because Ultra is not labeled SN+ which includes protection from LSPI. Hard to know which is more important LSPI or more protection in extreme conditions.

There is a current rebate program for $10 back 5 quart jugs of Pennzoil synthetics: https://www.pennzoil.com/en_us/prom...motion-14.html#iframe=L2RpeS9TcHJpbmdNSVIxOS8

You can do the entire rebate on-line. Maximum 2 rebates, each one for a single jug, so I recommend buying them on separate receipts/orders. This is the second year I've done these from Pennzoil. Both went smooth. Got checks within 3 weeks of submission.

Many stores don't stock Ultra but Walmart.com has it for store pickup. Use your order status page showing picked up as the receipt. Ends up being around $3/quart after rebate.

LSPI is only an issue on TDI or possibly Super Charged engines trying to run a lot of boost down low under heavy loads where dwell times (due to low RPM) are high as is heat and fuel volatility. It's not an issue even in high compression NA engines. I did some very substantial R&D on the issue back when I had my Ecoboost 2.3L Mustang, especially when I had the Ford Performance Power Pack installed.

However in a 450 page study I found on LSPI issues from the worlds top auto makers (it was a global auto engineering summit to address LSPI with Mercedes, BMW, Ford, Chevy, Fiat, Mazda, Toyoda etc.), they did find that even in NA engines, LSPI resistant oil formulas and knock resistant fuels like ethanol blends show lower frequency of knock, so the NA engines would make a little more power by running their most aggressive timing tables more often even though the ECU's didn't have any issues pulling timing to a safe level when knock did occur in NA engines.

The 5.0 is known to suffer power fade during extended high RPM use. Even Car & Driver experienced power fade in their stock 2015 PP GT test car on lightning lap. They said it was the only car tested that day that had that issue despite oil temps not being excessively high and they seemed puzzled bit. Ford Performance said the same thing, even the stock 5.0 suffers power fade during extended high RPM because of vaporization of the oil diluting the fuel, Power Packs would experience that issue even more without a catch can. This engine is a little more sensitive to fuel octane dilution from oil vapors in the intake via the PCV than say the LT1 or 392 it seems. A catch can is a great way to remedy that for anyone who cares about making peak power as often as possible (me), but LSPI resistant oils can also help there too. Both is best.

Motorcarfts newest formulas are API SN Plus for LSPI resistance. Any oil that is Dexos 1 Gen 2, API SN Plus or when the new GF-6 specs come out should be good to go on any engine. But a catch can is plenty for the 5.0 boosted or NA and honestly I'm not aware of anyone trying to run small turbos that generate big boost at low RPM on the 5.0 anyway, so LSPI is a non-issue here. Most people are interested in big top end power, well past 3,000 RPM. LSPI is most prone between 1,500 and 3,000 RPM in engines over 20 BMEP according to the study. So no worries for GT owners.

I do think the 2018+'s may be more sensitive to knock induced power fade however than even the 2nd gen 5.0's (2015-2017) because of the higher compression ratio and Direct Injection and will benefit more from LSPI resistant oils. There's a reason ford calls for an updated WSS-M2C945-B1 oil spec in the 2018+'s and didn't back spec them to the old WSS-M2C945-A.

They are running DI for the added cooling in order to achieve more aggressive timing. But due to the higher compression and more aggressive factory tuning, they may be just as if not more sensitive to knock induced power fade. And from everything I have seen in the dynos, the 3rd gen is putting out far higher average power than the stock 2nd gen did or even the LT1.

2018's dyno around 415~425 whp and make over 400 whp from 5,500 rpm all the way out to 7,500 RPM. The 5th Gen LT1 in the 2016 SS's only manages break 400 whp from about 5,250 to about 6,250 and that's with a bolt on CAI (great engine and it beat the pants off the 2nd gen 5.0 stock for stock). 3rd gen 5.0's rock in terms of power band! It'll be really interesting to see what Ford Performance comes up with for them with their OE hot tunes.

 

[tom_sprecher]

I bargained for a bunch of free oil changes when I bought the car and the dealer uses MC full synthetic.

 

[TheLion70x77]

BTW take a look at this: https://www.castlepumps.com/info-hub/positive-displacement-vs-centrifugal-pumps

Gerotor pumps are positive displacement. They are relatively unaffected by viscosity in terms of flow rates because your mechanically forcing the fluid through the passages. You will flow the same gpm with 20 and 30 weight oil in the 5.0. The difference will be in the pressure losses and drag losses because the base stocks of 30 weight are blended a tad thicker and consequently has slightly higher resistance in the pump, but the differences are pretty small between the two.

I do recall with Ravenol 5W-20 (HTHS of 2.9 cSt @150C) my oil pressure never went below 65 psi during sustained high RPM while with MC and Mobil 1 it would drop to 60 psi even and stay there. That's the difference in shear at high temps. Falls right in line with the expected characteristics of a Gerotor oil pump and more viscous fluids.

High VI synthetic base stocks also have superior heat capacity, so base oil has other advantages other than shear. I think oil formula and composition is more important than necessarily stepping up a viscosity grade but you could combine both (one higher grade and better base oil / formula) for the ultimate protection.

Some things to consider:

Engine Builder Magazine Recommended Rod Bearing Clearances vs. Oil Viscosity (their specs are from an unspecified bearing manufacturer):

One bearing manufacturer recommends the following oil clearances
based on the viscosity of the oil used in the engine:
• .002 for 20W (read 20 weight) and 5W-20 oils
• .0025 inches for 30 and 5W-30 oils
• .0025 to .003 inches for 40W, 10W-40 oils
• .003 to .0035 inches for 50W and 20W-50 racing oils.

Ford Shop Manual Bearing Clearance Range (All 5.0's including the Ford Performance Voodoo Aluminator 5.2L):

0.0011 to 0.0027 inches

An article from One Dirt (and Driven Racing) on oil viscosity in crate engines used in dirt oval cars (my father in law actually runs Late Model Dirt Oval): https://www.onedirt.com/tech/engine/using-right-oil-improve-crate-engine-performance/

I'm becoming a big fan of PUP for it's base stock performance. While it may be classified as a Group III, it contains substantially higher Isoparafins compared to traditionally hydrocracked Group III's: http://gasprocessingnews.com/featur...roduces-clean-base-oils-from-natural-gas.aspx

And unlike most other street car formulas, the Viper ACR used in the Lemans endurance race actually used their off-the-shelf PUP formula, it was NOT a race specific formula, which was very interesting. The very high concentration of Isoparafins is the reason for it's extremely good VI and shear resistance. I'll bet PUP 5W-20 will produce lower wear rates even under extreme driving than MOST 5W-30's using hydrocracked group III base stocks and with less drag losses.

Going up to PUP 5W-30 would provide even more robust protection but with slightly higher parasitic losses than 5W-20. It's interesting that their 30 weight has a better VI than their 20 weight and identical cold flow. You would not be able to tell the difference between these two oils when cold.

I would consider PUP 5W-20 to be a "thick" 20 weight as it's close to the upper limit of <9.3 cSt @ 100C while PUP 5W-30 is a "thin" 30 weight being close to the lower limit of 9.3 cSt @ 100C. Both out flow MC Semi-syn at -30C so technically you'll get better cold start wear performance from PUP 5W-30 than MC 5W-20...

Penzoil Ultra Platinum (GTL) 5W-20
Approvals: Ford WSS-M2C930-A and WSS-M2C945-A; ILSAC GF-5, API SN
Visc@100C = 8.8 cSt
Visc@40C = 48 cSt
CCS Viscosity: 4050 @ -30C
Viscosity Index: 164
Pour Point: -42
Flash Point: 207

Penzoil Ultra Platinum (GTL) 5W-30
Approvals: Ford WSS-M2C929-A, WSS-M2C946-A, API SN, ILSAC GF-5, ACEA A5/B5-10, A5/B5-12
Visc@100C = 10.3
Visc@40C = 56.3
CCS Viscosity: 4,000 @ -30C
Viscosity Index: 173
Pour Point: -48
Flash Point: 224

Motorcraft Semi-Synthetic 5W-20
Approvals: ISLAC GF-5, Ford WSS-M2C945-A, WSS-M2C945-B1, API SN Plus
Visc@100C = 8.7
Visc@40C = 50
CCS Viscosity: 5,200 @ -30C
Viscosity Index: 164
Pour Point: <-42
Flash Point: 206

PUP 5W-30 vs. MC Semi-Syn 5W-20
Visc@100C Detla = 10.3 cSt - 8.7 cSt = 1.6 cSt in favor of PUP under high loads, drag loss differences are negligible with such a small difference.
Visc@40C Detla = 56.3 cSt - 50 cSt = 6.3 cSt in favor of MC
CCS Viscosity Delta = 5,200 - 4,000 = 1,200 @ -30C in favor of PUP
Viscosity Index Delta = 173 - 164 = 9 points in favor of PUP
Pour Point Delta = -48 - (-42) = -6C in favor of PUP
FLash Point Delta = 224 - 206 = +18C in favor of PUP

 

[GT Pony]

Some things to consider:

Engine Builder Magazine Recommended Rod Bearing Clearances vs. Oil Viscosity (their specs are from an unspecified bearing manufacturer):

Ford Shop Manual Bearing Clearance Range (All 5.0's including the Ford Performance Voodoo Aluminator 5.2L):

0.0011 to 0.0027 inches.

Yet Ford recommends viscosity all the way up to 5W-50 in some of these engines. And Roush recommends 5W-50 when a regular Coyote is supercharged. Just goes to show that bearing clearance in these motors are not tailored to a specific oil viscosity.

IMO, 5W-30 is the ideal viscosity for a NA Coyote. I'll give up a potential 0.1 MPG and a few HP increase given by 5W-20 for more potential engine protection given by 5W-30.

 

[ahl395]

Quaker State Ultimate Durability or Pennzoil Ultra Platinum. 5W-30

Supposedly the two are the same oil and was ranked best in some independent testing, so that's what I use.

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