5k or 6k in Ford Cyclones

[Fordiesel69]

So my truck has the service records to back up that fact it was all highway. Based on the wear, and how fast they accumulated the miles per month there is no question.

Having said that, the oil life monitor was indicating 10k oil changes which i am not a fan of. Also right before I bought truck it had one oil change that went 15k, and I opted to drain its last fill at 4k just to clean it up a little.

My question is should I stick with 5k intervals or 6k? Putting the endoscope camera into the oil fill hole shows a nice silver grey cylinder head, cam, and cam caps. No varnish. But I cannot see down into the pistons and ring packs from the oil pan, there is a baffle in place.

Opinions?

 

[Kira]

Is this the 2018 F-150?
The answer depends on how you foresee driving it. Lotsa local? lotsa highway?
People here like both 5k and 6k OCIs.

Go with 6 and do a RockAuto oil analysis.

 

[Fordiesel69]

It will be for the 2018 F150 but also two other 3.7L v6 cyclones in other vehicles.

 

[JavierH19]

Depends on the oil. The 3.3 and 3.7 are easier on oil though.

With a whatever syn blend 5w-30 you could do 5-6k but an a3/b4 type euro oil would easily let you do 10k and 6k would be conservative. I'm currently at 8k miles and going using qs 5w-40 in my gm's 6.2.

 

[Fordiesel69]

I have a stash of havoline deposit shield 5w20 in the 6qt bag in a box.

 

[ATex7239]

Round numbers make life simpler. 5K.

 

[bdcardinal]

Round numbers make life simpler. 5K.

That is what I do. Less thinking for me is always a good thing.

 

[b_b]

I do 5k oil changes. The oil life monitor shows around 30% at that point. typically if I extrapolate out it usually put me around the 7500 mark which is what the empirical formulas show is the correct oil change interval for my vehicle.

 

[Fordiesel69]

For me there is no thinking. I have a huge bulk roll of oil change windshield stickers I got for free many years ago. I just write when it is due.

Old skool is best. I hate oil life monitors. I change the oil in my AWD police taurus, put it into storage during the summer, and when I re-connect my battery it tells me the oil need changed.

 

[dnewton3]

The n/a Cyclone engines are super easy on oil, and can easily go 10k miles on an OCI with a decent lube. The wear rates are very low historically.
These engines run very clean (not a lot of soot or any propensity for sludge), so contamination isn't an issue.

If you are going to limit yourself, go as far as you dare. Just realize that you can easily do 10k presuming the engines are in good shape.



I ran nearly 12k miles on ST dino 5w-20, and got great results. Here's my UOA data:

Ford 3.5L at 31k miles / SuperTech 5w-20 at 11.8k miles

Here's the first UOA on my 2018 Taurus; naturally aspirated 3.5L Cyclone v-6. Mix of city/hwy driving. Was in the crankcase for about a year. Veh Miles 31k OCI miles 11.8k filter TG oil brnd ST oil grade 5w-20 oil base conv Alum 5 Chromium 0 Iron 9 Copper 6 Lead 0 Tin 0 Moly 39 Nickle 0...

bobistheoilguy.com

I peeked under the valve cover and it was spotless. Filter dissection was fine as well.



Here is the same car using HPL 5w-30:

Ford 3.5L at 50k mi / HPL 5w-30 at 10k mi

My most recent extended run in my 2018 Taurus n/a 3.5L. Typical mixed use; city and highway. To help this make sense, here is an OCI history: - at 1k miles, the oil/filter was changed with dino ST (first "break in" flush of the OEM machining remnants) - at 5k miles, the oil/filter was changed...

bobistheoilguy.com

As you can see, the use of super premium synthetics didn't affect wear in any meaningful manner for a similar duration of use.
Hence, these engines don't need an ultra expensive lube for "normal" use.



Don't be afraid to stretch out the OCIs on a Cyclone; they are very capable and robust engines in n/a form.

 

[ATex7239]

For me there is no thinking. I have a huge bulk roll of oil change windshield stickers I got for free many years ago. I just write when it is due.

Yes but other things follow round numbers sequences. Rotations, fluids, filter, spark plugs, etc. The thought behind 5K being simpler is items are more likely to align.

 

[earlyre]

i've always been on the 5k/6mos brigade.
but, i do a lot of Short trips ( live 4 mi from work) and only do about 8k a year at most.( bought this car a little over 5 yrs ago, 64k mi.. just hit 99k mi)
even my current hybrid, which calls for 10k mi oci's i stick to 5, which makes it more or less slightly over 1 per year.

 

[Hermann]

i've always been on the 5k/6mos brigade.
even my current hybrid, which calls for 10k mi oci's i stick to 5, which makes it more or less slightly over 1 per year.

Have settled on changing at 30% on the OLM on my hybrid. It was 7748 last time. Figured the engine was only running for 6K of those miles. There are many short trips IMW but always at least one longer trip per week to get everything all warm and fuzzy. After this run of Mobil 1 Frankenblend it is going to get the Motorcraft Full Syn 0W-20 that I bought for a decent price, Amazon has put this on extreme dynamic pricing when it started selling, so no longer a decent deal.

 

[Lubener]

You could go 6k and then have an analysis done and decide from there.

 

[bullwinkle]

We go 7500, or OLM (~9500 on mine, too far IMO) on the 3.5 & 3.7s in the company Transits, just have to watch oil levels. Some of them, like my ‘18 3.7, burn oil; some of them, like the ‘21 3.5 I have now, don’t use much at all.

 

[slo town]

That is what I do. Less thinking for me is always a good thing.

But when I got on my first 5K OCI, that started off at 3.5K miles. As the mileage adds up I still have to think and calculate when my next oil change will be. So far my OCIs have been 8.5k, 13.5k, 18.5k, 23.5k... See what I mean? I'm always having to think.

What am I doing wrong?

Scott

JUST KIDDING, OF COURSE!!!

 

[bdcardinal]

But when I got on my first 5K OCI, that started off at 3.5K miles. As the mileage adds up I still have to think and calculate when my next oil change will be. So far my OCIs have been 8.5k, 13.5k, 18.5k, 23.5k... See what I mean? I'm always having to think.

What am I doing wrong?

Scott

JUST KIDDING, OF COURSE!!!

My Mustang will pass the 75K mark tonight. Going to my friend's place in Santa Ynez to try out one of the lifts in his small average middle class detached garage. Changing the oil, manual trans fluid and rear diff fluid. Debating between all Motorcraft for the trans and diff or Lubri-Moly in the diff and Pentosin in the trans. All are in my stash. The engine will get Liqui-Moly 5W50.

 

[The Critic]

The engine will get Liqui-Moly 5W50.

@TiGeo is going to get way too excited.

 

[TiGeo]

My Mustang will pass the 75K mark tonight. Going to my friend's place in Santa Ynez to try out one of the lifts in his small average middle class detached garage. Changing the oil, manual trans fluid and rear diff fluid. Debating between all Motorcraft for the trans and diff or Lubri-Moly in the diff and Pentosin in the trans. All are in my stash. The engine will get Liqui-Moly 5W50.

Which superior made-in-Gernany LM product?

 

[The Critic]

Which superior made-in-Gernany LM product?

The one that’s colored like Prestone antifreeze.