5w20 too thin for 85,000miles?

[CrazyMike]

Howdy guys!

I seek advise again, I have a '03 Super Duty crew cab 4x4, 5.4L, auto, 4.10 gears. I'm running Lucas Power steering additive in the....... power steering tank. Diffs are 75/140 semi synth Ford. Transfer case and tranny are Amsoil.

I've used Amsoil 5w20 in it once broken in, it's served me well. I've also used Mobil 1 0w20 a few winters but it's not that easy for me to get so I'm staying with 5w20 for now. But with miles adding on, hard miles (company truck), it sees just shy of redline very often (tranny has Trans Go shift kit), and has high idle time. It's a heavy truck (6,500lbs empty) and spins 35" tires so even when empty it isn't "carboning up".

I've been thinking to stay with synthetic, but changing the viscosity to a 5w30 maybe? You see oils out there for "high milage" which now starts at 75,000 miles according to one manufacturer. I tow occasionally, and when I do it will see 4 grand on the tach and higher for prolonged periods.

What do you guys think, and thanks for the help eh!!!

Cheers,

Mike.

 

[CrazyMike]

Also, I know the info may be here, but I'm learning as I go, the "oil lingo" is still foreign to me, heheh!!!

 

[Eddie]

I see no reason to change what your doing unless oil consumption has become an issue.

 

[tsmay51]

If the truck specs 5w20 that's what I would use. Synthetic or conventional oil at 5w20 is going to be a 20 weight at operating temps. Virtually no difference. Down to say -10F I think conventional 5w20 would be fine. Any lower than that I would look for 0w20 synthetic just for added protection at startup.

 

[Panzerman]

Iam curious, do you have oil consumption? Because you are really giving the 5w20 oil a work out. If you have none, Id keep using 5w20. I always gauged too thin of oil by if it was using oil and Id keep increasing oil thickness till it stopped, but thats just me.

 

[Merkava_4]

Keep running the 5W-20; it's excellent oil for -10F ambient temperatures!

 

[ericthepig]

I don't know anything about this Xw20 world (and even less about the other worlds) but you could look for a "heavy" 5w20. I don't know what the visc range is for Xw20s, but I've seen a pretty wide range in my perusings.

 

[ewetho]

Use the XW-20 oil of your choice with confidence. We had a couple of Triton open at near 200K with just Motorcraft or Jiffy Boob oil changes for valve seal changes and cross hatch was clearly evident on all sides and very little wear was seen. One even had a bearing cap off and looked almost new.

Keep using X-20 and wait for that motor to really reach high milage ---


Say 350K

 

[CrazyMike]

I have no oil consumption, what goes in, all comes out.

Cold weather teamps this stuff has been great. Back in '05, the wife's Windstar was parked at the airport, we had a full week of -40c/-40f, the day we got home it was -42c/-43.6f. Amsoi 5w20, took maybe a second to fire. We were the only people off the plane that left their vehicle through the week and drove home, everyone else was hopping around trying to keep warm with jumper cables in their hands.

I like the oil, it has worked great, and since I have no consumption I'll just keep using it.

Thanks guys!

 

[theedge67]

If you are going to experience anything colder than -10F, I would go with a quality 5-20 synthetic. Doesn't have to be Amsoil if it is hard to get or too expensive. During the summer, conventional 5-20 would work fine.

 

[sw99]

PD and Taxi crown vics with the 4.6L often use the 5w20 even at very high milages. They can be driven on very hard for long periods of time. Stick with the 5w20 and you'll be fine.

 

[jorton]

5w-20 is preferred for a stock engine and synthetic is perfect for cold climate use with high idle time.