MC 5w-20 hydrocracked and synthetic

[CAtedster]

Read 7th post down for all the info you ever want to know about MC 5w-20. Good reading.
7th post, by Black5point4


www.fordf150.net/forums/18252-ford-f150-using-mobil-1-5w30.html

 

[LarryL]

So, if you hydrocrack hard enough you get synthetic oil? That must be what happened when Castrol made Syntec. I'm really confused, now. I thought a hydrocracker was a white lifeguard.

 

[buster]

quote:

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Q. Why did we change to 5W-20? What was wrong with 10W-40, 10w30 etc?

A: 10w30 and 10W-40 are old technology. We introduced 5W-20 to take advantage of new technology in the industry to provide improved fuel economy, low emissions, and better engine protection.

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quote:

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A: Ford engineering designed 5W-20 to be a better oil than 5w30. Although use of 5w30 or other viscosity grades will not cause catastrophic failures our recommendation is to use 5W-20. 5W-20 will give the customer better fuel economy, better durability, and wear on the engine because the 5W-20 is a synthetic blend with special additives to give better performance.

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quote:

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A: Yes. As we said before, 5W-20 was tested in 100-degree temperatures in Arizona and proved to provide good durability and in some aspects was better than 5w30.

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[goodvibes]

So what they're saying is; Use our 5w20 because we don't use that modern technology(adds and base stocks) to make the 5w30 or 10w30 like we should.

 

[texasproud]

Now we all know the reason Ford uses a 5w-20 is because it is "better" for the consumer...not CAFE requirements....

 

[goodvibes]

When I was in St Thomas, I asked the cab driver what he used in his Ford van. 5w20 On a very steep mountain island in year round 90* temps and the air on full time with plenty of motor on waiting. His dealer insisted. Don't get me wrong as I use 5w20 to stay in warranty. I just think that the manufacturers should be a little more open minded about oil weight vs conditions and stop with the propoganda.

 

[nickmckinney]

The best quote in the article:


"Some of our carryover Engine Designs are not yet completed with 5W-20. For instance, the 4.0L engine's oil pump must be redesigned for more oil flow before 5W-20 can be used. As we change engine designs, we will recommend 5W-20. Some engine designs will never be able to accommodate 5W-20. "


Basically you can see where some prior engine designs needed to be adjusted to get the oil pressure up high enough for 5W20. I have said it many times you cannot look at weight alone, you have to look at the system pressure at the same time. Time to start trusting those engineers some more.

 

[Blue99]

quote:

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SAE 5W-20 improves fuel consumption by approximately 0.6 percent. For the 2001 fleet, this amounts to reducing fuel usage by more than 21 million gallons per year.

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I assumed this fuel economy savings was higher, something more like 1.6%, but there you have it, straight from Ford, circa 2001, the savings is only 0.6 percent.

Also, to put it in perspective, the 21 million gallons per year savings - the state of Florida consumes 20.8 million gallons per day, and is ranked 3rd in the nation. Texas is second @ 29.5 million and California, No. 1 at 40.5 million (2001 data).

 

[Blue99]

quote:

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Q. Is there really a difference in quality between 5W-20 and 5w30?
A: Yes. 5w30 is a Hydrocracked product and 5W-20 is a Hydrocracked/synthetic blend product.

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Again, this was 4 years ago, and it appears that the Ford technical people were really trying to sell the idea that 5W-20 was a superior oil to the commonly accepted 5w30 grade.

Here's the follow-up question that I would ask today:

"Okay, so the 5W-20 is a hydrocracked/synthetic blend product supplied by ConocoPhillips using a blend of a Grp II hydrocracked, 95 VI index base oil and a Grp III "synthetic", 123 VI index base oil."

"Do you consider the Motorcraft 5W-20 to be superior to a Pennzoil 5w30, which is formulated with a Motiva Grp II+ hydrocracked, 118 VI index base oil?"