Best synthetic oil for 2017 Ford F250 6.7L Diesel

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Also 5w40 vs 15w40 opinions. I realize this topic has probably been covered many times, but I want the latest and greatest opinions and minds to base my decision off of. Also does anyone know what the Factory Fill might be on this truck? Why is Amsoil not on Fords approved oil list? I tow 8500lbs-9000lbs 5-6 times a year. temperature here is 32-105 degrees. June through September are typically over 90 degrees.
 
Factory fill is 10W-30. You will, undoubtedly, receive many opinions on this. I run 5W-40 because the justification on Ford's part for severe duty is not much and for the cost difference, for me, it is easier to use 5W-40.
 
Amsoil never is usually on nobodies list. Its not even on GM's DEXOS list. Just use Rotella T6 5w40 and call it a day. If you want to use 15w40 or 10w30, than you a lot more options.
 
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One of our managers put his on Delvac 1 5w40 on the first change a year ago. Pulls equipment too.
Service manager barked a little but the technician had already told him several folks were unhappy with Ford’s attempts to push Motorcraft …
 
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Originally Posted By: NH73
Just use Rotella T6 5w40 and call it a day.


Same here.


Originally Posted By: trod30
I tow 8500lbs-9000lbs 5-6 times a year. temperature here is 32-105 degrees.


That's child's play compared to what we put our F550's through.... 20,000 lbs trailer loads every week for hundreds of miles.
 
From your owners manual the reccomended oil is 5W-40 CJ4 and is the oil recommended for severe service.

The 15W-40 is old school and is no longer recommended by Ford for this engine. Ford recognizes that wear also occurs during starts and a 5 weight is much better than a 15 weight for this.
 
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OP asked about 5w40, so either Rotella or Valvoline Premium Blue are readily available. It's a wash, neither is better than the other.
I don't agree that 15w40 is old school, and it is still specifically in the owners manual and on Fords approved list.
Factory fill is 10w30, and what Ford recommends unless severe service, which basically amounts to towing over 1000 miles, or cold temperatures.
All that being said....
In the temperature range mentioned, and the OP's towing (9k, you won't even know it's back there with this truck) you can run pretty much whatever you want (and call it a day).
My opinion, Valvoline Premium Blue Syn Blend 10w30, and a Donaldson P502503 filter. Boring VOA, excellent UOA, follow the change minder, and drive.
 
Rotella T6 or Delo 5W40. It should meet the Ford spec. Some of the initial blends of CK-4 did not meet the Ford spec and people stocked up on CJ-4 which did.

Amsoil will be fine but others are just as good.

A bypass filter will be a good addition, I have one on my F250.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Rotella T6 or Delo 5W40. It should meet the Ford spec. Some of the initial blends of CK-4 did not meet the Ford spec and people stocked up on CJ-4 which did.

Amsoil will be fine but others are just as good.

A bypass filter will be a good addition, I have one on my F250.


Delo is not on Ford's blessed list. And won't be until Ford get's their act together.
Here is the link again. Henry's Nice List
I agree (in theory) that bypass is nice, but the best way to keep oil clean is regular changes. Of course, campground bragging is worth something.
 
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Originally Posted By: beanoil
OP asked about 5w40, so either Rotella or Valvoline Premium Blue are readily available. It's a wash, neither is better than the other.
I don't agree that 15w40 is old school, and it is still specifically in the owners manual and on Fords approved list.
Factory fill is 10w30, and what Ford recommends unless severe service, which basically amounts to towing over 1000 miles, or cold temperatures.
All that being said....
In the temperature range mentioned, and the OP's towing (9k, you won't even know it's back there with this truck) you can run pretty much whatever you want (and call it a day).
My opinion, Valvoline Premium Blue Syn Blend 10w30, and a Donaldson P502503 filter. Boring VOA, excellent UOA, follow the change minder, and drive.


Directly from the 2017 owners manual “ For severe duty service use SAE 5W-40 API CK-4 “ And yes, you can run whatever the heck you want.
 
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Rotella T6 or Delo 5W40. It should meet the Ford spec. Some of the initial blends of CK-4 did not meet the Ford spec and people stocked up on CJ-4 which did.

Amsoil will be fine but others are just as good.

A bypass filter will be a good addition, I have one on my F250.
 
If anyone is wondering when Ford started recommending 5W-40 for severe service instead of 15W-40 it was 2011, when the 6.7 Powerstroke was introduced. That’s 7 years ago. I won’t argue if this is retroactive to prior engines.
 
Originally Posted By: Snagglefoot
Originally Posted By: beanoil
OP asked about 5w40, so either Rotella or Valvoline Premium Blue are readily available. It's a wash, neither is better than the other.
I don't agree that 15w40 is old school, and it is still specifically in the owners manual and on Fords approved list.
Factory fill is 10w30, and what Ford recommends unless severe service, which basically amounts to towing over 1000 miles, or cold temperatures.
All that being said....
In the temperature range mentioned, and the OP's towing (9k, you won't even know it's back there with this truck) you can run pretty much whatever you want (and call it a day).
My opinion, Valvoline Premium Blue Syn Blend 10w30, and a Donaldson P502503 filter. Boring VOA, excellent UOA, follow the change minder, and drive.


Directly from the 2017 owners manual “ For severe duty service use SAE 5W-40 API CK-4 “ And yes, you can run whatever the heck you want.


I stand by what I said. 15w40 is in the recommended list, and yes you pretty much can run what ever you want.
5w40 may be great for temperature extremes, but the wider spread can shear more readily than a 10w30.
Severe duty is defined as towing over 1000 miles, or extreme hot or cold operation. The OP isn't freezing his rear off, or melting in desert heat. A 10w30 would be just fine. But again, you can run almost anything as long as it has 1000PPM of P and Z, the
WSS-M2C171-E spec.

From the Diesel Supplement....

Specifications

Materials Specification Name WSS-M2C171-E

Recommended motor oil (U.S.):
Motorcraft SAE 10W-30 Super Duty Diesel Motor Oil* XO-10W30-QSD WSS-M2C171-E
Recommended motor oil (Canada):
Motorcraft SAE 10W-30 Super Duty Diesel Motor Oil* CXO-10W30-LSD12 WSS-M2C171-E
Recommended motor oil (U.S.):
Motorcraft SAE 15W-40 Super Duty Diesel Motor Oil* XO-15W40-QSD WSS-M2C171-E
Recommended motor oil (Canada):
Motorcraft SAE 15W-40 Super Duty Diesel Motor Oil *CXO-15W40-LSD12 WSS-M2C171-E
Recommended motor oil (U.S.):
Motorcraft SAE 5W-40 Full Synthetic Diesel Motor Oil *XO-5W40-5QSD WSS-M2C171-E
Recommended motor oil (U.S.):
Motorcraft SAE 0W-40 Full Synthetic Diesel Motor Oil *XO-0W40-DAS
 
I currently have just over 75,000 mi on my '15 6.7. I change by the IOLM (0%) and have used nothing but 10w-30 since new with outstanding UOA's. I tow more than the OP has stated he will and haul heavy daily in 90f+ during the summer.

In my duty cycle I don't need a 15/5w-40, the UOA's speak or themselves and are posted in the HDEO UOA section here.
 
The only "requirement" to comply with Ford warranty is a lube that is on the approved F1 spec (the current list).

There are a LOT of lubes on that list. Conventional, semi-syn and syn.

It is NOT "required" to run a syn, or a 5w-40, for compliance with warranty. Only that you use any lube meeting that spec.

Because that single spec includes 0w-40, 5w-30, 10w-30, 10w-40, 5w-40, 15w-40, etc, then ANY grade can be used, to satisfy warranty, as long as you use a product from the approved list.

What they "recommend" is not the same as what's "required".
Warranty statements and coverage are in compliance with the FTC M/M Warranty Act. Ford cannot deny coverage when you comply with the proper specification. They can delay coverage, if they want to, but an arbiter will not find in their favor.

https://www.fcsdchemicalsandlubricants.c...ory=Motor%20Oil
Note this link was last updated 3-5-18 (yesterday!)
That's about as current as one can hope for!

Remember, the M/M Act is about the burden of proof when it comes to warranty claims. Just how is it that anyone thinks Ford can successfully delay or deny warranty when they spec a slew of lubes, with all manner of base stocks and grades, all on one spec? When you comply with warranty by using a spec'd fluid, it is the burden of proof upon the OEM to show that you somehow caused the failure in question. How does Ford say "you used the wrong lube" whey they are ALL one ONE spec sheet?


As if this topic isn't
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PS - there is no "best" oil, but you've probably already got your mind made up anyway ...
 
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Originally Posted By: trod30
Also 5w40 vs 15w40 opinions. I realize this topic has probably been covered many times, but I want the latest and greatest opinions and minds to base my decision off of. Also does anyone know what the Factory Fill might be on this truck? Why is Amsoil not on Fords approved oil list? I tow 8500lbs-9000lbs 5-6 times a year. temperature here is 32-105 degrees. June through September are typically over 90 degrees.


There where a lot of opinions here, and Bitogers are not known for following their owners manual, but really, why not look at your owners manual.
However, you have to decide what is “ severe service” If towing in hot weather is severe service, your manual asks for 5W-40. Also, under “ Special operating conditions “ if you are towing the manual says you should be changing your oil and filter every 5,000 miles.


Good luck.
 
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Except that Ford has added a caveat into the manual for both gas (pg 581) and diesel (pg 583) engines that essentially states the following:
If you operate your vehicle primarily in any of the following conditions, you need to perform extra maintenance as indicated. If you operate your vehicle occasionally under any of these conditions, it is not necessary to perform the extra maintenance.

The bold print above is actually taken directly from the manual; Ford emphasized the two conditions. I did not add the bold; I copied it directly from the manual for a 2017 F350.

People that tow a boat or RV on weekends are not really "severe" use. Oh - they want to think they are; they want to believe that they bought a bad-boy diesel truck and a fun toy (RV/boat/toy-hauler) and therefore have manly uses as a reason to justify buying syn products, etc. It's an ego thing. I'll not debate it further than that.

The reality is that Ford realizes these weekend warriors really are not "severe" in use. And probably after several complaints from customers as to why their OFCIs at the dealership are running well north of $150 every 5k miles, Ford put these statements in the owner's manuals to relieve the customer of the pain.



Severe service (identified in the manual as "Special Operating Conditions" or SOCs) is really about people whom are towing 20,000 or 30,000 pounds of excavators, multi-car haulers, 5vr RVs that are triple axle and weigh as much as your first house. And they do this DAILY for a living.

Someone who's hauling his/her boat to the dock 40 miles down the road for a weekend runabout is NOT SOC in reality. Nor are you SOC if you pull your RV a few weekends a year, even if you're going cross country. And now Ford is giving those folks an out so they are not pinned into these exorbitant OFCIs.

Syn fluids are great for really, really long OCIs, and super-duper uber cold temps. Other than that, they are not a necessity by any means. And even Ford knows it.

Occasional towing of your RV or boat is NOT SEVERE. After all, if you have a truck capable of towing 25,000+ pounds or more, and all you're doing is pulling a 5k pound boat or a 12k pound RV, you are no where near close to stressing the drivetrain. Even if you do pull a small house with your truck, if you're only doing it "occasionally", you're not qualified for "special operating conditions".

Those SOCs such as towing, cold and dusty places are reserved for constant application where the application is at or near 100% factor. Not "occasional". If you don't expose your truck to SOCs pretty much all the time, then you're not "SOC" and you don't need syn fluids or the extra maintenance cycles.

Some of us are smart enough to know that the word "towing" is a very broad brush to paint with.
- do you tow a flatbed with 30k# of brick and mortar, 5 days a week, as a delivery truck?
- do you tow a 2000# open ATV trailer with only two ATVs on it?
- do you tow a small 4x6 drop gate trailer to pull your new riding mower home from Lowes
This is all "towing", but it's surely not the same exposure or stress.
And so Ford has update their position to acknowledge that most of these weekend warriors are not really SOC. And they can do just fine with normal fluids and normal maintenance.

For a guy that uses his F350 to pull RVs on a daily basis, running from Elkart IN to all over the nation, as a business tool, and loads his truck up with triple-axle 5vrs every day, I'd be inclined to say maybe he does qualify for SOC. But for that same guy to only pull that same RV as a personally owned unit, on occasional summer vacations, he does NOT qualify.


The OP here already stated this is going to be a max load under 10,000 pounds. Above freezing and barely over 100F. As occasional use.
He does NOT qualify as SOC, and therefor has no "requirement" to use the SOC guides for maintenance. Any dino lube off that F1 spec sheet in 10w-30 or 15w-40 will do just fine and Ford will cover it 100% in warranty.
 
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