Motorcraft SB 5W30, 3,516, 04 Explorer 4.0L

Joined
Feb 6, 2020
Messages
385
Location
Charlotte, NC
For context on the comments, when I filled out the card to send in with the sample, I asked if they could tell about sludge amount in the engine, and also about the condition of the timing chain components. I also noted that this vehicle does not get driven much, sits a lot. The 3,500 miles was over about eight months.
Blackstone
Motorcraft Synthetic Blend 5W30
2004 Ford Explorer, 4.0L
135,351 on vehicle, 3,516 on oil.
No make up oil added.
First sample
"Aaron, Sludge can be a hard thing for us to diagnose since it often stays inside the engine. There's no sign of poor wear though, so all things considered, we think your Ford is doing just fine. Universal averages for this kind of V-6 are based off of oil run 5,100 miles, and while your sample doesn't have as much use on it, metals are reading about as low as could be expected, meaning the internal parts are getting along well together. The viscosity is a touch thin for 5W-30, but that's not a big deal. No fuel or coolant contamination was detected. Nice one!
Aluminum: 2
Chromium: 0
Iron: 5
Copper: 2
Lead: 0
Tin: 0
Molybdenum: 16
Nickel: 0
Manganese: 0
Silver: 0
Titanium: 1
Potassium: 0
Boron: 107
Silicon: 11
Sodium: 26
Calcium: 1279
Magnesium: 621
Phosphorus: 745
Zinc: 815
Barium: 0
SUS Viscosity at 210: 53.3
cSt Viscosity at 100: 8.26
Flashpoint in F: 405
Fuel: Antifreeze: 0
Water: 0
Insolubles: 0.3
 
Originally Posted by kstanf150
That's for your post
Confirms my opinion of MC oil !
Thanks !!ðŸ‘

It does seem to be pretty solid oil. I have done two UOA on it now, two different weights in two different motors, excellent results both times.
It doesn't get much love here on BITOG though...
 
Originally Posted by CT8
Remove a valve cover.

Ahh...if only it were that easy.
Valve cover gaskets on this motor is on my to-do list, they leak a quite a bit. It looks like it will be a bear though. I will need to take a couple days off of work maybe. Have to remove an awful lot of "stuff" to get to them.
 
Originally Posted by kstanf150
That's for your post
Confirms my opinion of MC oil !
Thanks !!ðŸ‘

and a dozen other brands.....
 
Originally Posted by Lubener
Originally Posted by kstanf150
That's for your post
Confirms my opinion of MC oil !
Thanks !!ðŸ‘
and a dozen other brands.....

Yes and another two dozen.

Within properly rated oils a UOA isn't about the oil, it's about the specific engine and operating conditions. But yet we get "confirms my opinion of XXX oil".
 
Originally Posted by kstanf150
And also in 3,500 miles it's not even a 30wt oil anymore
It now a 20wt


Did one run with this oil in our 2017 2.3 Ecoboost Explorer and the viscosity was 7.23 with 4,275 miles of use. And this is the oil Ford recommends to run for 10,000 miles according to the OLM in the Explorer
shocked.gif
.

Whimsey
 
Originally Posted by kschachn
Originally Posted by Lubener
Originally Posted by kstanf150
That's for your post
Confirms my opinion of MC oil !
Thanks !!ðŸ‘
and a dozen other brands.....

Yes and another two dozen.

Within properly rated oils a UOA isn't about the oil, it's about the specific engine and operating conditions. But yet we get "confirms my opinion of XXX oil".



Which one are you
Henny-Penny or Cocky-Locky in the story of
"The sky is falling"
 
Originally Posted by kstanf150
Which one are you
Henny-Penny or Cocky-Locky in the story of
"The sky is falling"

Nah, I just want to be technically competent in what I post.
 
Originally Posted by kschachn
Originally Posted by kstanf150
Which one are you
Henny-Penny or Cocky-Locky in the story of
"The sky is falling"

Nah, I just want to be technically competent in what I post.



Cocky-Locky ðŸ‘
 
Looks really good for 8 months of low use.

While not the ‘in' oil here anymore, Motorcraft Syn blend still seems to be a great oil.
 
Really !!!!
Have you read all the post ????

How is it a GREAT oil ???
 
Last edited:
Single-digit wear numbers over 8 months of low use on a 4.0 SOHC Ford?

That is how I say that.

Sure, it sheared comfortably to a 20-weight...
But it still protected well.
 
Originally Posted by addyguy
Single-digit wear numbers over 8 months of low use on a 4.0 SOHC Ford?

That is how I say that.

Sure, it sheared comfortably to a 20-weight...
But it still protected well.


8 months has nothing to do with single digit wear numbers
It sheared down to a 20wt in 3.5K miles

That's only about 440 miles a month
Lots of drivers log that a week easy !

OP should buy QSUD for $3 bucks less a jug and have a 30wt oil at a 5K mike oil change
 
That Motorcraft sheared quite a bit. But that's history - now since Motorcraft 5w30 will only be selling in full synthetic.
No more synthetic blend with SP / GF-6. I'm glad I only have a couple jugs of SN Plus GF-5 Pennzoil. The new SP is better oil for my engines.

I wanted to buy a boatload of oil recently, because of all the fantastic deals to remove old stock. I'm glad I resisted all those temptations.
 
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
That Motorcraft sheared quite a bit. But that's history - now since Motorcraft 5w30 will only be selling in full synthetic.
No more synthetic blend with SP / GF-6.

You're saying it is the base oil molecules that shear in an oil?
 
Originally Posted by kschachn
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
That Motorcraft sheared quite a bit. But that's history - now since Motorcraft 5w30 will only be selling in full synthetic.
No more synthetic blend with SP / GF-6.

You're saying it is the base oil molecules that shear in an oil?

You want to know this?..... ask a scientist. I really never gave it an ounce of thought - other than reading the low-8s cst here..
I'm guessing Motorcraft full syn in SP/GF-6 5w30 will shear less. Future (UOAs) will tell us.
 
Back
Top