what weight oil???

[Anonymous]

i'm changing the oil in the mustang tomorrow and was wondering what weight oil i should be putting in it

i normally use 10W 30
what's best for this engine??? ohh yeah, it's hot as hell around here, and humid, if that makes a difference

 

[addo]

I suggest the long weight oil. It's only available at the most busy times in autoparts stores.

 

[Anonymous]

Personally i would use 20W 50 in the summer and 10w- 40 in the winter in your locale. the first number is the actual viscosity rating and the other is reflective of the additive package. Thus 20 W 50 is 20weight(although w does not really stand for weight) oil that has additives that enable it to withstand the heat and load as a 50 weight. The thing to remember is too heavy an oil will cause more wear on start up which is why the multi viscosities are such a good bet. 20w 50 is a thinner oil than straight 30w. also thinner oils return better MPG which is why newer vehicles use 5 w 30-- plus bearing material and designs have come a long way since the old straight weight days which makes thinner oil functional. Multi viscosities also require more frequent changing as the additives lose their properties with use.
-Actually the 'W' in oil viscosity stands for 'winter'(Temp tested at) and the number is reflective of the amount of time it takes for a precise size ball to fall through a precise size tube filled with the oil being tested at a precise temperature. I dont remember the temp exactly but winter was used because the temp was about I believe 32* F.

 

[x21]

As was suggested, the heavier weight oils will help you in the hot summer months. I myself use straight up 30W or 40W after I got my rebuilt six.

 

[hotrodbob]

I used racing oil in the past because of their ability to withstand heat better and have been very happy with them on a built flat head. But after a year of sports car racing I'm sold on synthetic oil. Amsiol is one of the best, but Casterol Syntec and Mobil 1 are easier to find. I use sythetic gear oil as well and my trans acts like new.

 

[BIGREDRASA]

The 10W-30 will show a lower PSI reading than a straight 30 or 40 weight, but the higher PSI only tells you there is resistance to the flow, not that it is lubricating better. As stated before, the thinnner oil will penetrate all gaps sooner. The synthetics will provide better protection against oil breakdown at extreme pressure and temps.

I use 10W-30 Mobil 1 Synrthetic and don't worry about it. It has been run at highsustained speeds and very high temps without any oil consumption. (It does leak around the head gasket, about 1/2 qt. in 4000 miles.) My 2001 Windstar 3.8 uses 5W-20 Motorcraft Synthetic Blend for all seasons, and seems to run OK. (It has been run hard and long.) I believe the 5 weight will just pour out of our older engines with their loose tolerances.

 

[Anonymous]

I always run 10W40 in mine

Doug

 

[Anonymous]

I always try to use the lightest weight I can. You get better mileage with less viscous oil. I use heavier oil when my car leaks a lot of the last batch of oil. Right now I am going to try some 10 w 40 cause she leaks 5w30 pretty bad.

-Dan in Atlanta

 

[Guest]

I bought I think Valvoline straight 50 for a penny a quart at Autozone recently. They had some sale that I didnt know about, and when I got to the counter it was 12 freakin cents for the case! I did an oil change on both cars (one of which is still mine).

Runs super tighter, and super cool. The thickness of the oil can keep your car running cooler.

I dont buy synthetic. Overrated and too expensive, in my opinion.

 

[BIGREDRASA]

Right now I am going to try some 10 w 40 cause she leaks 5w30 pretty bad. -Dan in Atlanta

I'd try 10W-30 first.

 

[hotrodbob]

I was workin as a crew member on a H/Prod bug eye sprite (SCCA). We would change engine bearings after each weekend of racing because they were worn out.

Just experimenting for more power, we used synthetic oil and gear lube. The first thing we noticed was 5 lbs more oil pressure during race condidtions. Then we noticed that we now were keeping up with the F/Production cars down the straight at Riverside. When the car came back to the pit after practice we had to lower the RPM as it was 500 RPM to high. We won our class that weekend with the second place car behind us by almost a full minute.

When we tore the engine down that week we found no bearing wear and no ring wear. We could not believe it so the engine was freshened up for the next race. After the second race we no longer replaced bearings every race. We went 3 races between rebuilds and only because we felt we needed to not because we saw any wear. Took 1st place in west region and 4th at Road Atlanta runoffs

When we ran a Jr. Dragster on Alcohol fuel for my son, we ran Casterol Syntec. In 3 years of racing we had no internal repairs and ran 12:30's (1/8 mile) on a mild motor.

My '63 Ranchero trans was very noisy and would not shift well. Changed to Mobil 1 gear lub and it shifts like a new 277 trans would and the bearing noise is minimal.

I'm sold on synthetic oils and that is all I use anymore.