Yesterday I changed the oil for the first time at 3500 miles. I switched to Mobil 1 Full Synthetic 5w20. I am now hearing tapping noises coming from the engine i'm not entirely sure were there before. I think its the lifters maybe? Has anyone else experienced this?

 

perhaps a bad oil filter I have seen this before. Caused a bunch of issues. Replaced the oil filter and presto, no more noises.

 

Hmmmm. The oil filter I used was a K&N. Everything is sealed and I have no leaks. No engine lights. I wonder if it could just be my imagination.

 

Is it a cold engine noise (cold start), or a warm engine noise? or both?

 

After taking it for a rather intense 30 minute ride, I still heard it.

 

I believe that Ford recommends the 5W-20 for its ever-so-slight improvement in fuel economy. I can't imagine that you would ever hurt the engine by switching to any of the following:
5W-30
5W-40
5W-50
I also notice that many GTs puff a little smoke on first start-up, and I believe that it is due to the oil being so thin at full operating temperature, that the valve seals can't keep the oil from leaking down into the cylinders. I personally run Castrol Syntec 5W-50, and it is absolutely fantastic! I run it in all my rigs, and it is the perfect oil.
I also believe that your noise is due to the 5W-20 oil being too thin for the lifters.
But hey, we are getting better mileage. Let's rake-in those bucks!

 

Putting the synthetic 5w20 in can't possibly hurt my engine can it...i mean 5w20 is what they reccomend... I'm probably worrying for nothing.

Something else I think i noticed was after changing it idles at around 1k rpm...before i think it was around like 800.

 

You might want to read this if you intend to keep using 5W-50:

"The wider the range of viscosities on the oil, the less durable and resistant it is to 'Viscosity Index Breakdown'. For example, 10W-30 oil does not have as much 'V.I. Improver' as 5W-30, so there are fewer additives to be broken down by the shearing of the engine. In fact, 10W-30 is by far the most 'durable' multi-vis oil there is. You should try to stay away from the wider spreads like 15W-50, 20W-50 and especially the 5W-50. Also, thicker is not better, no matter what your mechanic or engineer told you. 20W-50 has 40% more viscosity (resistance to flow) at operating temperature than 10W-30. This means that your engine has to work 40% harder just to move the oil around inside your engine. An engine with thick 'oil' produces significantly less power, uses more fuel, produces more emissions and runs hotter, all contributing to shorter engine life. A thinner oil can more easily and quickly be 'pumped-up’ to the critical parts of the engine, takes less energy to move it around, helps the engine to produce more power, less emissions, better economy."

Oil info.

 

Well, it is an interesting article, and the author likes neither Castrol Syntec, mechanics, nor engineers. I'm an engineer, and I don't think I really like Kit Sullivan! In his "article", he actually states the following:

"Indeed, my '71 429 Mustang historically got about 10-11 MPG while it was run on 'dino' 20W-50. Now that I run nothing but Mobil 1 full synthetic in everything I own, my Mustang now gets about 17-18 MPG, and runs cooler to boot!"

This is nonsense! The mechanical resistance that an oil has on efficiency will not affect mileage more than a few percent, maybe 5% tops. It just isn't that big a factor. When I see stuff that I know isn’t true, it makes me doubt his entire article.

Keep in mind this definition of a 5W-20 oil:
It behaves like a 5 weight at 0F
The “W� means “safe for Winter applications�
It behaves like a 20 weight at 212F.

By the viscosity tables, I read the following Viscosities:
a 5 weight oil has a viscosity of about 3,000 Saybolt at 0F
a 20 weight oil has a viscosity of about 50 Saybolt at 212F
a 30 weight oil has a viscosity of about 65 Saybolt at 212F
a 40 weight oil has a viscosity of about 70 Saybolt at 212F
a 50 weight oil has a viscosity of about 95 Saybolt at 212F
So, back to the original noise perception, which probably is from the lifters. Your engine can safely survive 3,000 Saybolt, which is quite thick. 50 to 95 Saybolt is quite thin. If 50 Saybolt (5W-20 at the boiling point) is too thin for the lifters, then move to a thicker oil, at least 5W-30.

 

Just a thought, had a buddy with engine rattle after oil change, got rid of the K&N filter installed Ford filter, noise gone! Think this has been covered before.

 

Wish I had seen this thread before. I usually use mobil1 filters on mine. I went to get one, but they were out of the one that is needed, so I got the K&N since I figured it'd be just as good. I got that ticking noise now, so I guess I paid $12.99 for a bad filter. If I change out just the filter, would I have to change the oil as well or can I just top it off? Hate to buy 6 more quarts of $6 a quart oil that has only 300 miles on it.

 

The oil all flows back into the oil pan and you would not loose those 5 quarts when replacing the filter. I must be that this K&N filter is too restrictive to flow, and is starving the lifters, or the pressure bypass valve of the K&N filter is set too tightly for such a relatively thin oil. A Ticking noise makes me nervous, and I would take the effort to get rid of it before damage is done.

 

So two things come out here: 1 "bad" oil filters - as in too restrictive not defective, and 2 what viscosity oil to use.

I ran to "how stuff works" to check on issue #2, thinking that the Blog referenced above was not necessarily reviewed or edited by anyone. But came up empty.

Does anyone know of an authoritative source for either of these issues?

Realizing that there are probably trade-offs (like fuel efficiency vs. durability) I'm partial to durability

Thanks in advance

 

I honestly don't think anybody can go wrong with the Motorcraft filter and the factory specified 5W-20 oil. Almost every car I've seen uses this oil now. If you had an engine-related problem and brought the car in with a K&N filter that the dealer could prove caused a problem, you'd be in a $$$$ mess. They'd have to prove it, but it would still be a PITA. It is a proven fact that the thinner oils provide improved fuel economy and dynoable gains in performance.

I saw an old Car Craft magazine where they from a 20W-50 to a 10W-40 and finally to a 10W-30, and there was at least a 10+ hp gain with the thinnest oil.

I don't have any links to support the claims.

 

Yes, I think I ruined an engine using 20W-50 under the assumption that this was better for the heat when I lived in Miami. But what I'd really like to see is some discussion on the higher number. Say 5W-20 vs. 5W-30.

Thanks to anyone who can point us to that authoritative source

 

That's my opinion on why it's ticking. Ticking makes me nervous too, so I'm gonna buy a mobil1 filter and one quart of 5w20 mobil1 that I run after work and fix this little issue. I thought about the oil draining to the oil pan after I typed it too, thanks for reassuring me .

 

Iagree with using the Motorcraft filter. It is good quality, made by Purolator to Ford specs with a silicon anti drain back valve. The Mobil 1 oil is good but I have noticed on the www.bobistheoilguy site that some people get more noise like you describe when using it.

 

I again can't point to a documented difference between the 5w-20 and 5w-30, except that on my prior 99 GT, the recommended oil was 5w-30. I believe in 00, Ford began putting some of the 5w-20 caps on the cars earlier than the change over for the 2001 model year. I may not have the years incorrect, but I definately remember people commenting on the filler cap change in their new cars in another web forum before Ford actually changed their recommendation on the oil spec.

When I read these topics, I'd never even heard of 5W-20, and many members were asking these same questions. This was a lengthy topic, since most auto parts places didn't yet stock the 5W-20. Most folks agreed the change was for a small percentange increase in fuel economy multiplied by the large number of cars produced by each manufacturer to keep the CAFE ratings up. There were no obviously no design changes in the engines that required the lower weight oil between engines in these years.

 

BINGO! Give this man a cigar!

 

Ok, he gets a cigar. But what are you guys telling me? I can use 5W-30 instead of 5W-20 and get slightly better hot temp protection at the small cost of performance/fuel economy?

And (not saying its not valid) this is based on all the stuff you guys have read on the topic in the past.