Why when they are informative? That is by definition what a forum is supposed to be used for. With the technology in oils these days it's not as black and white as you think. Especially when someone is new to cars and looking for reliable info to digest.

If that's your rule of thumb, happy driving.

 

I do feel more confident in running 5W 30 in my vehicles but interesting how Ford has two different weight oil recomendations for the same car with the same engine. The only difference being the handling package. So in essence, if one buys a 5.0 with trac pac and does not track race it, one shoukd then use 5W20 weight oil.

 

What is different about the radiator? The oil cooler is fed by the lower radiator hose. I might pick up that Motorsport kit. Well worth the 130 bucks for the radiator hoses, cooler lines and cooler IMO.
Does the Track Pack have a better radiator too?

 

The TP has a Boss 302 radiator. It's larger capacity for better cooling in track applications.

 

That's a good reverse way to look at it yeah.

Companies are looking for anyway they can to get an edge. Right now in auto it's mpgs that have the spot light. So as an engineer, they might hypothesize 5-20 will give slightly better mpg. They test it and it does. They then test it under stress. It passes. Great. So they found a reliable way to save fuel. (all hypothetical).

Now why not do the same for the boss and tp? Well bc under high closed road stress maybe the engineers determined that 5-20 wasn't good enough. Maybe they found the motor over heated. So they threw in 5-50 to fix it.

The motor tolerances tight or not can clearly handle both just fine. Again 5-30 is a middle ground that allows me to run a lighter weight while still maintaining good heat resistance and lube.

 

This.

Keep in mind that the unique items on the tp (radiator, oil cooler and finned dif cover. I'm not including brembo and 373's bc you can get those a la cart on a regular gt) are for cooling and unless under extreme conditions, I mean hard driving all day at the track, will make no measurable impact vs the standard gt.

 

A buddy of mine who was a mechanic and still wrenches on his own performance car told me there really is very little difference in thickness between a 20 weight and 30 weight. Its so small that even a 30 weight looks watery too me. Lol. I cant imagine that a 30 weight couldn't get into all the parts of a modern day engine. Its still so thin the 30 weight. Lol.

Besides while I don't track race my stang I do run her highly spirited and like you feel 5W 30 is the perfect blend.

 

You are thinking way to hard into the oil missing a little part or something. It's not an English Muffin lol. But yes 30 is mostly better for its wider rage of heat and sheer resistance not because it's much thicker. Keep in mind some people (not in mustangs necessarily) run straight w30. As opposed to being 5 or 10 weight when cold it's still 30. So it's really not that much thicker at all.

Part of the reason I don't understand what the big argument is over. The anti anything against what ford says crowd is so ridiculous. They stand behind an owners manual and can't see past their own nose at logic and reason. Guess what. You could run 5-50 and per THEIR argument, your motor will be fine. Why? Because ford says it will. Again same logic behind why they like 5-20. Why they are so offended when anyone says that 5-30 might be a good compromise.

 

Seriously!!!

"A buddy of mine who was a mechanic and still wrenches...told me"

I'm sorry I've held my tongue this whole thread but this literally made me laugh out loud. With all due respect (free pass to say anything I want), do you hear yourself?

I really mean no disrespect. You're a good member here and we've had banter on the threads so don't take it personally.

But this is what happens in oil threads. As for me I'll put the oil in Ford says. Unless I decide not to. Either way it's a free country but I will never ever ever claim to know more than the engineers and good people who bully the **** car because I know a guy that used to be a mechanic.

And for the record I am currently using an oil in once of my cars not specified by Ford for my own reasons so I do what I please for my own reasons and would never preach to someone to do what I do.

End rant

 

To be fair kind sir. He never said he knew more than a ford engineer. He also never said his mechanic (definitely NOT an engineer, very different skill sets) recommended or told him it was ok to use 5-30. So it's not like he said "my mechanic said it's ok."

He simply said his mechanic told him the physical thickness between the two was very little. Now that fact IS in a mechanics wheel house. So I see nothing wrong with the post.

 

Hey no problem

Nobody's holding a gun to anyone's head saying use 5-30 or die

I'm just pointing out one fallacy

My 6 year old could tell you there isn't much difference between 5-20 and 5-30 if you poured them in cups and asked her. And it's oil. If you've ever pulled an engine, broke it down, and let it set in the stand a while you'll see the oil coming out of all the nooks and crannies of the engine for weeks if have the time.

But I know enough about motor oil to know I know nothing. And what I do I do at my own risk. The best I can do is follow the manufacturers recommendations. I do change my all my own oil because at least then I know exactly what and how much i put in it and don't have to worry about if an underpaid first year mechanic at the quick lane at the ford dealer even cared to read the dang oil cap for the proper oil or knows it takes 8.5 quarts because of the oil cooler that other cars like this don't have.

 

Because there's 50 threads almost identical to this already. It's like asking about MT-82 problems or what cat back to buy for a GT. Search and add to existing threads.

 

Lol. Well, I didn't mean the story like that. It was in the past he and I would be having casual conversation about car smack. In the process we would talk about oil weights and just made comments about not being a big difference in thickness between the two.

By all means, feel free too use what every weight oil you like. That still doesn't answer the question why Ford recommends 5W 20 weight in car A and same breath Ford recommends 5W50 in car B. Of course car A and B are both the same cars with identical spec engines yet different oil weights. If a Gt can run safely on 5W 50 oil according to Ford and safely on same vehicle running 5W 20 then what's wrong with a 30 weight?

 

Actually, my mechanic friend told me it really didn't matter whether one uses a 20 weight oil or 30 weight oil. His point was both weights were so close together in thickness it just really didn't matter. Either weight was good too go. what you just said that I first stated. Lol

 

Amen.

This is what I meant with my earlier comments. Useless when there's already so many identical. Kyle aren't there more like 100?

 

Thread count is important to a site; they use it to gain advertisement dollars which keeps the site running. Advertisers see this as a site with popularity.

So if those who are concerned that another "same topic" thread pops up, don't worry. No harm. Simply move on to what interests you. Interesting that members continue to read new posts on a thread that bothers them.

For me, I've learned some things I did not know, so that has made this thread informative.

6 pages now. Other than the troll posts, it has provided some interesting discussion. Thanks to those that have provided to an old topic.

 

I'm 50% for staying with 5W20 and 50% wanting to change to 5W30. Keep giving opinions on why 5W30 would be better

 

I use it because it keeps my car's cholesterol under control.

 

LOL - they managed to maintain all the flavor while making it lighter.

 

So true. Don't like it, skip it...lol