Oil Changes

Topic: Oil Changes (Read 2868 times) previous topic - next topic

Oil Changes

November 03, 2014, 03:49:48 PM

Hello there...

I'm sure this has been discussed before - forgive me if so but ...

I want to know what other owners of these classic T-birds and Cougars do

How do you do your oil changes ? How often ? Do you go by duration or mileage? What grade of Oil do you use ?

Oil Changes

Reply #1 – November 03, 2014, 05:58:20 PM

3000 miles or 3 months on 5.0 and 3.8 cars. Turbo 2.3's are finicky with maintenance. Not just oil but coolant changes and such. I run motorcraft synthetic blend in my junk 5w30

Oil Changes

Reply #2 – November 03, 2014, 06:06:59 PM

I buy what ever oil is cheap and i almost never change it, but im sure everyone else will differ from me there. I've been daily driving and trying to blow up motors so i can have an excuse to drop in my new block. Haven't had to yet. My old thundercat i got 80k miles with only two oil changes. My last 87 bird i put about 80k miles on it with only one oil change i remember.

Your probably better off to try and change it at least every 5k miles though. I generally run 10w30 or 10w40 as it gets well below freezing here.

Oil Changes

Reply #3 – November 03, 2014, 06:27:06 PM

Mobil clean 5000 5w30, I run it for 5000 miles. I use it in everything I own.

Oil Changes

Reply #4 – November 03, 2014, 06:37:02 PM

thanks - pretty much what I do - 3000 - 5w30 - I change it as soon as it comes out of the barn in the spring -

Oil Changes

Reply #5 – November 03, 2014, 09:32:40 PM

5 quarts Mobil 1 10W30. I change it once a year in the spring when the car comes out of it's winter hibernation (which just started this past weekend). I only drive it 1500-2000 miles a year so I change the oil once a year.

Oil Changes

Reply #6 – November 04, 2014, 03:37:09 AM

Joe Gibbs full synthetic. It'll stay for a year without problems.....I drive about 2000 miles a year in this car so it works nicely.

Oil Changes

Reply #7 – November 04, 2014, 08:02:04 PM

You can push most conventional oils to 5000 miles no probs
I use Mobil 1 or Pennzoil platinum with WIX filters which I would not hesitate to change at 7500-10000 miles but I get my oil so cheap I change it way before I need to
Of course if you drive very little throughout the year then at least once a year

Oil Changes

Reply #8 – November 06, 2014, 10:27:10 PM

Rotella 15w40 for the ZDDP

I change once a month,, I do bout 25k / yr
my 20th now has 288kmiles

I got it in 08 with bout 160k

Oil Changes

Reply #9 – November 07, 2014, 07:35:51 PM

Quote from: jcassity;440273

Rotella 15w40 for the ZDDP

I change once a month,, I do bout 25k / yr
my 20th now has 288kmiles

I got it in 08 with bout 160k

How cold does it get in West VA?

Oil Changes

Reply #10 – November 07, 2014, 10:06:42 PM

I hate to tell you that Shell removed the ZINC from it's 15W40. And basically if you do not have a flat tappet cam there is no reason to use oils with ZINC. So with that oil changes vary by how you drive the environment you drive in and if you pull heavy loads. rule of thumb is every 5000 miles. BUT engines like the 2.3 need more oil changes. And turbo motors need SYNTHETIC. The 2.3 is an engine that needs oil and filter changes at 3000 Miles like clock work. Changing oil is the best way to protect you engine. Brad Penn makes a racing oil that i use in Maserati Lamborghini Ferrari and Porsche. It has high levels of ZINC. But normally a heavy oil. Like 20W50 ETC. Once again a roller motor does not need ZINC. Hope this helps

Note with Low sulfur diesel fuels and regen cats Diesels can no longer use oils with ZINC. But Motorcycle oils still have it and so does Brad Pen. Brad has double the amount of ZINC1200 PPM

Oil Changes

Reply #11 – November 08, 2014, 08:39:23 AM

I run Mobil 1 5w20 with a Motorcraft filter on the wife's Fusion, 10k with a filter change and top off at 5k. The T-Bird is running Mobil 1 0w40 with a Motorcraft filter, same routine. I still haven't gotten to the first change yet which I'm going to do at 3k. I made the mistake of breaking in on synthetic, so I'm delaying the first change to try to get the rings to finish seating. I've never built with moly rings before, but I found out after the fact that on their own with regular oil they take longer to seat fully, but with synthetic, I may have trouble. I'm starting to use less, so maybe I'm getting there. If Tom wouldn't mind giving some direction on that, I'd appreciate it.

Oil Changes

Reply #12 – November 08, 2014, 03:43:52 PM

Nope Molly rings seat in very s time. They have a lean in edge that will seat in like 50 miles or less. And the type of oil makes no difference whatsoever.

Oil Changes

Reply #13 – November 09, 2014, 09:29:19 AM

I thought the rotella diesel engine oil still had the zddp,,, at least it was in the EPA debate 4 years or so ago. I didn't know its gone.