What is the BEST oil to use?

[sgt1020]

Jim D'amore from JDM Engineering told me after I picked my car up that they put the new oil in the car because I supplied it (Royal Purple) but that he would never use anything but Motorcraft oil. He said it is the best stuff on the planet for our motors. I trust Jim's advice, the guy knows his shit about the 3v modular motors! I've done some reading and Motorcraft oil actually has outstanding reviews. I trust royal purple, but I think next time around I'll go back to using Fords stuff. Besides, its a lot cheaper!

 

Also, off the top of my head, the 5w-20 royal purple oil I just had put in is synthetic, but is it fully synthetic? What are the pros/cons to fully synthetic vs synthetic? And can you run natural oil in our motors?

[Torch40]

For your reading pleasure. Everything you want to know about oil and more...

http://www.teamshelby.com/forums/index.php?/topic/65377-whats-the-best-oil-for-your-shelby-answers-within/page__view__findpost__p__1119760

[Jer]

Jim D'amore from JDM Engineering told me after I picked my car up that they put the new oil in the car because I supplied it (Royal Purple) but that he would never use anything but Motorcraft oil. He said it is the best stuff on the planet for our motors. I trust Jim's advice, the guy knows his shit about the 3v modular motors! I've done some reading and Motorcraft oil actually has outstanding reviews. I trust royal purple, but I think next time around I'll go back to using Fords stuff. Besides, its a lot cheaper!

 

Also, off the top of my head, the 5w-20 royal purple oil I just had put in is synthetic, but is it fully synthetic? What are the pros/cons to fully synthetic vs synthetic? And can you run natural oil in our motors?

 

 

I use Mobil 1 with the Ford Racing filter. That being said, I think ANY of the top-quality oils work fine... Royal Purple, Mobil 1, or Motorcraft... all good stuff.

 

 

Jer

[johnrehder]

Wow, that took some time to read through the oil thread on the GT500 tech forum. I've used Amsoil oil and filters on my BMW motorcylces in the past and never had issues. My last air filter on the Shelby was an Amsoil. Paxton sent me a air filter for the supercharger setup but I don't know what kind it is. We had a standing joke on the BMW fourms about oil threads. I won't bore you with it. Thanks to all that contributed to the oil thread, all good information.

 

quote name='Torch40' timestamp='1301204060' post='1133500']

For your reading pleasure. Everything you want to know about oil and more...

http://www.teamshelby.com/forums/index.php?/topic/65377-whats-the-best-oil-for-your-shelby-answers-within/page__view__findpost__p__1119760

 

[Glenn Greenwell]

Doing my first oil change at 3,000 miles and going to use Mobile one, a Ford racing filter, and have it done at a Ford oil change center across from the dealership along with a tire rotation and lube/toping off all fluids.

 

I suspect in the end all major brands do a good job and it is just your preference that counts. I have never used synthetic before.

 

GG

[johnrehder]

So far I've used the Motorcraft oil and ford racing oil filter on the GT. I've got 20k miles on her now. I've averaged 7500 miles a year driving so far. I'm going to the track on the 17th so I'll change it before I go just for the hell of it, cheap enough to do it. I've never had any oil related engine failures in my entire life, knock on wood!

 

 

 

Doing my first oil change at 3,000 miles and going to use Mobile one, a Ford racing filter, and have it done at a Ford oil change center across from the dealership along with a tire rotation and lube/toping off all fluids.

 

I suspect in the end all major brands do a good job and it is just your preference that counts. I have never used synthetic before.

 

GG

 

[FordRocks1]

Mobil 1 here and fomoco oil filter in my DD, changed every 3k miles, 31,000 going strong. Time to change my plugs for preventive maint. though.

[blueone]

I've been using Royal Purple 10w-30 with the MC filter after break in with 10w-30 dino, but I decided to try the XPR racing oil I got from Jeggs, with the RP filter on my next change.

http://www.jegs.com/i/Royal+Purple/831/01021/10002/-1

[Larry T]

Ford racing filter and Mobil 1

[bruces]

Use 3w-30 Mobil 1 and Ford Racing oil filter,

[bruces]

Use 5w-30 Mobil 1 and Ford Racing oil filter,

 

[William Rodgers]

Motorcraft here, it is highly rated and made for the car.

[Glenn Greenwell]

Surprized to see some of us using 10w30. I thought the car was 5w20. Maybe I am wrong............

 

GG

[sgt1020]

Surprized to see some of us using 10w30. I thought the car was 5w20. Maybe I am wrong............

 

GG

 

 

The owners manual says 5w-20. Why the hell would you use a different weight? Isn't that bad?!?

[DDT]

I believe the Mobile1 5w30 cold and hot flow tests better than the Motorcraft 5w20 spec oil????????

[Glenn Greenwell]

I believe the Mobile1 5w30 cold and hot flow tests better than the Motorcraft 5w20 spec oil????????

 

 

 

Does Mobil 1 come in 5w20 if not, I'll just default back to Motorcraft synthetic..

 

GG

[sgt1020]

If the owners manual says use 5w-20 oil, why would you use a different weight? Aren't you just asking for problems? And Most people say you should always use fully synthetic.

[ccsl7578]

Hey,

Just my 2 cents worth..... I use 5W-30 Royal Purple and the FRPP filter.

My good Buddy Danny Biggs is the "Dyno Master" at Anderson Ford Motorsport in Clinton, IL. He recommends Royal Purple to all their customers!!

They have seen an increase in HP on the dyno just by switching to RP.

Also, when I raise the hood on my 07 SGT they is a sticker from SA on the front underside of the hood that says to use 5W-30 oil.

Mark

[DDT]

Does Mobil 1 come in 5w20 if not, I'll just default back to Motorcraft synthetic..

 

GG

 

 

Yes Mobil1 is available in 5w20 but interesing to note that the Mobil1 5w30 had better cold flow test results.

I use Mobil1 5w30 in all my cars except the GT500 requires 5w50.

[sgt1020]

Hey,

Just my 2 cents worth..... I use 5W-30 Royal Purple and the FRPP filter.

My good Buddy Danny Biggs is the "Dyno Master" at Anderson Ford Motorsport in Clinton, IL. He recommends Royal Purple to all their customers!!

They have seen an increase in HP on the dyno just by switching to RP.

Also, when I raise the hood on my 07 SGT they is a sticker from SA on the front underside of the hood that says to use 5W-30 oil.

Mark

 

 

What is the difference between 5w-20 and 5w-30? And do you think the 5w-30 is better to use? I mean the owners manual does say to use 5w-20, so obviously that weight oil is good for it. I use royal purple as well but I've been hearing motorcraft oil is just as good if not better. AND it's cheaper!

[ccsl7578]

From what I have read.... the 5w-20 is just slightly thinner than 5w-30 oil and might be better in colder climates or during the winter months, not a whole lot of difference. Also a lot depends on how you drive your car. For just normal driving the 5w-20 should be fine. For more spirited driving (track events, drag racing, high speed cruising) you might be better off running the 5w-30. I think that is the reason SA recommended it, they knew how we would be driving these cars...LOL

Everyone I have talked to recommends using synthetic oil over conventional oil especially in high performance cars. This was one quote I read recently:

 

"With performance engines, regular oil will begin to break down at the higher end of the operating temperature of the engine. Once the chemical bonds in the oil have broken due to this high temperature, their lubricating ability is reduced significantly, causing wear and tear on the engine, and some reduced performance due to friction.

With synthetic oil, it is designed not to break down until much higher temperatures. If you drive your car hard, then synthetic oil will likely save you some on mechanical repairs in the future, but there will likely be only a minimal increase in performance."

 

Also the synthetic stays the same viscosity whether cold or hot. To me it's worh the higher cost for the extra protection!

As far as what brand to use, I think it's more of a personal preference.... any synthetic made by a major oil brand is going to work just fine!

Mark

[sgt1020]

Any one else use 5w-30?

[pitrider]

Mobil One 5w/20...

[FordRocks1]

Can someone post a pic of this SA sticker that states to use 5w30?

I've been using 5w20 Mobil one for 31000 miles. Would changing to 5w30 be beneficial to me this late? I do plan on road racing soon so if changing to 5w30 is ok I'd like to hear some opinions.

[SGT2417]

What i am about to say is from rebuilding motors from the ground up and having lengthy conversations with machinists and others who build motors. The Oil weight that you are supposed to use has nothing to do with flow. My fathers 427 S/O has 5w-50 oil with no flow problems what so ever.Even on a road course. The oil weight is for the bearing clearances between the rod bearings and main bearings. These are specific tolerances that measure to precise increments of 0.001 inch .My fathers motor has 0.008 rod bearing clearance and uses 5w-50 oil. Use only the manufacturer reccommendedd oil weight (5w-20, for 05-09 3v mod motors). Full synthetic is always recommended except during break-in of internal engine parts.

[kahmann]

Can someone post a pic of this SA sticker that states to use 5w30?

I've been using 5w20 Mobil one for 31000 miles. Would changing to 5w30 be beneficial to me this late? I do plan on road racing soon so if changing to 5w30 is ok I'd like to hear some opinions.

 

I'm curious about that sticker, as well. I've never seen it, nor have I ever heard of it before this thread.

I've run RedLine or Royal Purple 5W20 for 41k miles and a whole ton of track time. I've only blown her up once, so I'm doing OK.

Anyway, here's what Wiki says about motor oils and the different grades.

 

 

 

 

"The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has established a numerical code system for grading motor oils according to their viscosity characteristics. SAE viscosity gradings include the following, from low to high viscosity: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50 or 60. The numbers 0, 5, 10, 15 and 25 are suffixed with the letter W, designating their "winter" (not "weight") or cold-start viscosity, at lower temperature. The number 20 comes with or without a W, depending on whether it is being used to denote a cold or hot viscosity grade. The document SAE J300 defines the viscometrics related to these grades. Kinematic viscosity is graded by measuring the time it takes for a standard amount of oil to flow through a standard orifice, at standard temperatures. The longer it takes, the higher the viscosity and thus higher SAE code.

 

Note that the SAE has a separate viscosity rating system for gear, axle, and manual transmission oils, SAE J306, which should not be confused with engine oil viscosity. The higher numbers of a gear oil (eg 75W-140) do not mean that it has higher viscosity than an engine oil.

 

 

Single-grade

A single-grade engine oil, as defined by SAE J300, cannot use a polymeric Viscosity Index Improver (also referred to as Viscosity Modifier) additive. SAE J300 has established eleven viscosity grades, of which six are considered Winter-grades and given a W designation. The 11 viscosity grades are 0W, 5W, 10W, 15W, 20W, 25W, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60. These numbers are often referred to as the 'weight' of a motor oil.

 

For single winter grade oils, the dynamic viscosity is measured at different cold temperatures, specified in J300 depending on the viscosity grade, in units of mPa·s or the equivalent older non-SI units, centipoise (abbreviated cP), using two different test methods. They are the Cold Cranking Simulator (ASTMD5293) and the Mini-Rotary Viscometer (ASTM D4684). Based on the coldest temperature the oil passes at, that oil is graded as SAE viscosity grade 0W, 5W, 10W, 15W, 20W, or 25W. The lower the viscosity grade, the lower the temperature the oil can pass. For example, if an oil passes at the specifications for 10W and 5W, but fails for 0W, then that oil must be labeled as an SAE 5W. That oil cannot be labeled as either 0W or 10W.

 

For single non-winter grade oils, the kinematic viscosity is measured at a temperature of 100 °C (212 °F) in units of mm²/s or the equivalent older non-SI units,Stokes (unit|centistokes]] (abbreviated cSt). Based on the range of viscosity the oil falls in at that temperature, the oil is graded as SAE viscosity grade 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60. In addition, for SAE grades 20, 30, and 40, a minimum viscosity measured at 150 °C (302 °F) and at a high-shear rate is also required. The higher the viscosity, the higher the SAE viscosity grade is.

 

For some applications, such as when the temperature ranges in use are not very wide, single-grade motor oil is satisfactory; for example, lawn mower engines, industrial applications, and vintage or classic cars.

 

 

Multi-grade

The temperature range the oil is exposed to in most vehicles can be wide, ranging from cold temperatures in the winter before the vehicle is started up, to hot operating temperatures when the vehicle is fully warmed up in hot summer weather. A specific oil will have high viscosity when cold and a lower viscosity at the engine's operating temperature. The difference in viscosities for most single-grade oil is too large between the extremes of temperature. To bring the difference in viscosities closer together, special polymer additives called viscosity index improvers, or VIIs are added to the oil. These additives are used to make the oil a multi-grade motor oil, though it is possible to have a multi-grade oil without the use of VIIs. The idea is to cause the multi-grade oil to have the viscosity of the base grade when cold and the viscosity of the second grade when hot. This enables one type of oil to be generally used all year. In fact, when multi-grades were initially developed, they were frequently described as all-season oil. The viscosity of a multi-grade oil still varies logarithmically with temperature, but the slope representing the change is lessened.^[8] This slope representing the change with temperature depends on the nature and amount of the additives to the base oil.

 

The SAE designation for multi-grade oils includes two viscosity grades; for example, 10W-30 designates a common multi-grade oil. The two numbers used are individually defined by SAE J300 for single-grade oils. Therefore, an oil labeled as 10W-30 must pass the SAE J300 viscosity grade requirement for both 10W and 30, and all limitations placed on the viscosity grades (for example, a 10W-30 oil must fail the J300 requirements at 5W). Also, if an oil does not contain any VIIs, and can pass as a multi-grade, that oil can be labelled with either of the two SAE viscosity grades. For example, a very simple multi-grade oil that can be easily made with modern base oils without any VII is a 20W-20. This oil can be labeled as 20W-20, 20W, or 20. Note, if any VIIs are used however, then that oil cannot be labeled as a single grade.

 

The real-world ability of an oil to crank or pump when cold is potentially diminished soon after it is put into service. The motor oil grade and viscosity to be used in a given vehicle is specified by the manufacturer of the vehicle (although some modern European cars now have no viscosity requirement), but can vary from country to country when climatic or fuel efficiency constraints come into play."

 

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_oil

[07SGT]

I also have the underhood sticker from Shelby stating to use 5W-30 oil. On a previous thread, probably about two years ago, Bud stated it was because SAI knew we would drive the cars harder than average. And yes the viscotiy is necessary for side clearance but there is very little difference between 20 and 30 viscosity oil.

 

I have used Mobil One in the past but stopped when I read that the oil fails the, I believe, series IV A tests The oil is breaking down, according to the test results, too early. That is why Quaker State, Castrol, Pennzoil and others started an ad campaign about a year ago stating that their oils lasted 4x or even longer than Mobil One. Mobil One apparently does not have the quality or reputation it once had.

 

I have used Mobil One, Amsoil, Castrol, and others in the past. I noticed the Castrol Edge smoothed the engine out considerably in a 4.0 V-6 Ford Explorer. Noticaby quieter. But I have now switched to Ulta Lux 110. Our fleet uses this oil with fantastic results. In addition, to my knowledge, it is the only oil out there with liquid moly. It has also shown hp gains of about 10 hp on dyno tests on race engines. That is significant. Engines with 200 + K miles are super clean on the inside when changed ever 5K and not one engine failure.

[mickey mustang]

What is the difference between 5w-20 and 5w-30? And do you think the 5w-30 is better to use? I mean the owners manual does say to use 5w-20, so obviously that weight oil is good for it. I use royal purple as well but I've been hearing motorcraft oil is just as good if not better. AND it's cheaper!

 

Shelby recommends 5w-30 for supercharged applications.

[johnrehder]

How many miles you got on your Shelby now? Happy with the 10W-30 so far? I'm going to try some Amsoil 10W-30 next change.

 

 

I've been using Royal Purple 10w-30 with the MC filter after break in with 10w-30 dino, but I decided to try the XPR racing oil I got from Jeggs, with the RP filter on my next change.

http://www.jegs.com/i/Royal+Purple/831/01021/10002/-1

[UnleashedBeast]

Wow, where do I begin with this thread. There is so much misleading information, it's going to take one long post to clear all of this up. I'm going to begin with quotes in the order they were posted, and only the ones I need to clarify.

 

Jim D'amore from JDM Engineering told me after I picked my car up that they put the new oil in the car because I supplied it (Royal Purple) but that he would never use anything but Motorcraft oil. He said it is the best stuff on the planet for our motors. I trust Jim's advice, the guy knows his shit about the 3v modular motors! I've done some reading and Motorcraft oil actually has outstanding reviews. I trust royal purple, but I think next time around I'll go back to using Fords stuff. Besides, its a lot cheaper!

 

Jim may know the 3V engine well, but he doesn't know jack about engine lubrication technology.

 

Royal Purple is formulated with a group IV PAO true synthetic base stock. Motorcraft is a group II (dino/conventional) and group IV (PAO) blend. Normally, to be considered a syn/blend, the lubricant will consist of at least 70% group II base stocks, and up to, but not more than 30% group IV PAO. There is no comparison in the performance of Royal Purple versus Motorcraft. Sure, MC is a great bang for the buck lubricant, and it's hard to beat for the money. It's also not the absolute best lubricant you could ever use in your 3V engine.

 

What are the advantages of a true synthetic base stock and formulation?

 

1. Higher resistant to shearing (losing it's viscosity to a lighter grade)

2. Higher resistant to base stock oxidation (yes, liquids can rust too) - this is why they say, "This lubricant is good up to X,XXX miles and/or 6 months"

3. Boutique lubricants like Royal Purple, Amsoil, and Red Line will have higher levels of ZDDP (a major anti-wear additive)

4. Higher detergent additive concentration (TBN) - in most cases, but not always. Diesel HDEO lubricants also have high detergent and ZDDP (even though they can be a group III highly refined petroleum)

5. No impurities in the base stock means uniform molecular structure. Uniform molecules produce less friction, less heat, and more efficiency.

6. Far superior cold flow performance (thickens less during temperature drop versus comparable grade dino/conventional)

7. Lower NOACK volatility. Less oil burn off and evaporation will result in less oil coating the inside of your supercharger, intake manifold, and oil catch cans (if one is installed).

 

Those are the major difference, and will result in a superior lubricant that can be used for much greater change intervals, and will exhibit decreased wear patterns.

 

Also, off the top of my head, the 5w-20 royal purple oil I just had put in is synthetic, but is it fully synthetic? What are the pros/cons to fully synthetic vs synthetic? And can you run natural oil in our motors?

 

 

Yes, you can use conventional/dino/petroleum lubricants in your engine, but after you read the benefits of a true synthetic like Royal Purple, Red Line, and Amsoil....why would you want too?

 

Motorcraft here, it is highly rated and made for the car.

 

 

It offers a lot of bang for the buck, no doubt in that. It's cheap, and it returns good UOAs in the 4.6L 3V engine. It's not specifically made for our cars. It's manufactured by Conoco Phillips, poured in a bottle, and a Ford MC label slapped on it. Their is nothing unique about it versus other 5W-20 engine lubricants that carry the same Ford approval spec.

 

The owners manual says 5w-20. Why the hell would you use a different weight? Isn't that bad?!?

 

 

Tee Hee....Yee Haw PAW! This is where I really get to have some fun! :happy feet:

 

It's all about CAFE laws. Read the thread link below before continuing forward with this post.

 

CAFE Laws - efficiency thread

 

Just because Ford recommends 5W-20 for your engine, that doesn't mean it's the best choice for your application. Especially if you are using a supercharger.

 

I believe the Mobile1 5w30 cold and hot flow tests better than the Motorcraft 5w20 spec oil????????

 

 

This is very dependent on the base stock. Group IV and V base stocks have far better cold flow characteristics versus group II. Assuming both are the same base stock, 20 grade would perform better in extreme cold, 30 grade would perform better in the heat torture testing.

 

If the owners manual says use 5w-20 oil, why would you use a different weight? Aren't you just asking for problems?

 

 

I've already answered this question above

 

And Most people say you should always use fully synthetic.

 

 

You will never see me pour anything less than a true synthetic in my GT500.

 

Hey,

Just my 2 cents worth..... I use 5W-30 Royal Purple and the FRPP filter.

My good Buddy Danny Biggs is the "Dyno Master" at Anderson Ford Motorsport in Clinton, IL. He recommends Royal Purple to all their customers!!

They have seen an increase in HP on the dyno just by switching to RP.

Also, when I raise the hood on my 07 SGT they is a sticker from SA on the front underside of the hood that says to use 5W-30 oil.

Mark

 

 

Any engine will show increased efficiency using a true synthetic base stock. This goes back to the uniform molecules, with zero impurities. Increase in output, increase in mpg, decrease in heat.

 

Last, but not least.....

 

Don't fall for the group III base stock trap that Mobil 1, Castrol, and Pennzoil (although, Pennzoil openly admits they use group III, unlike Mobil and Castrol). Let's do a brief water analogy to better understand how different base stocks are manufactured.

 

Many people see the word "Synthetic" on a bottle of oil and assume it's 100% created by man. This is not the case. Base stocks fall into four major categories called groups.

 

Group II - Petroleum oil, commonly called conventional or dino oils

Group III - hydrocracked, or heavily refined pertroleum, has impurities

Group IV - PAO, man made synthetic, no impurities

Group V - diesters, some polarized, allows engine oil to stick like a magnet to metal

 

First, let's talk about the difference between group III, IV, and V base stocks, and use a water analogy to see it in simple terms.

 

Pump water from a lake, river, or stream into a plant. Purify it, remove minerals, and make it look clear. You have "group III" water.

 

Take Hydrogen and Oxygen in the purest form, chemically bond them together to make "group IV" water. With no impurities to remove you have more consistent results and hence....True synthetic!

 

Group III - Petroleum oil that is pumped out of the ground and refined to be classified as a synthetic base stock, although a lot of experts disagree with this. A few oil manufacturers mostly use group III stocks, but still call it a synthetic...they consider the major changes in the refining process to be "synthesizing" oil. You should also note these oils will never say 100% synthetic on the bottle. The latest refining, and best of these stocks, are called group III+. These stocks seem to be the best at keeping in-solubles in suspension within the oil to carry it to the filter.

 

Group IV - We call them PAO (Poly-Alpha-Olefin). Like the water analogy they are true synthetic, have better cold pour properties, and better resistant to high heat "torture" situations. These base stocks give longer drain intervals.

 

I could type all day, but let's get direct questions for me to answer from here.