So whats the best Oil,,,lets go

[Dave B.]

Iv been running Royal Purple 5W-20 since break in.
is it the Best?
Is there better??

what say you?????????????????????????????????????

[93KingCobra]

I really like Amsoil or if you like to go high dollar you can use Motol..Both are very good in my book...

[Dave B.]

Motul is killer,,,, I used the stuff in my sport bike,,,
but do they have it in a full synthetic 5W-20??

[ausie]

I like AMSOIL as well but have taken a liking to Royal Purple.

[Sonic Blue]

Change your oil every 3K and it don't matter what you use!!!

[03slidewayzSVT]

I use REDLINE oil only 10w30 :thumbsup:

[03 cobra toy]

300V Ester Synthetic Motor Oil 5W-30 :thumbsup:

[Dave B.]

Ford is very spacific about using 5W-20 oils, not 5W-30 or any other weights

Why are you all doing that?? Iv been told the tolerances are so tight inside these motors the use of a heavy oil will not allow tight parts to get lubed.

[InfamousSVT]

300V Ester Synthetic Motor Oil 5W-30 :thumbsup:
Expensive isn't it :D

I used Royal Purple, but have since switched to Mobil 1. Next I will be getting the Amsoil and sticking with the Amsoil :thumbsup:

[03 cobra toy]

Expensive isn't it :D

Yes it is... An engine would be more ;)

Amsoil S2000 is a great oil also :thumbsup:

[03 cobra toy]

Ford is very spacific about using 5W-20 oils, not 5W-30 or any other weights

Why are you all doing that?? Iv been told the tolerances are so tight inside these motors the use of a heavy oil will not allow tight parts to get lubed.

In the summer I run 5W40....
Ford likes to use the 5w20 spec so their cars get better gas mileage. If it was about tolerances then why is the oil spec for a 2000 Cobra R 15w50?


Just my .02

[RF Cobra]

If it was about tolerances then why is the oil spec for a 2000 Cobra R 15w50?


Just my .02
Different engine with different tolerances maybe?


I use Mobil 1 5w20 synthetic changed every 5k miles.

[Dave B.]

listen folks, the only Mech that Sarasota Ford lets work on Cobras tells me its the tight tolerances, that if you run a heavier weight oil you stand a chance on Galding parts together as heavy oils may not be able to get within some of these tight gaps,,,,,,,,,not good, he says 5W-20 ,,,,,nothing else

[Firme]

Different engine with different tolerances maybe?



There is literally NO changes made in design of engines in which ford has recommended 5w30 one year and 5w20 the next.

ALOT of people throw out the Ford says use 5w20, without any reasoning behind it. Tolerance? You think an M3 or M5 engine is built loose? They don't recommend 5w20. Tolerance is the BIGGEST misconseption on 5w20 use, see the FORD GT example below. Ford uses it for better C.A.F.E. rating.

Here is what I found doing my own research:

just a little FYI for anyone who was looking for this..

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/cert/dearmfr/ccd0112.pdf <-- notice this is an official document off of the Governement EPA site.

that document spills it in black and white, and proves that Ford switched to 5w20 for EPA reasons, rather than performance (actually FAR from it). Since 5w20 is known to cause engine wear dramatically over 5w30 (just look at any INDEPENDANT test results), longevity is the LAST thing on Fords mind when they recommend 5w20. What that document says is "hey if you use 5w20 in test vehicles to show the EPA better fuel economy and emissions scores for your cars, you need to make every effort to make sure the consumer uses 5w20 also." Make sense? Well of course the Ford mechanic is gonna be taught is his class and docs to push 5w20. Its what the EPA wants ford to do. From my experience, if a Ford mechanic knew enough about the engine, they would work at a performance shop, not a dealership.


listen folks, the only Mech that Sarasota Ford lets work on Cobras tells me its the tight tolerances, that if you run a heavier weight oil you stand a chance on Galding parts together as heavy oils may not be able to get within some of these tight gaps,,,,,,,,,not good, he says 5W-20 ,,,,,nothing else

Ask him for proof, other than "Ford said so". ALOT of mechanics think just because they say something, it should be taken as gold. When in reality the guy could just be hoping you buy into what he says. Nothing against him, he could be the nicest guy in the world, but, ask him what happens if your engine blows and ford decides to replace it under warranty. They tell him to yank it and stick a new one in there, not "hey I know enough about the engine to be allowed to tear it down and rebuild it".

Why does the Cobra R require 15w50 in it, is its engine somehow inferior in tolerance to the 01+ Cobra's? You can't tell me that engine wasn't built to perform and be run HARD. You can't tell me it wasn't designed to last under severe duty. And if someone says there is a tolerance difference, they don't know much about engines. Why does the 2005-06 Ford GT require 5w 50? There is no other engine with more development into it than that engine, made by Ford. You can't tell me that its a "loose engine", you can't tell me the tolerance isn't "tight" on it, or bad on it. Why is it using such a "bad oil". Why does the 99 cobra require 5w30 and the 01 require 5w20? Why does any shop with any integrity not push 20 weight oil? The reality is there, in black and white. Notice the trend. Any car like the Cobra R, or the Ford GT which slips under the EPA ruling (or around them by such low production numbers) get to use the GOOD stuff for running em hard, where the other cars after 2000 when that doc went into affect for ford must help out in Ford's overall EPA rating. After all, Ford prides itself on being 20% more environment friendly than the minimum EPA requirement.

BTW, I personally have found dealerships to be the worst sourse for ANYTHING on our cars. Be it info of whats to come to mechanical specs and or working on the cars. There is of couse a few exceptions to this rule, but they are few and far between, and usually those people are enthusiasts themselves.

The thing I noticed different between using 5w20 vs 5w30 is that with 5w20 the car came up to Normal operating temp really quick, where as the 5w30 took much longer for the car to come up to normal operating temps. Well, the car produces the most NOX gases while it is cold, and runs cleaner when its at normal operating temps. So that pretty much sums up the advantage of 5w20 for Ford. The thing that worries me is friction causes heat, if 5w20 lets the engine heat up quicker.. what does that tell us about its friction protection compared to 5w30

My post is not to flame ANYONE, and I am sorry if it sounds bad or harsh, its not ment to harp on anyone. Its just that I kinda get peeved when people spread Fords hidden agenda, which hurts us all as enthusiasts. Sorry for the long ramble.

Oh, and I use Amsoil. :doubt:

[Dave B.]

thats very compelling, good points,,,,I did not know that about the 2000 Cobra "R" does sound like something is a miss,,,,,,,dang,,,,dont know what else to say other than you make perfect sence,

Has anyone had any engine problems at all with oil?

[ausie]

Think about this one, 5w-20 is basically a blend of oil that flows like a 5 weight oil when cold but once heated it is a 20 weight oil. Basically the 2nd number in multigrade oils is its flow resistance once heated to operating temperature. Case in point and probably the hottest parts in the motor are the main bearings since it is the oil that separates the crank shaft from the bearing material. The higher the 2nd number the better since it would provide a better barrier and less wear on the crank shaft bearings as well as create a better seal on the rings of the pistons. The only issues you may encounter is that some heavier weight oils may not flow well when cold (typically at startup in the winter or at low temperatures). There are some oils that have similar properties to 5w-20 or 5w-15 (actually this is the recommended oil viscosity of my 96 Ford Exploder) but are rated at 20w-50 (AMSOIL series 2000 racing oil). I have yet to find any other oil in a 20w-50 weight that is not like molassis or some form of sticky tar). I would probably rate the AMSOIL series 2000 20w-50 at top of my list for both of my vehicles. I only use Royal Purple as an alternative but a 10W-30 weight. There are benefits of having a friend who is an AMSOIL dealer and one of them was seeing how well the product pours at extremely low temperature since he kept his inventory in a barn. I almost expected a heinze ketchup flow rate with temperatures well below freezing with the 20w-50 oil but I was amazed it poured like a 10w-30 oil at room temperature. I have used the Amsoil 20w-50 in both Cobra's as well as my Exploder. The only reason why I may use Royal Purple is that I do not have to drive 26miles to get it. I would not use a different brand in the same weight since most of them have a consistency of peanut butter.

[Dave B.]

Well I just changed and had Amsoil 5W-30 put in and it feels a little smoother,
I dont think here in Florida ill ever have any slow flow problems no matter how cold it gets here, can you imagine these people in Alaska that have problems with there oil freezing?? geez thanks for the adivse folks

[ausie]

I guess a block heater would come in handy with that. I think they use oil or block heaters for each NASCAR race to get the oil up to temperature before they start the motors. Even Alaska is a paradise when compared to antartica where they have issues with fuel freezing. I would doubt that AMSOIL would flow in that area especially if your fuel freezes there would be no point in going anywhere.

Never had a problem with oil in any motor. Lets just say this: never had to repair or replace a motor due to the oil used. But I have had an ocassional issue with oil filters from time to time. However one thing to avoid is the use of those oil additives that mysterioulsy increase fuel milage, reduce wear, and brings back dead horses. Some are harmful to engine components, clogs the oil pump pickup screens, cloggs oil jets and basically reduces oil flow in areas in need. Some of those too good to be true products may have some class action law suits against them. Even if an oil claims to provide good oil life for longer periods than the reccomended oil change, oil filters on the other hand have an effective life of 3000 miles. It is possible to change oil fliters without changing the oil but it will not remove the fine particles suspended in the oil. Another thing to consider, just because the oil turns black does not mean it is bad (actually that is good since it is supposed to suspend the contaminants so the filter can remove them). A good filter is always a must and it should not effect the oil pressure either.