Oil?

[InfamousSVT]

Anyone have any info on what motor oil is the best for the Cobra's?
Royal Purple, Mobil 1, etc................

Pros / Cons ?

[NewFoundPower]

Call me conservative but I used Motorcraft 5W-20 since that is what it came with from the factory.


-D-

[crutch95]

I have been told by many people that if you dont run the 5w20 in the motor that your motor is not going to last long. I realy dont know how true that is because i have some friends that are runing 20w50 in there cars. If i was you i would just run the 5w20 i would rather be safe then sorry. THat just my .02

[flynfink]

:mad: DO NOT RUN 20W-50 in a 4.6l Cobra motor.. Unless you want to destroy your engine and have Ford deny your warranty. It won't flow into the small galleys in the heads when cold and destroy the valve train... :spanked:

5W-20 or 5W-30. IMHO any brand name oil is good. If you have the extra bucks, synthetics are better than dino juice, more stable, heat resisitant, etc.

I personally use Valvoline Syn. 5W-30 in my 99 and 10W-30 in my 94 (5.0l) because they sponsor SCCA racing (runoffs).

[Sonic03inSC]

I use Mobil 1 5w-30 K&N filter

[03 cobra toy]

MOTUL 300V 5W30 But it comes with a price....$12 per qt

100% Ester based racing lubricant. Specially designed for use in highly modified engines. Can handle oil running temperatures up to 365 degrees Fahrenheit. 300V provides maximum electrochemical bonding, producing a film preventing metal to metal start-ups

[secondchance]

I have about 5k on a fill Mobil1 0W-20 with no problems.

http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/Newsroom/Newsreleases/xom_nr_051102_2.asp

[SlowSVT]

:mad: DO NOT RUN 20W-50 in a 4.6l Cobra motor.. Unless you want to destroy your engine and have Ford deny your warranty. It won't flow into the small galleys in the heads when cold and destroy the valve train... :spanked:

5W-20 or 5W-30. IMHO any brand name oil is good. If you have the extra bucks, synthetics are better than dino juice, more stable, heat resisitant, etc.

I personally use Valvoline Syn. 5W-30 in my 99 and 10W-30 in my 94 (5.0l) because they sponsor SCCA racing (runoffs).

I don't think running 20W-50W will ruin your engine due to reduced oil flow into the cylinder heads. I have never heard of top end oil starvation problems with the 4.6 motors. If using 20W-50W would restrict the oil enough to starve the top end of lubrication that would suggest that the oil galleries are so small that the stock system is probably barely adequate to handle even the 5W-20 that Ford recommends. I read where an Engine builder put a plexiglass cover on the valve cover on a DOHC 4.6 to observe the oil flow and was amazed how much oil was being pumped into the head to the point of being concerned about the sump capacity.

One area that could pose a problem with running hevier oil is the tight .001" piston-to-wall clearance. At higher RPM's the heavier oil may not get past the pistion skirts to adequately lubricate the pistons and rings.

I've run nothing but Castrol 20W-50W in my Subaru with 236K miles all year in New England and the cars runs as strong as when it was new.

I run Amsoil 2000 full synthetic in the Cobra

[jack]

When the 4.6 engines first came out(early 90's)they had oil problems when running a thicker oil. If i remember right he oil system has small return holes and Ford recalled them and replaced the oil with a thinner oil. Maybe someone with better 4.6 knowledge can help with this.

[RF Cobra]

Mobil 1 0w-20 synthetic for me. :D

What I can not figure out is why Ford specified full synthetic for the 03-04s and then told the dealerships that "blended" oil is okay even though it doesn't meet their own spec. requirements. :scratch:

[WVSNS&]

I was told by another cobra owner not to run thick oil such as the ones with 50 in the titla due to a "clicking" noise that sometimes would develop and be annoying. I run synthetic 5w20. I just turned 42700 and still don't lose any between changes. I get an occaisional small puff at startup but no one (dealer) included can fix that at this time. There is a gt near me that the owner has run sae 50 in for a while and has the nasty tick. It sounds like the tick of fuel injection but only loud enough to be heard over his uncatted two chamber flowmasters. Just a thought.

[ausie]

If you prefer a 20w-50 there are some to avoid and some worth the money. The first time I have used Castrol 20w-50 (many moons ago in late 80's) during the summer. I was amazed how thick it was. Recently a friend of mine became an AMSOIL dealer. There are three grades of racing oil 60, 20w-50 and 0-30. The 01 got its first taste of 20w-50. Keep in mind that synthetic oils do not exhibit the same flow characteristics as do conventional motor oils. The synthetic 20w-50 was thin and poured similar to 5w-20 at 30 degrees F. I was so impressed with the 20w-50 I put that in my Exploder and ran it all winter in sub freezing temperatures without any problems. I have even driven the 01 in the cold and did not experence any problems. Now my 04 has AMSOIL in it, but I contemplated the series 2000 racing 20-w50 verses the series 3000 10w-30 and decided on the 10w-30 for the lower wear ratings. One huge reason Ford changed the oil grade to a thinner oil was for the EPA ratings and improved gas milage (take that with a grain of salt since it may not be reliable info). I have used Royal Purple, Amsoil, Mobil 1 etc.. I have yet to use Red Line. I prefer the 20w-50 AMSOIL product and have had good results even though some in here have questioned why 20w-50. 20w-50 is a grading system. In synthetic form, it may be as thin as water, but exhibits the flow characteristics that meet a 20w-50 rating. For example, go to a local auto parts shop and play with the Lucas oil display (the one with the gears and two oils in it). Both oils I believe are 10w-30, but one has the additive in it. The oil with the additive coats the parts better than the one without. That is similar to a display of 20w-50 and 10w-30 in syntetic form. Same flow characteristics but different cling or adhesion characteristics.
The 01 had a tick when cold until it warmed up but it was not the same noise as piston slap I hear with the 04. Some have said it is the oil pressure in the hydrolic timing chain tensioner, or even the anti-siep valve in the oil filter. I heard the ticking noise when I first used Mobil 1 oils in the 01. I had it with the amsoil 20w-50 as well but only on the second oil change from the case. Even Royal purple did the same thing. I realized then that I used a Mobil 1 oil filter when I had the noise issue. The mobil 1 is one of the better filters on the market, but it tends to enter by-pass mode too soon (maybe it works too good). I usually did not experience the tick until after a thousand miles were clocked in on the filter. It did not always happen so it is difficult to pinpoint the filter as the cause. As far as syntetics are concerened, I have no plans on extending the miles placed on the oil and will not exceed the 5000 mile interval suggested by Ford. The oil may provide protection for that duration, but the filter is only good for 3000 miles. I was recommended against using a K&N filter because it creates too much pressure on the oil sump. You may get more engine damage or wear if the filter does not have a good flow rate.

[Coy]

I personally use Royal Purple, tests prove an slight increase in Horsepower. I have also put the Purple stuff in the tranny it will make the shifting alot smoother. However, in my State Police car we are using Amsoil. We change the oil at twenty thousand miles with a oil filter change at every ten thousand miles. We are very rough on the police cars and so far no problems what-so-ever, Yet.I think that if you are going to modify the car using synthetic oils it appears that you will need an oil separator so the oil does not get into the intercooler. I am currently thinking about doing this even though I may not actually need?

[ausie]

The best method to keep the oil out of the intake would be a complete breather set up and omit the Positive crankcase ventilation system. However, to be compliant with the emmissions check, a PCV catch can is probably the only alternative. Since synthetics to not completely burn at engine temperatures as will conventional motor oil if it seeps into the intake, I would recommend a simple air compressor separator filter to trap oil mist on the PCV line. In the photo you can see how much oil is trapped from 400 miles of driving.

[jack]

ausie, Do you just drain yours? I've seen where some people route it back to the crankcase. With that much oil, it should've come from the factory with one.

[InfamousSVT]

I went with the Royal Purple 5w30, it cost around $6 - $7 a qt., but I figure it's worth it!

Thanks for all the replies!

[InfamousSVT]

I have about 5k on a fill Mobil1 0W-20 with no problems.

http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/Newsroom/Newsreleases/xom_nr_051102_2.asp
Nice article, I might have to try that out! About how much does a qt. run?

[ausie]

ausie, Do you just drain yours? I've seen where some people route it back to the crankcase. With that much oil, it should've come from the factory with one.
Jack,
I would dump it into the waste oil. I was amazed that the color was very dark as compared to the oil in the crank case. It may have picked up some dirt from the fuel line hoses.

Has anybody used the Lucas Oil Stabilizer yet? I decided to try out the pure syntetic stabilizer and added a few ounces to the block. At cold start (first time) I did not hear the usual faint piston slap during warm up. The only noises I heard were the fuel injectors. The motor was more quiet than new.. I will post an update if things change for the worse or best. Either way it was nice not to hear the piston slap even if it is hard to notice.

[casey99COBRA]

I use 10W-30, It is what every mustang owner is using at the track.

[ausie]

I may agree with flylink on the weight of oil. Perhaps 20w-50 is not best suitable for the Factory motor. Even though I had great performance in the 01 with it, it would be best suited to use the weight of oil recommended especially if you have low miles on it. In some cases it will depend on climate and especially who's oil you use. Since I have a friend in the AMSOIL dealership, we poured a quart of oil of the 20w-50 and 5w-30 while it was below 20 degrees F. His shop is out in a detached barn with no heat. It was difficult to tell the difference between the two other than color of the oil. Like I said, I was contemplating on which oil to get. I was even contemplating on dumping the 5w-30 oil I just put in for the 20w-50. It would not have gone to waist since the beater (Exploder) needs an oil change. The only issue with the heavy grade oil is that it will run slightly cooler than the light grade oil. That may make it more suitable for a road race vehicle than a daily driver.