Oil advice

My 91 ranger is closing in on a quarter million miles and I'm thinking of going with a thicker oil than the recommended 10-30.

Oil pressure is in the middle of the gauge, I do have some lifter noise when it's cold as is an issue with this engine. I live in idaho so I see cold weather.

I'm thinking 15-40w. Or do you guys think a jump to 20-50w is better?

You don't have a gauge unless you have installed an aftermarket one. What Ford used is a pressure switch just like an idiot light. All you will ever see on the dash is middle of the range, and low. Too many people were whining that the needle would read lower than normal with the engine hot.

I'd just run whatever oil you have been running. Thicker oil is a double edged sword. It has a higher resistance to flow, so it can mean the oil pump has a harder time pulling it through the pickup and the ends of the oil system may not see as much volume.

Really, journal bearings don't need any pressure at all. Splash lube works just fine if you engineer the crankcase for it. The pressure that holds the bearing away from the journal comes from hydrodynamicd forces, not the oil pump. The reason you want to pump oil through is to FLOW oil through, keep the bearings cool. Thicker oil doesn't flow through as well.

I'd be surprised if your bearing clearances are opened up significantly. 250k is hardly anything anymore. The lifter noise is probably from varnish, not lack of pressure. I'd just keep on using whatever spec is.

Yeah I know the gauge is basically an idiot light. Depending who you believe anything lower than 15-25 psi will be lower than the middle. I'm gonna hook up a gauge someday when I'm not busy at work.

Knurled said my thoughts leave it alone or you might have new problems.

I have heard some debate for newer lighter oils and mixing in partial synthetic. Synthetic mixed in with dino oil will reduce oil burn off.

I would make sure you are using an anti drainback valved filter if possible. Wix Purolator k&n

I usually use fram oil filters and syntech, although I have used amsoil too.

It doesn't smoke or burn oil.

I'd put a real gauge on it and see what you've got for pressure. If it's not low at hot idle, then the bearings are healthy and I see no need for thicker oil.

Don't forget to find out what the minimum hot idle pressure spec is. Some are surprisingly low. Mopar small blocks are 6 psi at curb idle hot, as an example.

You can go up a grade to a Xw40 if you want, it won't hurt anything. Don't jump to a 50 weight though, or run 15w40 in winter. 5w40 diesel oil (e.g. Rotella T6) is good stuff, especially if you want to run long intervals, I'd say 6k easy, maybe as much as 10k with analysis.

Not a fan of Fram, the filter lines above the base orange can aren't bad, but overpriced for what they are. I prefer Wix, the standard black Wix (or NAPA Gold) for long (up to 10k miles) drains, the cheaper Napa Silver/Oreilly Microguard/etc. for short intervals.

The Fram ultras are pretty damn good filters if you can find them at a reasonable price (I paid $6-ish last time I bought some). I wouldn't buy any of the other Frams though.

Every engine I've put a Fram on has rattled and had oil issues that were generally reduced by using a better filter, like a Purolator, wix, etc.

Seriously toss that Fram crap and stop using it.

my wagon calls for 10w30 but the lack of zddp scares me so i run 15w40 in it, ran the same 15w40 in my 89 mustang with a 2.3. the wagon carry's about 5 more psi per the same gauge with the 15w40 instead of the 10w30 when hot, but doesnt see alot of cold weather. the mustang would have near 80psi of oil pressure on cold start in the winter and it took a few seconds for the lifters to stop clattering.

I would say good filter and either 5w-40 or the same oil you have been using is the best choice.

rslifkin wrote: I'd put a real gauge on it and see what you've got for pressure. If it's not low at hot idle, then the bearings are healthy and I see no need for thicker oil. Don't forget to find out what the minimum hot idle pressure spec is. Some are surprisingly low. Mopar small blocks are 6 psi at curb idle hot, as an example.

Idle oil pressure is not critical as loads are minimum.

Oil pressure should be checked at what would be road rpm. 1500-2000 maybe. Generally around 40 psi hot.

Back in the old days. A VW type 3 with automatic transmission would often cause the light to flicker at idle. A check to see if the higher rpm pressure as good, we would install an adjustable pressure switch. Older T 1 had them. Simply adjust so that the light stays out. Customer went happily don the road for many more miles. If pressed we said the old sender was bad.

If you read the manuals, a lot of 60s-70s cars claim a flickering oil light at idle is OK on a hot day, as mentioned by Knurled you don't really need pressure, just oil delivered. You know you're actually boned when the hydraulic lifters start clattering at idle becasue the oil pump can't develop enough head pressure to pump that high up, which in many pushrod engines means nothing is getting oil flow as the main oil galley is the highest point in the system.

If you really cared about your vehicle, it would already have something like this installed. It's the only way to know what's really going on and when. Recently had an oil filter malfunction that I would never have caught without the gauge.

91 might have a real gauge, my 89 Mustang did. Is it the 2 spark plug per cylinder Lima? I ran 20w50 in the summer and 10w30 in the winter in my regular Lima but it only lasted for 230K miles so it might not be good advice.

ncjay wrote: If you really cared about your vehicle, it would already have something like this installed. It's the only way to know what's really going on and when. Recently had an oil filter malfunction that I would never have caught without the gauge.

Lol Its my first car and it was just recently resurrected from a phantom starting problem that I finally solved. Its getting attention.

pjbgravely wrote: 91 might have a real gauge, my 89 Mustang did. Is it the 2 spark plug per cylinder Lima? I ran 20w50 in the summer and 10w30 in the winter in my regular Lima but it only lasted for 230K miles so it might not be good advice.

Its the 4.0l cologne

Stefan (Not Bruce) wrote: Every engine I've put a Fram on has rattled and had oil issues that were generally reduced by using a better filter, like a Purolator, wix, etc. Seriously toss that Fram crap and stop using it.

Usually I use fram ultras but I've used wix before. Same lifter noise. This engine is sort of known for it

Lifter tick all the time or just when the oil is getting older? Rotella T cured that for me in a miata with hydraulic lash adjusters or at least prolonged the tick from starting 2k miles after a oil change to 4k. Dump a quart of atf 100miles or so before you change the oil. And never run fram again. Wix or puralator. I get puralators from walmart for same price or less than fram. Btw wix, puralator, and bosch are all the same made in the same factory.

In reply to chiodos:

Bosch is Purolator with different paint, neither have anything to do with Wix AFAIK. I used to run Purolator white cans for short intervals but quit after the torn media deal came to light. I stick to Wix or Denso now, maybe Delco (non E core only!) on GM stuff.

Yeah, until the torn media issues are sorted out, the only Purolators worth using are the blue can synthetic ones or the new grey can Puro Boss. But the Fram Ultra is a nicer built filter from what I've seen, has better specs, and it's cheaper.

chiodos wrote: Lifter tick all the time or just when the oil is getting older? Rotella T cured that for me in a miata with hydraulic lash adjusters or at least prolonged the tick from starting 2k miles after a oil change to 4k. Dump a quart of atf 100miles or so before you change the oil. And never run fram again. Wix or puralator. I get puralators from walmart for same price or less than fram. Btw wix, puralator, and bosch are all the same made in the same factory.

Lifter tick is only when it's first started up and cold

STP will cure all of the problems.

Didn't know they were still around till I watched the race at Martinsville.

In reply to iceracer:

Anything STP will do going up a grade will do better. Great stuff for getting the worn out lawn mower to stop rattling and/or smoking though, or limping home a hurt motor.

Antihero, mine was the same so try what i suggested. Worked for me.

Okay so i need to look more into purelator then cause i havent heard of the torn filter fiasco. I maybe wrong about them all being the same but thats what i recalled from people cutting the filters apart and comparing the insides. Either way id bet a torn purelator is better than a new orange fram haha.