Type of oil

[crawford]

Guys I`m new at this so please bear with me..just bought this 1997 Cont.32v...think the book says 5w30?..has about 70k on odometer now...what would be best?..stick with manf. req?..or start using something else now ?..last car had well over 150k but was only a 3.8 engine..never burned oil..10w40w was used...not sure about this monster though...can`t even hear run most times...want to keep it that way..not sure what old owner used..so what are your thoughts?/any help would be apprec....thanks Bob :confused:

[ekooke]

5W30 is fine, but Ford is NOW recommending 5W20 oil for the newer 32V engines.

[crawford]

thanks bud..apprec. smile.gif ;)

[newlincolntome]

I was gonna run Shells Rottella T 15W40 in my car, and a quart of the lucas. Mine is an 88 TC, with 88k on it, and oil leaks up the wazoo. Thast what my dad euns in his dump truck, and all his cars, and alwasy has. Shoudl I not use this in this car?

[ekooke]

Newlincolntome,
First, I'd get the oil leaks in the wazoo fixed. It gets cold in Syracuse in wintertime, so you'd better have an engine or dipstick heater if you're going to run that 15W40 all year around. Actually, 5W30 is recommended for the 5.0 engine. Running heavier oil than that tends to blow engine seals; you know, creates leaks? smile.gif

[newlincolntome]

Thicker oil creates leaks? I was under the assumption that it helped stop them? Anyways, I'm not gonna fix them till fall, as I'm going to be going to school at UTI, inchicago, and Auto ech School, so I will be able to do it for free then. For the summertime, I'll be able to get away with keeping it topped off.

[ekooke]

Yes, a thicker oil will sometimes slow down or even stop an existing leak, but in an already tight engine, startup oil pressures (caused by running a thicker oil than recommended) can distort/damage oil seals, CAUSING leaks.

[Anon]

ekooke
Thanks for the report, but I gotta ask....
Other than ballooning the oil filter
What Seal ? ? ?

I have never seen a blown rear main seal dammaged due to High Oil Pressure.

Could you expand on which "dammaged oil seals", Please ? ? ?

[ekooke]

In addition to the oil filter gasket (which gets changed with every oil change) there is the gasket behind the oil filter adapter plate, and of course the seal in the oil pressure sending switch or sender unit.
I've seen blown main seals before, front and/or rear, but causality is difficult to prove; most likely cause (other than age) is lateral stress on the seal(s) caused by cold cranking and the fast startup idle with heavy weight oil. Cold thicker oil is also difficult to force thru oil galleries for upper cylinder lubrication, and may be a disaster for OHC and/or turbo engines. Generally, the heavier oils will shorten engine life, not prolong it.

[Anon]

Thanks ekooke
good explination ! !
I liked your "lateral stress" on the end seals. smile.gif and completely agree with poor lubrication on the OHC.
I suppose the factory recomended oils would be best to stay with.

due to my normal use at 70F and sustained highway speed for extended periods, the 20-50 racing oil is just a bit on the thick side but still within factory specifications. ? ? ?

[ekooke]

Anon,
I don't know what you have; I use Castrol Syntec 5W50 in my '90 Mark VII, and it likes it, with 156,000+ miles and no oil usage between changes. My Mark VIII blew out the oil filter adapter plate gasket almost immediately (same day) after I put the 5W50 Syntec in it. A little research, and I found a TSB from Ford warning against the use of anything above 5W30 in the 4.6L engine. It may have been a coincidence, maybe not. Anyway, I now use Mobil One 5w30 in the Mark VIII; no leaks, so far, in about a year. Changing that adapter plate gasket is a b@$^!
smile.gif

[Anon]

ekooke
Thanks for the Reply

I have just received a 92 TC with 90K miles on it. After the initial 800 mile drive home, I did all of the expected service one would expect for the 4.6L :
Oil, Air, Fuel, Tranny filters
EGR port cleaning
O2 sensors
Gapped the new Under Gapped Plugs
(were at .032" I set them to 0.54")
and installed Valvoline 20W50 Racing Oil.
11qt of Mercron V
and replace the "Multi element Variable Rate" rear prings. http://www.lincolnsonline.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=14&t=000145

with little than 1 month of service on the TC and 4,000 more miles on it, I see no Oil usage.
Then again, the outside temp is >70F at start.
BTW its time for me to change the oil which shows on the dipstick as still a light amber color not Black.

This will be a little too think this fall.

Also my normal driving for this TC is
start
warm up, then
drive until the tank is low, fill up and continue for another 100 to 200 miles, fill up and wait until the return trip starts.

every now and then I will put a short little 100 mile out and back trip on it.

I just wish I had a 25 gal fuel tank instead of the 20 gal tank that is installed.

[crawford]

Hey guys..thanks for all the answers..but ..geezze....all this fuss over a simple oil change?...The car is absolutley clean underneath..no leaks..anywhere..nada..none...so I went with what Lincoln says..after all they did spend some money designing this beast..Pennzoil 5w30 it was..and a fram filter..so far so good and a little added bonus some Lucus oil treatment..none better..(i sell it)..hehe..anyway..for all you Lincoln owners thanks much for all the info..just thankful I don`t own one of those oil burners yet or leakers..cheers.Bob ;)