Engine Oil - Conventional / Synthetic

Griswald One · 08-18-2015, 02:09 PM

My Greyhawk is not yet due for it's first Oil change. But it will be by the end of the season. On average my trailer travels have been putting on about 6000-7500 miles per year. I don't expect that will change with the purchase of our Motorhome, at least not in the near future.

So my expectation is that Oil and filter changes will be part of my Winterization process. I am contemplating how to best protect and maintatin my engine during the winter storage months. I anticipate going up to the trailer to run the engine and generator once a month to keep everything lubricated.

My thoughts are that Synthetic Oil will be a worthwile investment for me but I am by no means an expert. My reasoning is this... If I want to run the engine in the winter with conventional Oil... I would need to put 5W-30 in the engine so it does not turn to sludge in the cold weather and then would need to change the oil again in the spring to handle the hot summer weather, particularily when we travel South and push through mountain passes. Whereas the Synthetic Oil will operate in both the freezing and hot temperature ranges. Also am I correct in my understanding that the Synthetic Oil is less prone to breakdown and therefore the once annual oil change should not be a problem where conventional should be changed on at least 6 month intervals.

Your thoughts and expertise are appreciated!!!

Grumpy · 08-18-2015, 02:16 PM

I would only use 5W20 as is listed in the owners manual. The tolerances are very close and oil ports are smaller. There have been several reports of issues with the V-10 with the use of the heavier oils.

Also FORD'S oil is a semi-synthetic and that is all I ever used in our 2001 no matter what the outside temps.

Just my 2 cents.

Cunning193 · 08-18-2015, 02:42 PM

I use Amsoil 5W20 (synthetic) in all of my engines. It is rated for 25,000 miles or one year change intervals. Its a little more pricey but its worth it in the long run. Considering all other oil mileage and change intervals and published oil comparisons. Its rated the best.

Mr.Oz · 08-18-2015, 02:43 PM

Agree. All I ever run in my Ford's is motorcraft 5w20 semi-synthetic.

Ela1948 · 08-18-2015, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griswald One

My Greyhawk is not yet due for it's first Oil change. But it will be by the end of the season. On average my trailer travels have been putting on about 6000-7500 miles per year. I don't expect that will change with the purchase of our Motorhome, at least not in the near future.

So my expectation is that Oil and filter changes will be part of my Winterization process. I am contemplating how to best protect and maintatin my engine during the winter storage months. I anticipate going up to the trailer to run the engine and generator once a month to keep everything lubricated.

My thoughts are that Synthetic Oil will be a worthwile investment for me but I am by no means an expert. My reasoning is this... If I want to run the engine in the winter with conventional Oil... I would need to put 5W-30 in the engine so it does not turn to sludge in the cold weather and then would need to change the oil again in the spring to handle the hot summer weather, particularily when we travel South and push through mountain passes. Whereas the Synthetic Oil will operate in both the freezing and hot temperature ranges. Also am I correct in my understanding that the Synthetic Oil is less prone to breakdown and therefore the once annual oil change should not be a problem where conventional should be changed on at least 6 month intervals.

Your thoughts and expertise are appreciated!!!

You are talking about running it once a month up to the trailer to keep everything lubricated. Make sure that the engines come up to full operating temperatures and stay there for at least 15 minutes. The issue is condensation. If the trip isn't at least 1/2 hour long at normal speeds, I would be concerned with the system not getting hot enough to cook off any moisture that is made when cold metal gets warm but not hot.

Griswald One · 08-18-2015, 03:23 PM

That makes my decision making simpler... and Cheaper

Thanks for the input!

Edd505 · 08-18-2015, 03:24 PM

The new technology says synthetic is better so I have used full synthetic in my diesel since new and change every 10K. Reasoning 40K plus for a new F250 or do all I can to keep the paid for running strong.

Griswald One · 08-18-2015, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ela1948

You are talking about running it once a month up to the trailer to keep everything lubricated. Make sure that the engines come up to full operating temperatures and stay there for at least 15 minutes. The issue is condensation. If the trip isn't at least 1/2 hour long at normal speeds, I would be concerned with the system not getting hot enough to cook off any moisture that is made when cold metal gets warm but not hot.

Once we are snowed in, taking it out on the road is not an option. I had anticipated an hour of run time, reality is for the generator the maintenance specs are 2 hours under load and the battery (Truck, not house) will need at least that hour I would think to keep the charge up over the winter. What would be your recommendation for winter maintenance of the engine parts?

Ela1948 · 08-18-2015, 04:07 PM

I personally wouldn't run the truck. Todays lubricants can easily maintain seals and bearings for long periods of inactivity. The chance of moisture issues stemming from not coming to full temperature would far out way the problems of not running the truck for extended periods of time. Running your generator is fine because you can bring it to temperature easily.
I would use a trickle charger on the batteries if shore power was available. Battery disconnects and battery chargers to top your batteries off if shore power was not available.

Ela1948 · 08-18-2015, 04:42 PM

I operated an orchard for about 20 years and had a full time employee that pruned trees and did other small jobs related to farming thru the winter months. I provided transportation in the form of an F250 Ford van. He would drive it out into the orchard every day and returned. Probably didn't add up to !/2 hr. daily. I changed the oil in the truck in Sept. that year. He drove it every day but not far. In February he complained that the transmission was acting funny. When I checked it, both dip sticks for both the engine and the transmission were way over full and milky in color. I drained the oil & fluid in both the engine and transmission. The engine survived. The transmission didn't. I had to put a rebuilt C6 automatic in the truck. After that, I made certain that the truck ran for at least !/2 hr at operating speeds every week!! Education comes in many forms!!!!

spoon059 · 08-18-2015, 04:59 PM

Griswald... if you can't drive your camper, I wouldn't start the engine. You will be doing more harm than good. Change your oil before winter. Before the snow gets too bad, get it out and drive it for a while, getting it up to operating temps and drive it hard. Let it cool down with a gentle ride back home, then put it away for the winter. It will be fine.

I try to run our generator every other month. I have a fuel petcock, I personally run the fuel out of the carb and let it shut off that way. This reduces ethanol based fuel from sitting in lines and in the carb for a long time.

Griswald One · 08-18-2015, 05:16 PM

I like where this advise is going. So if I am not going to run the engine... my final concern becomes the battery. I do not have access to shore power at my storage yard. So a trickle charger is out of the question. I assume the generator needs the battery's cranking power to start up.... I am thinking the right solution might be to remove the battery for the winter and bring it home where I can put it on a trickle charger and then buy a battery pack that I can take up to give me the start up power needed for the genny???

You would all really make my day if you said... no just leave the battery it will survive 4 months of winter.

rgolding · 08-18-2015, 07:52 PM

Disconnect the cables or have a disconnect switch and it has a good chance of handling 4 months without charging. All the little stuff like the LP detector and digital clocks will work on draining that battery over 4 months. OR How about a small, say 12 to 15 Watt solar panel charger? That should help keep the battery up.

Griswald One · 08-18-2015, 10:15 PM

Solar panel could work... I can get morning sun where the truck is parked and if I built a stand sloped to say 20 degrees the snow should slide off so I don't have to run up there after every snowfall. Thanks all for the advice and suggestions

Ela1948 · 08-19-2015, 04:07 AM

You said that you are going to run your generator monthly. Making a monthly trip to check on your unit and batteries is always a good idea. Use disconnects on your batteries to get rid of any residual power drain. Purchase a battery charger that is not automatic. Meaning it doesn't shut down when it thinks the battery is full. When you are running your generator, charge your batteries while you are exercising your generator. If you put a 6 or 10 amp charge in your batteries for 1/2 hour each, it will top off your batteries without cooking them. Get a digital voltage meter and check your batteries before you charge them. Optimally they should be around 12.7 volts. That will give you some guidance on how much you need to charge your batteries. Charging your batteries is just insurance. It would give me piece of mind.

Griswald One · 08-19-2015, 05:10 AM

So here is a question I had not considered. The battery power for startup on the Genny... Is it drawn from the truck battery or the house battery??? The house battery is your standard Deep Cycle correct? So it will have to be removed in the winter to prevent freezing as the cells are filled with water. Whereas the truck has a automobile style battery which can be left in?

Conversly will the generator provide a charge to the truck battery on it's own or does that require additional apparatus. I think your suggestion is to plug a battery charger into the genny and then connect it to the battery? Am I reading that correctly?

Ela1948 · 08-19-2015, 05:28 AM

I have a FW, so I don't have direct knowledge of what you have. Both of your batteries are wet cell batteries and have the same characteristics as far as charging goes. Most likely your house battery is a standard marine deep cycle battery. I would have to assume that the manufacturer would start your generator off of truck battery. that would make the most sense,as it has higher CCA's then a deep cycle does. I wouldn't expect that either battery charges directly off of your generator. That is why I suggest getting a non automatic battery charger. And yes, you will have to determine how to connect a charger to your batteries. Without seeing your battery set up, I would expect you would need an extension cord and the charger to charge both batteries. Chargers like I describe cost about $35. You may want to consider 2 of them to expedite the charging process. I would probably start with one and using the digital volt meter to determine just how long you needed to give the batteries a touch up.

Ela1948 · 08-19-2015, 05:31 AM

None of your batteries should require removal for the winter providing that you keep them charged up. Only a discharged battery will freeze!!

Ela1948 · 08-19-2015, 05:46 AM

I also would recommend a good fuel additive in your last tank of fuel before winter. In 3 or 4 months there is a possibility of ethanol issues (fuel separation) in that period of time.

TWP723 · 08-19-2015, 05:53 AM

Jusr remember...

If you use any kind of synthetic, you have to use synthetic oils from then on. You can't revert back to regular oil.

Motorcraft 5W20 Synthetic Blend in gas trucks from the factory if it's a Ford.

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