Fluid changes

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Doug K 2

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Looking to see what kind of fluids everyone on here uses. Normally I just take whatever is on sale or the first thing I see. I'm changing my oil and transmission fluid. Not exactly sure where to drain or fill the tranny. If I looked I could probably figure it out but why not just ask and then find. Haha
 
Oil - Penzoil Ultra Platinum. Worth every penny in my experience, although I have not done oil analysis yet. It makes a noticably quiter engine for me, checked with a sound meter on my phone as well. Look it up if you haven't heard, I've read a number of oil analysis results done on different cars against Mobil1 EP and it exceeds in each test.



Trans-Not man options in my local stores. Castrol I think. I change mine annually but I have the PML pan replacement with the drain plug so draining and refilling is a breeze and I don't have to change the gasket and filter each time. You'll have to drop the pan and replace the filter and gasket.



Fill tubes are labeled in the engine bay.
 
on any ford NEVER mess with the tranny..... Get the OEM ford fluid....



ALL the others I support our site sponsor and only use Amsoil in any fluid changes I do.



Todd Z



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I did a little research and found that the drain plug and fill plug are basically the same thing. Big plug to drain and little one to fill. I might just take it into a dealer to have the tranny flushed and filled. Just seems easier and safe. Thanks guys.
 
Not wanting to stir the pot, but any brand name oil that meets the criteria and meets the API specifications for your vehicle should work just fine.



I am not saying that Amsoil, or Royal Purple, etc are not good products, and may even be a little better?



I am just saying that you should get a good product that you can easily purchase anywhere, whenever you need it. That simply means that the more convenient it is to get the oil or fluid, the more convenient and the more often you will change the fluids.



Many people here seem to be hung up or anal about certain brands only because they think that the more they spend for oil and fluids the better their vehicle is, and the smarter they think they are. TOTAL BS !!



Usa a brand name product that meets the specs and readily available in your location with out jumping through hoops or ordering from some distributor, and you will have met the requirements of the vehicle manufacturer. Spending more money, or changing oil more frequently than necessary is a waste of oil, time, and money. Too often that means you will skip or delay routine maintenance because you don't have the necessary products or money.



I recommend that you use a good quality synthetic oil for extended use and change it every 5K-7K. That is probably the best compromise of performance and economics for your dollar.



For the transmission, I would recommend getting the transmission flushed every 25K-30K miles and use a 100% Mercon compatible fluid, and do not allow them to put in any cleaners etc...It does nothing good for the transmission and only pads the bill for the shop.



...Rich
 
That is pretty much what I have been doing. Getting brand name that is the right specs. I'm creeping up on 95k miles and it is probably time for spark plugs to be changed out. Is that a job that can be done in an hour or so?
 
Oil: Pennzoil Platinum 5w-30. I've gotten UOA's and it's good stuff. Change every 5k.

Coolant: Prestone. Change every 50k.

Tranny fluid: Whatever the shop puts in when they flush it. I think they use BG. 115k with flushes at 50k and 100k, no issues so far.

Transfer case: Mobil 1 ATF or Redline D4. Right now I have Redline in it since I had some left over from changing the fluid in the T-5 in my son's Mustang. Change every 30k.

Front axle: Valvoline Synpower 75w-90. Going to Valvoline Quicky Lube is really the only way to do the front axle. They have a suction machine to drain it. You can't get the diff cover off with the diff in the truck. Change every 50k.

Rear axle: Mobil 1 75w-140. Gen 2's have a drain plug on the rear so it's easy to do yourself. Change every 30k since Gen 2 rear axle bearings have a reputation for being soft.



I change all of them myself except for the tranny flush and front axle.
 
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Some of the fluids above were cheaper then on the shelf stuff with the discount.....

And I support Site Sponsors.



Todd Z
 
Todd Z,



Some of the fluids above were cheaper then on the shelf stuff with the discount.....



Sometimes, convenience trumps price.





And I support Site Sponsors.



I would expect nothing less from you. :supercool:...That's what they are paying you to do.

but just because it's a site sponsor does not mean their product is convenient or priced right for everyone.



....Rich
 
Rich, some people define convenient as "UPS brings it to my doorstep." As far as pricing goes, you'd be surprised at the savings available through AMSOIL's Preferred Customer program. I know several here who like that. See my article on oils and filters in the Projects section of this here forum.
 
Vic,

I'm sure some people would find a UPS doorstep delivery convenient...especially if they live in a rural area where there are few stores around. They may prefer to pay for UPS shipping and doorstep delivery rather than endure the inconvenience of driving to the local Walmart, K-mart, or Auto parts store to buy the oil there. I buy a lot of things online and have them shipped to my door. But in most cases, the items are not available locally, or they are cheaper to buy online and have them shipped...some items have free shipping and no-sales tax?



My other point was about brands and why people are so anal about specific brands. I know it's only an individual's opinion, but frankly, if it meets the automakers API standards, it will work perfectly well and once it leaves the bottle and gets into the engine, the automaker, your neighbors, nor anybody here will be able to look at the oil and know what brand of oil you used (with the possible exception of Royal Purple, because of it's purple color)



...Rich



 
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I've used various brands of transmission fluid including the WalMart brand tranny fluid in mine, always in the Mercon V version. I change it often, and the original transmission is still going great at 329,000 miles.
 
Whichever brand synthetics are on sale. I don't spend a whole lot of time trying to figure it out. Grab a motorcraft filter and head to checkout.



Home Depot had Pennzoil Platinum for something like $3/qt on clearance last week so that's what I'll be using this time. Also what I used the previous time.



I haven't changed the transmission fluid in my ST and at 113k miles (55k miles by me), I'm at a debatable situation of whether I should or not. Transmission still shifts perfectly.
 
Rich-

anybody here will be able to look at the oil and know what brand of oil you used (with the possible exception of Royal Purple, because of it's purple color)



Q- Does Royal Purple motor oil maintain it's purple color after it's put into service?



A- In engine service the oil typically loses its purple color shortly after being put into service. This is due to the extreme temperature swings and combustion by-products that engine oil is exposed to. Also, residual used oil left in the engine at the oil change will affect the new oil appearance,

as well. The color will turn brown at some point.



Gimmicky huh? What a freakin' joke! :banghead:
 
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swshawaii,

Yes, I know that Royal Purple looses it's purple color after its been run in the enigne...I was referring to the fact that nobody could tell the difference in the brand of oil once it was put in the engine and they did not see the brand on the bottle. :haveabeer:



My point was that if you use a quality brand name oil that you can readily buy anywhere at a fair price, you are more likely to change the oil more often and not use the excuse that you had to order more oil, or wait for it to be shipped, or when it does arrive, you don't have the time to do the oil change then? I think it is much more convenient to change the oil if I can run down to the local store, buy the oil and a quality filter and have the job done in about an hour.



...Rich
 
I've been using Royal Purple Full Syn oil since the trac had 10k miles. Currently sitting at 184k miles. Been using Royal Purple Full Syn 5w30 oil the whole time with either the Royal Purple oil filter or the K&N oil filter and change it every 10k miles.



All the other stuff, as in the transfer case, front/rear diffs, transmission... whatever FORD put in at the dealership.



Truck has been running fine. No problems with any of them. Though, I haven't been driving the trac as often as I was, due to buying a Fusion, might be time to put another brand oil in.



(I also have been thinking of finding a replacement for the trac)
 




Sometimes, convenience trumps price.



That's why I do Maintenance and don't wait for it to break down. I order my parts months in advance and have it all ready then perform the work.



If an emergency, I use Advance Auto mainly.



Todd Z
 
On my '04, I switched to castrol syn @ 1500 miles. Several changes @ 8k to 10k. Now have ran penzoil plat syn for several 8k to 10k changes. I use K&N filters.

Blackstone lab reports come back excellent. I run the crap out of my trac.

So if that is what works for me I will catch the sales and keep it up.
 
I have used full synthetic since about 50,000 miles. I started out with Mobil 1, then switched to Pennzoil synthetic based largely on information from this site and that Bobtheoilguy (or whatever it is called) site. Then switched to WalMart synthetic for financial reasons, and I've used it ever since. Always in 5w-30 and always with a Motorcraft filter. It's worked well for over 300,000 miles. it runs great, but it does have a couple of small oil leaks I need to get to.
 
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Todd Z,



That's why I do Maintenance and don't wait for it to break down



So, how do you determine exactly when your oil breaks-down???



That is the problem we all face.



Years ago I had a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix before I bought my 2001 Job-1 Sport Trac. the GP had sensors that determined how long you had been driving, how hot the vehicle was running, how much stop-start driving you did vs long highway runs. It converted that data into a meaningful indicator of when you needed to change the oil? I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this system, but it seemed to work?



My Mercedes came from the factory with Mobil-1 synthetic and recoomended oil changes every 13K miles or 12 months, whichever comes first. I have used Mobil-1 synthetic in all my vehicles since my first Sport Trac oil change and it has worked well for me.



I am not promoting Mobil-1, but I mention this only because it is a quality oil that is easily found in auto parts stores, Discount stores and even in some large supermarkets.



I also chose to use a Synthetic oil for the longer change intervals. I always felt that 3000 miles was fine for conventional oils, it was often not convenient for me to change oil that often, especially when the automaker recommended 6K-7.5K oil changes. I used synthetic oils so that I could go 6-7K miles and if something came up where I did not have time, or simply forgot to change the oil, I knew that I could exceed the 7K miles with the confidence that no harm would be done.



You also need to realize that the automaker is trying to minimize their warranty costs at your expense. Even when the automaker specifies 7500 mile oil changes, the dealer often cuts that to 3000 miles, claiming that driving conditions in your stater or area are considered "Severe Driving Conditions"?



My leased 2013 Hyundai dealer has made that same exact claim, however they have no idea how and where I drive my Hyundai. Hyundai states that severe driving environment is "Excessive stop and go driving in extreme heat". Texas does get hot but I do not encounter much stop and go city traffic. Hyundai also says that "long, non-stop driving is considered as Severe Driving conditions, however I don't drive long distances (usually less than 20 miles non-stop) and when I do drive longer distances on a trip, I do change the oil sooner.



My point is that many people here are hung up on specific Brands, or appear to be anal about religiously changing oil at some exact point or mileage??



I say change the oil within the automakers requirements, and look at what they are considering as Severe driving conditions. That may or may not apply to you.



As long as you are changing the oil as often as necessary, with a brand name, quality oil that meets the automakers specifications, you do not need to go beyond that. Beyond that is often just a waste of money.



I don't feel that any oil you need to buy from a certified distributor is really necessary, especially when you need to have it shipped to you? You might get a discount, but the shipping, etc typically cost more or at best equals the same price as you would pay at a local retailer, and you can get it at a local retail outlet anytime you want without having to order it and wait for it to be shipped to you!



I am not arguing the quality of Amsoil or any other oil brands. My son-in-law sells Lucas Oil products. I'm sure they make good products, but I don't buy that either. I would just as soon, send him a check rather than order and wait for oil to be delivered to my door?



I guess I should say (if you have not already figured it out) that I am not a big fan of common commodities up-marketed to franchised distributors....that just adds another middleman's profit to the cost. Walmart and other retail outlets rely on volume sales and often at a lower price because of their buying power.



...Rich
 
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