1997 F53 460 and Rotella R6 5w40

[cm2785]

Hey guys,

I have a 97 F53 chassis with the 460 with 11,000 miles. I just got it so I don’t know what oil was in it but it had a Ford filter and the oil looked surprisingly clean. Today I put a Mobil 1 filter in it and Rotella R6 5w40. I was wondering what you guys think of this oil for my motor and miles. The book calls for 10w30 or 5w30. Thanks!

[NMDriver]

What temperature do you drive in? In So. Cal you likely do not need 5W coverage but it will not hurt and if you head into the desert in summer the 40W coverage will be needed. The oil weight recommendations are bases on the expected temperature you will operate in. Most Americans drive in cold winters and warm summers but not hot deserts so 5-30 works for most vehicles. Your owners manual likely lists different oil Weights for different temperatures and the 40W is for over 100 most likely.

BTW: you do not need an particular brand of oil just one that meets the formulation recommendation for your engine. Wal Mart brand is just as good as Rotela if it has the same API rating.

You can google oil ratings and read more info than you can use. Each company claims they tweek the basic oil with a better formulation than the competition.

Castrol will tell you what you need (in their opinion) at this link link

[Bruce_Brown]

Agreed. The manufacturers recommend those oils for a reason. If they wanted 5-40 They would have recommended 5-40. :W

The 5 part is probably OK, 40 is too thick for a low mileage gas engine, IMO, although I am not a lubrication engineer, so take it for what it's worth.

[T18skyguy]

I use to have a 460 a year 1996. I would go with the 5-30 myself. I saw a test that even in warm weather the 5 weight gets to the top end much faster than the 10 weight. You'll be good with either. I wouldn't do a 40 weight though.