What Engine/Transmission Oil Do You Use?

[Prafeston]

I'm about to put a "new" transmission in my car and wondering what oil to put in it? Also doing another oil change while I'm at it.

O'Reilly's guy said to use Mercon ATF fluid, but I found it odd to buy ATF for a MTF? I've looked around on here some and saw others saying they used that and others saying they used different stuff. I'm wanting to make sure I get the right stuff. The transmission I just picked up had 140k miles on it...if it was the original to the car I removed it from. Most of the oil probably drained when we removed it, but I'll drain whatever else I can and fill with what I decide is best. Right now this is what I was planning on putting in the car, but I saved my receipts so I can always get something else. I chose some High Mileage engine oil too cause my car is pushing 220k+!!



Any other suggestions for my tranny swap and general maintenance? I picked up: Valve Cover gasket, rear main seal, axle seals, shifter bushings, and air filter. Might do a flush on the radiator while I'm at it.

[blkfordsedan]

I'd say your good on the tranny fluid. My personal recommendation would be to stay away from the Pennzoil. Not saying its bad, but my own experience has shown their "active cleaning" agents are very strong....no joke. If it were a new or lower mileage car, it would be different. My concern would be using it in an engine with as many miles as yours. At this point, I would stay away from synthetics and strong detergents and just stick to a quality conventional oil. Just my personal opinion.

[TorqueEffect]

I know my 5-speed currently runs on ATF, what type of ATF I don't know because it was done by the previous owner and when I checked it, it was nice and clean red/pink.

I did do an oil change though, but I just put straight 10w-30 conventional oil Autozone brand in there with an STP filter (I hear FRAM's quality sucks).

Though I think from now on I am going to start using 5w-30 for quicker engine warmups (at least I believe it helps the engine warm up faster from what I read somewhere), I have 2100 miles on the current oil, I may change it early to see if there is really any change in warm up times, because I know changing my thermostat didn't help.

[Movin]

I don't like Penz or quacker state either. stuff is for the birds. If you are racing, it is fine because it is not in there long enough to do the damage it can do.
I tried several oils including Mercon and synthetic ATF. What I finally settled on is
Mobile 1 0w20 engine oil.

[Prafeston]

So what engine oil do you recommend? And I got a Wix filter. I think that's what I put on last oil change too.

Sounds like this ATF fluid is going to be just fine. I bought 3 quarts for the 2.6 I'll need to refill.

[Movin]

Aside from the two brands and any other oils made from their base stock I haven't see huge differences. Oil weight wise I prefer 5w30 or 5w40. I find Valvoline, Havoline, Shell, Union 76 all to produce good products. Chevron is going to get some more testing, for years it has been really good but I have some issues I am checking and testing.

I don't like Fram for a few reasons, their construction and their multi layer technology has a greater pressure drop across the element than other brands. Wix filters finer particles than cheaper brands and protects lifters better. Other brands do well too.

ATF will work fine, I like the better shift feel of the 0w20. No difference in wear as I have not seen a transmission worn out because ATF was used. Delivery people in particular Abby's pizza break shift brackets. The rest were a lack of oil of any kind.

[Twistiva]

So how is it that an ATF will work just fine in a manual transmission car??? hmmmmmm

I don't doubt you guys are doing it or that it's working out just fine but that seems weird to me. Definitely unexpected.

As far as engine oil, Prafeston, here's a thread I posted on the same question that got quite a few replies:

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?34912-10W-30-or-5W-30-and-High-Mileage-Oil

[Prafeston]

The Festiva Service Manual even states ATF...it's weird to me too Twistiva!

[Twistiva]

The Festiva Service Manual even stats ATF...it's weird to me too Twistiva!

Dang!, I learn something new around here every day! :thumbs_up:

[Chobobulous]

I did do an oil change though, but I just put straight 10w-30 conventional oil Autozone brand in there with an STP filter (I hear FRAM's quality sucks).

Fram has cardboard end caps.

[TorqueEffect]

Fram has cardboard end caps.

That, and last time I pulled a Fram filter out of my folk's Fusion, it is always collapsed inward from pressure. It was a cartridge filter, not a screw-on. STP ones I have pulled out haven't done that.

[Movin]

One more thing fram does That has caused engine failures. They combine numbers of similar filters such as some subaru's and honda's. This has led to the threads seating before the oring was properly compressed. Once the car warmed up fully the oring deformed and dumped the engine oil. The lube shop was cleared of all wrong doing because it was frams fault. I disagreed because anyone can feel the difference between a non fram and the fram hitting metal.

The original oil that was in the transmission new was not ATF, but some kind of gear oil similar to synco mesh in about 10w but all ford dealers were given the ATF spec and that is what went in at the first change.

[blkfordsedan]

Motorcraft filters are all I use. If I can't find one, I'll use Purolator. I pretty much stick to Motorcraft oil as well, although I will use Valvoline, Mobil 1 or Castrol GTX on occasion. Around here, I can get Motorcraft at WalMart and its cheaper than everything else as well. Autozone is about 50% higher than WalMart on oil and filters.

Using ATF in manual transmissions is pretty much the industry standard. There are several threads already on the subject.

[sketchman]

I once listened to a tech talk from an engineer who built his own race engines on this subject.
His opinion was basically to use some kind of name brand synthetic or at least some synthetic mixed with conventional of the same brand and the lightest weight you can get away with that isn't 0. He gave logical reasons for this too. Also he said that the closer the numbers are together the better off you will be because you are getting less "extra stuff" and more actual oil. For instance 5w-20 > 10w-40 or 10w-30 or heavier stuff like 15/20w-40.

As for MTX oil, he recommended Mobil 1 Euro Spec in the lowest winter (the "w" number) you can get. He did chemical analysis on the stuff and phoned manufacturers and of course did his own in-engine/trans testing to come to these conclusions.

YMMV

[sc72]

Prafeston, your choice of filters is a good one. Wix internals are made of good quality parts and there micron filtration is down around 12 iirc, if you have any questions about the quality of this filter cut it open at your next oil change and see how its made, pull the filtration element out, lay it on your work bench and check for any debris. Here at the localy owned parts store they have wix filter days spring and fall, i think i pay 3 maybe 4 bucks for these . I usually buy 5 or 6 in the spring and fall.