I've recently purchased a 2013 Lincoln MKS with 59k, it's been well-maintained. Oil changes I have always been done at 5000 miles with 5w30 MC synthetic blend and MC filters, coolant flush done at 42k, PTU drain and flush at 46k. I've read through a lot of threads on this forum, all have been informative. But I would really like to know the best fluids to use for everything. I'm going to be changing/flushing all the fluids soon for peace of mind. Trans ,PTU, RDU, Coolant/additive, motor oil/filter, I'm a DIY guy. I'm not really looking for longer service intervals, more for the best fluids to keep components working well. Thankyou for any advise, it's much appreciated.
The Drive units. RDU PTU. Amsoil. Redline.
Some people will say use a lighter type trans fluid like Amsoil . Others will say stick with OEM Trans fluid.
Motor Oil. Full Synthetic a must. It depends on your wallet:
On the less $$$ side. Castrol Edge Titanium. Pennzoil Ultra Platinum. Mobil 1.
On the Pricier side $$$$$. Amsoil. Redline.
Filters: OEM for oil.
Air: WiX or OEM.
Coolant. OEM with maybe a wetting agent.
Thankyou Macgyver! Around where I'm at Redline and amsoil aren't really available. I'll order, but I'd like to source locally. Does anyone use Lucas oil products? Or royal purple?
Also, which motorcraft coolant is right? The manual says orange which I believe is VC-3-B but I went to the local Carquest and they said it's not available? He said their new stuff is yellow, VC-13-G and should work just fine. I don't know.
I think Lucas and Royal Purple will be fine. IHMO changing it sooner than later is more important than Brand as long as you are not using off brand crap or regular Dino oil. However in Testing. Again its just testing. Amsoil and Redline seem to beat the others with Gear Oil weights. Amsoil does deserve top honors. You can join their program and order it from them. Lots of places ship.
I would stick with the VC3 Orange. Still on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Ford-VC-3DIL-B-Pre-Diluted-Antifreeze/dp/B00BNVK1NQ/ref=sr_1_2
Man, $41 a gallon is steep! I know maintenance is key with these cars but sheesh, that's pricey.
I've been searching around and found this thread from a different forum.
https://www.focusst.org/threads/motorcraft-orange-antifreeze-safealternatives.150867/
What do you think?
Quote from: Big_kat on March 30, 2021, 05:51:17 PM
Man, $41 a gallon is steep! I know maintenance is key with these cars but sheesh, that's pricey.
I've been searching around and found this thread from a different forum.
https://www.focusst.org/threads/motorcraft-orange-antifreeze-safealternatives.150867/ (https://www.focusst.org/threads/motorcraft-orange-antifreeze-safealternatives.150867/)
What do you think?
Shop around. ( Rock Auto and Local ? ) I just picked Amazon cause I had the SHO in my garage.
I am sure other coolants work but when it will be good for another 5+++ years. Its worth the money I guess.
Quote from: Big_kat on March 27, 2021, 10:34:51 PM
Also, which motorcraft coolant is right? The manual says orange which I believe is VC-3-B but I went to the local Carquest and they said it's not available? He said their new stuff is yellow, VC-13-G and should work just fine. I don't know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1pz05j4uWE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1pz05j4uWE)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14HRt332CoVG6Hgp7XFbJT-wRGYYg58y_/view (https://drive.google.com/file/d/14HRt332CoVG6Hgp7XFbJT-wRGYYg58y_/view)
Thankyou Ta2dResqr! That answers my question, I've watched so many of that guys videos, but hadn't run across that one.
Thankyou Macgyver and Ta2dResqr. I'm trying to maintain this thing the right way. Rock auto is way cheaper than anywhere else for motorcraft fluids. I've got 3 gallons of VC3DILB, 15 quarts of Mercon LV, a couple bottles of Lucas Oil Synthetic 75W-140 Gear Oil and a gallon of Lucas Oil 80W-90 Heavy Duty Gear Oil. Also picked up an EKW oil extractor of Amazon, hopefully it works well.
Quote from: Big_kat on March 31, 2021, 07:03:53 PM
Thankyou Macgyver and Ta2dResqr. I'm trying to maintain this thing the right way. Rock auto is way cheaper than anywhere else for motorcraft fluids. I've got 3 gallons of VC3DILB, 15 quarts of Mercon LV, a couple bottles of Lucas Oil Synthetic 75W-140 Gear Oil and a gallon of Lucas Oil 80W-90 Heavy Duty Gear Oil. Also picked up an EKW oil extractor of Amazon, hopefully it works well.
Perfect.
That should work.
There are videos on how to so have fun.
Oh. I extended my PTU vent hose and used a Meat Baster syringe to fill the PTU through the vent hose. Warmed the oil so it was thinner. I found it easier. You can measure precisely too. ;-)
PTU & RDU: Amsoil Severe Gear. Or a onesizefitsall Redline LightWeightShockProof (LWSP). LWSP has high detergency, so it has great value in removing existing sludge from the units. Depending on how the existing fluid looks, you may want to do at least 2 changes in fairly quick succession.
Coolant: Consider Prestone (the black/yellow label) 300K variety. Proven in testing to be better than Motorcraft. No publicly available results for Motorcraft coolants, tho anything has to be better than Orange, right? lol
Transmission Fluid: Motorcraft Mercon LV does well when serviced regularly. IDK if anyone has tested the use of Valvoline Maxlife FS MV ATF in this application, but it does well in NA applications. Amsoil seems to be well liked also.
Engine Oil: SN+ 5W30 at a minimum. 10W30 may be viable, but no reports on that. Higher molybdenum content is preferred for timing systems. Redline (regular not Pro series) provides this. OR you can use BG MOA per oil change. I have had success with Driven FR20 for my NA Edge in reducing/eliminating cold start rattle, which I cannot say for any other brand product yet. Next OC will be with MOA and OTS full synthetic, let's see. Redline down the road.
Brake Fluid: this is the one most everyone forgets. Skip it and may be you will need a new ABS unit down the road. Price it out and see if you really want to do that. Motorcraft DOT 4 LV High Performance Motor Vehicle Brake Fluid
Tackled the RDU and PTU today. To my knowledge the RDU fluid has never been changed, didn't look terrible or smell burned. It was quite dark though.
RDU fluid:
(https://i.ibb.co/9ncj8nn/A34-DBBDF-3885-4-A31-825-F-1-DD4068-BB3-A8.jpg) (https://ibb.co/9ncj8nn)
I was able to get the the PTU without removing the tire. I was only able to get about 8oz out of it though. I think I need a smaller diameter tube to get all the way down to the bottom of the unit. I just filled it back up until it started coming out of the fill hole.
PTU plug and fluid:
(https://i.ibb.co/qdvWxDR/A0-D0-F766-8-AC3-4-BB9-9890-A325-D484-D849.jpg) (https://ibb.co/qdvWxDR)
(https://i.ibb.co/gDv7Vgc/39941-F8-B-6-F77-4362-9495-0949883-C5369.jpg) (https://ibb.co/gDv7Vgc)
(https://i.ibb.co/zs9PXmk/BD78-BD83-B6-A0-40-D9-B9-C9-FF33-AEB2-EFA5.jpg) (https://ibb.co/zs9PXmk)
Thankyou to everyone for all the help!
Also what's the difference in extending the vent tube? Is there a benefit?
After a lot of research, I'm gonna use Castrol Magnatec full synthetic for my next oil change. I had already ordered a Wix XP filter, so I'm gonna use that, but likely going back to a MC filter after this OCI
Quote from: Big_kat on April 25, 2021, 07:01:10 PM
After a lot of research, I'm gonna use Castrol Magnatec full synthetic for my next oil change. I had already ordered a Wix XP filter, so I'm gonna use that, but likely going back to a MC filter after this OCI
I bought mine with 41,000 miles on it. Went with 5w-30 Magnatec as soon as I got it and now have 114,000 miles. I had my waterpump done at 91,000 miles and they said the chains, guides all looked good but we replaced the entire works minus the phasers anyways. I had them scope the intake valves and they looked great too. I went with Magnatec because of all the good oil sample reports on Bob is the oil guy website from the F-150 guys. I can always find 5 quart jugs under $20. I suck 4 or 4.5 quarts out at 4,000 and replace. Full oil change and filter at 7,500 miles.
Quote from: Macgyver on April 01, 2021, 11:17:55 AM
Oh. I extended my PTU vent hose and used a Meat Baster syringe to fill the PTU through the vent hose. Warmed the oil so it was thinner. I found it easier. You can measure precisely too. ;-)
Huh? I have tried that and I can't get it to drain into the PTU. I've stayed on top of my PTU and I've never had any oil puke from it so I don't think the air vent is plugged. Did you remove anything to be able to drain oil into it? I planned on adding 8 ounces or so right before an oil change and driving across the lawn to my shop and just draining the excess from the PTU during the oil change when I'm under the car vs. sucking it out which is a PIA as we all know.
Quote from: Big_kat on April 04, 2021, 01:43:26 PM
Tackled the RDU and PTU today. To my knowledge the RDU fluid has never been changed, didn't look terrible or smell burned. It was quite dark though.
RDU fluid:
(https://i.ibb.co/9ncj8nn/A34-DBBDF-3885-4-A31-825-F-1-DD4068-BB3-A8.jpg) (https://ibb.co/9ncj8nn)
I was able to get the the PTU without removing the tire. I was only able to get about 8oz out of it though. I think I need a smaller diameter tube to get all the way down to the bottom of the unit. I just filled it back up until it started coming out of the fill hole.
PTU plug and fluid:
(https://i.ibb.co/qdvWxDR/A0-D0-F766-8-AC3-4-BB9-9890-A325-D484-D849.jpg) (https://ibb.co/qdvWxDR)
(https://i.ibb.co/gDv7Vgc/39941-F8-B-6-F77-4362-9495-0949883-C5369.jpg) (https://ibb.co/gDv7Vgc)
(https://i.ibb.co/zs9PXmk/BD78-BD83-B6-A0-40-D9-B9-C9-FF33-AEB2-EFA5.jpg) (https://ibb.co/zs9PXmk)
Thankyou to everyone for all the help!
Also what's the difference in extending the vent tube? Is there a benefit?
Don't remove the drain plug from the wheel well with 3 feet of extensions and a flex joint like the rest of the meatheads here. If you have a fine ratchet where the "clicks" aren't too far away just use that and slide your hand right up along the converter when it cools down. You have to manually index your ratchet to the right spot 3 or 4 times before the 3/8" ratchet will pop into the square drain plug. Takes a couple of times to perfect it but I bet I can get my PTU plug out in under 1 minute now. I just use teflon tape instead of goobering it all up with sealer when putting it back in with my bare hand so it's easy to maneuver in your fingertips. Don't tighten it too tight with the ratchet. It's not going anywhere.
That's exactly how I did my PTU, it's tight, but doable.