Hello Mike,

After buying a new Supercrew and an interest in the Superchip, I started monitoring this board. All I can say is, it seems there is endless knowledge to be gained here and most of it coming from you. My questions are:

1. What is your background? I'm not interested in your entire resume but am curious because you seem to have a concise answer for just about anything thrown at you.

2. What kind of vehicle do you drive and what kinds of mods?

3. There's been alot of debate on these boards about oil. Whats your opinion on regular dino-oil vs. synthetics? Also, if you prefer synthetics, what do you recommend. Ford started recommending 5w-20 instead of 5w-30 sometime last summer when the generation II Supercrew came out and everyone seems to have their own opinions as to why. Thought you might have some insight.

I've really enjoyed reading all these posts and hope you dont mind us getting to know you a little better.

Thanks,
Coop

 

Hi Coop,

Oh boy, now you opened up a can of worms, I can hear the groans now! In all fairness, I have to point out that there are any number of others who contribute *excellent* information to the overall knowledge base here on F-150 Online, I'm very active in this section, as this is what we do, powertrain programming products & services.

I'm just another guy, no different really than many of the people I know. By virtue of having lived an active life for the better part of 5 decades & having traveled a good bit, etc., you just end up with experience from life, I suppose. I've done a little bit of everything to support being able to play music professionally while I was able, from doing construction work to being a pro drag racer to launching businesses to doing this and that. Driving, building engines, etc. has all been in my past. My passions are computers & things that go fast, having grown up in a family that on one side has worked for Ford for generations, and on the other side has a number of ties into several formats of pro racing. These days my wife and I do a lot of charity work, that is perhaps our first passion, trying to help those less fortunate. The bottom line is, I'm just another guy whose been lucky enough to live long enough and experience enough things that have ended up giving me what little knowledge I have.

Currently driving a Mark 8, 4.6 DOHC motor, about 320 hp, nothing special (yet). Have had a number of Corvettes, along with a various assortment of go-fast vehicles like many people my age, from normally aspirated to blown to a mid-9 second daily driver (all on the motor), many years ago. For the past couple of years, I've been saying that I'm going to drop a blower on the Mark, but just have not had the time with everything else we do, so it's mods are currently very mild, just a custom Superchip, a shift kit and some other tranny mods, and the intake flow opened up a bit. We're getting everything lined up to have the tranny race-prepped and some other engine work done at the same time, along with a custom steel driveshaft and other odds & ends to prepare it for life in forced-induction trim. How much of all that we'll have the time to get done this year remains to be seen, but all of this will happen. My last Mark 8 ran 161 mph, and this one will one day hit 180 mph.

As far as oil, hands down synthetic is the way to go for those who want the best possible engine protection under the widest range of driving conditions, that's really a no-brainer, and the automakers themselves are using synthetics more and more. Corvettes Vipers, Porsches and many other vehicles now come from the factory with Mobil 1, and more vehicles are getting this as their factory oil fill each model year. In many cases, this is mainly because of the increased mileage. It's not a big difference, but for example, the reason the automakers changed a few years ago from recommending 10W-30 to 5W-30 was strictly for fuel economy, as the 5 weight oil gave them another half a tenth of a mile per gallon in V-8 engines. When you add all that up, it helps them to meet their C.A.F.E. fleet requirements each year.

One of the best synthetics is Amsoil (and everybody has their own favorites for any number of reasons, most of them are all pretty good), but it's not easy to get, you can't find it on auto parts shelves as a general rule, you have to order it from one of their many independant distributors, so for convenience, we just use Mobil 1 in a weight of 10W-30 in all our vehicles here. They went to a fully synthetic base stock (finally) a few years ago, and it's a fine oil. We've spoken to a number of automotive powertrain engineers over recent years, and they all say that the 5W base oil is for fuel economy, and that while it provides good enough engine protection, 10W-30 provides better engine protection. I should point out that they are referring to the vehicles that say "5W-30" on their oil caps, not the newest 5W-20. I haven't spoken to a powertrain engineer about the newest 5W-20 spec, so I don't know if they have actually tightened up any assembly clearances/tolerances that would actually *require* the use of 5W-20 instead of 5W-30 or 10W-30, so I'm not saying everyone should dump their 5W-20 and change to 5W-or30 10W-30 in these newest vehicles.

This new 5W-20 is most likely another move to improve fuel economy, I'm betting. The automakers are constantly working on improving metallurgy, lubricants, assembly techniques, etc. to improve fuel economy, thanks to the government *requiring* them to, by virtue of the mileage averages they must meet each model year (C.A.F.E., which stands for Corporate Average Fuel Economy, the target numbers the automakers have to meet each year as mandated by the Feds).

You can certainly use conventional or "dino" oils, and get good engine protection. There are many people who simply will not spend another dime to get a synthetic oil, and will only spend what they absolutely have to for oil changes, etc. And there are those who do everything "by the book", meaning the owners manual. And then there are those who like to spend the money to use a higher quality oil, filter, etc. The single most important aspect is frequency of oil changes, as long as you're using the required current oil spec (SF, SG, SH, etc, as requried for each model year), so whether you use dino or synthetic oil is really up to you. Synthetics do provide better protection against viscosity breakdown, molecule shear, etc., and those are the main reasons why we use it.

You can still get 150,000-200,000 miles for a modern engine using dino oil, as even dino oils have been improved to meet higher specs over the years. Synthetic has certain advantages, so we use them, it's really up to each individual vehicle owner to decide.

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer

[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 06-02-2001).]

 

Mike,

Thanks for the reply! Also, thanks for your insight and opinions on oil. I just made the switch to Amsoil recently and I was hoping you had something good to say about them.

Coop

------------------
2001 SCrew Lariat Gen II, 5.4L, 4x4, Solid Arizona Beige, Leather 60/40, Slider, LSD, Tow Pkg., Cab Steps, Skids
Mods: Lund, Clear bra
Future Mods: Lid, Superchip
Oil: Amsoil

 

On the topic of oil, the fact that many Auto makers are moving to synthetic always comes up and includes the Corvette that roll out of Bowling Green with Mobil 1.

Drain intervals also some up. Probably not new news, but quite surprizing to me, Cheverolet did recommend a 10,000 mile drain interval for the Corvette. For 2001, they've moved to 15000 miles!!

So, for those that nay say extended drain, this should be a surprize. And this includes all Corvettes including the Z06.

Not saying I'm going that long yet, but it makes you think. Hmmmmmmm.......

------------------
2000 EDDIE BAUER EXPEDITION 4x2

• Estate Green
• 5.4 ltr
• 3:55 LS rear
• Superchip!
• Airaid FIPK
• Gibson S/S Swept Side Cat Back Exhaust
• Hellwig Rear Anti-Sway Bar
• Energy Suspension Polyurethane Front Anti-Sway Bar Bushings
• Edelbrock Performer IAS Shocks
• Mobil 1
• Xenon Super White Head and Driving Lights
• Tow Package
• Rear Load Leveling
• Moonroof
• Century Child Seat!

-->Follow Me...<--

 

Hi Family Ride,

Yes, we've seen all of that, of course, and don't think much of it.

I can't imagine any circumstances under which I would consider a 10K or 15K oil change interval, not in my lifetime, I'm afraid. That won't provide best engine protection by a *long* shot in my humble opinion, as additives & detergents can break down well before then. Personally, I could never condone an oil change interval of anything over 5000 miles, and I try to stick to a 3000 mile oil change interval in our everday vehicles.

To each their own, but I can tell you what I first thought of those mid-80's Toyota vans that had a 10K oil change interval recommendation in the owner's manual 15-16 years ago; nada, no way Jose. By 3K miles, that Toyota's engine oil (which you had to move the driver's seat to even check!)looked like well, terrible and dark black, and got changed promptly. In my current Mark 8, at 3K miles, the oil will still have a medium-honey color to it, it has never stayed in long enough to actually turn a solid dark black, but I still would never go to anything more than a 5K oil change interval, no matter what. At 5K miles it looks darker than I like it, even with a plenty-healthy motor. Lubricants & factory oil filtering systems on most of today's engines just are not up to the job of sustaining 10K-15K oil change intervals like they're advertising on all those commercials right now on TV, again, IMHO. YMMV, good point Family Ride!

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer

 

Mike,

In regards to drain intervals, are you talking about regular oil or snythetics? Are the Corvettes rolling out with Mobil-1 synthetic? I think Amsoil recommends 1yr. or every 12K.

Coop

------------------
2001 SCrew Lariat Gen II, 5.4L, 4x4, Solid Arizona Beige, Leather 60/40, Slider, LSD, Tow Pkg., Cab Steps, Skids
Mods: Lund, Clear bra
Future Mods: Lid, Superchip
Oil: Amsoil

 

My 99 F-150 has 26300 miles on it and I always used Valvoline 5w-30 not synthetic. Is it okay to switch to a higher grade synthetic now and what should I switch to?

------------------
OO L Black, Superchip R9, Airaid FIPK and Tonneau cover 1999 F-150 Lariat SC Flareside, 2WD, White/Silver 5.4L, 3.55LS, K&N FIPK, Power Pulley Set, 16" Permacool electric fan, Flowmaster 40 series, Superchip, Captains chairs and tow package

 

Hi Mikey,

Yes, you can still change over to a synthetic oil if you want, and if you like Valvoline, they make a decent synthetic, I think they're using a 100% synthetic base stock too, you'll need to double check on the can/bottle to confirm that.

I personally like Mobil 1 synthetic, so that's what we use, but Valvoline synthetic is most likely a fine oil as well, so if you like that brand, you can stick with it when you change over to synthetic, if you do so.

Good luck!

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer

 

here is an item on oil---and it sounds,interesting and reasonable to me. hope this helps--also most articles i have read on oil filter recommend amsoil--mobil 1 and pure 1. as the best filters.

http://www.rconcepts.com/beard/dragn...g/oilinfo.html

------------------
2001 F-150 4X4 Supercab
XLT 139" WB style side
5.4L V8 3.55 LIMITED SLIP AXLE
MODS:
AIRAID FIPK
SUPERCHIP(FLIP CHIP)
ROLL & LOCK TONNEAU

being installed as of 5/22/01
GIBSON CAT BACK
GIBSON HEADER
REFLEXX COBRA HOOD
STREET SCENE GRILL
HOLLEY THUNDER SUPERCHARGE
PILLER GAUGES

 

Hi Coop,

Good question, I was referring to *both*, either dino or synthetic, I do not believe in extending the intervals just because a synthetic oil is being used. Amsoil has recommended extending the oil change intervals for years and years to be sure, but sometimes that also requires using their add-on additional oil filtration system too.

There are industrial applications that use extremely sophisticated filtration systems, and go extremely long intervals between changing that oil, so yes, it is certainly *possible* in some applications. It's usually those that are engineered for long intervals to begin with, and have very high-end filtration systems, where the filter elements get changed by the base oil stays for a very long time, and they use oil analysis to verify the oil's condition. There are those types of applications, certainly!

I am simply stating my *personal preference* when I say what I do about oil change intervals, etc., and not everyone is going to agree with that, of course.

For example, the GM powertrain engineers working on the newer Corvette, if they're truly happy with Mobil 1 and that vehicle's oil filtration system being safe to use those very long intervals on/in, then certainly that's a professional opinion they hold and are recommending to new Corvette buyers, and they feel safe with it, apparently. I just don't see it, personally, but of course, I'm not involved with that project either, so I am not privy to whatever they may have done internally in that engine, any changes to it's filtration system, or any formulation changes in Mobil 1 that have brought them to a 10K-15K interval. Previously, they had a 7500 mile oil change interval under non-severe use, so a 10K interval is not a *huge* increase, but a 15K interval sure is.

All I'm saying is that for *me*, and for *our* vehicles, I can't see a 10K or 15K oil change interval, and wouldn't think of using it or recommending it. That doesn't mean that I am automatically 100% "right", it's just what makes me personally feel comfortable.

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer

[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 06-05-2001).]

 

I work in a sawmill and everyday I see a good example of equipment that have complex filtering systems and extended oil change intervals.Most of the machinery is run off of hydrolics (hydrolic oil).There are quite a few reservoir tanks placed here and there with pumps and filtering systems attached to them.Anyway in the 5 years that I have worked there I have only seen the oil changed 1 time(just a couple of months ago).The filters usually get changed once a month or so.You usually can tell when the filters need to be changed> the machinery runs slower and takes longer to warmup because of the reduced pressure caused by the dirty filters.Just my personal experience on how long oils can last if they have a good filtering system.

 

Hydraulic fluid is not exposed to the heat and conditions in an engine. Hydraulic fluid is used to pressurize and move machinery. It is not an engine lubricant. Apples and oranges as they say...

 

...and a little Off-Topic, hope it's okay.

My brother owns a 2000 Contour SVT with code ID #XGT1 and he wanted me to ask you about a Superchip. He wants one, mainly for the 20 HP and Torque boost, but he's worried about it "pinging" on 93 Octane...will it "ping"? The car has 9,000 miles on it, so the motor is in good (tuned) condition. Thanks, in advance.

BTW, I just ordered a chip for my 2000 F-150.

------------------


2000 F-150 Lariat

4.6 Liter

3.55 Limited Slip

Dynomax UltraFlow cat-back w/ single 3"

K&N Gen II FIPK

 

Hi lightningcrashz,

Yes, but as another poster mentioned, that is *hydraulic fluid*, not engine oil, and is not subjected to the extremes inside an internal combustion engine. I'm sure it is subjected to the normal stresses on that type of fluid in that type of application, but that's the whole point about different *applications*, so we do need to compare apples to apples, so to speak.

We have seen applications using motor oils that use extremely long change intervals, so it's certianly possible, But again, each of those are specific applications, and have very sophisticated systems, far more sophisticated than you find coming on just about any vehicle from the automakers.

If our vehicles came from the factory with sophisticated filtering systems, sure, that could change a lot, but they don't, by and large. In fact, they use extremely simplistic filtration systems of a passive nature and very small capacity, and as long as that continues to be the case, it's 3000 mile oil change intervals for me, even on synthetic. It occasionally gets pushed to 5000 miles from a busy schedule, and because we're using quality synthetic oil & good filters it won't hurt the motor to go that long on occasion, so if it happens, it happens. We still try to stick to a 3000 change interval.

You're absolutely right in that there *are* applications that can use long change intervals, you bet!

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer

 

Hi Buffalo Zone,

No, he will not have any problems with pinging on 93 octane with the Superchip, as long as it's a decent quality 93 octane and not some off-brand, etc.

We love those SVT Contours, they respond very nicely and are great little rocketships!

Just give us a shout & we'll be happy to take care of him as well.



------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer