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GT First Service - Check your oil all every week

8K views 44 replies 26 participants last post by  SPALDING GREEN 
#1 ·
Just got my car back from its first free service, and I was presented with a few concerns. It seems my machine has been treated the right way (like it was stolen) and the engine is bedding in fine but the service manager has told me of some serious issues with GT engines using around 7L of oil before there first service. It seems some really smart engineers at FPV decided a full synthetic oil was ok to put in there new vehicles and some people only treating there cars the way the manual says and not actually giving it a bit of a hard time have had to add around 7L of oil. The demo car at the dealership has used 4L of oil and not even done its first service yet.

I was lucky/smart, I check my oil every week and I only found the gauge down to 1/2cm below full last week, which turns out is about 1.5L of oil. The guy said even when they are low on oil he has had no problems with noises ro heat but it means they are not going to perform really well long term, he actually is getting 2 engines replaced by FPV for the people with the worst problems. He has reported mine to FPV as a case report and warned to keep a keen eye on the oil.

My suggestion to all new FPV owners, make sure you either really run the engine in as a performance engine, ie never use cruise control, get it warm and give it a few good hard runs, but not too many, drive it on a nice high speed run early and keep the speed UNEVEN to allow the pistons to work the full length on the stroke to let the engine bed in properly or/and if possible insist on non synthetic oil be put in the car before you take delivery as synthetic oils are bad in new engines OK
 
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#3 ·
****** Ford said:
Wow cool, you post here too?
Indeed I do

****** Ford said:
Don't let the LS1 brigade hear about this.. eep
The difference here ****** is that Ford/FPV are acknowledging a problem were Holden/HSV say it is OK for an engine to use 5L of oil between services even with a run in engine after 15000km. Ford have made an error in judement in selecting an oil and I am sure that it will be fixed soon from the factory, the LS1 is just a crap engine and nothing can stop it burning oil, they replace them and replace them, yet it is still not a problem:D
 
#4 ·
Yeah im past that point now mine used a bit of oil approx 2 litres till 2,500 but it is slowing down now as the ks come up.
I have my own workshop and have found that it is common among hand built engines to use a little oil till the rings bed in but my own opinion as previously stated these engines should not have had Synthetic oil fitted for the first 10,000 km so as to assist a good bed in. Im not changing my oil from what is recomended by FPV even though i want to, so im giving her a good hard drive every so often so as the counter act the slippery synthetic oil. I would strongly recommmend that you not drive your GT/GT-P easy as this will amplify the problem down the track some time.

Elmer Fudd
 
#6 ·
Pick my citric gt up in T minus 12 hours........

Well by what you guys are typing drive it like it was meant to be.
Start as you mean to end.....
 
#7 ·
Yes I noticed the oil consumption on my GT. I must have used about 3 litres of oil up to my 3000 kay inspection service.

I have only done 4000 now. do you guys think I should change the oil for a mineral base for a while until at least 10,000 or is it too late.

Any coments. I drive it hard all the time though.
 
#8 ·
I changed mine at 1500 km and then it will be 7,500 and every 7,500 after that.
After extensive discussions with the techos we've given away the Mobil 1 0W40 in favour of a 5W40 Shell Helix (which is a recommended alternative lubricant).

Cheers
Russ
 
#9 ·
In terms of the running-in procedures, I have a question I'm sure some engineers out there can answer. People seem to make constant reference to giving the engine a bit of a rev to make sure the top part of the cyclinder gets worn-in as much as the bottom part.

I may be a little simplistic here, but the piston is connected to a conrod which is in turn connected to the crankshaft. Surely the length of the piston stroke is the same no matter whether the engine is doing 500rpm or 5,000rpm??? Is it crankshaft flex that causes a slightly longer piston travel at high speeds?

I would have thought that the main reason for giving the engine a rev would be to expand the rings via natural compression loading which would occur when the engine is placed under load, rather than the 'stroke' varying in length????
 
#10 ·
BAS said:
In terms of the running-in procedures, I have a question I'm sure some engineers out there can answer. People seem to make constant reference to giving the engine a bit of a rev to make sure the top part of the cyclinder gets worn-in as much as the bottom part.

I may be a little simplistic here, but the piston is connected to a conrod which is in turn connected to the crankshaft. Surely the length of the piston stroke is the same no matter whether the engine is doing 500rpm or 5,000rpm??? Is it crankshaft flex that causes a slightly longer piston travel at high speeds?

I would have thought that the main reason for giving the engine a rev would be to expand the rings via natural compression loading which would occur when the engine is placed under load, rather than the 'stroke' varying in length????
Not only the case. Whilst what you have said is true also the higher the revs the higher the piston speed. The more force on all the components hence the slightly high stroke under higher revs, also hence the Boss engines in ability to handle high revs due to the intense piston speed which would result with such a long stroke, the stress on the components is huge and you would end up with a big mess.
 
#11 ·
RUSS:
I had oil consumption issues on my AU2 Stroker with the Helix. Same on my EB2 which has a new engine (3.5l in 3000km). The engine rebuilder says that Helix (even the good stuff) has been causing them grief with warranty claims for oil consumption.
 
#15 ·
mygt said:
just toped up my boss 290 today 10w40 needed 500ml 1600km on the clock
That's pretty good mygt your engine must be being treated right and the bedding in process is going well then
 
#16 ·
I have used 2.5l so far, 1l at rhe 3k service, 1.5 at about 7500k.
Just clocked over 10k and i will probably put in 500ml
 
#17 ·
My GT has got 5,500k's I changed the oil and filter at 3,000.
It had used 1.5L of oil. After 3,000k change till 5,000k has used .5L.
I filled her back up with 0W40W Mobil as factory fill.
I wouldn't get worried about a small amount of oil usage.
It will take these engines 10,000 to bed in properly.
Drive it like it's meant to be driven? HARD!!!
 
#18 ·
Like I said befor sinthetic oil is to slippery and seem to not let the things run in, put some minaral oil in and drive it hard for a while make it pull from low in the revs , and dont be frightened to rev it! after 8 to 10 k then go back to mobil 1 or what ever you like they;ll be sweet
 
#20 ·
Aussie Pete said:
RUSS:
I had oil consumption issues on my AU2 Stroker with the Helix. Same on my EB2 which has a new engine (3.5l in 3000km). The engine rebuilder says that Helix (even the good stuff) has been causing them grief with warranty claims for oil consumption.
Odd really. I didn't use a drop in the first 1500 km and in the 1000 km since it still hasn't. Does rattle (timing chain and piston) by the sound of it when either cold or started on an incline but FTS are looking at that one. Did it with both oils so it isn't an oil issue.

Cheers
Russ
 
#21 ·
russellw said:
Odd really. I didn't use a drop in the first 1500 km and in the 1000 km since it still hasn't. Does rattle (timing chain and piston) by the sound of it when either cold or started on an incline but FTS are looking at that one. Did it with both oils so it isn't an oil issue.

Cheers
Russ
My also rattles on cold start...How many other 290's have this? & What are other dealers saying about it? My dealer totally nonplussed.. "Oh it's fine, just the camchain tensioners taking up"!..(the tensioners are hydraulic & need oil pressure).. I noticed this quietened for 500 or so Ks after last oil change...Now back with a vengence! Almost an embarrasment to start if anyone within earshot. Mine used a litre in 1st 2000ks.. Now almost nil usage ( 9300ks)
 
#22 ·
Yeah Russ it says 0W40 on the oil cap, but I was told that the oil to be used must be Shell Helix Ultra 5W40.
 
#23 ·
Today while at my workshop i decided to ring a couple of oil campanies technical departments regarding a mineral oil at the same viscosity rating as the one fitted from ford 0w-30.I wont name which campanies said what but all of them except one and im sure if you think about it youll know which one, thought of it absolutely ridiculous to fill a new engine especially a hand built one with a RPO classed Synthetic oil before 10,000km. their suggestion to me was to remove it before the bore is irreversibly glazed and fit a mineral oil for the first 10k. The reason that they beleive for the fitment of that oil is basically because of the quest of more HP. The small problem i found is that no oil company makes a mineral oil with a lower cold start rating than 15w and was assured that with myself living in Sydney metro that it would not get cold enough for it to be a problem as long as i give it 30 odd seconds to move around the engine before driving off, this isnt for me as i warm her up any way. so in the end i changed the oil to a mineral based one and im going to continue with the typical running in procedure of loading her up in the higher gears through the rev range.

Elmer Fudd
 
#24 ·
You got it Elmer spot on sinthetic oil are tooooo slippry!!!!!
 
#26 ·
Aussie Pete said:
RUSS:
I had oil consumption issues on my AU2 Stroker with the Helix. Same on my EB2 which has a new engine (3.5l in 3000km). The engine rebuilder says that Helix (even the good stuff) has been causing them grief with warranty claims for oil consumption.
I use Helix Ultra synthetic (5W40 from memory) in my Duratec V6 Mondeo, and have done so since 5000km. I've never had any oil consumption problems. Admittedly I've only done 11000km now, but I've never had to top the oil up as the level never drops.

It regularly gets taken up to the 7000RPM cut out and is modified. It was gently run in on Ford mineral oil for the first 2000km and then driven normally. I changed the oil at 1500km for more Ford mineral oil as the first change isn't specified until 15000km - which is a joke if the engine is new!
 
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