If you want to buy AMSOIL Products, visit the AMSOIL On-Line Store

Ford POWERSTROKE Diesel Owners

This is YOUR special information page.  Learn what Ford and your servicing dealership doesn't want you to know about AMSOIL synthetic oil and filtration, from experienced OEM Truck Engineers and Lubrication Specialists based out of the auto and truck engineering and manufacturing capital of the world - Detroit, Michigan.

We are Powerstroke Diesel engine, powertrain and chassis experts and are here to help you achieve optimum performance and longevity from your truck.

Click here for a proven way to
Boost fuel economy by an average 8.2%

You've spent your hard earned money on the Powerstroke Diesel option in one of the most popular and best engineered trucks there is, now don't you think you owe it to yourself to use the very best oil in it?  This page will help you learn how to best care for the PowerStroke, including the options for fluid and oil change intervals, as well as learning what Ford and most servicing dealerships don't want you to know about AMSOIL synthetic motor oil and filtration.   Your turbocharger needs a good synthetic oil for long life! 

AMSOIL PCF-60 PowerCore® Technology Air Filter for Ford 6.0L Diesel PowerStroke™ Applications (Donaldson P603577, P603577, PCF60, SDF-88, FFK-60) 2003-2005 Ford Excursion w/6.0L Turbo Diesel 2003-2007 Ford Super Duty Pickups w/ 6.0L Turbo Diesel 2003/2004 Ford Vans with 6.0L Turbo Diesel Engine 2003/2004 IHC VT365 (6.0L) Turbo Diesel Engine Order this Filter Part Number:  P603577  PowerCore details AMSOIL EaO88 Oil Filter for Ford 6.0L Diesel PowerStroke™ Applications A premium, high efficiency cartridge oil filter utilizing nanofiber technology for Ford 6.0L diesel engines ranging from 2003 to 2006. The new EaO88 is the world’s first oil filter cartridge for diesel applications using advanced submicron full synthetic media. The EaO88 provides an efficiency of 98.7% at 16 microns, significantly higher than the OEM filter. The rigid construction of this filter is due to a polymeric center tube and end caps, along with its proprietary composition incorporating special grade nanofiber synthetic media, enabling the filter to last up to 1 year or 25,000 miles when used in conjunction with AMSOIL synthetic motor oil. Because of its improved oil flow, an additional benefit of this synthetic filter media is that oil is delivered to key engine components quicker, thus enhancing the lubrication process during cold weather starts. AMSOIL FFK60 Fuel Filter for Ford 6.0L Diesel PowerStroke™ Applications The AMSOIL FFK60 Fuel Filter incorporates both a primary and secondary filter for maximum fuel cleanliness. The primary 10 micron filter, located in the Horizontal Fuel Conditioning Module (HFCM), performs initial fuel cleansing before sending the clean pressurized fuel to secondary four micron filter, mounted to the oil filter housing. The secondary fuel filter includes a fuel pressure regulator and an orifice on top of the housing that bleeds air out of the housing and back to the fuel tank. Following its trip through the secondary filter, fuel is returned to the HFCM, where it is either directed to the tank or returned to the primary filter. AMSOIL PCFH2 PowerCore® Technology Air Filter for GM H2 Hummer 6.0L Vortec™ Applications: 2003/2004 GM Hummer H2

Great News:  In July 2004 AMSOIL introduced new PowerCore air filters for Ford 6.0L Diesel PowerStroke™engines.  Now for 2005, AMSOIL has released a new air induction kit for the 7.3L PowerStroke.  This fabulous nanofiber filtration system is easy to install, it offers greater performance, protection, and value than anything else on the market, and is the ONLY aftermarket system that is approved by Ford!  (Yeh, it's that good!)    Click HERE for more info...

Warranty?

Don't let your local dealership service center tell you that you you have to use their brand of oil to "maintain your warranty".  That is one of the biggest untruths we have heard, yet it goes on day in and day out.  We constantly receive calls from customers that were told this by their servicing dealership. Please be aware that this practice is not authorized or condoned by the auto manufacturers.

For a servicing dealership to essentially tell a customer that they have to use a lower quality oil to "maintain their warranty" is not only wrong but it is also illegal unless they provide it free of charge. There are Federal laws that protect you against this. Please read our Warranty Laws You Need to Know section of this website to learn more.

Specifically for the PowerStroke Diesel

AMSOIL engineers and manufactures a fuel efficient Series 3000 5W-30 Synthetic Heavy Duty Diesel Motor Oil, a 15W-40 Premium Heavy Duty Diesel & Marine oil, and a new 5W-40 Premium Synthetic Heavy Duty Diesel Motor Oil that exceeds the CJ-4 specification for the new 2007+ PowerStroke engines with Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF's).  (which oil should I use?)   When used in conjunction with the AMSOIL Ea nanofiber EAO-99 engine oil filter (EaO-88 for the 6.0L PowerStroke nanofiber oil filter cartridge), the first two oils will allow you to travel 25,000 miles/1-year between oil and filter changes. This has been firmly established by extensive oil analysis testing and millions of fleet miles. If you use oil analysis you can usually just change the filter, top off the oil, and go much longer than 25,000 miles.

However, the 5W-40 is recommended for use at the longest Ford/PowerStroke oil-drain interval in your owners' manual.  Due to the lower TBN of the DEO's low ash CJ-4 formulation, longer drain intervals will require oil analysis sampling until more data can be collected on extended drain interval performance.

Other AMSOIL benefits include reduced sludge and deposit formation, extreme temperature protection to extend your turbo life, improved fuel efficiency and rust and corrosion prevention and it does not void any new vehicle warranty. AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants meet and exceed all API rated and Ford specifications.

The BEST option is to install a BMK-15Ea AMSOIL Dual Remote By-Pass Filtration System. With this dual-filter nanofiber technology system you only change your oil when oil analysis indicates a need. The full flow EaO filter is changed at 15,000 mile (severe service) or 25,000 mile (normal service) intervals and the EaBP Bypass filter is changed at a minimum of 60,000 miles/2 yrs (or longer with oil analysis).

For most gas or pre-2007 diesel vehicle applications, oil analysis will show that you NEVER need to change your oil again - even after 500,000 miles! 

How is this possible???  Simple: by using oil that is designed to not break down, and using filtration that removes all wear particles, there is no longer a need to change oil.  This saves a lot of downtime, as well as money, and uses about 80% less motor oil.

If you choose not to install the Dual Remote by-pass filtration system then the AMSOIL Ea full flow engine filter would be of a significant benefit to the long term durability of your engine as well as allowing for 25,000 miles of service on the filter. When you check your oil level every 5,000 miles or 3 months, all you have to do is top off the oil. When you reach 25,000 miles/1-year you can either change the oil and filter or take an oil sample from the dipstick tube using an AMSOIL sampling pump and send it into Oil Analyzer's Inc. using a pre-paid kit. Oil analysis will indicate the exact condition of the oil and whether it is suitable for continued service as well as determining if there are any other engine components or wear items that you need to be concerned with.

AMSOIL has a complete line of synthetic oils, greases, transmission fluids, gear lubes, Ea nanofiber air filters, by-pass and full flow filters and filtration systems designed to extend the life of your vehicles and equipment and save you time and money. In addition we also offer a preferred customer purchase option, retail purchase option or commercial account purchase option for businesses. Finally, we also offer a Dealership Option for anyone interested in becoming an AMSOIL Dealer and/or purchasing products at wholesale cost.

Why don't OEM's, Quick-lubes and Oil Companies promote synthetics?
We intend to expose the truth of how the petroleum industry and the quick lubes, dealership oil service centers, etc. work to get your money on a regular basis. In a recent Lubricants World Magazine interview the president of Jiffy Lube International (owned by Penzoil- Quaker State), Marc Graham states that if they can get customers to shorten their drain intervals by 100 miles it would mean an additional $20 million in revenue for the company per year and if they can get consumers to do one more oil change per year it would mean $294 million for the oil change alone and $441 million in revenue when they include ancillary products and services that go along with the oil change. In fact, Graham openly admits that the bottom line is profits. The shorter the drain interval the more money Jiffy Lube and Penzoil-Quaker State make. With statements like this it sure appears that they don't care about your vehicle and selling you a quality extended drain interval synthetic, like AMSOIL. All they want is to see the same customer over and over again as often as possible!

We are here to help you learn the facts and show you how you can use AMSOIL and get a superior product and also increase the performance and add to the longevity of your Ford Powerstroke Diesel plus save time and money. The Powerstroke Diesel is an excellent vehicle and exceptionally well engineered by Ford Motor Company and International. In our opinion it is one of the best vehicles ever produced, however there are ways to make the performance and longevity even better with AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.

Current recommended practice is to change your oil every 3000 miles with petroleum based oil as well as with many other brands of synthetic oils. This is completely unnecessary with the AMSOIL technology that is available today, and has been available since 1972. AMSOIL extended drain interval synthetic oil causes lost profits in standard quick lube oil changes and other service work. Several dealerships we have visited stated that they like to keep customers coming in every 3000 miles so they can look the vehicle over and find other components that they can service.

The 3000 mile oil change, in this day and age of high-performance synthetics, is in our opinion one of the biggest scams on the American public ever. Many of the same companies that continue to recommend the "3000 mile oil change" in the U.S. currently manufacture and/or recommend, and have for many years, 12,000-18,000 mile synthetic oil changes in Europe! In fact Europe's goal is to reach 30,000 mile oil change intervals in the near future. That is a proven fact that they don't want you to know.

The 3000 mile oil change is, in our automotive engineering opinion, a big money generator for all parties involved with it. They want to sell oil, as well as possibly find other things to repair, and they want to ensure you come back on a regular basis. What better way is there to do that than with the " 3000 mile oil change". You pay on a regular basis and are constantly keeping track of when the next oil change is required, especially if you log a lot of miles. "3000 mile oil" will provide average performance and longevity of your engine and that is about it. Over a period of time, internal sludge and varnish build up from petroleum oil can possibly start causing problems, namely piston ring groove and valve sticking as some of the top issues that have been identified. If you change it yourself, you can save some money but you still have your time involved plus all the waste oil to dispose of.

The people that run the quick lubes and service centers are there to make profits by seeing you on a regular basis and do not care about extending your vehicles life. We know this because we have tried to get some of the quick lubes and dealership service centers to carry AMSOIL extended drain interval gas engine oil (25,000 miles/1-year and 35,000 miles/1-year with the 0W-30) and get the standard response that they know it is an excellent product but if they install it they cannot keep customers coming back as often. AMSOIL then tailored a special top quality reduced mileage extended drain interval oil (called XL7500) of 7500 miles for gas engine vehicles for the quick lubes so they can keep customers coming back but still give them added convenience of extended drains intervals. This has proven to be an excellent program for all involved.

In addition, many companies have tested AMSOIL and know how good it is and many auto engineers even use it in their own vehicles but we believe they will not use it in production for "political reasons". It is our opinion that oil companies need to sell large volumes of oil, and auto companies want your engine and powertrain to have somewhat of a finite life. Enough life so that you are a satisfied and happy customer who will come back and buy another one, yet not so long that you won't need to buy another vehicle. Petroleum oil appears to accomplish both objectives perfectly. AMSOIL has been proven for 30 years to prevent that from happening.

I have an article about an AMSOIL user with 731,000 miles on his 1993 Ford Aerostar on the original engine and transmission. He was using AMSOIL from the beginning. This type of mileage is not uncommon when using AMSOIL synthetic lubricants. Now, what do you think would happen it everybody used AMSOIL and got that much mileage on their vehicles? The auto companies like to hear reports of stuff like this on a small time basis but not on a large scale as it would have major negative economic implications.

Newer Amsoil synthetic oil and filter technology have recently enabled the "million mile van" using 25,000 mile synthetic oil and nanofiber filter changes, and 150,000 mile transmission and differential synthetic fluid changes.  Just think of how much money was saved by not replacing that commercial van every 200,000 miles, and never having transmission repairs!  

Few people who are in business to sell petroleum oil and repair vehicles are going to tell you how to extend your drain intervals using AMSOIL technology.  And they know very little, if anything, about the technical and engineering aspects of lubrication, filtration and oil analysis science.

How to Reduce or Prevent Turbocharger Bearing Seizures on PowerStroke Turbo-Diesels

One of the many specific areas, on turbocharged PowerStroke Diesel engines, that can clearly benefit from the use of synthetic oil is the turbocharger.  When a turbocharged engine is shut off immediately after use, bearing "heat soak" occurs due to the heat that naturally flows out of the hot exhaust manifold and into the turbo, adding to the high temperatures still present in the turbocharger: all this heat "soaks" into the bearings which are no longer being cooled by a flow of engine oil.  Over a period of time this can lead to deposits that can reduce or block the oil flow to the turbocharger bearings, which can lead to turbocharger bearing seizure. 

The hotter the outside temperature and the heavier your load, the greater the risk to your turbocharger's life.

To combat these problems and give your turbo maximum life, our engineering staff recommend two things: 1) use of a turbo cool-down timer, and 2) one of AMSOIL's Synthetic Diesel Oils (listed below).  A cool-down timer gives your engine a chance to lower the EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature) to a safer level before the engine shuts off.  A full PAO (Poly-Alpha-Olefin) synthetic does not break down and form deposits in the same temperature range as petroleum ("mineral") oils.  Of these two, a high-quality synthetic oil is the most important.

AMSOIL's Synthetic Diesel Oils are inherently more thermally stable than most diesel oils on the market, and have been shown to keep turbochargers considerably cleaner than other brands of oil. In fact, AMSOIL synthetics have a noted historical reputation for maintaining turbochargers in a clean like-new condition.  Meanwhile, poor quality engine oils have been shown to cause turbocharger bearing seizure in under 100 hours during a "heat soak" test.

Many engine oils will survive the 100 hour "heat soak" test, but... with considerable deposits and incipient oil passage blocking.  If you use typical or low-quality diesel oils, it is critical that you let the engine idle for a few minutes after use, to allow the engine and turbocharger to cool. This does not eliminate deposit formation when using petroleum diesel oils, but it can dramatically reduce it.

Take a look at the varnish deposits in this picture below. These are the results of a severe high temperature deposit test with some of the most trusted commercial brands. This test clearly shows that AMSOIL keeps engines cleaner longer than other major brands of diesel oils. Which oil would you rather have protecting your PowerStroke engine?

The bottom line: To prevent or eliminate turbocharger bearing seizure, there is no substitute for a high quality synthetic diesel oil (like AMSOIL's) as they have been have been proven to maintain turbochargers in an almost "as fitted" condition, and significantly reduce deposit formation.

We are here to help you learn the facts and to show you how using superior AMSOIL products will increase the performance and add to the longevity of your PowerStroke Diesel, while saving you time and money. PowerStroke Diesel trucks are excellent vehicles and exceptionally well engineered by Ford.  In our opinion, they are one of the most advanced vehicles ever produced.  However there are ways to make the performance and longevity even better with AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants.

Long life: We have an article describing an AMSOIL user with 731,000 miles on his 1993 Ford Aerostar, on the original engine and transmission. He was using AMSOIL from the beginning.  This type of mileage performance is unheard of in basic passenger vehicles with conventional petroleum oils, but is not uncommon when using AMSOIL synthetic lubricants.  Just think of how much money was saved by not replacing that van every 200,000 miles!

I also met a PowerStroke owner who was on his third truck.  He and his wife are retired and tow a 5th-wheel around the U.S. and up into Canada as well.  He says he has his "system" down pat: he outfits his truck with an in-bed auxilliary fuel tank, high-flow exhaust and air intake, all Amsoil synthetics throughout the drivetrain, and the Amsoil Dual-Remote Bypass filtration system to filter the engine oil.  "Then", he said, "of course I never change the oil - just the filters.  I put 500,000 miles on the truck, then sell it and buy a new one.  The people I sell them to get excited, talking about how they drive like they have 50,000 miles on them, and asking about the bypass filter.  I show them my oil sampling reports, and of course, they show the oil is perfectly good and very little engine wear is occurring.  I get a kick out of visiting them every year or so, just to see how they're doing.  The last truck I sold to a farmer, who uses it to haul all his trailers and wagons.  He got excited when he saw me, and said yeh, he still can't believe it.  He just changes the filters like I showed him, and it still runs fabulous."

Improved fuel economy savings:  While most customers will only get a 5 to 10% fuel economy improvement (my diesel truck gained 8%, my car mpg improved 10%), gains of 20% are not uncommon.  Phillip is a customer with a 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette van who had changed his motor oil at 3,000 mile intervals.  In the spring of 2005 when he used Engine Flush and changed to AMSOIL engine oil with about 85,000 miles on the odometer, he got an instant 20% fuel economy increase which has been saving him about $12 per week.  That annual savings of more than $600 is six times more than the $100 annual cost of the AMSOIL products.  

Improve Your Fuel Economy: the Ultimate Guide

(The best FREE resource on the Web!)

CAUTION !         BIO-DIESEL FUEL ?         CAUTION !

BIO-DIESEL FUEL CAUTION

Biodiesel fuels produce more rapid breakdown of ANY engine oil. 
No matter what brand or type of engine oil you use, you will need to closely monitor your oil performance with oil analysis and shorten drain intervals as your use of biodiesel blends increases.  In many cases, this will mean cutting your previous oil drain intervals in half (assuming use of the same engine oil).  If extended oil drain intervals are not shortened, biodiesel contamination is likely to produce engine damage due to oil failure.  [MORE]

Which engine oil should you use
in your PowerStroke Turbo-Diesel?

Your two choices for pre-2007 PowerStrokes are the 15W-40 Premium Heavy Duty Diesel & Marine oil (product AME), or the Series 3000 5W-30 Heavy Duty Diesel Motor Oil (product HDD).  For 2007 and later diesels, those models are equipped with the Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF's), and your truck requires Synthetic 5W-40 Premium Diesel Motor Oil (product DEO) which exceeds the new CJ-4 specification.

Download Free Diesel Oil Guide & Comparison

(1.3 mb pdf)

Despite your owner's manual recommendation of a 15W-40 oil, your PowerStroke engine - like nearly all engines - is designed to use a 30-weight oil.  The 15W-40 recommendation is based on the assumption that petroleum oils will be used, and the knowledge that they will often "shear back" to a 30-weight oil in diesels.  So if you use a 30-weight oil that shears back to a 20 weight oil you will have wear problems (or worse).  Of course, AMSOIL's HDD formulation will maintain viscosity as long as you are using it as recommended in a healthy engine (no coolant or fuel getting in the oil, for example) - so your engine will enjoy year-round benefit from the 30-weight oil it was designed for. 

Both the AME and HDD oils are 25,000 mile oils that outperform every other available diesel oil on the market, and are LESS EXPENSIVE to use because of those extended drain intervals.  Both oils are also superb performers in gasoline engines.  The DEO oil exceeds the performance of any other CJ-4 oil on the market.  Any of the three oils will work well for you, but our best recommendation is for you to make an informed choice based on your specific needs.  Here are some suggestions to help you:

        For this Application...                                         Pick this oil:

  2007 & later models (CJ-4 spec is req'd)**                       5W-40 (DEO)

             Fuel Economy                                           Series 3000 5W-30 (HDD)

    Cold Temperature Performance                             Series 3000 5W-30 (HDD)

    All-fleet oil for home/farm/garden                     5W-30 (HDD), or any of the three

            Lowest oil usage                                     15W-40 (AME) or 5W-40 (DEO)

          OTR Freight Hauling                           5W-30 (HDD), 5W-40 (DEO), 15W-40 (AME)*

       All-fleet oil for class 3-8                              15W-40 (AME) - or 5W-30 (HDD)**

All-purpose oil for logging/heavy-construction           15W-40 (AME), 5W-40 (DEO)*

*While it is difficult to compare them, Engineers generally believe the thicker 40-weight oils (AME & DEO) may provide slightly more wear protection than 5W-30 (HDD) in extremely heavy applications, particularly off-road/gravel where drivetrains can be subject to heavy torsional shock-loading.  However, for highway/city mileage, HDD fuel economy savings probably exceed savings from reduced wear with AME - if there is any reduced wear at all with AME.  Experience has shown that changing to any of these three AMSOIL synthetic oils will produce fuel economy benefits.

**5W-40 (DEO) oil is also a fully backwards compatible, all-fleet oil.  So if using one oil for your entire fleet is one of your most important considerations, and your fleet includes 2007+ diesels (or earlier with DPF's), this is the oil to use.  However, be aware that the low TBN restrictions of the CJ-4 spec means that extended drain intervals will not be possible on your vehicles without oil sampling analysis.  (DEO has a TBN of 8.0, vs 12+ for AME & HDD.)  For this reason, our best recommendation is to use two fleet oils.  One for gas and 2006 or older diesels, and the other for 2007+ diesels.

Simply changing your oil more often with "reputable" oil will not give you all the benefits that AMSOIL offers:

You will not get improved fuel economy, you will not get reduced engine wear, you will not get reduced operating temperatures, you will not get extended drain intervals and you will not save money in the long run. Please, allow us to show you a better way. We are here to help you. You have everything to gain and absolutely nothing to lose!

AMSOIL has been in business since 1972 and was the first company in the world to develop an API (Automotive Petroleum Institute) rated synthetic lubricant for automotive applications. They coined the phrase "extended drain intervals" 30 years ago with 25,000 mile drain intervals, and ever since then they have been defining the leading edge of lubrication technology, innovation and performance.  No other company in the world offers 25,000 and 35,000 mile oil changes, and AMSOIL guarantees their product performance. No-one else does that. AMSOIL is the Gold Standard in lubrication and filtration, and amazingly, their superior-performance products are cheaper to use.  The fact is, if you’re not using AMSOIL lubricants, you’re wasting money.

We are here to help you and are at your service to assist you in your advanced technology lubrication and filtration needs.  We hope you will allow us to show you a proven better way.  We have many satisfied customers using AMSOIL products in their commercial, trucking, and fleet vehicles, as well as personal, family and recreational vehicles. And now, you know the AMSOIL secret, too.  Welcome to the AMSOIL family.

Copyright Information

Copyright 2000 through 2009. All Rights Reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission. Special undetectable methods are used that will identify any of this material copied, reworded/re-written and published to the web.