weight of oil

my truck is due for an oil change 01 silverado 73k miles the oil cap on my 4.3 said that the engine takes 10w 30 I belive but my father said that 20w 50 is better I live in california so would that be true?????

Read the cap... do what the cap says

I put 10w40 in mine, i wouldnt see a need for 20w50 in california though, id go with 10w40 tops.

Blender is right go with what the cap says. i use a synthetic 5w-30 in my 02 and now have over 65k never a lick of trouble and runs as well as the day i bought it.

I can think of two reasons to put 20W-50 in your late model:

A. You live in Death Valley

B. Your oil pump is weak

At such low mileage the original 10W-30 recommendation should be plenty, but if your truck has had a hard life with little maintenance, your bearing and ring clearances could be opening up.

If your oil pressure is dropping, try replacing one quart of oil at your next change with Lucas Oil Supplement. It works for me, but my trucks don't need it before 250,000 miles.

I run 5w-30 in mine. I have put almost 41,000 miles on my 04 and it runs great, doesnt burn a drop and have no complaints.

I had no Idea thanxs guys!!!! by the way what do you guys think about "part" synthetic oil??

waste of money

yea I thought so myself

anything other than 5/30 or 10/30 will void the warranty. If you really need to run a heavy oil your engine to keep it from becoming unglued, then it is wore out.

Always run the recommended weight of oil, especially on a newer truck. By running a heavier weight oil you put strain on your engine during start-up. 20w should not be used in vehicles used for normal driving. Racing is an example of when to use that heavy of a motor oil. Synthetic blend oils are actually good oil because they act as a synthetic by providing better protection at start-up, although they do not contain the additives that prevent breaking down of the oil. Most newer fords all recommend synthetic blend 5w20. The only downfall is the cost :(