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Long story short I didn't realize my jug was 5w20 till I had already drained the oil out so that's all I had to put back in. How bad is it to run that? Will I be ok or do I need to drain that Monday and put in the proper 10w30. The motor is a 302 from a 2000 Explorer, in my blue truck.

Thanks guys
Malcolm

well, the wrong oil is better than no oil

I would change it myself, for the few bucks it costs. Not to say that anything bad would happen, it's a lighter weight so it might not hold as much oil pressure.

I had a lawn mower that was ran dry on oil and stayed that way for I dont know how long. The only thing that came out when you removed the dipstick was a little smoke. We didnt have any oil, so it got filled with hydralic gear lube. It ran for years after that.

5w-20 and 0w-20 are the new high MPG weights being used in the new engines as of probably 2005. Being it's Winter up where you are, I would think the 5w-20 would actually be better. If you put it in during the summer, you "might" be thinner than what would be better. But being what you put in is likely synthetic and you change it every 3000 miles, I would personally leave it in there and not think 2nd about it.

Yeah 5w20 is what goes in newer motors, even my 03 Cobra, but I have no idea if tolerances in the motors are different or what. I normally run mobil 1 but they are out around here due to hurricane ike so I it got castrol syntec.
I change very 5k miles as it's just easier to keep track of. Change it on the fives, 10k miles, 15k miles, 20k miles etc.

As long as you have a tight engine that holds oil pressure, then nothing wrong with it. Older engines may use it a little faster then a heavy oil. But in cold weather it will flow faster on a cold start. I like to run the lightest oil possible. I have had engines that I could easily tell the difference between 10W30 and 5W30.

Yeah 5w30 I wouldn't have worried about at all but it's the 20 part (5w20) that worries me. That means at working temp the oil is thinner. Does this mean when you get on the gas hard it's going to push the oil out the rod bearings for example?
I'll keep an eye on oil level.

5w20 is the recommended oil for a 2000 5.0L, you should be fine. I run 5w20 in my 94 2.3L with 270,000.

Very cool. Thanks.

I was thinking you'd be alright, just couldn't find anything to support it. Don't imagine Ford changed the tolerances any in the motor but like Chris said, probably for the mpg.
Dave

Just my opinion, I would never run any oil that had the consistancy of water. Maybe im just old school, but I dont run anything thinner than 10w30 in the winter and 10w40 in the summer, but thats just me.
Unless you are in below zero temps all the time then I could see running somthing thin in the winter. But I dont drive my Ranger in the winter.

Well this morning was 3F with a windchill of something crazy, I think -14 it said. Seems cold enough for thinner oil.
You are right though, I noticed when pouring the oil it was noticeably thinner.