Originally developed for steam engines by John Ellis, motor oil is used for lubricating combustion engines. In addition to reducing the friction and wear on the moving parts, modern lubricants have a few other extremely important roles: cooling the moving parts, improving the sealing of the piston rings, cleaning slush/varnish deposits, and neutralizing acids.
As far as the 2021 model year Ford Bronco is concerned, the Blue Oval recommends 6.2 quarters (5.9 liters) of 5W-30 synthetic oil for the 2.3-liter EcoBoost and 7.0 quarts (6.6 liters) of the very same type of lubricant for the 2.7-liter EcoBoost. The aforementioned capacities include the oil filter, and customers who live in cold areas can use 0W-30 at -22 degrees F (-30 C).
Engine lubricant prices can vary a lot depending on the brand, weight, how large the jug is, and retailer. On the upside, oil with a winter viscosity grade of five and a hot viscosity grade of 30 isn’t expensive. 5W-30 entered the mainstream in the 1980s due to CAFE requirements, and this particular type of engine oil is pretty common in this day and age because of its versatility.
The Motorcraft part numbers for these oils are WSS-M2C961-A1 and WSS-M2C963-A1 whereas the oil filters come in the guise of the FL-910-S for the 2.3-liter EcoBoost and FL-2062-A for the 2.7-liter EcoBoost. At the time of writing, the filters cost $4 and $6.5 excluding the cost of shipping.
According to the 552-page owner’s manual for the 2021 Ford Bronco, customers are urged to avoid any sort of heavy braking, high-speed driving shenanigans, aggressive gear shifting, and towing in the first 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) of driving. Changing your oil after this period isn’t necessary, but it’s recommended anyway to eliminate any shavings.
The automaker says that oil consumption reaches its normal level after 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers). Under normal driving conditions, the oil change interval is listed in the owner’s manual at 7,500 to 10,000 miles (12,070 to 16,093 kilometers) under normal driving conditions. For severe and extreme driving conditions, the numbers are 5,000 to 7,500 miles (8,047 to 12,070 kilometers) and 3,000 to 5,000 miles (4,828 to 8,047 kilometers).
Photo: Panda Motorworks on YouTube
As to changing the oil and filter in your Bronco by yourself, Panda Motorworks are kind enough to provide an oil change kit for the 2.3-liter engine at the not-so-princely sum of $69.99 for six quarts of oil and the filter.
VP of sales and marketing Mitch Luedloff is kind enough to detail every step of the process, starting with lifting up the Bronco. But first, remember to identify the correct lifting points by locating the triangle marks on the underbody before you get down to business. Removing the skid plate comes next, and it’s a fairly straightforward affair if you have a 15-millimeter socket. Four bolts have to be removed in total, and before removing the final one, keep one hand on the skid plate to prevent it from falling off.
Next up, crack open the drain plug with a 15-millimeter wrench and wait for the used oil to drain in the pan or whatever collector you have. Locating the oil filter and chute is a little more complicated, but not impossible even for someone who’s doing it for the first time. Although it’s somewhat difficult to break open by hand, using 12-inch pliers should get the job done.
A little fresh oil should be applied to the gasket of the brand-new filter to seal it properly, after which you need to tighten down the drain plug. Reinstalling the skid plate comes next. The final steps are pretty damn obvious: pour fresh lubricant into the engine with the help of a funnel to avoid spillage, start up the vehicle to allow the oil to circulate through the system, then check the level by pulling out the dipstick. Give it a wipe first, stick it fully back in, and remove the dipstick again to get a properly accurate reading.
Photo: Panda Motorworks on YouTube
If the level exceeds full, fret not because removing excess oil isn’t hard. Just remove the skid plate, loosen the oil plug extremely carefully, and let it trickle out slowly. After you have drained some oil, retighten the plug, restart the engine and let it warm up for 10 minutes, then check the level again with the dipstick. If it’s alright, simply rebolt the skid plate back on.
Owners who specified their Broncos with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost have to follow pretty much the same instructions except for the oil filter. William Brant of Eville Truck highlights that the oil filter is on top of the six-cylinder mill, which makes it much easier to replace with a brand-new one. Instead of a spin-on filter, the V6 utilizes a cartridge-type design with a plastic top.
The cover features three O-rings in total, which have to be replaced with a pick tool before you stick the plastic top back on the filter assembly. Another notable difference over the 2.3-liter EcoBoost is the composite oil pan which features a yellow drain plug. William’s Bronco flaunts 35-inch tires, allowing him to perform the oil change without jacking up the vehicle.
After changing the oil, simply go into the settings menu of the Bronco and reset the oil life indicator by holding the OK button on the steering wheel.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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