Oil change intervals

[mdross1]

Read one time a trucker went 409,000 miles on oil change using synthetic oil with added double or triple prefilters.Had oil tested periodically,this same E7-400 engine had over 600,000 miles on the clock.

[madmaxx]

I live down in wonderfull hot and humid houston also!!!! My Cobra is put on top of my 4 post storage until October. Way to HOT,HUMID,DAMP!!!!! I have a 25 year old mercruiser (GM engine) where the first oil change occured 6 years after new because the oil filter rusted through and filled the bilge with oil LOL. Boat has been abused beyond reason, thermostat is 140F as is most seawater cooled engine to prevent salt from plating out. I purchased the boat in year 7 of it life. Boat sits 6 months out of year, has 2800 hrs on it and lives most of it running life at 4500 rpm. Besides using ether to get it started at times it runs perfect. I change the oil every 3 years because it a PIA. I did have the intake/exhaust manifold rott through once but that has nothing to do with oil, it did however cause the sump to fill up with 6 quarts of saltwater. That was 9 years ago. By the way it has points and condesor for ignition. I have been on many boats but I get the best buzz on mine, maybe it the ether I use to start it.

[rpatton3]

Oil change are my security blanket. However, we have a 2002 Thunderbird with 4000 miles.

I think we have changed oil three times. Now we are finding old rubber bushings require entire suspension pieces.

I wonder if a nylon or bronze bushing would work?

Thanks!

Russell

[RodKnock]

I change my oil once every.......

.....time I buy and register a Kirkham. Works for me.

[madmaxx]

As demonstrated in the Nuclear industry 55% of the time a technician works on a piece of equipment they create a problem which must be addressed within 45 days. The risk is not you change the oil to often it is the problem you may create while changing it. Examples include, forget oil and start engine dry, filter on loose resulting in leakage and loss of pressure, drain plug loose or leaking, plastic ring holding lid falls in fill hole as you are filling the engine with oil, to much or to little oil installed, jack falls on you and injures you, or damages car. I can go on. By the way nuclear industry is the most standardized and documented industry today, so in other industries the percentage is much higher.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by madmaxx

... 55% of the time a technician works on a piece of equipment they create a problem which must be addressed within 45 days.

Once again, truer words were never written.

[itstock]

Most of these cars aren't driven anywhere near hard enough to warrant 3000 mile oil changes, let alone 300 mile oil changes.

In fact, I'd say that the majority of our cars are driven even under "normal" driving conditions, as in; they are driven in perfect weather (certainly not cold weather for the vast majority), they are warmed up and babied, taken on nice cruises with minimal stop and go traffic, and driven for a bit of mileage before being parked again. This type of driving isn't just rated as normal driving, but it's damn near perfect for oil.

At worst, most of our cars will fall in to the oil industries severe driving category; roughly every 3,000 mile oil change intervals. Unfortunately for many of these cars, they will probably fail to see 3,000 miles over the course of their life with the current owner.

Even after a couple of hard track days amounting to over a thousand or so miles, people won't change their oil until...a couple more track days.

You would be wasting money and time changing your oil every 300 miles, but if it's a garage queen, every 2 or 3 years at that mileage certainly wouldn't hurt anything, even if it were unnecessary.

Every motor is different though, and as posted, a place like Blackstone can determine exactly how often you should be changing your oil.

[w-lewis]

Thanks for the feedback.

[Rick Parker]

Seems like a lot of guys are not getting their oil hot enough anyway?
I like mine right at 220-230

I don't know how to drive it and build a campfire under it at the same time???

I change mine once a year, it accumulates about 1200-1500 miles between changes. My concern has been that many (if not most) of us have the engines set up as the were, void of any emission devices, big Carbs (Webers, Double Pumpers, etc) and the rich mixtures encountered tend to allow the oil to become contaminated to some degree with fuel. This is one of the reasons that engines didn't really last a "Long" time compared to what is expected by today's standards, granted the oil formulations have improved greatly. I still get the "Warm Fuzzies" knowing the filter & oil are relatively fresh.

It's been mentioned here before: Each time the engine temprature warms up and cools it passes through the "Dew Point" and moisture is created.

[tirod]

Originally Posted by Rick Parker

It's been mentioned here before: Each time the engine temprature warms up and cools it passes through the "Dew Point" and moisture is created.

That's not quite true.

First, there has to be water present in some form to be able to condense. Once oil is heated beyond 212, water boils off, and the vapor passes out of the engine thru the PCV or valve cover breathers. It doesn't take long to boil off the few grams of water that were present, and once it shuts down, only a minor residue can form. It doesn't magically form from oil molecules.

What actually happens is keeping the car stored in an unheated area that allows it to warm during the day, and cool at night. Then the cooling metal of the engine and pan condenses what moisture vapor might have gotten back in - again, thru the crankcase ventilation system, which isn't configured to pass fresh outside air thru it when the engine isn't operating. Given enough cycles, some moisture may build up.

As will condensation inside your gas tank. Do you change your gas - regardless - every three months of storage? Secondly, why let the car sit idly by and slowly rot with inactivity? Tires age, hoses oxidize, the alcohol laced fuel attacks the rubber lining in the older standard fuel lines (called AN by some,) and water condensation attacks and corrodes the metal in tanks and lines, too.

If it's so important to change the oil every 300 miles to protect the bearings, why ignore the fuel system and it's much more likely catastrophic failure? If you fail to plan a cycle of periodic operation, you plan to fail. If acid sludge could build up in nearly fresh oil with 300 miles on it, how much more that gas tank full of fuel laced with water, alcohol, and all the corrosive additives? It's an industry standard now, fuel goes bad in 90 days.

Since changing the oil every 300 miles is the standard, when you park it - drain it out and leave it out. Refill when you get back to good weather. Same with the gas, drain it and run it dry. Gelled, corrosive fuel in the carb or injectors is worse than some lightly etched bearings.

BTW, you do use dry nitrogen in the tires, and deflate them once the car is on jackstands, right? Don't forget to seal the garage and purge it with nitrogen, too. Really saves on the vinyl upholstery and paint continuously oxidizing, it's museum standard.

And some of you were worried about the oil? Waste of money.

[Rick Parker]

I dare say that the oils in our cars rarely reach 212 degrees F while being driven. Unless you have something with heating issues. Therefore each time it is driven without the oil reaching 212 for a period of time my statement applies.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Rick Parker

I dare say that the oils in our cars rarely reach 212 degrees F while being driven. Unless you have something with heating issues. Therefore each time it is driven without the oil reaching 212 for a period of time my statement applies.

In all the years I've owned her, my FE's oil temp has never reached 100 degrees Centigrade, and I've never had an oil report yet spot a drop of moisture. If I didn't know better, and I don't, I'd say just running her up to the usual 85-90 degree oil temp purges off any moisture that has condensed in there.

[JBCOBRA]

Oil does not really work like it is supposed to until it hits at least 212

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by JBCOBRA

Oil does not really work like it is supposed to until it hits at least 212

I took her on a reasonably spirited 50 mile jaunt today and managed to get the oil temp up to about 93 or so Centigrade, which is just about 200 Fahrenheit. I gotta believe that's good enough.

[mdross1]

Think about what it must have been like back before oil filters and pressure fed oiling systems,not to mention the quality of the crude.Do you suppose they had these same conversations? Except for our tractors and garden equipment always store with fresh oil and know the quality of oil in crankcases.Course we all have our own agenda's.We gotta do what makes us feel right inside.

[JBCOBRA]

You are not beating it hard enough LOL

[w-lewis]

Many of our cars have oil coolers that perhaps keep oil too cool for street use. To heat it up, try taping a piece of cardboard over the oil cooler inlet. I did that to check my oil temp gauge to confirm that it works. Untill I tried that, the needle never moved and I wasn't sure the gauge even worked.

[Dwight]

I have a stroked 302 making about 500 hp at the flywheel. I have a 7 qt pan with a remote oil filter and no oil cooler.
On our retrip from the London Cobra Show a few weeks ago my oil was 240 for most of the trip(535 miles). It was close to 100 degrees that Sunday. My water is 195 to 200 all the time and the runs 225 to 230 most of the time.

Most of us don't drive a Cobra enough and a spring oil change is all that is needed. IMHO

Dwight

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Dwight

... my oil was 240 for most of the trip(535 miles).

240? Dang, my soldering iron doesn't even get that hot....

[JBCOBRA]

240 will not hurt anything.

Originally Posted by patrickt

240? Dang, my soldering iron doesn't even get that hot....