Oil change intervals

[w-lewis]

I drive my car 300-400 miles a year, admittedly, not enough and change my oil once a year. Do any of you with similar annual mileage change yours more or less often than that?

[Got the Bug]

Once a year should be fine. I've averaged about 2K miles per year over the last couple of years, and just change the oil yearly. I try to get the car out every couple of weeks year round to get the oil up to temp.

[mdross1]

This one always makes think back to the days when working part time in a filling station,then there was some very cheap oil and quite a few people that regularly came in never changed theirs. These engines lasted a lot longer than the cars they were sitting in.
Always used synthetics and several times had oil analyzed never any issues.Daily drivers get changed once a year,Everything else depends on usage,certainly not every 3000.Motorcycles,tractors,and Cobra may go several years depending on usage.We enthusiasts have a much better feel for our equipment than the average joe for what works and what does not.I for one never take anything for granted truly enjoy maintaining all that we own,the reason is that good feeling I always get cruising through the shop knowing all the machinery is ready to go and 100% in tip top shape.The investments we have in our beloved creations is worth every minute spent keeping them in top working order.

[Mastiff107]

This appears to be more of a cry for help than a maintainance issue. You do know you live in GA, right? I live in WA where we had 4 1/2 days without rain last year and one of them was overcast and I put more miles on than that! Priorities! Priorities! Priorities!

[Gaz64]

Originally Posted by w-lewis

I drive my car 300-400 miles a year, admittedly, not enough and change my oil once a year. Do any of you with similar annual mileage change yours more or less often than that?

I change my oil on my low usage cars every six months regardless of distance, which may be 500-1000km (300-600 miles).

Oil not getting to operating temp has high acidity and then sitting for long periods will eat the bearings away from chemical erosion.

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by Gaz64

Oil not getting to operating temp has high acidity and then sitting for long periods will eat the bearings away from chemical erosion.

Could we focus on this statement for a bit? My routine has me driving for 3 months (probably less than 1,000 miles, to be honest), then changing the oil and letting the car sit for the next three months. My oil change routine involves allowing the engine to idle until it is up to operating temperature (which is usually 180*), then pulling it into the garage for it's 3 month nap before it is started again.

First, I wonder if there is any measurable water content to the oil if I only start it after the oil change and then after putting it away I don't start it again for so long. My concern is that in that 10 minutes it idles, there might develop enough acidity to do exactly as described, eat away at bearings during the long sit-up. What do y'all think, is that a dangerous practice?

Before I restart the engine after it's three month nap, I pull all the spark plugs and operate the starter until the engine registers oil pressure...would rather have a pre-lube fitting or an Acusump, but those are future improvements.

I had always hoped that by changing the oil and then getting it into quick storage that I was ensuring that the old oil, with whatever acidity it might have developed over the 3 months it has been in use, would not be a factor during the storage. Am I fooling myself??

Cheers!

Dugly

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by YerDugliness

Am I fooling myself??

Yes, I think you are. The oil samples I send out in the spring are after a short, "warm up" drive -- nothing fancy. No sign of moisture, or anything else untoward, in the samples. And that's after just sitting in a bag with desiccant for five months.

[madmaxx]

The plot thickens, now we are risking stripping a spark plug after stressing the spark plug boots. Ever hook the plug wires backwards. Please just drive the car there is no acid they are managed by the detergents in the oil once they form after 7k miles.







QUOTE=YerDugliness;1199763]Could we focus on this statement for a bit? My routine has me driving for 3 months (probably less than 1,000 miles, to be honest), then changing the oil and letting the car sit for the next three months. My oil change routine involves allowing the engine to idle until it is up to operating temperature (which is usually 180*), then pulling it into the garage for it's 3 month nap before it is started again.

First, I wonder if there is any measurable water content to the oil if I only start it after the oil change and then after putting it away I don't start it again for so long. My concern is that in that 10 minutes it idles, there might develop enough acidity to do exactly as described, eat away at bearings during the long sit-up. What do y'all think, is that a dangerous practice?

Before I restart the engine after it's three month nap, I pull all the spark plugs and operate the starter until the engine registers oil pressure...would rather have a pre-lube fitting or an Acusump, but those are future improvements.

I had always hoped that by changing the oil and then getting it into quick storage that I was ensuring that the old oil, with whatever acidity it might have developed over the 3 months it has been in use, would not be a factor during the storage. Am I fooling myself??

Cheers!

Dugly [/quote]

[JBCOBRA]

Get Joe Gibbs Hot Rod Oil. It is made for low usage Ve_hicles

[madmaxx]

More useless feel good maintenance. The only way oil gets contaminants is through use. Complete waste of money and time to change anything before 3k miles or 3 years. You get the oil to 212f for 10 minutes and all moisture residual fuel flashes off. BMW interval is 15k miles regardless of time

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by madmaxx

More useless feel good maintenance. The only way oil gets contaminants is through use. Complete waste of money and time to change anything before 3k miles or 3 years. You get the oil to 212f for 10 minutes and all moisture residual fuel flashes off. BMW interval is 15k miles regardless of time

I agree completely. I do send an oil sample out for analysis in the spring when I pull her out of the bag (where she's been sitting for five months). Mostly to check for metals and the presence of antifreeze in the oil, and because I enjoy doing it....

[JBCOBRA]

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

Originally Posted by madmaxx

More useless feel good maintenance. The only way oil gets contaminants is through use. Complete waste of money and time to change anything before 3k miles or 3 years. You get the oil to 212f for 10 minutes and all moisture residual fuel flashes off. BMW interval is 15k miles regardless of time

[YerDugliness]

I drive for 6 months a year, try to miss the heat of summer and the winter rains down here along the gulf coast. It usually amounts to about 3 months in the spring and 3 months in the fall.

I change the oil at the end of each of those 3 month "driving seasons"...that way there is fresh oil sitting in the pan when I am ready to resume driving and I am not bothered with changing the oil before I can drive the car.

I don't care if I waste a bit of $$ changing my oil prematurely...this car is a dream come true for an old schoolteacher on a fixed retirement income, I like fiddling with it now and then and the expense of the supplies is diminished because I keep my eyes open for oil sales (usually very inexpensive and includes a filter) at the local automotive shops.

I had the valve covers off earlier this week...despite the drivetrain being from a 1989 Mustang GT, it looks factory fresh under the valve covers, no signs of ever having been neglected and forming sludge....I have no idea of total mileage, but in 3 years I have put 3,000 miles on it.

I would like to have the oil analyzed to get some info regarding how much wear the engine has suffered since it was put into service, but I tried to do this for my daughter when she bought a used car. None of the auto parts stores had the kits.

Patrick, you have a PM....

Cheers!

Dugly

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by YerDugliness

Patrick, you have a PM....

And it was a friendly PM too. (rare for me) Here's an old oil analysis that I had in my gallery:

[dallas_]

Originally Posted by YerDugliness

I would like to have the oil analyzed to get some info regarding how much wear the engine has suffered since it was put into service,

x2 on Blackstone.
They will send you a free sample kit with instructions.
Pay them when you send in the sample (about $25) and they will provide an oil report with a narrative that helps explain the numbers and 2 more sample containers with mailing labels.

Blackstone Labs

Well worth it in my opinion.
John

[joyridin']

Originally Posted by YerDugliness

I drive for 6 months a year, try to miss the heat of summer and the winter rains down here along the gulf coast. It usually amounts to about 3 months in the spring and 3 months in the fall.

I change the oil at the end of each of those 3 month "driving seasons"...that way there is fresh oil sitting in the pan when I am ready to resume driving and I am not bothered with changing the oil before I can drive the car.

I don't care if I waste a bit of $$ changing my oil prematurely...this car is a dream come true for an old schoolteacher on a fixed retirement income, I like fiddling with it now and then and the expense of the supplies is diminished because I keep my eyes open for oil sales (usually very inexpensive and includes a filter) at the local automotive shops.

I had the valve covers off earlier this week...despite the drivetrain being from a 1989 Mustang GT, it looks factory fresh under the valve covers, no signs of ever having been neglected and forming sludge....I have no idea of total mileage, but in 3 years I have put 3,000 miles on it.

I would like to have the oil analyzed to get some info regarding how much wear the engine has suffered since it was put into service, but I tried to do this for my daughter when she bought a used car. None of the auto parts stores had the kits.

Patrick, you have a PM....

Cheers!

Dugly

That makes no sense. If anything, you should change the oil before you start driving. Why have new oil sitting in the pan collecting moisture and becoming contaminated?

[YerDugliness]

Originally Posted by joyridin'

That makes no sense. If anything, you should change the oil before you start driving. Why have new oil sitting in the pan collecting moisture and becoming contaminated?

Yes, I agree...therein lies my quandry.

Would it be better for me to drain the pan and leave it empty when I store the car? Would it be better if I were to leave all that used oil in the pan while it is being stored, then change the oil before I start it up? That seems to me to offer the worst-case scenario, all that oil with the contaminants and acids sitting there in the pan...doing who knows what to the metals in the engine, particularly the bearings.

The replica is stored in a dry, secure garage, but the garage is not temperature controlled.

I'm asking these questions b/c I seriously wonder what the best storage procedure would be. It just seemed to me that clean oil sitting in a pan for 3 months might be the best option...it seems acidity in the oil would be at its lowest level in fresh oil.

Maybe a dry pan is the answer, I certainly don't know.

Then, again, maybe Madmaxx might be right, drive it like you stole it, don't worry about it, deal with the issues that might arise IF they do arise...

Good discussion....more opinions, please.....

Thanks!

Dugly

[FUNFER2]

Originally Posted by joyridin'

That makes no sense. If anything, you should change the oil before you start driving. Why have new oil sitting in the pan collecting moisture and becoming contaminated?

I like using fresh oil as the old oil may,.... have containments that sit on the bearings all winter. I use a new filter too, then it's ready to fire back up in spring. Oil is relatively low in cost, versus the cost of our engines we put in our cobras.

So,... oil being the blood of the engine, why not be assured that we are doing everything we can to help save our expensive performance engines, for the cost of a oil & filter change. No brainier for me folks.

(I also take my old oil & filter in to be recycled)

[madmaxx]

Less than 3k miles, irregardless Of time you have no contaminant concentration even remotely close to doing damage. Patrickt is right one morning you wake up not feeling well and your priorities change real quick.

Don't feel bad for people who smoke and get sick or motorcycle riders, they are a drain on our medical services, along with the obese.

Originally Posted by FUNFER2

I like using fresh oil as the old oil may,.... have containments that sit on the bearings all winter. I use a new filter too, then it's ready to fire back up in spring. Oil is relatively low in cost, versus the cost of our engines we put in our cobras.

So,... oil being the blood of the engine, why not be assured that we are doing everything we can to help save our expensive performance engines, for the cost of a oil & filter change. No brainier for me folks.

(I also take my old oil & filter in to be recycled)

[joyridin']

Originally Posted by madmaxx

Less than 3k miles, irregardless Of time you have no contaminant concentration even remotely close to doing damage. Patrickt is right one morning you wake up not feeling well and your priorities change real quick.

Don't feel bad for people who smoke and get sick or motorcycle riders, they are a drain on our medical services, along with the obese.

My guess would be that unless you change your oil, then start the car and run it for a while to flush out the old oil, the oil sitting on your bearings isn't going to drain into the pan anyhow. Now, if you do start the car after you change the oil, then you just took those contaminants you spoke of and put them right back into the new oil.

Add to that the fact that where I live in Ohio, the temperature all Winter fluctuates greatly. I do not have a climate controlled garage, so there is a lot of moisture generated on the block and in the block. As soon as you start cranking the engine, all that moisture is pumped through and mixed with the oil. Probably a lot worse than the contaminants you are talking about.