This is Why I Don't Change My Oil

[Alfa02]

Now Ed, I believe I know you well enough to know you would never ever let anything get that kind of treatment. I may have to call BS
Today I did change oil on the Cobra (1100miles last year) don't care if it's the right thing to do or not "I Feel Better." Put a wench and or socket on all suspension, drivetrain, etc. I'm ready for this year drives Quick up-date: We (Brent (EM-0785) & I sold the marron West Coast Cobra, really nice guy here in the PNW, he owns a Honda S-2000, and have drag raced 10-11sec. Drag cars, he knows to dance slowly with the Cobra, a welcome addition to our NW group, Cheers Tom.

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by Alfa02

Now Ed, I believe I know you well enough to know you would never ever let anything get that kind of treatment. I may have to call BS ... Cheers Tom.

I actually did, Tom. I know it sounds incredible. Back in those days I typically drove about 40K miles per year just for business. At the time, I calculated the cost of the recommended oil changes and the cost of rebuilding the engine (if I did it).

It was cheaper to rebuild the engine than do the oil changes — especially true at Lincoln Delaer prices. So I rolled the dice essentially on a lark to see what would happen. As luck would have it, I eventually sold the car with the original engine still in it!

I don't drive those distances any longer (especially at current CA gas prices). Moreover, I suspect modern aluminum engines would not fare as well as a cast iron 460 under those conditions.


Postscript

Actually that may not be true ...

The follow-on vehicle was a 528i BMW that went just about as far (378,000 miles), but I did do oil changes because I did not want to tackle a BMW engine rebuild.

[hauss]

What I meant ,was the test of the new oil that went in the motor and the same oil, that came out after, it was used.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by hauss

What I meant ,was the test of the new oil that went in the motor and the same oil, that came out after, it was used.

Yes. I progressively test the same oil until I finally change it, this time around six years. If there is no appreciable change in wear metals, and there is no presence of water or antifreeze, and the other characteristics of the oil, such as viscosity or the TBN number, are in line, along with mileage, then what would I be changing? I would be changing good healthy oil for more good healthy oil. But if I did not test the oil, and just changed it, then I could be changing bad oil for good oil and masking a problem that I could prevent from causing serious problems if I just opened my eyes and looked at the test. That "feeling of comfort" that others take from oft changing their oil on a rarely driven car is really just fooling themselves. They would take a greater level of comfort from reading a detailed test on their oil and knowing exactly what they were dealing with. But, that takes turning on your brain and thinking, which some people just have trouble doing.

[Morris]

Patrick
I agree 100% with you and in fact, have been using Blackstone for many years on all of my vehicles…..i even have customers when they buy another used car, they want me to take a sample and send it in…
We have also used Blackstone for the Race cars and the Cobra….you can’t know to much about your engine….the more data the better.

[patrickt]

The old joke is that FEs leak. They leak oil, they leak coolant, they leak gas -- yeah, the joke is true, for the most part. It's taken me 20 years to get my Cobra to the point where I would say she really doesn't leak anymore. But I still get down on all fours and peek under her with a flashlight every week, even during the winter months when she doesn't move. Because, she has been known to spring a leak while sitting in her heated garage in the middle of February. No brown oil, no green coolant, no blue brake or clutch fluid, no red transmission drips, no Moroso climbing lube drips, and no golden gas puddles -- that one I usually smell before I even start to look. When I see nothing but dry cement floor under her it's a blessing.

More than once, I've looked down at the garage floor only to see drips of red blood. Usually it was the result of slicing a finger or arm up and never even knowing it. No big deal, just look around, see where you're bleeding from and just bandage it up. That's the nice thing about external leaks, whether they're from you or your Cobra, they're pretty easy to spot. Internal leaks, not so much. I don't know of any easier way to check for internal leaks in an FE equipped Cobra than an oil test. And dumping gas, coolant or water in to your oil is pretty high on the shi* list with FEs or any other engine for that matter. Why you wouldn't test for that is just something I can't even fathom and why anyone would even argue against it with our lightly driven, and sometimes very expensive, Cobras and their engines is just beyond me.

[kevins2]

Hey Patrick,

I just ordered an oil sample test kit from Blackstone for the first time. Quick question - are all the results you've posted included in their standard test? They offer a lot of additional tests but I haven't read up on them. Thought I'd be lazy and just ask you

Kevin

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by kevins2

Hey Patrick,

I just ordered an oil sample test kit from Blackstone for the first time. Quick question - are all the results you've posted included in their standard test? They offer a lot of additional tests but I haven't read up on them. Thought I'd be lazy and just ask you

Kevin

I get their standard test plus $10 extra for a TBN (total base number). You can look up the specs on your particular oil for the TBN of new oil and compare to that.