oil change interval? what do you guys do

[95azSHO]

Just to add another twist to this. I change the oil not the filter every 1500 then change it all at 3000. I find that working on my SHO is soothing and takes the stess of the day away.

 

[CerberuS]

Risk the engine for 20 bucks?

dont exceed 3k.

 

[ManySHOs]

O.K. I've bit my tongue long enough. Unless you are breaking-in a rebuilt motor or racing your car on a regular basis and you change oil at 3K or less, just pat yourself on the back because you are one of the reasons that gas prices are $3 a gallon. In Europe, they commonly change oil at 10K miles when using dino and 25K when using synthetic and they get just as many miles (k) on their engines are we do. The reason we (USA) change oil every 3K miles is because we have been brain washed by the big oil companies. When using a high quality synthetic, there isn't any reason that you couldn't go 10K miles as long as you change the filter around 5-7K (and of course add oil to make up the difference). Dino oil is fine for 5K, but I personally wouldn't go above 7K.

Huh? By that logic gas would actually be cheaper in Europe which it is not...

Ian

 

[Shoaz]

O.K. I've bit my tongue long enough. Unless you are breaking-in a rebuilt motor or racing your car on a regular basis and you change oil at 3K or less, just pat yourself on the back because you are one of the reasons that gas prices are $3 a gallon. In Europe, they commonly change oil at 10K miles when using dino and 25K when using synthetic and they get just as many miles (k) on their engines are we do. The reason we (USA) change oil every 3K miles is because we have been brain washed by the big oil companies. When using a high quality synthetic, there isn't any reason that you couldn't go 10K miles as long as you change the filter around 5-7K (and of course add oil to make up the difference). Dino oil is fine for 5K, but I personally wouldn't go above 7K.

I agree completely (except with the part about oil changes driving up prices).

I do remember the Car Talk guys, Click and Clack, even saying (paraphrasing) "why take the risk of damage happening by doing oil changes too frequently?" If you've ever had a problem as a result of an oil change going bad, you know what they're talking about.

When there's really no benefit to be had by changing oil too often, it costs more, it does contribute to the disposal/environmental problem, and it can _add_ risk, I don't see the motivation to do it (except for 95azSHO, who finds it therapeutic ).

But that's just MHO.

 

[sho_sc]

Folks, why do you want to be a "tool" for the big oil companies? Why do you think that Amsoil recommends with some of their oils a drain interval of 35,000 miles (17,500 severe) if they didn't have the engineering to back it up? Why does countless “true” experts say it's o.k to change dino oil every 5K and normal synthetic 10k, if it wasn't true?.. would you rather listen Exxon who posted the largest profit gain of any company ever last quarter?

We live in a global economy and there is just so much oil, so for every qt of oil that you use unnecessarily, the demand goes up "world wide" which directly increases the prices. $20 extra in oil now, may end up costing you more than a cost of a new engine over your lifetime in increased gasoline prices.

Several years ago when I was racing my SHO on a regular basis, I was doing the Amsoil oil analysis every 6 months. I always would run into the 1 year required change before the oil would really need it .. 5k, 7k, 10k would pass on the oil and it still didn't need changing ... yes, I was using high quality filters and the best oil; but that should give you some indication of how unnecessary changing every 3k. My daily driver gets it's dino oil changed every 7K, 86 civic CRX 200K miles .....

 

[CerberuS]

O.K. I've bit my tongue long enough. Unless you are breaking-in a rebuilt motor or racing your car on a regular basis and you change oil at 3K or less, just pat yourself on the back because you are one of the reasons that gas prices are $3 a gallon. In Europe, they commonly change oil at 10K miles when using dino and 25K when using synthetic and they get just as many miles (k) on their engines are we do. The reason we (USA) change oil every 3K miles is because we have been brain washed by the big oil companies. When using a high quality synthetic, there isn't any reason that you couldn't go 10K miles as long as you change the filter around 5-7K (and of course add oil to make up the difference). Dino oil is fine for 5K, but I personally wouldn't go above 7K.

wrong.

Im a retired mechanic , ive seen 20,000 KMS brand new GM cars WITHOUT oil change (prolly a first car ever , no-one told them to change oil) .Seen that twice.

Guess what...smart boy...engine seized.

Dont wanna change it? Ill be the first one laughing my ass out when your engine will start knocking at 100,000 KMS (60,000 miles) IF it hasnt seized yet.

Ive re-done several engines , and i could tell if it was maintained or not. Getting oil change at more then 3k , your just shortening the life of the engine.....but most ppl could care less , its all leased cars..

 

[Shoaz]

Well here’s another throw up topic: Oil filter change schedule. I read somewhere (and in post above) that changing your oil filter every other oil change can be a good thing. Basically when a filter starts to get a little clogged it filters better up until it’s too clogged and uses the bypass. On the site I read this it said a filter is just starting to get in its groove at about the first oil change. Thoughts?

Sounds like they're assuming you're starting with a really crappy filter. For a good filter the behavior change due to clogging should just be reduced flow, not better filtering. I'd think one would want a filter that filters adequately from the beginning, and then change it when it starts to clog/reduce flow.

As it clogs, it'll also drop more pressure, which isn't good for the downstream stuff.

And, FWIW, the auto/engine manufacturers are the ones stating to change oil less frequently. Recommended intervals are _way_ higher than 3kmi these days. I don't know why people insist that they don't know what they're doing.

For an old motor with the old SAE oils, yeah, 3k made sense. But that was then, oils are much different and engines/materials are much different now. The longevity of SHO motors is almost legendary, even when the oil is changed less than every 3k miles.

 

[Markus]

O.K. I've bit my tongue long enough. Unless you are breaking-in a rebuilt motor or racing your car on a regular basis and you change oil at 3K or less, just pat yourself on the back because you are one of the reasons that gas prices are $3 a gallon. In Europe, they commonly change oil at 10K miles when using dino and 25K when using synthetic and they get just as many miles (k) on their engines are we do. The reason we (USA) change oil every 3K miles is because we have been brain washed by the big oil companies. When using a high quality synthetic, there isn't any reason that you couldn't go 10K miles as long as you change the filter around 5-7K (and of course add oil to make up the difference). Dino oil is fine for 5K, but I personally wouldn't go above 7K.

Just curious - if you had a vehicle where the automaker states an oil change interval (dino oil) of 10,000 miles would you still change your oil at 7,000 miles? If so, why? Similarly, if the interval (for synthetic oil) was stated as 25,000 miles would you still change your oil at 10000 miles?

 

[95azSHO]

3 reasons why I change my oil so often. 74' Nova every 3 months lasted 4 years 100,000 miles. 70' Ford F100 every 3,000 miles lasted 2.5 years 36,000 miles. 86'Nissan 720 pickup changing like I am now( oil evey 1,500 then oil and filter every 3,000 miles) lasted 7 years and 223,000 miles.

 

[oldyak]

change the filter twice a year.
mine uses enough oil that a complete oil change takes place about every three months

 

[djcannon]

I change the oil when it starts to darken on the dipstick, no matter what the miles.

I agree with Tom. You'll see your oil change color as it breaks down. Just begin to check your dipstick after a couple-thousand miles and then every 4-500 miles or so.

 

[Rockledge]

Folks, why do you want to be a "tool" for the big oil companies? Why do you think that Amsoil recommends with some of their oils a drain interval of 35,000 miles (17,500 severe) if they didn't have the engineering to back it up?

Actually, your post left me wondering whether you are one of those people who you are being used as a tool by Amsoil...

 

[SlowHeavyObject]

3 reasons why I change my oil so often. 74' Nova every 3 months lasted 4 years 100,000 miles. 70' Ford F100 every 3,000 miles lasted 2.5 years 36,000 miles. 86'Nissan 720 pickup changing like I am now( oil evey 1,500 then oil and filter every 3,000 miles) lasted 7 years and 223,000 miles.

you're forgetting that each year cars are built, they are built to last longer as new technology develops. which is why your 70 lasted the least and your 86 the longest. also explains why auto manufacturers increase the recommended oil change intervals year after year for their cars - such as with the rsx example. same for gas mileage.

but you gotta remember also, the 91 sho can be classified as a "classic car" (at least be registered in PA as one), and in 2011 as an "antique automobile". also remember the last sho is nearly a decade old. would you be daily driving a 67 stingray? our cars are so old they weren't meant to be out here this long taking the abuse we put on it. if we owned 2005 sho's i would recommend changing oil less often (like 10k or so).

as for me, i also go by the dipstick test. if it's getting dark and slimy, i change it.

 

[sdpatt]

I am not a professional auto mechanic, but I have seen the inside of more than two dozen SHO engines. I have also personally seen the valvetrain and crankcase regions of a SHO engine that now has rolled over 320,000 miles. I have seen a HUGE difference in the condition of the engine's internals among those SHO powerplants.

From the long time owners who blessed their prize SHOs with frequent (3,000 mile) changes of high quality oil (Castrol GTX, Valvoline, Motorcraft, etc.), I have witnessed beautifully clean and low wear engine valvetrains. From the cars purchased from people that really had no idea what a SHO was and treated it like a piece of crap, I saw the horrors of sludge, varnish and significant cam lobe wear.

When I open my engine up later this year for its sixth 60K service, I will publish photos that should be paid for by the Castrol advertising staff. During the last valve gapping service at 268,000 miles, I inspected each and every cam lobe for the tell tale tree ring like wear that comes with inadequate lubrication. I have yet to find it on my engine. We'll see again at 330,000 miles around Thanksgiving.

I believe Mobil 1 to be a rather good synthetic oil. For cars other than the SHO. One owner who gushed over the loving care that he had taken of his SHO, informed me that he has been using Mobil 1 changed at 3,000 mile intervals since the car had about 15,000 miles on the odometer as he brought it in for its first 60K at... 60,000 miles. I have not seen a SHO engine with 60,000 miles on it since I did the first gapping service on my own car. After pulling the valve covers and being stunned at what I saw, I asked the owner to view the cam lobes himself. I even took photos to document some of the most severe wear that I had seen on a SHO motor. Yes, there was no sign sludge, varnish or discoloration, but the evidence revealed that the oil was not doing a good job at protecting the cam lobes.

Change your oil and filters as you wish. There will be widely separated schools of thought on the issue. I have seen enough to make my own decisions. If anyone else can show me the internals of a still functional SHO engine at 300,000+ miles that has changed their oil at intervals greater than 5,000 miles, please publish those photos. I'd really like to see that.

 

[Shoaz]

I agree with Tom. You'll see your oil change color as it breaks down. Just begin to check your dipstick after a couple-thousand miles and then every 4-500 miles or so.

That's not foolproof, as the oil can look clean and still be breaking down from things like heat. I just changed the oil on the Pumpkin after running all last season on the same oil, including two events in 100+F ambient. It still looked great, but was probably well past due for change.

 

[ManySHOs]

I think the only fool proof method of determining when your oil should be changed is to have an oil analysis performed. I realize that this isn't a practical option for most people but it really is the only way of knowing how much life is left in the oil (or engine).

Ian

 

[95azSHO]

SlowHeavyObject has a point except that the 74' Nova had a 69' 327 in it. Since this is the older engine,it this throws a kink into it.