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How often do you change your oil?

17K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  woodsrat 
#1 ·
Well, how often?

I try to change mine after 3500 miles and before 5000. I was raised by the worst maintenance person in the world (My Dad), and I'm serious about the worst. Oil changes are usually after 30,000 for him. His 93 cummins get's an oil change every few years anymore, but he's got almost 200,000 on it with no problems :thumbsup . It's had the same air filter since he got it (70k miles I think) he just blows it out once in a while (once a year maybe).

Anyways, it makes me wonder how much maintenance is really needed? It's not just Dad's 93 that's had this abuse either, he had a 90 Ford 460 that went close to 300,000 miles before trading it in. I know of one time pushing 50,000 miles on an oil change. I bought it a new air filter once and it was like adding 100 horses :peelout .

So, what do you guys think about maintenance? Are you more like Gary with the extra filters and such (which I wish I was more like Gary in that respect ;) ). Or are you more like my old man, with the super extended intervals?


Oh yeah, Kevin, you've seen the inside of my Dad's 93, what did it look like in there anyway's?

Matt
 
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#2 ·
i feel sorry for your dads rigs. amazing that he got that many miles out of a 460 with abuse like that.

i formerly changed my delo at 3,000. overkill. i now change at 5,000. my 600,000 miler has been changed at 5k intervals since the begining w/ delo.

now my 97 drw the orig owner ran amsoil and changed every 5k.[gave me several extra 2 1/2 gal jugs] no extra filters on it. i wonder if it would be wise for me to change the amsoil every 10k???????????
 
#4 ·
I run mine 4500 to 5k and change with Rotella T.
 
#5 ·
After repeated 1k oil analysis I've come to the conclusion that Delo 15w40 can safely go 15k between changes with no additional filters.
I play it on the safe side and change at 8-10k.
Engine oils have changed dramatically in the last few years but the manuals that recommend service intervals haven't.
A 3k oil change is a waste of money.
 
#6 ·
I'm running Amsoil 15-40 Diesel oil with a bypass filter. I changed the oil last time at 17K because it just looked too black! The oil analysis came back OK, I just felt that with towing the travel trailer and all that I would change it. I ran Royal Purple before the amsoil and got 20 K out of it before changing. It also had the bypass filter setup.

I think any good oil can be ran further than what is recommended as long as you do an analysis to be sure. The recommended changes are what the manufacturer feels covers the range for different users. The last time I replaced the Amsoil it only had about 3000 miles on it but that was when the head gasket started leaking and the analysis I had done showed a trace of water. That trace was enough for me to drain it and put conventional oil back in until the head work was done. Ran conventional after the head and cam were installed for about 1000 miles and then went back to Amsoil. Will do another analysis at about 7500 miles to make sure all is well with the new components.

NOTE- I am not recommending any oil in particular, just stating my experience. Each person will have his own preference so lets make sure we don't start an oil war here like what got going over on TDR in the past.
 
#8 ·
I'm running Amsoil 15-40 Diesel oil with a bypass filter. I changed the oil last time at 17K because it just looked too black! The oil analysis came back OK, I just felt that with towing the travel trailer and all that I would change it. I ran Royal Purple before the amsoil and got 20 K out of it before changing. It also had the bypass filter setup.
I feel the same way about extending the use of oil well past traditional mileages - the analysis #'s might come back looking like the oil could go longer, but visual indicators worry me.

Some claim oil black with soot particles in smaller sizes do no harmful wear - but coarse sand etches, and finer sand just etches more slowly - same for soot as far as I am concerned.

I prefer to not leave oil in my crankcase any dirtier than I'd be willing to to see pour from a fresh container - generally speaking - and when I can no longer see the dipstick markings thru the oil film, it's time for that oil to go, regardless of analysis...

YMMV
 
#10 ·
Blackout said:
Gary,
If you bought an 04.5 you would be changing oil everyday!
The oil on these newer trucks get that dirty that fast.

I change mine about every 4-6k Mobil 1 or Rotella sythetic. Fleetguard filters.
That's what I hear about the newer trucks - you can sure bet I'd want a good bypass filter on one of those!

As can be seen in this underhood shot, I'm pretty aggressive ( or fanatical!) about filters:





I get razzed a bit about it, but in regards to oil cleanliness, if you plan on keeping your vehicle for a while, the extra effort is worth it!
 
#12 ·
I go 3500-4000 its starting to get pretty black by then ,Like to keep the black "sludge" coating off the rocker arms and other parts.

Gary whats theat hose comming off your oil filler cap, blowby ? Where is it going too?
 
G
#13 ·
My 01 I use Cummins premium blue extream, its a full synthetic, I use the stratifore filter and also run an Amsoil BE-100 polish filter, good down to 2 micron, anyway I change the oil & filter every 10k miles and I do just the filter and add a quart every 5K, once a year I change the BE-100 and it is due at the turn of the new year. I agree with coments mentioned above that the new oils out there keep getting better and better, the job of the oil is to lubricate as well as take contaminates away from moving parts thats why I do the filter every 5K

My lil womans 04.5 Only has 20K on it right now, I just changed the oil today, I do the same program with this truck as I do with my own except I am currently running Cummins premium blue (dino oil) until we reach 30 K when it will be broke in.

A friend of mine has a Duramax, he went synthetic at 10K, I told him it wasnt broke in yet as he rarly tows anything, he went synthetic anyway, 5K later he told me it needed a quart, I talked him into running dino oil till 20K, He did and then went back to synthetic and now needs no additional oil between changes as the thing is broke in.................I guess my story here is once ya go synthetic it wont break in anymore, stay dino till broke in ..............If ya tow hard ya can be broke in at 10K, every truck is different.

Cheers, Kevin
 
#14 ·
7-8k for me

my old boss put 120k on a minivan without ever changing the oil until it finally locked up...but it made ALOT of noise

and a co-worker here now had a 91 F-250 with a 351 gasser with 210,000 miles and he changed his oil 3 times in that time, never had a problem
 
G
#15 · (Edited)
I bet his valley pan weighs in at 12 pounds from all the sludge.:coocoo I also bet it now takes only 4 qts to fill instead of 5 :popcorn:

In my younger days I pumped gas at a Phillips 66 and a gal came in with a hot Vega, she shut it off and it stopped right now, she said the check engine lite was on, the dipstick registered no oil, I added 4 qts (thats the quantity anyway) I then asked her if she wanted a filter hehehe, so we did a complete change on the island, anyway the car was locked up so we pushed it out of the way, she went and got something to eat while it cooled and upon return it started, the Vega motot was all alumdidumb.....you know that stuff they make beer cans out of :coocoo
 
#16 ·
My old man years ago used to use the drained oil out of his 64 chevy and put it in his 61 VW bus. I always remembered that becuse the VW motor broke inside while we were on a vacation trip. Funny thing is my old man was a Mechanical engineer.
 
#17 ·
glad this got started. I change mine every 5000 with vanelles. Have been doing a little research on some of the conklin stuff and im pretty impressed with it. Is anybody running any of there stuff. Guy is trying to get me to switch our big trucks over they really stand behind thier products. He has a tahoe with 240000 on it and the tail pipe looks like it was just put on.
 
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