When to change oil ?

[AUSMHLY]

What thoughts do you have on when to change the engine oil and transmission oil?

My modern car says every 3000 or 6 months.
A lot of Healeys don't get driven everyday like our daily drivers. So does the same rule apply?

Why the 6 months if the car's not driven 3000?

 

[BigGreen]

The costs of changing to late are more then those of the new oil
Therefore i change it every year.

The rule for km / time is also given for the detoriation when driving short trips with oil that does not heat up that much.
Damage occurs when the oil gets more or less acid.

Hans

 

[Randy Forbes]

Annual for engine oil, assuming you drive less than 3000 miles a summer. Preferably, change the oil before you park/store it. Products of combustion *can* degrade the soft metals in bearings, but the conditions would have to be prety severe (in other words, I've yet to see it happen...).

I don't change the xmsn or differential oil on any regular schedule, maybe every several years. My car probably sees between 1-2k miles annually.

Look up the service intervals in the original operating manual for guidelines if you use your car a lot. Using synthetics can give extended mileage, but that doesn't necessarily mean that your oil filter is up to the task, and may load up with debris.

 

[tahoe healey]

As you get to drive all year round, annually is probably sufficient. Many change the filter every other time. For the money it costs, I change filter with every oil change. Hagerty just had a winter storage article that recommends changing oil ever year before storage. I run the car 10 to 15 minutes ever other week and drive forward or back to prevent flat spots on the tires. And I use a float charger. I've been changing oil every spring. I do about 3k per year driving from last snow to first snow. Lucky you, getting to drive all year. I'd do the oil change the same time every year as an Xmas present to your car. Leave gear box and diff alone unless service is needed. I use Redline which seems to be very long lasting since I have to add a total of a half a Qt every year to keep it full due to leaking.
Watch the color of the oil on the dip stick and you may want to change sooner if it gets too dark.

 

[why]

for the first 15 years of owning a variety of old English cars I use to change oil once a year, about 750 miles, I then thought it was probably ridiculous since I had never heard of anyone having an oil related problem with 3-5000 mile changes over multiple years so I changed to every two years about 1500 miles. These engines are relatively basic in metals and clearances, needing no more tender care than chevys or Fords of that era so any name brand of right viscosity will do just fine. Modern cars with their 5-7500 mi oil changes and light-weight oils very different, metalurgy and clearances much different. Attention to splines on hubs,leaks from SUs and electrical stuff probably a better use of time. A difference that makes no difference is no difference.
Jay, '65 3000

 

[mudd]

synthetic oil, depending on the engine, how hot it runs, climate and how hard it works, (smaller engines work harder,bigger ones dont) small, 5 000 miles, big 7,000 miles.

non synthetic, small 3000 miles, big, 5000 miles.


changing oil every 3000 miles or every 3 months is a joke and that started way back when engines wouldnt last over 100,000 miles and when motor oils had no detergents in them, hence, a "gummed up" engine.

i have taken apart many engines both ran with synthetic and non synthetic oil. could clearly see the difference when somebody didnt use synthetic and didnt change their oil, burned and scored parts and metal caked with burnt oil.

one engine in particular, Mitsubishi 2000 cc, 4 valve 4 banger, friend ran this poor engine into the ground, changed the oil about every 10,000 miles or when the oil light came on, timing belt snaped and engine went up. when we took it apart, no burns or scored parts,no sludge either. engine was still clean, couldnt believe it.He always ran mobile 1 synthetic.


my neighbor across the street, 2009 ford f250 truck, blew up his engine about 7 months ago, didnt change his oil and clogged up the oil passages in his engine. guess what oil he used? LOl after a $ 5000 engine bill from the dealer, he now uses synthetic and changes his oil every 5000 miles ;-)

 

[57_BN4]

Jay- completely agree with you there. I change my old cars oil about whenever I feel guilty for not changing it which is usually every 3-4 years. Last filter (spin-on) I ran from 2004 to 2010 and it was like a new one when I cut it open. Annual mileage about 1000.

Lots of people get hung up on what type of oil and when to change it but miss a real culprit for engine wear- the OEM oil filter design. It doesn't have a drain-back valve so the engine runs for a long time every cold start with no oil pressure. Also the filtering media efficiency has improved a lot in modern filters so it is no longer necessary to 'dump the dirty oil' every few months.

Andy.

 

[mudd]

speaking of oil filters, found this article, where a guy bought many known name brand filters, compared, cut them apart, to see how well they were made and with what parts. you would be amazed the quality difference between major brands, from drain back valves to quality and quantity of the filter and how it was put together.

it will make you think twice about buying a filter.

https://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilters/reference.html

 

[mudd]

ah forgot to mention, for my bj8,, the best filter was either a $4 supertech from walmart or the more expensive Mobil 1 filter at $12. the fram was a joke when we cut it apart ourselves.

 

[Keoke]

the fram was a joke when we cut it apart ourselves.
The article referenced above would have told you that.--Keoke

 

[mudd]

Well duhhh Keoke, but that article is a little old and manufactures change product designs all the time, so we cut it apart just for my application, hence a filter glued to a piece of cardboard at the top and somewhat at the bottom.

 

[dancrim]

As a note, the US government fleet Dept. ran a test some time ago. Half of the
fleet cars and military Vehlicals got an oil change and filter at company recomended intervals, the others received only oil filter changes. The same oil for 100,000 miles. The result was no difference in engine ware. The black in oil is carbon...and it seems it does not harm the motor. actually it can be a help. Believe it or not.

 

[tahoe healey]

I don't think I'd gamble with MY Healey for a few bucks given the cost of a engine re-build. I've heard this before but would you buy a car that you knew had not been maintained as the mfg recommends?