Topic: How often do you change your oil?

[sixthwisconsin]

Change mine every time there is a new oil thread

That's probably more often than necessary.

You mean weekly is too often?

This forum is too funny tonight!

But just for fun...
Mobil Delvac at 1500 mile intervals.

[TwoTired]

I love how people changed there oil based on months and not miles...glad its your money and not mine!

There are quite valid reasons for time or miles used.

Amino acids, for one.

[goldarrow]

Change mine every time there is a new oil thread

Yeah, I'm right about there.  Time to change oil on 4 of my bikes

[dave500]

4000 kays,filter every 8000.

[Stev-o]

Change mine every time there is a new oil thread

Yeah, I'm right about there.  Time to change oil on 4 of my bikes

Oh, you're suppose to change the oil?

[flatlander]

i change it very time i change my underpants.

[70CB750]

Change mine every time there is a new oil thread

That's probably more often than necessary.

You mean weekly is too often?

This forum is too funny tonight!

But just for fun...
Mobil Delvac at 1500 mile intervals.

+1 on Delvac, that's my winter oil. I go with Castrol 20W50 during summer.

Typically 1500 miles , sometimes few hundred more, but last summer I tried 15W-50 Mobil 1 and went longer - that's the kind of daring guy I am 

[PeWe]

I have heard about old used oil that should not stay in engine during winter.
My last oil change was about + 20 years! I filled the bike with oil 1990, out from engine 2010.
Engine looked fine inside except for rubber parts from chain tensioners and broken pieces of clutch fiber plate due to wrong type mounted back in the days despite order for my engine.

Old oil can end up in thick sludge when separate. Nothing like that. Oil had about 3000km of use.

Talking about the devil.... I got a box with 10 bottles oil today, shipped from Germany where the oil is much cheaper than here. Castrol Actevo 4T 20W-50, JASO MA2

[Deltarider]

As long as I do long rides every 6000-7000 kms. BTW, this is what Honda prescribed for the 650 that has the same engine design but runs hotter than the 500/550. If you do short rides only it's better to change more often. On holidays I never bothered. Just top up and ride. Look at your oil, feel it, smell it and use your common sense. Per manual is for the superstitious.

i change it very time i change my underpants.

Ahhh... well... about that I don't know. You see, I change my underpants every Christmas, that is: I turn them inside out and will have them on for another year. So every 2nd year, what the heck, I do the full Monty and have them changed or 12.000 farts which ever comes first.

[kajtek]

This may be a bad way to do it.. But when it starts to get rougher changes gears i know its time for an oil change, although that doesn't necessarily mean i do it..

[goldarrow]

Change mine every time there is a new oil thread

Yeah, I'm right about there.  Time to change oil on 4 of my bikes

Oh, you're suppose to change the oil?

yes, you're SUPPOSED to...

 

This may be a bad way to do it.. But when it starts to get rougher changes gears i know its time for an oil change, although that doesn't necessarily mean i do it..

if you don't, your gear box may blow up....

[PeWe]

I had an old Volvo car many years ago. I never changed oil, just filled it up rather often! It drank 3L on a 350km tour.  Fog a la Lützen 1632 in my mirrors when using engine brake on high rpm ended with a nice touch on the pedal! Very close to a series of crashes on highway behind my car.

Seriously..its a good idea to bring this up, oil changes and how frequently done. Another good thing is to remove the oil pan and inspect the mesh covering the inlet of the oilpump. Not every year, maybe 2:nd year.
The mesh might be clogged with sealer, tensioner parts or other particles indicating something bad going on.

[Markcb750]

Every 1500 miles +/-, I drop pan every other change.

I use a different type of oil every time I change, always 10w 40, except in summer when I run 15 w 40, unless I cannot find it, then I run 20w 50.

Unless I have some 10w 40 around the shop, then I just use it, even if it is not a "different" type of oil.

So, I guess my original statement was more of a general concept, not a personal commitment.


BTW:

I re-polish my oil filter housing every time I change the oil.

I add a little Sea-Foam to the oil about 100 miles before I change it, unless I forget, or the mood to wrench & polish hits me and I just change the oil.

[dave500]

i like castrol rx super 15/40 so much i bought one of their limited edition antique signs.

[Deltarider]

Looks a bit rusty, Dave. I know yacht owners that haven't done an oil change in a decade.
Here's an old post but newcomers may be interested. It's about cars but nonetheless...
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=37063.msg389960#msg389960

[dave500]

say hello to acid and condensation ingress,do what you want,i also know people that never brush their teeth!

[PeWe]

Looks a bit rusty, Dave. I know yacht owners that haven't done an oil change in a decade.
Here's an old post but newcomers may be interested. It's about cars but nonetheless...
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=37063.msg389960#msg389960

It depends on the type of engine too. Audi and Volkswagen got to pay car owners in USA due to oil sludge in the 1.8T engine.  (Toyota has a similar thing in USA)
https://vwoilsludgesettlement.com/Class_Info/Current_Audi.aspx

Sludge caused bad oil pressure and the engine failed completely. That is a rather common problem.
I think it's the very hot turbo in combination with small amount of oil in the 1.8T engine, 4 L. The engine will work as an oil boiler, very hot and suddenly very cool.

I followed that in detail when I have an Audi with that kind of engine. Oil change within 15.000km's Not any stupid LongLife as VAG still offer here. Oil change at 25.000-30.000km's.

I noticed that my turbo became much cooler with a sport cat and sport exhaust system, despite software upgrade with higher boost.  I leave my car for engine wash (Bilstein Engine flush) when changing oil.  Before that I have added flush additive in the oil and running engine 1500-2000rpm during 15 minutes - After that complete flush.

[Bailgang]

Any of you remember Arco Graphite oil, the oil that was black as black can be straight out of the can from late 70's early 80's I think? A brother of mine owned a Ford Ranger way back then that he bought new and never changed the oil in it, he just kept adding some when low. When he sold it the potential buyer noticed how black the oil was so my brother quickly said "Oh that's the new Arco Graphite oil". The guy believed him and bought the truck.

[AJK]

say hello to acid and condensation ingress,do what you want,i also know people that never brush their teeth!

Dave, your teeth comment bought back a memory.

I get asked "why is changing the oil so important" by some non-technical colleagues. I simply tell them, how would you feel if you didn't change your undies for a week, or perhaps a month. That soiled feeling??? Well, thats how your engine feels if you leave the oil in there too long.
  They soon get the picture.

[dave500]

im off to floss my gearbox now!

[MoMo]

I'm off to change my undies Dave, gotta  thank ajk for the reminder....Larry

[Stev-o]

I'm off to change my undies Dave, gotta  thank ajk for the reminder....Larry

Oh....we're suppose to change our undies??

[Airborne 82nd]

I have not read where anyone uses time (in hours) I work out of the motor pool but mostly maintain back up generators small for the field and large for the hospital. Even though these are stationary engines both air & water cooled I see no reason not to carry this over to my engines in car or bike. xxx amount of hours or every xxx months. Does anyone see a problem with this?
     
                                                                  All The Way Every Day

[Stev-o]

I have not read where anyone uses time (in hours)

My boat has an hourmeter....

[dave500]

we have hour meters in our trucks and its recorded daily along with the mileage,the reason is the truck can be stationary with the power take off pump being used for quite some time without running up any miles.