What's your oil change routine & methods?

[Coley]

...just wondering whatever everyone does for their oil change routine?

Do you base it on time?...ie...every 3 months (or 6 months? or?) regardless of mileage?
or do you base it solely on mileage?

How about additives?...I've seen some comments from the other thread about guys adding MMO to their oil changes?
What about zinc additives too? or choices for oil?...including best viscositys?
(note: I have the original flat tappet lifters in my stock 350 and I recently starting putting in a zinc additive based on the 'flattened lifter/lobe' issue that seems to crop here from time to time)

As well, I've heard comments about not filling the oil filter prior to installing it due to potential issues caused by.....??

...just wondering what everyone's recommended methods are, noting that I'm due for one here within a week or two.

All good
Coley

[1969 Project]

I usually do mine every 3 months but I may start waiting longer as I only drive the truck a few times a week. I just keep an eye on the color of the oil. In all of my daily drivers I changed the oil every 3,000 miles just to keep the oil fresh and clean minus the brand new cars that take Synthetic oil that require an oil change once a year! I have never used oil additives in any of my vehicles and I have never added oil to the oil filter prior to install.

[weq92f]

My daily drivers have typically been taken care of based on time more than anything else. I do not buy into the manufacturers recommended intervals.

Remember the earlier times when it was something like 2000 miles or something. I believe that was really for the benefit of the auto industry rather than for the owner of the engines being serviced. Think of all those early Fords and GMs rolling back to the dealer for oil service! Ha! What a racket that was.

No those intervals were all about revenue then and they still are today ( think standard free maintenance on new cars going 10-15k miles between oil changes )! Owners now talk about how it's prudent to change the oil once or twice between the dealer provided service intervals!

For peace of mind and good looking dip sticks, I can understand wanting to keep it clean, but with modern oils and oil cooling, we can run far, far closer to 8 or 10k miles on 6 quarts than every before.

Method: dump it out and fill it up. Add oil to the filter or the housing whichever the case may be.

-klb

[el_fantasma]

My truck uses a quart every 400 miles so I never need to change it, right? Just throw in another quart of O’Reilly 10-30 “high mileage”.

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/o...le1030/4601153

Actually getting about 800 miles/qt since switching to this brand.

I change the oil once/year which is about 2K miles.

[Orange67]

Originally Posted by el_fantasma

My truck uses a quart every 400 miles so I never need to change it, right? Just throw in another quart of O’Reilly 10-30 “high mileage”.

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/o...le1030/4601153

Actually getting about 800 miles/qt since switching to this brand.

I change the oil once/year which is about 2K miles.

Ha, I'm with you. Unfortunately it leaks out at an unsure rate on mine. If I put 1000 miles a year on her I'd be shocked. I do more highway driving than anything. I have actually done maybe one change a year, but who knows. If i had serious money wrapped up in it I would certainly be more diligent.

[BossHogg69]

1965 Bel Air, daily driver - gen 1 350 sbc, mild hyd flat tappet cam: Mobil 5w-30, Mobil M302 filter. every 6 months or so, since it that usually comes before 7500 miles.

2005 GMC, daily driver - 5.3L Comp Cams hyd roller cam: Mobil 1 5w-30, Mobil M107 filter, every 7500 miles.

1969 Chevy C10: 532" Big Block, solid roller cam: Mobil 1 0w-40, Mobil M302 filter. every 6 months (limited miles driven on this truck).

I started using Mobil 1 in 1998. I really trust this oil and all of the oil test data for it show it to be one of the best oils available. For the filters, I almost always use Mobil, but have used Wix a few times too. As for the additives, in the two daily drivers, I will pour in 1/2 quart of MMO a day before I change the oil and drive the vehicle with it in the pan before I change the oil, and I ALWAYS fill the new filter when installing a new one.

[rsavage]

I use Brad Penn 20 -50 exclusively in my old cars or trucks. Straight 30 Brad Penn Break in oil on a new engine for the first 3-400 miles. Takes me a whole spring and summer for each of the 3 cars that are restored to put 500 -700 miles on each going to cruises and shows. I change each once a year. I always fill a filter that hangs vertically as much as possible.

[Troy Sr]

I change it every 5000 miles, Mobil 1 10-40 and WIX filters only!!! Which puts it about every six months.

[Mr Handy]

I have been using Royal Purple HPS 10w30 in my goodwrench 350 after the initial break in. Used royal purple break in, one fill for the initial break in and second fill for the first 500 miles (used the used break in oil in the briggs :P). then switched to the 10-30 HPS... so far so good. 30 psi of pressure at hot idle and 50/55 psi at cruise.
I always use wix filters in all my cars. I change the oil in the truck about ever 3 months, I do about 700 to 1k a month in the truck so its about right. I always fill the filter at least half full.
I run either mobile 1 or castrol gtx in my modern cars with wix filters. I fill the filter as best i can in these as well, but they are usually sideways. I at least want the filter itself saturated. I pour some in the filter and smear some on the o-ring at the same time.

I have never had a flat lobe, and i doubt I ever will with stock valve springs, but after considerable research on the subject I do believe that an oil with zddp is beneficial. (waiting for some to post the rat blog )

I also run ethanol free gas, the station down the street has it. corn belongs in whiskey.

[Stocker]

My engine is nearly stock right down to its hydraulic cam. The truck is only driven a few hundred miles or so per year. I use NAPA 10W-30 dino (Valvoline) and NAPA Gold filters (Wix) and change 'em once a year. Good time to give the zerks a shot of grease too. I pre-fill the filter -- maybe not necessary, but with a vertical filter, why wouldn't you?

I always take a short drive before draining the oil. It flows out better when warm, but more importantly, it helps get contaminants suspended in the oil so they will drain out better also.

[In The Ten Ring]

I only run NOS oil so oil changes have been getting expensive.

I just changed my oil, in preparation for starting the engine this weekend and running it a bit while garaged. I won't be using my truck much, certainly not 3,000 miles a year, so I plan to change my oil once a year with new filter.

Since the truck is (and will remain) stock height, ramps or a lift are not necessary. I'll put out cardboard underneath it, don my overalls and safety goggles, and get under there for the change. I bought a oil receiving container that I like to use. I plan to use Valvoline conventional 10W-30 and Perculator (is that the name?) filters. I'll recycle the oil at the local auto parts store.

Years ago my dad welded up a box on legs that he dumps his old oil into, it has a drain valve at the bottom he uses to easily dump it into containers to be taken to the auto parts store. I'd like to build something similar and keep it in a shed I plan to build at some point. That would keep the garage free of one more thing!

I guess maybe I'll do this in the spring when it's time to bring the truck out of the garage and start using her again for the spring, summer, and fall. During that time I'll grease all the plugs as well. I don't know how often the fluids will need changed, something worth asking about I suppose.

[BCOWANWHEELS]

2000 miles, oil and filter rotella. Trans 25k, diff i run pure synthetic so every 100k

[Jack_71C10]

Twice a year, spring & fall.
It turns out to be only about 2000 miles.
Traditional oil and filter,
No additives, one of my customers is castrol oil ( now BP lubricants)
They say if you have to put additives in your oil you need to switch
to a better oil.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

I was using 10/40 Durablend on my 71, and changed the oil once annually. I used to change it twice using Durablend 20/50 during the summer, but I didn't drive more than 1K a year, it sat in the garage, so once a year with 10/40 was good enough. After many many years, the last change was with Mobile 1 5/30, but I only drove it a few hundred miles before the engine was put to rest for the rebuild.

I can say this, if you trust your ears, my engine liked the Durablend best, especially the 20/50. The 402 purred like a kitten. My gaskets hated it though, because the leaks nearly ceased with the Mobile 1.

I'll probably stick with Mobile 1, because the manufactures love it and it tests out so well, though I may use 10/30 or 10/40 instead. They seem to be phasing out the Durablend anyway, assuming you can still get it.


I drive my 72 beater/rust truck far more than I did the 71, which I babied. The 72 burns oil. So Mobile 1 10/30 or 10/40, maybe every nine months at 1200 miles.

Ha, you're asking about additives. Good luck with that. I "laugh" because you'll get so many opinions, especially on the subject of Zinc. I'm currently on-board with this test, meaning no additives. https://540ratblog.wordpress.com/201...-test-ranking/

My only long term experience is my 71 402. The engine has 40K miles on a rebuild done in 1993. Runs and sounds fantastic, no noticeable power loss, the engine oil always crystal clear, and I never add a drop. Just the Durablend as mentioned, and no additive.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Time/miles.

I usually do the 65 Mustang a couple times a year because I'll put 4-5K on it. The c10 gets 2-3K per year, so I usually do it each spring. I use Valvoline with ZDDP zinc additive and delco and motocraft filters for their respective rides.

[BCOWANWHEELS]

In my 19k milage c10 i,am going amsoil in the engine. Then every 4k change

[saxart]

Modern oils have improved. My wife drives a vehicle that has a 15,000 mile oil change interval according to the owner's manual AND the dealer. I change oil on that car every 10K just because the thought of 15K on any oil makes my head spin. My 2012 Suburban gets Mobil 1 changed every 5K and any of our "Sunday cruisers" get regular dino oil that's changed every 3K or year. (Which ever comes first)

Here's something to ponder... If your truck doesn't get driven much, then consider where it's stored. If it's stored outside, where the temp is going to fluctuate a lot, then condensation could be an issue and you might want to change it sooner. Our garage happens to be a "tuck under" that dug in on the back side, so the temp stays very consistent, even in the winter months here in Wisconsin, so I'll go a year or two before changing oil if the mileage is low on it.

The additive package on oils is what it's all about these days, and that has come a long way!

[Coley]

good info....very good info.
I will be heading out today to get supplies including the filter and the oil (10-40W) so hopefully the weather stays nice enough to get this done before Sunday night.
....and I think I will put a little MMO in with it, given its age and/or mileage.

In terms of mileage, I think I probably put about 3000 miles a year on the truck. I pretty much use it whenever I can once I license it in late april or early may, based on a 6 month insurance plan.

...very good info tho' and hopefully I will put a few hundred miles on it before storage in a few weeks.

.....which.....is when the 'Rust Checking' process starts!!! (which is a lot more work than an oil change, lol).....more on that later.

[67chevemall]

Spring and fall
Valvoline 10w30

[tdangle]

I change the oil once a year since I only put on 2-3K a year at best. Use plain old Castrol 10-30 and I did add a Zinc additive last change

[leddzepp]

Mobil one synthetic in all vehicles, oil change once a year.

[toolboxchev]

https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=...pid%3D15.1&f=1

[scooterpimp]

3 months or 3,000 whatever is first, 5 quarts of whatever 10w40 is on sale & ac delco filter , & a happy greasing!

[70 shorty]

once a year on my collector vehicles. Dino oil, 10W 30 and a Napa Gold filter, and I fill the filter on both the truck and my Corvette. Neither see enough miles to get to 3000, hence the once a year.

[57taskforce]

Mine has some leaks so I just spin a new filter on 4-5 thousand miles and don’t really worry about draining it!
I kid, I kid....

Once a year on 5 30 Mobil 1 synthetic (3-5,000 Miles) on my old school engines.
When I first got the 72 I ran Mobil Dino oil mixed with a little marvel mystery oil to clean things up. Three or four oil changes in about 6 month period of about 1,000 miles per change.