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Towel Rail
Horizontally Opposed
Joined: April 15, 2005
Posts: 4622
Location: SE CR IA US NA PE
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 Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2018 9:06 pm Post subject: Re: Oil breakdown with time? |
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| Helfen wrote: |
| Towel Rail wrote: |
| I’d never heard of this “or every three months” thing until recently. Is it the cars or the oil that has gotten crappier, because that is ridiculous. |
Start by reading the fine print of your car, or any cars owners manual concerning oil changes. I have a 62, 63, 64, 65, 69, 76, 99, and a 2012. Read carefully all of what they say about changing oil, change intervals and conditions for oil changes whether it has to do with temperature, how long a car sits unused, mileage etc. On some of my cars manuals it says if your car is exposed to artic conditions you will change oil every three months or 300 miles. |
Fine print indeed. Yes, "severe service" instructions are good to have when they apply, but I still think it's disingenuous for oil change places and authoritative-sounding "myth/fact" articles from oil companies to stretch that into "ye all MUST change your oil at 3000 miles or 3 months, no exceptions!"
The owners manual for my 1996 Outback recommends oil changes at 7500 miles (or 7.5 months), but as with many cars in the midwest, the engine (238,000 miles) is at risk of outlasting the body! 
_________________
1974 Thing -- under the knife
1967 Beetle -- spring/summer/fall driver
1996 Subaru OBW (EJ22, 5-speed, AWD) -- winter car, 3-seasons "don't feel like biking today" car
049 > 070 > 053 > 009 |
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scrivyscriv
Samba Electrician
Joined: October 04, 2011
Posts: 2922
Location: Memphis
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 3:06 am Post subject: Re: Oil breakdown with time? |
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| Towel Rail wrote: |
| I’d never heard of this “or every three months” thing until recently. Is it the cars or the oil that has gotten crappier, because that is ridiculous. |
Part of the oil change indoc training was that the hot/cold cycles an engine goes through with hot sun/cool nights/hot sun/cool nights etc cause condensation to form on the inside of an engine. That in turn mixes with the oil and starts to form an acidic sludge. So they say change it every three months, even if you don't drive it.
Myth/fact? I think a lot of "science" behind oil claims is like the tootsie pop commercial.. the world will never know.
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Robert in Memphis
Dünkelgrügen 1967 Java Green bug thread
Engine rebuild thread
If you're ever in the Memphis area, you are welcome to stop by for advice and help. |
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oprn
Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016
Posts: 12734
Location: Western Canada
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 4:27 am Post subject: Re: Oil breakdown with time? |
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Absolutely no one in their right mind is going to change oil on an engine not in use every 3 months period!
That is so far off in left field it should not even be debated. |
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60ragtop
Bonneville Belt Bitch
Joined: March 13, 2006
Posts: 7800
Location: Big Wonderful WYO 82401
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 5:01 am Post subject: Re: Oil breakdown with time? |
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spend a little time here reading about the fanatics who change their oil that frequently on their precious VW
But this as like the other oil threads is an endless debate 
_________________
Rick
Certified Mechanic by the State of Michigan in 1977
ASA certified in 1987
Certified Hunter Wheel Alignment Master Technician 1986
| tasb wrote: |
I've restored a large number too, but I don't toot my horn quite as loud.
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| sb001 wrote: |
| maybe he just snapped cause his car sucked |
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Towel Rail
Horizontally Opposed
Joined: April 15, 2005
Posts: 4622
Location: SE CR IA US NA PE
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 9:41 am Post subject: Re: Oil breakdown with time? |
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| scrivyscriv wrote: |
| Towel Rail wrote: |
| I’d never heard of this “or every three months” thing until recently. Is it the cars or the oil that has gotten crappier, because that is ridiculous. |
Part of the oil change indoc training was that the hot/cold cycles an engine goes through with hot sun/cool nights/hot sun/cool nights etc cause condensation to form on the inside of an engine. That in turn mixes with the oil and starts to form an acidic sludge. So they say change it every three months, even if you don't drive it.
Myth/fact? I think a lot of "science" behind oil claims is like the tootsie pop commercial.. the world will never know. |
Yeah, no one can factually dispute that those hot/cold cycles put some amount of moisture into the oil (the amount from day/night cycling alone is dwarfed by all the water vapor produced from combustion, though.) But oil is designed with a serious add pack to keep that acidity at bay until the additives are completely used up. If you were to change the oil in a car, and then let it sit for 3 months without ever turning the key, it'd be just fine.
But if folks enjoy changing their oil, I'm not gonna stand in their way!
_________________
1974 Thing -- under the knife
1967 Beetle -- spring/summer/fall driver
1996 Subaru OBW (EJ22, 5-speed, AWD) -- winter car, 3-seasons "don't feel like biking today" car
049 > 070 > 053 > 009 |
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oprn
Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016
Posts: 12734
Location: Western Canada
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 4:58 pm Post subject: Re: Oil breakdown with time? |
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Can you imagine what the oil change budget would be for some of these museums that have several thousand antique cars?
I wonder what Jay Leno does... |
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Helfen
Samba Member
Joined: January 19, 2009
Posts: 3450
Location: Vulcania
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 8:47 pm Post subject: Re: Oil breakdown with time? |
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| oprn wrote: |
Can you imagine what the oil change budget would be for some of these museums that have several thousand antique cars?
I wonder what Jay Leno does... |
I was in charge of my company museum maintenance and restoration facility along with wearing many other hats. We had two vehicles on loan to a large museum collection in the L.A. area. Those two cars had been with them for a few years. One day I decided to call the museum curator to find out what sort of routine maintenance schedule they were using on all the cars. He said none. I pulled our cars. |
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Towel Rail
Horizontally Opposed
Joined: April 15, 2005
Posts: 4622
Location: SE CR IA US NA PE
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 9:00 pm Post subject: Re: Oil breakdown with time? |
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I dunno, I can see their POV -- why risk damaging rare museum pieces if you don't absolutely have to? Seems like maintenance would be something to bring up before you lend out your cars, not long after...
_________________
1974 Thing -- under the knife
1967 Beetle -- spring/summer/fall driver
1996 Subaru OBW (EJ22, 5-speed, AWD) -- winter car, 3-seasons "don't feel like biking today" car
049 > 070 > 053 > 009 |
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Helfen
Samba Member
Joined: January 19, 2009
Posts: 3450
Location: Vulcania
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| Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 9:34 pm Post subject: Re: Oil breakdown with time? |
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| Towel Rail wrote: |
| I dunno, I can see their POV -- why risk damaging rare museum pieces if you don't absolutely have to? Seems like maintenance would be something to bring up before you lend out your cars, not long after... |
I wasn't the one who lended them out. |
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oprn
Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016
Posts: 12734
Location: Western Canada
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 4:30 am Post subject: Re: Oil breakdown with time? |
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| Helfen wrote: |
| oprn wrote: |
Can you imagine what the oil change budget would be for some of these museums that have several thousand antique cars?
I wonder what Jay Leno does... |
I was in charge of my company museum maintenance and restoration facility along with wearing many other hats. We had two vehicles on loan to a large museum collection in the L.A. area. Those two cars had been with them for a few years. One day I decided to call the museum curator to find out what sort of routine maintenance schedule they were using on all the cars. He said none. I pulled our cars. |
So what was the oil change schedule at your museum then? |
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Towel Rail
Horizontally Opposed
Joined: April 15, 2005
Posts: 4622
Location: SE CR IA US NA PE
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 7:31 am Post subject: Re: Oil breakdown with time? |
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| Helfen wrote: |
| Towel Rail wrote: |
| I dunno, I can see their POV -- why risk damaging rare museum pieces if you don't absolutely have to? Seems like maintenance would be something to bring up before you lend out your cars, not long after... |
I wasn't the one who lended them out. |
I meant "you" broadly, of course. As in, the guy before you should have struck an agreement for what periodic service they should do, or whether they should just keep their clumsy mitts off.
_________________
1974 Thing -- under the knife
1967 Beetle -- spring/summer/fall driver
1996 Subaru OBW (EJ22, 5-speed, AWD) -- winter car, 3-seasons "don't feel like biking today" car
049 > 070 > 053 > 009 |
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Helfen
Samba Member
Joined: January 19, 2009
Posts: 3450
Location: Vulcania
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 9:13 am Post subject: Re: Oil breakdown with time? |
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| oprn wrote: |
| Helfen wrote: |
| oprn wrote: |
Can you imagine what the oil change budget would be for some of these museums that have several thousand antique cars?
I wonder what Jay Leno does... |
I was in charge of my company museum maintenance and restoration facility along with wearing many other hats. We had two vehicles on loan to a large museum collection in the L.A. area. Those two cars had been with them for a few years. One day I decided to call the museum curator to find out what sort of routine maintenance schedule they were using on all the cars. He said none. I pulled our cars. |
So what was the oil change schedule at your museum then? |
On running cars oil changes twice a year, coolant, brake fluid, auto trans cars once a year. Each car has a log book and the log book is identical to it's twin in the office. Cars are driven at least once a month and have to be ready to be driven at any time if the vehicles are wanted by marketing, engineering, telecommunications etc. Static / non running cars are just that. Cars that are on loan, like race cars are maintained by their owners discretion. The departments above do all the arranging as far as loans for events or display in other museums.
I should mention that all of the above was 12 years ago when I retired. Since then the company moved and decided not to have a museum of their own. Part of the collection was put in trust with another museum, some of the production cars were sold to employees, race cars were given back to their owners, race cars that were technically ours were sold off. Sadly about 1/4 of the collection were scrapped because they were pre-production/sample vehicles and couldn't legally be sold, some of those pre-production / sample vehicles were race cars too.
I was at the company for 34 years and a few of those cars went back to the mid 30's, but most of the cars were a few 50's, some 60's and the bulk was 70's to early 2000's. |
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