Joined the dark side-second OCI on a filter

[Mr Nice]

Its foolish to change the filter every 5K miles especially if you are using a higher quality oil filter.

I do 3 OCI's on an oversized Purolator Classic for 20K miles.

 

[bustednutz]

I change oil 2x per year. Filter 1x per year.

 

[Cristobal]

Fdcg27, you are doing just fine. A distance+ will do for 15,000 miles.

Taking it off and re-installing it because of the small amount of old oil will be a mistake as you can ruin the oil filter seal.

 

[ClutchDisc]

I wouldn't run an oil filter more than one OCI.

 

[TallPaul]

It used to be standard practice in the 1970s to run a filter for two oil change intervals. Of course those intervals were about 2000-3000 miles. But I would not run a filter more than one OCI today. I have run filters for 5000 miles and cannot see any light through the media when spread out. I assume that means they are pretty well filled in. Most of my current vehicles take smaller filters. Even more reason for me to change them every OCI, if not twice per OCI.

As for the long drain intervals in Europe, I am puzzled. You guys use thicker oil and run it longer. The only answer I ever got was from an automobile industry person on another website who lived in Germany. As I recall, he said that the fuel is much higher quality in Europe and that was the main reason they could run such long OCIs.

But I thought most of the dirt in our oil came in through the air filter and any leakage in the intake or PCV system.

Anyway, when I start seeing some light through the media on my filters, I'll consider longer OCIs.

As for the dirty oil in the filter, I would not bother trying to drain it. What is it, half a quart? So in a 5 quart system, that is 1/10 of the oci or similar to starting your new OCI 500 miles into the OCI. Not significant.

 

[Cristobal]

Maybe keep it to 10,000 miles then.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: TallPaul
As for the long drain intervals in Europe, I am puzzled. You guys use thicker oil and run it longer.


Filter construction is often different for European applications. A Bosch Premium is quite different from a German Bosch; the same applies for a Mann for a domestic application versus a German Mann. Then, for some vehicles, they have those fleece filters.

 

[dnewton3]

Fot this application, specific to the OPs actions, I'd say this:


1) the filter will certainly go to 10k miles. Just about any filter could do so, because today's engines run a lot cleaner than most would believe. I would think it could easily go 15k miles.

2) you dumped synthetic at 5k miles, when the OEM OCI is 7.5k miles where any conventional lube could easily go? I don't understand your sense of pragmatism with the filter, but huge waste of syn on the OCI ...

3) leaving the oil in a filter that continues in service is a good idea; taking it off to drain/refil is a bad idea because you just open up the opportunity for more dirt to enter. The oil that is in there is actually LESS likely to cause wear than the "new" oil you are introducing with the OCI.

 

[electrolover]

I hope you guys are cutting your filters open after your done. I would have no problem running a filter 2 or even 3 times on my cars but when I cut my filters open they always look new inside. Not all cars are so clean tho.

I recommend doing filter inspections after your done

 

[LeakySeals]

I'm on a second OCI with a Fram Ultra. Drained it, put it back. Has 11k on it now, will come off close to 15k. Would like to cut it open but I don't have a filter cutter. Hack saw? That might damage it when I saw through the can. Anything else?

Edit: Nevermind, there is another thread going that answers that.

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
I'm on a second OCI with a Fram Ultra. Drained it, put it back. Has 11k on it now, will come off close to 15k. Would like to cut it open but I don't have a filter cutter. Hack saw? That might damage it when I saw through the can. Anything else?

Edit: Nevermind, there is another thread going that answers that.


I hack saw them all the time, just realize that the metal dust at one end of the filter element is not from the engine.

 

[fdcg27]

Wel, I'm not all that comfortable with the TBN this oil showed in a 5K UOA.
I didn't have TAN done, though.
I would run it 6K but probably not 7.5K.
Subaru does recommend 7.5K, but I don't know how wise that would be.
OTOH, the Forster would likely run 200K on any oil run on 10K intervals, so I'm probably being overly conservative.
It was a warmish and dry day, so it was a handy time to change the oil given that we may not see the same combination of not too cold and dry again before March, so I drained the oil.
I should add that the Synpower was on clearance when I bought it, there was an additonal dollar off coupon on a hang tag on each gallon jug and there was also the Valvoline engine guarantee/warranty/whatever MIR, so the Synpower cost less net than any conventional you might find, maybe a buck and a half a quart.
It's not as though I had all that much in the oil.
I didn't have all that much in the oil filter either, but it seemed really wasteful to change it after only 5K.
I was pragmatic with the filter and a spendthrift with the oil, I guess.
We have different views on the suitable service life of oil as well as the acceptable level of TBN for continued service.

 

[T_CUDA]

I just dont understand the reason to do this. A good filter is 5 bucks and a motor is 3 grand or more. Well I hope the people in the Durham NC area do this as we have 2 repair shops there. And if you mention that u learned this from BOBTHEOILGUY I will give u 10% off your next motor job........

 

[electrolover]

here it comes.....

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: T_CUDA
I just dont understand the reason to do this. A good filter is 5 bucks and a motor is 3 grand or more. Well I hope the people in the Durham NC area do this as we have 2 repair shops there. And if you mention that u learned this from BOBTHEOILGUY I will give u 10% off your next motor job........

2 months and 36 posts? yea once your here longer and do some quality reading you'll under stand why. :

 

[T_CUDA]

I am a 3rd generation auto tech and have been working on cars and equipment for over 30yrs. I only post when I feel the need and this was the need...as the saying goes you can't fix stupid

 

[surfstar]

Originally Posted By: T_CUDA
I am a 3rd generation auto tech and have been working on cars and equipment for over 30yrs. I only post when I feel the need and this was the need...as the saying goes you can't fix stupid


You sir are right. We here at BITOG hope that you CAN educate stupid, but you're trying to stop us apparently.

I'm sure engines and lubes have not evolved at all in 3 generations - still push for 3mo/3k mi oil changes?

[edit] I see by your signature that you go longer than 3k - good! You have the ability to learn just fine, then. Honda and a couple other manu's have believed that a filter can go two oil changes for many years now. I don't see how a high end filter can't on todays clean running engines.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: T_CUDA
I am a 3rd generation auto tech and have been working on cars and equipment for over 30yrs. I only post when I feel the need and this was the need...as the saying goes you can't fix stupid


Your need is misplaced... The only time a filter isn't going to be suitable for 2 reasonable-length OCI's is when then engine is already heavily sludged. Running low on oil for extremely long OCI's is what destroys engines. For the average person changing his or her oil 2 or 3 times over 75K, never checking the level, and then trading the car in? Yeah, running a filter for 2 changes on that car is a bad idea.

I've run the filter every other change for most of my life. The first new car I bought actually specified it, and it always made sense to me. Several hundred thousand miles of driving and none of my engines have ever exploded.

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: T_CUDA
I am a 3rd generation auto tech and have been working on cars and equipment for over 30yrs. I only post when I feel the need and this was the need...as the saying goes you can't fix stupid

Nice way of starting off here friend resorting to name calling?

so because your a "3rd generation auto tech"(wow) your an authority on lubricantsts and filtration?

start reading...

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: T_CUDA
I am a 3rd generation auto tech and have been working on cars and equipment for over 30yrs. I only post when I feel the need and this was the need...as the saying goes you can't fix stupid


Then call me stupid.
Wish I had talked to you before making the awful error of planning to run a 10K+ filter for a total of 10K.
I promise to ship you the engine for a full rebuild when this kills it.