No more oil changes until it explodes...

[AstroVic]

Okay, shoot me now, but I'm going to start another oil thread. This one's a little different. Read on... I'm considering a little experiment with my 2000 CVPI. The Experiment My plan is to change my oil at 125k with a new batch of synthetic oil - Royal Purple, RedLine, Mobil 1, AMSOIL, or whatever - and then never change the oil again until the engine gives way. Everything will be documented as my hectic lifestyle permits. I'll do regular oil filter changes at 2,000-3,000 miles and top off with new oil as needed. I figure it'll take a half quart to a full quart to top it off after each filter change. This, of course, adds some fresh oil into the mix. The Car My car has almost 123k on the clock and it's been fed a regular dose Castrol GTX 5W-30 dino juice all it's life until I switched to Royal Purple 10W-30 about two weeks ago. I've always used Motorcraft FL-820S filters and would probably continue to do so. I'm open for suggestions on the type of oil and filter you guys would like to see me use. Whichever I choose, I will continue to use the exact same oil and filter until my engine self-destructs. As many of you know, this car is a marked police car (which I personally own) and is used for regular patrol duties, which oftentimes requires me to drive at 100MPH+ at the one extreme, and idle for extended periods (sometimes as long as 8 hours when I'm working off-duty jobs) at the other extreme. I have had only one used oil analysis done on this car. Blackstone Labs did it at about 110k and they gave a glowing report on the internal condition of my engine (for whatever its worth). Also, I live in the Houston, Texas, area, so our weather is consistently in the 80-100 degree range. Why Am I Considering This? Honestly, I really don't have much to lose. Many of you know that I already have a brand new 4.6L sitting on a stand in my garage, just waiting for its turn. So why not put one of these synthetic oil companies to the test and see how good their products *REALLY* hold up??? Here is a photo of my backup plan: I am not being compensated by anyone. I *do* have one individual who has hinted that he would cover the cost of the oil and filters if I actually follow through with my experiment. He's not affiliated with any oil companies in any manner - he's just another gearhead who wants to see what'll happen. Well??? Flames, suggestions, and comments are welcomed. First, which brand of oil would you like to see me use? Second, which brand of oil filter would you like to see me use? Third, do you think I can hit 200k without any oil-related engine failures? I think it's very possible and I'd like to see if the 4.6L cop car is up to the task. I will ultimately make the final decision since it's my car we're talking about, but I will definitely take your suggestions into consideration.

 

[MAJA]

I vote for Mobil One, with your current oil filter. How many miles do you put on in a week? Or how long will it take you to get to 200K? Very interesting test. I may do that with my old '82 Ford truck, although I have no backup engine. (Anyone have an old 427 or 428 cobrajet to give me?)

 

[Titanium_Alloy]

Wow!!! That's very generous of you to do such experiment. It would be very intersting to see the result. I vote for Mobil 1 10W-30 and you current Motorcraft filters. I think that changing filter every 5k miles would be more appropriate. By the way: nice spare engine, but I'm sure that with M1 you won't need it soon. Regards,

 

[Eiron]

Woo-Hoo!! 1) I also vote for Mobil 1, but in their 0W-40 flavor. 2) I think your current filter choice is fine. 3) Yes, I think you can hit 200k. (What will you do if the engine's still going strong at that point? Will the itch to drop in the new motor be too strong to resist?) 4) Change filters every 5k mi, rather than every 2k-3k. It'll make remembering much easier, & I don't think it will detract from the oil's performance. 5) How many miles/year?

 

[AstroVic]

I put roughly 30k per year on the car, so I'm thinking it'll take about 2 1/2 years to reach my 200k goal. If nothing else, it'll be fun to see what happens! Thanks for the oil & filter recommendations. Keep them coming guys! This experiment is for everyone's benefit and/or amusement. Maybe we'll all learn a thing or two from it...or at the very least dispell/prove some rhetoric!

 

[AstroVic]

quote:

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3) Yes, I think you can hit 200k. (What will you do if the engine's still going strong at that point? Will the itch to drop in the new motor be too strong to resist?)

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Very good question. I really don't know the answer to it yet, but I would probably keep running it until it craps out on me. It's possible that I would *consider* an oil change if I hit the 200k mark, but I don't know if that's really in the spirit of the experiment. Maybe if it hits 200k, I'll change the oil and never change it again until it hits 300k (or dies).

 

[kev99sl]

I'd like to register my vote for Delvac 1, 5w-40. I would also like to vote for Baldwin filters, because your set up would be the same as mine!

 

[poison]

Sweetness! You rock! As much as I'd like to see some other lesser known oils tested, Mobil1 would probably be the best choice as so many people use it (imagine if the engine blew up after 30,000). Keep those filters, but do 5000 mile changes: most here do not change at 2-3000. Good luck! Nate

 

[MMX]

As Paradise Garage's finished the torture test on Mobil 1 and the Amsoil phase is underway (with Red Line next & finally RP). I can't wait to see your results on German Syntec.

 

[AstroVic]

So far, on here and other automotive forums it seems that most folks would like to see Mobil 1 oil and Motorcraft filters. I guess it makes sense due to the fact that so many people use those products, combined with the fact that they're readily available at Walmart. I was sorta hoping to see more interest in Royal Purple or Red Line - mainly because they're the "off" brands that you don't see being used every day - but, like I said, I will certainly take everyone's suggestions into account! Admittedly, Paradise Garage's testing is what gave me the idea in the first place. At the end of the Mobil 1 phase, they say: "Indeed, one is forced to wonder whether an engine with a high-quality PAO synthetic combined with a bypass filtration system and regular filter changes would ever need its oil changed at all." Now, I don't have a bypass filtration system - I don't really know much about them, nor am I a huge proponent of extended drain intervals - but I can certainly change a filter and top off the oil. I marked out my agency's information for privacy purposes (had a problem with a guy on a different forum), but this will be the "experiment" vehicle: Yes, it's got lights, siren, computer, camera, AR-15, 12-gauge...blah, blah, blah. It's a real police vehicle and it's used on a daily basis for patrol. Most folks don't understand why I own my police car, but it's because my agency chooses to provide us with an annual car allowance. They provide the equipment, and we provide the car, the insurance, and the maintenance. It is titled in my name, so I can do whatever I want to the vehicle (so long as it does not violate my agency's policies and procedures). [ July 30, 2004, 06:34 PM: Message edited by: AstroVic ]

 

[tpi]

Lets say you change the filter every 2K over 30K miles per year. That is 15 filter changes, and approx 15 quarts of filter/make up oil. That would represent 7.5 quarts fresh oil per 15,000 miles or 5 quarts per 10,000 miles. I'd say this would push the oil to some degree but with the highway mileage, I wouldn't call it extreme stress for a decent synthetic. I don't see the engine's life shortened all that much.

 

[Jelly]

Mobil 1 0w-40 Motorcraft FL-820S

 

[Jay]

If you're going to top it off with new oil and change the filter every 3Kmi, I doubt that the engine will "give way" any time soon. The filter should catch most of the sludge that builds up and the replenishing oil should keep the acids in check.

 

[poison]

Quick question: what happens when you are in hot pursuit and your engine seizes or otherwise ceases to run ? Are you the Police chief or do you live in a *small* town where there are 2 squad cars and you do your own maintainence? Won't there be a problem abusing the vehicle like that? OK carry on! I'm just thinking out loud and don't mean to give a hard time at all. I think it is great!

 

[Pablo]

I say use a very low cost SL oil.....if it goes a long time, then we'll have an eye opener.

 

[AstroVic]

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Originally posted by poison: Quick question: what happens when you are in hot pursuit and your engine seizes or otherwise ceases to run ?

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It'll be someone's lucky day!

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Are you the Police chief or do you live in a *small* town where there are 2 squad cars and you do your own maintainence? Won't there be a problem abusing the vehicle like that?

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I am not the police chief, but I wish I was! Actually, go back up and reread the post that has the picture of my patrol car. I edited the post and explained everything there. I work in the Houston suburban area, so we certainly are not a "small" town. My specific area of assignment has about 150 square miles and a population of roughly 130,000. My complete area of jurisdiction has about 500 square miles and 350,000 population. Also, I *never* abuse my vehicle! I really want to make that clear. Anyone who knows me recognizes that I'm one of the biggest preventive maintenance fanatics on the planet. I just want to give the synthetics a real-world run for their money. And how much more "real-world" can you get than a police vehicle???

quote:

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OK carry on! I'm just thinking out loud and don't mean to give a hard time at all. I think it is great!

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Thanks for the comments! [ July 30, 2004, 06:50 PM: Message edited by: AstroVic ]

 

[AstroVic]

quote:

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Originally posted by tpi: Lets say you change the filter every 2K over 30K miles per year. That is 15 filter changes, and approx 15 quarts of filter/make up oil. That would represent 7.5 quarts fresh oil per 15,000 miles or 5 quarts per 10,000 miles. I'd say this would push the oil to some degree but with the highway mileage, I wouldn't call it extreme stress for a decent synthetic. I don't see the engine's life shortened all that much.

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Good points indeed! I guess we'll just have to see what happens. By the way, most of my driving is NOT highway mileage. I work in a suburban area with occasional runs up and down the interstate, but certainly the majority of my patrol duties are in residential or commercial areas.

 

[AstroVic]

quote:

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Originally posted by Jay: If you're going to top it off with new oil and change the filter every 3Kmi, I doubt that the engine will "give way" any time soon. The filter should catch most of the sludge that builds up and the replenishing oil should keep the acids in check.

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I hope you're right, Jay!

 

[AstroVic]

quote:

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Originally posted by Pablo: I say use a very low cost SL oil.....if it goes a long time, then we'll have an eye opener.

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Pablo, good idea! Hahahhahaa.... Actually, you and I have the same mentality because I briefly considered that idea. The only problem is, you (as an AMSOIL dealer) and I (as a car fanatic) both know that the dino juice just can't handle the extended punishment. ---post edited--- [ July 30, 2004, 07:35 PM: Message edited by: AstroVic ]

 

[kickster]

use AMSOIL change your oil filter every 10K and top it off as needed. Changing oil filter at 2K is a joke. Your car will last forever. My dad's impala had a minor leak. (1 L per 1500K) he kept adding oil to the crakcase and never even changed the filter. 3 years later (God knows the Mileage) we sent it to junk yeard with fully running engine.