Not Changing Oil Filter
- Thread starter Wardonkey
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This might sound crazy but this in-use interval sounds about like my lawn mower. I put 50 or 60 hours a year on a water cooled John Deere mower and I change the oil annually and filter biennially. I always cut filters open and inspect things and have never seen detrimental deterioration to warrant any concern after 2 years of use.
The mower oil is always loaded with fuel and the work environment is filthy in comparison to what a car engine sees so I see absolutely no reason that you would have issues with a 2-year filter change. If the oil isn't full of fuel from short trips then you could likely go 2 years on it also.
The mower oil is always loaded with fuel and the work environment is filthy in comparison to what a car engine sees so I see absolutely no reason that you would have issues with a 2-year filter change. If the oil isn't full of fuel from short trips then you could likely go 2 years on it also.
Every 60 seconds a DIYer leaves an oil filter on too long… [cue: The Arms Of The Angel - Sarah McLachlan] with your support and timely changes we can all prevent this tragedy from continuing…
I would just do 2 year oil and filter changes, that's still only 2000 miles. If the car is kept in temp controlled garage, it could possibly go even longer, but it sounds like most of the miles are probably short in-town trips. So 2000 miles is still conservative.
Or we can just spin the filter on greasy finger tight like it's really supposed to be. Every 10 seconds a DIYer spins one on to 30 lbs of torque. {cue up: It's so Easy - G'nR}
I guess I've spun on 200 to greasy finger tight and never had that problem after 2, sometimes 3 intervals. Never had one leak either.
BITOGER - "I have the Mighty Oil Wrench 6000 and man sometimes I need the 7500 to get the darn thing off"
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I actually prefer using those cap on filter wrenches over the strap and jaw wrenches. Feels good that you can torque them down to spec than having to elbow grease for hand tightness which sometimes in rare cases isn't enough to prevent a gasket blow-off or oil seepage.
If you want to get maximum junk out of the engine, don't do a cold oil drain. Running the engine to full temperature gets the bad stuff into suspension (most is caught by the filter) and more of the junk will drain out with the old oil if it's still hot or warm. I always change my oil after driving at least 30 minutes, preferably a long highway run... usually let it sit for 10 minutes first so the exhaust cools a bit.
I’ve always done cold drain. I understand that hot oil drain faster. But walk me through this hot drain “gets more contaminates out. “ You drive a vehicle around so the engine is hot. You shut it off and the oil settles in the pan for 30mins. All the contaminants are now in the oil, right? But then let it sit overnight - aren’t the same contaminants still in the oil the next day? They are certainly not crawling back up into the engine overnight… maybe some settles to the bottom of the oil pan, sure, but how much? Is it more than is left by using the same oil filter for more than one OCI? Is it signifiant enough to even matter?
When taking an oil sample, it is good to do it hot because it mixes everything up so you get a good, even sample. Contaminants settle to the lowest point due to gravity and can alter results.
But how is one exactly “getting more contaminants out” with a hot drain vs cold?
I have a 2012 Dodge F-150* pickup. It does not get a lot of miles on it so I change the oil and filter every other year or so. I use Mobil 1. It does get enough use to thoroughly warm it up. I am betting the pickup will outlast me.
*Somehow, it really annoys people when I call it that.
*Somehow, it really annoys people when I call it that.
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I've done cold drains before, usually it takes a bit longer for the remaining oil drips to slow and stop. I used to let the car sit for around an hour on cold drains before capping the drain plug with new gasket.
On hot drains, I notice the oil flows faster and doesn't take as long for drips to stop, allowing for a faster oil change and filter job.
On hot drains, I notice the oil flows faster and doesn't take as long for drips to stop, allowing for a faster oil change and filter job.
Most oil pans have a boss or flange for the drain plug, this boss is higher than the bottom surface of the pan. (This is especially true for pans fitted with Kumoto valves or similar devices.) So a thin layer of oil will remain at the bottom of the pan even after it's "drained," no matter what you do. Where do the contaminants settle when cold? At the bottom of the pan.
The physical movement of draining oil is not nearly strong or fast enough to drag the contaminants off the bottom of the pan, up over the flange and out the drain hole, especially in areas far from the hole.
If you drain a hot engine, especially one that's been run on the highway a while, the contaminants have been stirred up and mostly suspended in the oil... not sitting at the bottom of the pan. The oil contaminants will come out much better during a hot drain.
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Hermann
Site Donor 2023
Have found that 0W oils flow out real fast even when cold. Maybe a extra minute.
To what degree is this significant? I mean, arguably yes “more” is coming out but how much more? Considering the topic of keeping an oil filter on for more than one OCI - is it really a factor? If you’re planning on keeping an oil filter on for multiple OCI then I think arguing the difference between a hot and cold drain doesn’t make much sense.
Is there a story about why its called that or why you call it that?
"Dodge F-150"?
Take it to the Chevy dealer for service.
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Change the oil
Wait until the engine cools, then change the filter
Blackstone says time has little impact on oil life expectancy. In an email response to me they said,
"When it comes to modern automotive engines, calendar time doesn't have a big impact on how much metal we find. That's mainly because modern engines have emissions systems, which seal the engines and prevents moisture from accumulating inside the engine. This was an issue with older engines from the 70s and before where they had open breathers and atmospheric air could get into the engine, and humidity/condensation would cause corrosion.
There are many examples of newer cars having the oil in use for several years with little change in wear, and that's why we don't put too much emphasis on calendar time. Of course, if the manufacturer suggests changing the oil after X months, then it's probably best to follow their guidelines."
So, with a good filter and decent oil, I think you can reasonably go two years between oil changes.
I like changing both once a year. That interval forces me to get under the car and look for any potential problems that could get missed from the top. Like torn boots, bent or disconnected parts, leaks, etc.
"When it comes to modern automotive engines, calendar time doesn't have a big impact on how much metal we find. That's mainly because modern engines have emissions systems, which seal the engines and prevents moisture from accumulating inside the engine. This was an issue with older engines from the 70s and before where they had open breathers and atmospheric air could get into the engine, and humidity/condensation would cause corrosion.
There are many examples of newer cars having the oil in use for several years with little change in wear, and that's why we don't put too much emphasis on calendar time. Of course, if the manufacturer suggests changing the oil after X months, then it's probably best to follow their guidelines."
So, with a good filter and decent oil, I think you can reasonably go two years between oil changes.
I like changing both once a year. That interval forces me to get under the car and look for any potential problems that could get missed from the top. Like torn boots, bent or disconnected parts, leaks, etc.
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