Some people

[oilpan49]

While at work today, me and the other guys starting talking about the issue of oil, oil changes, etc.. They brought up to me that they had a guy who used to work at the shop (exhaust shop where I work now) he worked there for 12 years before me. The guys told me he had a 1987 Ford Ranger, with 170K miles. Not once, I repeat not once did that truck see an oil change!! I was just floored when I heard this.

So I asked the usual "how did he do that"? Guys said that he was one of those people who just didn't give a **** and that little ranger ran forever. Now I wanna know, how in thee hell can you get 170K out of a truck, that still runs today, and never change the oil or filter. I am lost,,,,,,AR

 

[labman]

I have seen a lot of data posted here suggesting oil filters are almost useless. Me, it is a new filter and oil every 3 months whether it needs it or not.

 

[Shannow]

labman, oil filters are next to useless, as long as you keep changing them.

A clogged filter on bypass will allow particles to circulate, begetting more wear particeles.

A new filter will get the particles out and stop them making more particles to circulate.

So with a clean system, the filter is sitting there not doing a great deal of work.

 

[geeeman]

Don't believe EVERYTHING!!! you're told...

Not likely...IMO !!!

 

[Judd]

Maybe it ain't likely but it is possible. My dad bought a 68 Plymouth Valiant new about a week before I was born.

I think he said that he had the oil changed less than 10 times in the life of the car at the time {it had over 200K miles at the time}. Basically the only time the oil was changed was because some mechanic talked my mom into it once in while on the rare instance that she was driving it and got gas {remember full serve gas stations?}.

Now get this,,,the oil he used was Quaker State Non detergent 30W! I will admit that by the time I started driving it, the oil return holes in the head was clogged up by sludge. It also never once in it's life {at the time over 200k} had it's auto tranny fluid changed. I actually changed it and the new detergents broke up all the sludge and I ended up change the tranny filter 3 times in as many months.

O-well, the poor Valient finally gave up the ghost at over 300K miles. Spun a bearing! Betcha that if I had not started driving the car it would have lasted alot longer. In that time, the radiator was replaced twice, one alternator, two starters {I think} and several brake jobs and tune ups. The engine was never once broke into. Well, except for when I had to unclog the oil return holes in the head!

I also know a guy at work that had a 1990 or Chevy truck. At his time of purchase, it had something like 30K miles on it. Figure it pretty much had normal oil changes up to that point. Once he bought it, it never had a oil change. Guess what??? The engine went 270K mile before he replaced it.

Dunno, sometimes it's better to be lucky!

[ November 27, 2003, 05:13 AM: Message edited by: Judd ]

 

[Drew]

A work buddy of mine (this was about 10 years ago) had an old Nissan. He used Mobil 1 and only changed the oil filter every 5k miles. Between the oil the engine burned and the top off from changing the oil filter, he figured he was ok. He had about 130k on his engine and it sounded good.

I'd never do it.

 

[Patman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by geeeman:
Don't believe EVERYTHING!!! you're told...

Not likely...IMO !!!

---

Chances are that at some point during the vehicle's life, some dealer gave him a complimentary oil change or two without him knowing about it. Perhaps when some other repair was being done, it necessitated an oil change too.

 

[oilpan49]

It's probably just bull **** what I"m hearing but then again from everyone's story here, it could be true. Will I try it on my Ranger??? hell no, even though I run synthetic in it. Every 6K miles and oil filter along with other maintence items works for me,,,AR

 

[DaveJ]

Way back in 1978 or 79 while I was in the ARMY... Anyway we had a Duce and a half with the White multy fuel engine. Its oil was so black and thick I couldent get it to suck up any oil in the test kits serninge (SP). They still wouldent change it so I drained out half and top it off. Boy did I get in trouble for that. I looked in the record (DA 2408 ??) on the OCI and it had been over two years.

DaveJ

 

[JohnBrowning]

Well I ge=uess I will throw my two cents in!! I have never personel witnessed anything like this. My experince has been just the opposite. Most people I know that have tried this ended up haveing me work on their cars at $70-$90 per hour at around 50,000-70,000 miles.

I work with a guy (also ASE Cert. Master Tech. Gas and Diesel) he has an uncle that has been doing this for years. He buys a new vechile and just changes the filter and tops off constantly and he claims he gets 120,000 out of them then trades them in or sells them! He is not a liar so I trust that this is what is uncle does. He has never seen the inside of these engines but both of us agree that they must be sludge monsters. To date he has done this on Chevy, Ford and Dodge trucks!

SCCAAAAAAAAAAAAAARY!!! This combined with all of the leasing going on is what scares me off from used vechiles!!