Change oil, only after 4K miles after 12 month?

[usafstud]

Hi,

First time posting. Not a complete car new since I been working on them for a while. I been reading lots of posts of people running 15K miles on synthetic oil on this forum.

The question I have is, would oil still be good and not create slug build up if the oil is left in the engine for a long time without many miles added to it?

I got my winter beater, toy hauler, 97 F150 4.6L V8 last september and did a oil change with 5 quarts of M1 5-30 with a quart of MMO. I haven't touched the oil yet. The color is brown. Can I go on like this for another 6 months with the oil?


Just trying to learn more about oil without overspending by changing too often since I have 4 cars and 4 bikes to maintain.

Frank

 

[Chris Meutsch]

Time is more of a factor on the oil with that few miles vs. the miles themselves. Acids and other bad stuff can form in it if it doesn't get used enough/hot enough. There are certainly way smarter people on this board than I am but I'd say change it once a year; see what others say. I bet there will be some who say 2 years is just fine with syn.

 

[deven]

Well by your own definition it is a "beater" so another 6 months is not going to make a difference. The question you need to ask is how much longer will you have this car. Putting 4000 miles a year and if you change the oil every other year, the engine will still outlast the body if you consistently put only 4-5K miles a year.

 

[usafstud]

Originally Posted By: Chris Meutsch
Time is more of a factor on the oil with that few miles vs. the miles themselves. Acids and other bad stuff can form in it if it doesn't get used enough/hot enough. There are certainly way smarter people on this board than I am but I'd say change it once a year; see what others say. I bet there will be some who say 2 years is just fine with syn.


Thanks Chris. The truck will have another winter here in Dayton Ohio before we move to Lousiana next spring.

 

[HTSS_TR]

If you don't use the truck very often but every time it is used you dive a good long distance so that the oil is at operating temperature, then 8-10k miles or 2 years OCI whichever is first will be good with synthetic oil.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
If you don't use the truck very often but every time it is used you dive a good long distance so that the oil is at operating temperature, then 8-10k miles or 2 years OCI whichever is first will be good with synthetic oil.

I'd concur with this.

We've seen a number of UOAs where the time on oil was about 2 years and it did not appear to be hurting anything.

 

[CATERHAM]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
If you don't use the truck very often but every time it is used you dive a good long distance so that the oil is at operating temperature, then 8-10k miles or 2 years OCI whichever is first will be good with synthetic oil.

+1. Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[usafstud]

During the summer, I drove it maybe once a week or every two weeks for about 15 miles to move thing. During the rainy and snowy seasons, I drive it 3 times a week for a round time of 15 miles.

I am using K&N oil filter.

I am planning to keep the truck until we move to Lousiana so that I can move 2-4 bikes with it and tow our '70 Fiat 500 in the spring. About 900 mile trip. I think the hilliest part of the trip would be Kenkucky.

I plan on doing an oil change before the move. Probably change out the tranny fluid in the tranny, transfer case and torque converter. Also change out the diff fluids. All this to make sure the truck doesn't die.

So far, I hand zero mechanical problems with the truck besides a dirty EGR port that I had to clean.

 

[cchase]

See my 5 year OCI UOA:

 

[OldCowboy]

Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
If you don't use the truck very often but every time it is used you dive a good long distance so that the oil is at operating temperature, then 8-10k miles or 2 years OCI whichever is first will be good with synthetic oil.

+1. Couldn't have said it better myself.


Yep. The real question is how do you drive it? If the mileage is a bunch of short trips (less than 10 miles), then I'd recommend you change it every 4000 mi/ 1 year. If the winter driving 15 mile round trip is 7.5 to work and 7.5 home, then you need to change it 4000/1 yr. This is a pattern that will result in fuel dilution and acid production and it won't matter if you use synthetic or dino because the additive pack will be used up either way.

 

[usafstud]

I normally drive it granny style to get max MPG. Once in a while, I do burn outs and powerslides in the rain and snow.

 

[someguy]

I would probably just change the oil. Assuming you don't know the history of the used vehicle and have not pulled valve cover. It's likely overkill but this way you have one less thing to worry about this winter. Maybe try QSUD and Motorcraft filter to save money.

 

[usafstud]

What is QSUD? quaker state Uxxx Dxxx

 

[someguy]

Yes Quaker State Ultimate Durability its their synthetic, runs about $20 a jug at Walmart or on sale for $4 a quart at Advance Auto this month.

 

[TFB1]

On a Ford 4.6 you can see the cam and a follower through the oil fill opening, if it's clean I'd run the oil till spring...

 

[usafstud]

it showned normal brown/amber. it is not black yet.

 

[charlie505]

Have a Waukesha 180 GKB 10 KW gen....Start it every 6 months and run it for an hour to get good and hot..1800 RPM old iron....Propane..Watercooled ,rotella 15 W 40...How long between Oil changes?...Charlie

 

[Gene K]

Originally Posted By: usafstud
During the summer, I drove it maybe once a week or every two weeks for about 15 miles to move thing. During the rainy and snowy seasons, I drive it 3 times a week for a round time of 15 miles.

I am using K&N oil filter.

I am planning to keep the truck until we move to Lousiana so that I can move 2-4 bikes with it and tow our '70 Fiat 500 in the spring. About 900 mile trip. I think the hilliest part of the trip would be Kenkucky.

I plan on doing an oil change before the move. Probably change out the tranny fluid in the tranny, transfer case and torque converter. Also change out the diff fluids. All this to make sure the truck doesn't die.

So far, I hand zero mechanical problems with the truck besides a dirty EGR port that I had to clean.


I dont think every 2 years on M1 will hurt it. If it was mine it would likely get whatever conventional "oil change special" was going every 12 months.

 

[Gene K]

Originally Posted By: charlie505
Have a Waukesha 180 GKB 10 KW gen....Start it every 6 months and run it for an hour to get good and hot..1800 RPM old iron....Propane..Watercooled ,rotella 15 W 40...How long between Oil changes?...Charlie


If it was gas or diesel I would likely change it every 3 years but I dont know enough about propane to comment.