Changing the oil
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Joined: Oct 2013
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Changing the oil
Is it necessary to change oil Every Spring in my Corvette on C3, 350, when I only put under 500 miles on it a year and run it on weekend during the winter months in the garage?
Thanks for any repy
Thanks for any repy
2026 Loser of the Year
Joined: Sep 2013
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From: New Or-leens Loo-z-anna
I would think a yearly oil change before storage would be even better by having uncontaminated fresh oil circulated through a new filter. If you waited for 1,000 miles/2 years the amount of moisture built up inside the engine would be harmful EVEN though you run the engine in winter months to keep the gaskets
, rings, lifters, and oil seals lubricated. My .02 cents.
, rings, lifters, and oil seals lubricated. My .02 cents.
Last edited by doorgunner; Apr 21, 2018 at 08:13 PM.
Had a 1976 L-82, 4-sp
Joined: Mar 2011
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From: Some days your the dog and some days your the hydrant.
Royal Canadian Navy
500 mile per year? Change your oil every year or two. You'll still get 25000 miles or 50 years out of the engine before you have any major issues with the internals, maybe. If it were me, once a year before putting it away for the winter.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 224
From: Pawleys Island, SC
My routine is to change the oil just before putting it away for the season. Put a dose of Stabil in the tank and drive to the station to to top it off. All the oil passages and cylinder walls get coated with the new uncontaminated oil. I remove the battery, don't start it at all while in storage. Starting it for short warm ups in the garage does more harm than good.
Racer
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 327
Likes: 2
From: Livermore California
don't worry about it
my 1980 350 L48 has 78k original miles. I rode motorcycles for the first 23 years of ownership and let it sit for years in the garage and pulling it out for a few weeks at a time during the year round. I put about 2k miles on it a year. so for a 5k mile oil change it would be about 3-4 years between changes. i've even put as much as 10k miles on the newer oils between changes with very good results. even now the motor burns clean with very little smoke. some oils tend to burn quart or 2 every 3-4k miles. topping off and letting it go for a few months longer didn't hurt. well used oil is not a waste, good for gophers. it still runs quite well today. IMHO. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,247
Likes: 471
From: Glen Allen, VA
I change my oil once a year but don't really have a down season, as I'll drive mine on a clear winter day if the roads are clean. Once a year works out to about every 2500 to 3000 miles for me.
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Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,347
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From: Kernersville NC
So to the op, stop cranking it during the winter unless you are going to drive it and get it hot. If you drive 50+ miles to get that 500/yr you can probably go more than 12 months. If just short trips, then yes, change it each year.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,493
Likes: 1,502
From: Little Rock AR
You can change it just before storage because the oil is not yet contaminated by many miles of combustion byproducts. It will not hurt anything for fresh oil to be stored that way. Do not start it just for the sake of starting it during the winter season.
You can also throw caution to the wind and change it when you feel like it and probably suffer no ill effects.
You can also throw caution to the wind and change it when you feel like it and probably suffer no ill effects.