Synthetic Oil User question?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 9,662
Likes: 7
From: Semper ubi, sub ubi
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Synthetic Oil User question?
How often do you guys change your oil? I doubt I'll drive more than 3 or 4 thousand miles a year in my 'vette, so is it OK to only change it one time a year?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,002
Likes: 0
From: Bay City MI.
Re: Synthetic Oil User question? (Smokehouse69)
I am running Royal Purple in my 454, works great and I am planning on changing it every year also. It costs about 5 bucks a quart but I think its worth it. No problem on 3 to 4k miles a year, with todays oils and high quality filters you can go 4k miles no problem.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 4,466
Likes: 0
From: Paducah KY
Cruise-In I Veteran
Cruise-In II Veteran
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
Re: Synthetic Oil User question? (Smokehouse69)
Once a year does it in my 95 ragtop since it only gets about 3000 or 4000 miles put on it.
Great to see you back!
Dave
Great to see you back!
Dave
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 6,470
Likes: 2
From: levittown pa. usa Even a bad day with my `Vette, is better than a good day at work
St. Jude Donor '10
Re: Synthetic Oil User question? (Smokehouse69)
Unless you drag race all the time, I don`t see why you can`t go 3-5000 miles on a synthetic oil change. I use Mobil-1 in my Vette,my S-10, & my `02 Harley Road King. I would not go beyond 5000 miles before changing the oil. Even though synthetics are said to stand up to wear & temperature extremes better than dino oil, they still get contaminated by blowby, condensation etc. :)
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 11,361
Likes: 383
From: Plano TX
Re: Synthetic Oil User question? (kenv)
Changing synth every 5k miles is a waste of money, but if it makes you feel better...
Here's a guy who sends a sample in for analysis every 1000 miles. He will continue until the oil tests bad. He's currently at 11000 miles, and the mobil1 oil still tests ok!
I run mobil1 and change it around 7-8 k miles.
Here's a guy who sends a sample in for analysis every 1000 miles. He will continue until the oil tests bad. He's currently at 11000 miles, and the mobil1 oil still tests ok!
I run mobil1 and change it around 7-8 k miles.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 9,662
Likes: 7
From: Semper ubi, sub ubi
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Re: Synthetic Oil User question? (flynhi)
Thanks guys you just confirmed what I thought. This was my third oil change on the ZZ-4 and the first with synthetic. One thing interesting I noticed while breaking the engine in, the first oil change, after 100 miles I noticed a clump of iron filings (about 1/4" ball) stuck to the magnetic drain plug. After the second change at 500 miles, there were about half as many stuck to the plug. This time with 2000 miles on the oil, there were no noticeable filings stuck to the plug.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 28,704
Likes: 4
From: Fort Mill, SC via NJ
Re: Synthetic Oil User question? (Smokehouse69)
Steve
I go with 10w40 Amsoil and do about 2500-3000 miles a year and change oil and filter once a year on my two year old rebuilt engine.
[Modified by 69er, 6:29 AM 6/9/2003]
I go with 10w40 Amsoil and do about 2500-3000 miles a year and change oil and filter once a year on my two year old rebuilt engine.
[Modified by 69er, 6:29 AM 6/9/2003]
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,322
Likes: 1
From: Living in the Hartland
Re: Synthetic Oil User question? (Glutamine83)
One good thing about changing it more often is that if you have a mag drain plug, you can keep an eye out for excessive metal in the oil. Figure even at $50 an oil change with syn, changing it at least twice a year is not that expensive compared to your eng going south.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 9,662
Likes: 7
From: Semper ubi, sub ubi
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Re: Synthetic Oil User question? (Fevre)
Figure even at $50 an oil change with syn, changing it at least twice a year is not that expensive compared to your eng going south.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 1,411
Likes: 1
From: Wylie TX
Re: Synthetic Oil User question? (zwede)
I change mine out at 5k miles, but that just because it's easy to look at the odo and know when I need to change it. I'd go longer if I could come up with a way to remember the change.
Here is the site for the info zwede was talking about: http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/s.../oil-life.html
Here is the site for the info zwede was talking about: http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/s.../oil-life.html
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 175
Likes: 0
From: St Louis MO
Re: Synthetic Oil User question? (Smokehouse69)
I change mine twice a year because I don't put that many miles on it either. But I don't like the only once a year idea because the oil picks up acids and contaminents from the combustion process and I don't like that sitting around in my motor eating it up internally. I read somewhere that it was real important to change the oil before the car sits for any extended period for this reason.