frequency of oil changes
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,549
Likes: 343
From: Glastonbury CT
Just change the filter and top off what was in the filter. The filter traps all the metal shavings. Also get a magnet for the bottom of the filter you will be surprised what that will pull out of the oil. If you see heavy metal particles change all the oil. Use only GM filters they are the best. Shine a led lite into the waste oil and you should see suspended particles the filter trapped.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 399
Likes: 31
If your using synthetic oil--your good for at least 6,000 miles--if you dont drive on dusty roads air filter should lastt a few years --why do oil companys say at least once a year--sell more oil--ill go by what Blackstone Labs say about oil-
Last edited by royal flush; Jun 4, 2018 at 01:59 PM.
Pro
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 535
Likes: 92
From: Raleigh NC
You could send the oil to Blackstone labs for analysis. They'll give you an idea of how the oil is holding up.
Personally, given how cheap an oil change is, I'd say once a year is fine.
I use my Corvette for some HPDE events and typically change the oil before every event, even if it's very low miles. Overkill no doubt, but I can buy a lot of oil changes compared to what my engine build cost me.
Personally, given how cheap an oil change is, I'd say once a year is fine.
I use my Corvette for some HPDE events and typically change the oil before every event, even if it's very low miles. Overkill no doubt, but I can buy a lot of oil changes compared to what my engine build cost me.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,152
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
500 mile oil does have lots of life left, and it certainly won't go bad or cause harm to the engine while sitting in indoor storage. You can keep running it for years without damaging anything. Oil may be cheap, but throwing out multiple oil changes of what is essentially new oil is still wasteful.
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
I feel bad after two or three years of leaving the oil in my antique cars so I change it but at 500 miles a year i suppose you could go longer. these cars dont have the gasoline washing down the cylinder walls from flooding them so the oil doesn't get contaminated so easily.
on my corvettes I do it annually during the winter nap
i worked for a farmer one summer and he only used the used oil from a local gas station in his farm trucks....they used so much oil it was his way of saving $$ and this was in the late 70s and there was no synthetic oil in common use.
on my corvettes I do it annually during the winter nap
i worked for a farmer one summer and he only used the used oil from a local gas station in his farm trucks....they used so much oil it was his way of saving $$ and this was in the late 70s and there was no synthetic oil in common use.
Last edited by bobs77vet; Jun 5, 2018 at 11:07 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,812
Likes: 2,029
From: eastern NC
Race Director
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 14,137
Likes: 2,985
From: Iowa
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
I'm in the low mileage club when it comes to my 02. Even with low miles, I change the oil every year before I put into winter storage.
With my 99, I change it when the DIC tells me to or at 6,000 miles, whatever comes first.
P.S. The GM filters are NOT "the best"
With my 99, I change it when the DIC tells me to or at 6,000 miles, whatever comes first.
P.S. The GM filters are NOT "the best"
Use only GM filters they are the best.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 31,977
Likes: 487
From: Guinness Its whats for B'fast JAWGA
CI 3-4-5-9 Veteran
I'm in the low mileage club when it comes to my 02. Even with low miles, I change the oil every year before I put into winter storage.
With my 99, I change it when the DIC tells me to or at 6,000 miles, whatever comes first.
P.S. The GM filters are NOT "the best"
With my 99, I change it when the DIC tells me to or at 6,000 miles, whatever comes first.
P.S. The GM filters are NOT "the best"
I change the oil in my truck (LQ4) every ~6,000. GM filters are not the best but far from the worst.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
that's funny...you should have seen the look on my face when I changed the oil for the first time in my xj8 jag.....with a 5 qt pan under it......7 qts later I was saying ...exactly what is the capacity of this thing