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frequency of oil changes

Old 06-04-2018, 10:06 AM
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pwgollmer
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Default frequency of oil changes

my corvettes are driven av 500 miles per year, all are stored inside and use Mobil 1 oil
Old 06-04-2018, 10:30 AM
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grantv
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Once a year or many more miles than that, whatever comes first. So once a year...
Old 06-04-2018, 10:39 AM
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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.
Old 06-04-2018, 10:58 AM
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royal flush
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I put around 1,500 miles a year--Mobil 1 5-30--Blacksone Labs told me this-- "We dont look at time--we look at miles--oil sitting in the pan does not cause any harm--at 1,500 miles you have lots of oil life left"
Old 06-04-2018, 12:18 PM
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I drive the Vette approx. 4k miles a year. I change the oil, oil filter and air filter every 6 months.
Old 06-04-2018, 12:25 PM
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royal flush
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Originally Posted by Ceedub53
I drive the Vette approx. 4k miles a year. I change the oil, oil filter and air filter every 6 months.
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; 06-04-2018 at 01:59 PM.
Old 06-04-2018, 12:43 PM
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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.
Old 06-04-2018, 02:42 PM
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lionelhutz
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Originally Posted by royal flush
I put around 1,500 miles a year--Mobil 1 5-30--Blacksone Labs told me this-- "We dont look at time--we look at miles--oil sitting in the pan does not cause any harm--at 1,500 miles you have lots of oil life left"



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.
Old 06-05-2018, 08:35 AM
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changing it is a waste
Even in the 60s mfrs recommended going 6k between
Old 06-05-2018, 11:04 AM
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bobs77vet
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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.

Last edited by bobs77vet; 06-05-2018 at 11:07 AM.
Old 06-05-2018, 09:10 PM
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billdance
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I drive about 500 miles per year and change it usually every May/June when it starts to look dirty.
Old 06-05-2018, 09:36 PM
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Darrell98
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I believe Mobil and GM recommend to change once a year regardless of mileage. I change before winter nap on Corvette and Harley.
Old 06-05-2018, 09:51 PM
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CJ Willys
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500 miles? really? can I have your 'used' Mobil 1?
Old 06-06-2018, 10:54 AM
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GUSTO14
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Originally Posted by GS60th#47
500 miles? really? can I have your 'used' Mobil 1?
In fact, if I don't have more than 1000 miles on my oil when I... feel the need to change it, I filter it and use it in my daily driver...

Just say'n... GUSTO
Old 06-06-2018, 11:17 AM
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killian96ss
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Once a year regardless of mikes or every 6k miles. I'm using 7 quarts of Royal Purple 5W/40 and a K&N 1007 filter. Another good oil is Mobil 1 0W/40.

Steve
Old 06-06-2018, 11:41 AM
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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"

Use only GM filters they are the best.
Old 06-06-2018, 11:47 AM
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Originally Posted by knewblewkorvette
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"
I change the oil in my truck (LQ4) every ~6,000.

GM filters are not the best but far from the worst.

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Old 06-06-2018, 12:13 PM
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v6turbo87
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GM filters are junk. Use a Wix filter or NAPA Gold.
Old 06-06-2018, 12:18 PM
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royal flush
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Use the best oil filter WIX 51042XP
The following 2 users liked this post by royal flush:
jrprich (06-12-2018), knewblewkorvette (06-06-2018)
Old 06-06-2018, 01:12 PM
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bobs77vet
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Originally Posted by GUSTO14
In fact, if I don't have more than 1000 miles on my oil when I... feel the need to change it, I filter it and use it in my daily driver...

Just say'n... GUSTO
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

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