[AzCal Retred]

Re: Ace @ # 13:
I'm in agreement with the short change/low buck oil strategy.
Back when I was putting a lot of miles on my 1995 Toyota P/U (20K - 35K) yearly, I noted that a "standard" oil maintained good idling pressure numbers for maybe 700 - 1000 miles max. The synthetics were better at perhaps 1,200 - 1,800 miles before idle pressure levels dropped off. The variable was the oil bond integrity. All good at speed, but you could see a change had occurred.
Tossing the paltry quart every 500 miles or so gets rid of water (& resulting acids) and crud making it past the OEM Play-Skool filter. Waaay cheaper than replacing a crank or valve gear.

[zimmemr]

I'm just throwing this out to add to the general conversation and maybe provoke a little alternative thinking on oil changes.

 When I initially started working on CL&P equipment we used 10W40 conventional oil throughout the fleet which at the time probably numbered right around 10,000 pieces, including cars, trucks (up class heavy equipment, and a variety of odd ball stuff related to the utility business like large (2000KW and up) generators, core borers, track machines etc.

At the time we changed the engine oil and filter every 30 days on small vehicles and every 90 days on large stuff. During that time which was over 10 years, we had virtually no oil related failures. Over the years we reexamined our service schedule and eventually arrived at schedule of changing the filters every 90 days and the oil once a year, regardless of mileage. We used full synthetic 20W40 Mobil Delvac 1, and we used it everything. During the 20 or so years that we used that schedule we had virtually no lubrication related failures.

Which method was right? I can't say. If anything  our equipment was over maintained, oil was checked just about every time a vehicle was used, for certain it was checked every time the vehicle was fueled or came into the shop for any reason, even if it was just to replace a signal bulb, and the drivers knew that if the engine popped they'd be without "their" truck until it was fixed. So by no means would I consider the way we did things indicative of how anyone else should do them. But it does offer some indication of how good modern oils and engines can be.

I use full synthetic in my road bikes, and change it at the recommended intervals, which usually works out to 2-3 changes a year.  In my
 off road bikes I run conventional oil and change it after every hard ride or after three easy ones. My cars get full synthetic /high mileage and I change it every 5K. Again I'm not recommending any particular regime here, it's just what works for me.

[Nitrowing]

All ,y vehicles get the same schedule;
Filter @ 5000 miles
Oil & filter @ 10'000 miles

[axman88]

Tossing the paltry quart every 500 miles or so gets rid of water (& resulting acids) and crud making it past the OEM Play-Skool filter.

That's interesting!   First I heard of this idea.   You are saying that draining off a quart from the bottom of the oil pan will take the worst of the contaminants with it?  Is this because the water and acid and what not are heavier than oil?

If so, would the best strategy be to drain cold, or stick with my standard procedure of getting the oil good and hot for low viscosity draining?

On the Enfield, which of the drain plugs would be the get the best result from this technique?

[zimmemr]

One thing I haven't seen anyone here mention is oil analysis. On some of our equipment we would periodically send out a sample of the oil to be tested. Typically we'd get a report back within 24 hours that would advise us on the condition of the oil, as well as the condition of the engine, which they determined by the metal content of they found in the oil. Generally with a recommendation as to how many hours the engine had left before it needed rebuilding.

In some circumstances we'd send the sample before we changed it, some of our equipment held 50 quarts, to determine if the oil actually needed changing. If it didn't we run for another set number of hours, then sample it again.

We used our local Cat dealer for it, but I suspect a quick internet search would turn up dozens of labs that do it for a minimal fee. Once you have a baseline established you'll know exactly when to change the oil and filter.

[Karl Fenn]

Modern synthetic oils don't need to be changed as much as mineral on the old brits l only used to change every 4,000 miles, the best thing is change once a year if it has not done the mileage, if you get a white substance around the filler neck this indicates you are not burning the moister from the engine due to low mileage.

[Karl Fenn]

It has identicle characteristic on the GS 650, those bikes like a long run, no good doing a tinker to your local shops, you have to burn the moister out of the oil it's just the way they breath.

[mangizmo]

    Cant see why time has anything to do with it, the oil doesnt go bad sitting in the bike so far as I know and previously had sat in the ground for millions of years without deteriorating :-), I go by mileage and ignore time intervals between changes....unless I am missing something ?

[viczena]

The engine oil gets detoriated while in use. And the broken molecules form organic acids. Together with condensed water it harms the engine.

So I prefer to change the oil at least once a year, shortly before I rest the bikes to sleep in winter. Because this is the time when condensed water enrich in the case and is not boiled away by the engine heat.

[TrianglePete]

Just an observation on oil changes on UCE engines..

Maybe the company has corrected this but almost all UCE had metal chip problems on the magnetic plug

or the screen.    In splitting many cases and disassembling crankshafts  I found that they did not de-burr

the machine work on the crank.   As it spins it sheds metal flashing    No Good !!