Save on engine oil expense

[Frank Lee]

Darn near everything with an oil filter also has a bypass.

[RobertSmalls]

Bypass oil filtration is when you install a very restrictive, high filtering medium in parallel with the oiled parts of the engine. A small portion of your oil flows through it, so it takes a few dozen passes before most of your oil has passed through.

I read about toilet paper roll filters on BITOG, where they were not ridiculed as worthless. But if you can't get the necessary additives, they kind of are worthless.

Me, I think I can live with the Insight's 2.5qt oil change every 10kmi/1yr. The additional weight of a bypass filtration setup (8lbs?) would be very hard to justify.

[user removed]

I have seen a Mercedes diesel with 900k miles on the engine. One of my customers had an 87 300 ZX that he sold to us with 350k miles. He changed the oil every 7 k miles (dino oil). He drove all highway, a 500 mile round trip once a week. He owned his own airplane and flew the rest of his travels.

The 300 used on quart of oil in 3000 miles at 350 k miles. The engine had never been apart.

Another customer who changed his oil more frequently had 550k miles on a Z20 4 cylinder 200 sx. The inside of his engine was immaculate and it had never been apart, not even a head gasket in over half a million miles.

I used to change my oil every 3300 miles, now I go 5k + miles between changes. The Echo was overfilled when I bought it. I drove it 5400 miles on the oil that was in it when I bought it. Not sure how many miles it had on the oil when purchased, but it dropped down to the fill mark by the time I had driven 5400 miles. I changed it to Mobil 1 0w30 and I plan on driving it at least 6 k miles between changes. I will see how far it goes before it used half a quart and probably change it then.

I let the dealer change the oil on the Insight, because they do it for 38 bucks. The magnesium oil pan can easily be damaged if they over tighten the drain plug. That will be their problem if they strip the drain plug.

regards
Mech

[bgd73]

I found my 87 sube was starting to do strange things when it was 15 at 165k miles. never even had a valve cover off.

there is every smell of every type of petroleum product...

I took note, now on an 87 sube going on 23 years, also never taken apart. I have it setup to intentionally "smash" (there is a better word) all of the relief valves open, and let it hit the screen in the filter (a special filter, does not allow open bypass) by simply using 10w30 (heavy oil is not going to stop a trochoid oil pump- it forces relief valves). I have captured a perfect grease, stuff that you could find on a truck fifth wheel, I smell ether, and diesels depending on the weather, and it is all micronic layers, letting go, and gathering, and dispersing, no actual chemical to find, except for the grease looking stuff. And it is pure. The engine invented it.

If to wonder what happens in real longevity...it is some type of perfection, a distillery, it can all burn.
Then there is that unbreakable petroleum product. doesn't burn, doesn't lubricate, what is the name of that stuff.... ?

[dremd]

If you are willing to do UOA's you can run amazing OCI's on pretty plain oil with either a centrifuge, or a Bypass filter. check out the Bypass forum at Bob Is The oil Guy Oil, Air and Bypass Filters - Bob Is The Oil Guy

[koihoshi]

Frank lee is correct, almost every modern day motor oil for cars has detergents and additives for things like seals. While recycling the oil to clean it may help it, as far as the chemicals are concerned they're not going to be revived through a cleaning process. So by the time your interval is done, I would not put that back in the engine. I try not to skimp on my engine oil.

However, the ideas of reusing this oil in this process for OTHER projects (like the heating), now that's a cool idea. You could also use it for other things like lawnmowers, weed eaters and hell, even use it as general oil lubricant for any contraptions you may have around that use generic oil. I like the heating idea better.

Another thing to keep in mind is that some of these additives for oils are to help important things in the engine be conditioned such as seals and gaskets.

[dremd]

Originally Posted by koihoshi

Frank lee is correct, almost every modern day motor oil for cars has detergents and additives for things like seals. While recycling the oil to clean it may help it, as far as the chemicals are concerned they're not going to be revived through a cleaning process. So by the time your interval is done, I would not put that back in the engine. I try not to skimp on my engine oil.

Agreed, but you would be AMAZED how long those additives are good for in oil with low acid formation (water in oil causes acid formation). Don't believe me, send a used oil sample in to BlackStone and get a TBN (Total Base number) which is a measure of the remaining additive package. My TBN is only down 4 points after 35,000 miles without a drain.

You'd also be amazed at how that changing oil to frequently increases engine wear (additive pack hasn't worn in yet). Check TDI club for Data here.

You'd also be amazed at the number of very high mileage vehicles have been using very long drain intervals. Met a 5.4 Ford guy with 750,000 miles using 30,000 mile drain interval on Mobile 1 and no added filtration. Know a 7.3 Powerstroke guy with 450,000 Miles on his 8th oil drain on blue jug Rotella T (he does have a bypass filter).

All and all, our assumptions are based on 50 year old data, and lubricant technology has increased exponentially since then.

[koihoshi]

That's a long drain interval. Definitely not disputing the quality of oil, simply saying I prefer better oil than generic oil. There's definitely proven data on shearing, breakdown, etc on things like tranny oil. Found some interesting data sheets and am a big fan of bobistheoilguy website which has good info. But I know there are some cars out there that actually recommend from the factory 15,000 mile intervals on oil changes, so depending on the oil, quality, and vehicle and engineering involved, it would not surprise me the least.

But on reusing oil, I just am not sure how i'd feel about that. Most all my car engines at this point are above the 100k mark, but they're all running quite soundly.

But I do see your point. I've been half tempted to send in a sample of tranny fluid to confirm the data i've found to see if i can validate or not. Even amsoil has some interesting thoughts on the subject, they even recommend you go longer on their products and extend the intervals.

[Frank Lee]

It really does vary depending on application; things like gears and flat tappets "grind up" the molecule chains faster than plain bearings. So I'd expect to safely extend change intervals on engines with belt driven cams and roller tappets vs the other. Of course motorcycles have all those chewing things so I am going to stick to the manufacturers recommendations for them.