15000 mile oil change.

[Davidw2415]

Kinda makes you wonder where the by-products of combustion are going. Oil does not get Black or Dirty on it's own. It get dirty because it is trapping and holding the by-products of combustion that get past the rings (which does and will happen to the best of engines) until you drain the oil. If the oil drains translucent it would make me wonder if the carbon is still in the engine.

I'm with you TQ. I would never go to 5K on a change. My oil drain dark brown at 2500.

Well let's see I stated that the oil was translucent not clear or clean. there are various stages of translucent. If I let some oil run on my finger as it is draining and i can still see my finger though the oil I consider it to be translucent. As far as the byproducts of combustion, I would assume, and hope that those expensive Hd oil filters are doing what they are designed for, and filtering most of them out.

When I was in high school I took a work study program though Standard Oil Co.
One of their factory Rep's Came in one day to talk on their products. One of the first issues he brought up was that the biggest factor in oil turning Black was heat, not contaminants. And I always assumed that since it was his job to know, that he was probably right. So if this is right, and one of the benefits of Syn oil is that it is supposed to old up to heat better than conventional oil that it should be safe to think that it would not turn black as quickly as conventional oil.

I've been driving for almost 40 years now and have always done my own oil changes and before doing so on my own vehicles I started dong oil changes on my Fathers cars when I was probably 12 or 13 years old and based on my experience over the 10 years or so with the more efficient engines and higher quality oils, it just doesn't get as black as it used to years ago. In fact I really can't remember the last time I changed the oil in one of my vehicles and the oil was Black. I would hate to think that I was paying double for syn oil over conventional if I couldn't expect to get better service out of it. But that's just me. I may go back to changing every 25 to 3000 k or not. depending on what kind of riding I'm doing.

Dave.

 

[Hoople]

I keep forgetting to say that I am still using a regular (dino) oil for my crankcase. For me an oil change (oil cost) is $12, not ~$23. If I was using a High end ($7/qt) oil, I may extend it out like most guys are.

 

[Davidw2415]

I keep forgetting to say that I am still using a regular (dino) oil for my crankcase. For me an oil change (oil cost) is $12, not ~$23. If I was using a High end ($7/qt) oil, I may extend it out like most guys are.

If I were still using dino would change at every 2500 to 3000 also. As for $23, I wish. Three quarts of Mobil-1, $30, a Chrome HD Filter $10. Pride in doing it myself, priceless.

 

[Hoople]

And not to disagree, there really is one very important point that MUST be brought to the table.

We really can not compare the oil change interval of our V-twins to our automobiles because of one small but VERY important reason which seems to be often overlooked. If your running bone stock or using a dealership download, most of the time your running stoichiometric or 14.7 with un-blended fuel. Your as clean as can be with little, if any, left over fuel to wash past the rings and into the oil. But (and that is a Big But) I am sure there are several others like myself who do NOT run at Lambda 1.0 A/F ratios. All you piggy back fueler guys and people like myself who never run near stoichiometric, some of that extra fuel is going you know where.... Yep, past your rings and in your oil. Like I said earlier,, these engines are air cooled and the ring gaps are just not that precise.

I do not treat my V-Twin air cooled engine like a tight, constant temperature, Lambda 1.0 water cooled power plant such as I have in my car. Two completely different topics.

Just something to consider.

 

[Jack Klarich]

And not to disagree, there really is one very important point that MUST be brought to the table.

We really can not compare the oil change interval of our V-twins to our automobiles because of one small but VERY important reason which seems to be often overlooked. If your running bone stock or using a dealership download, most of the time your running stoichiometric or 14.7 with un-blended fuel. Your as clean as can be with little, if any, left over fuel to wash past the rings and into the oil. But (and that is a Big But) I am sure there are several others like myself who do NOT run at Lambda 1.0 A/F ratios. All you piggy back fueler guys and people like myself who never run near stoichiometric, some of that extra fuel is going you know where.... Yep, past your rings and in your oil. Like I said earlier,, these engines are air cooled and the ring gaps are just not that precise.

I do not treat my V-Twin air cooled engine like a tight, constant temperature, Lambda 1.0 water cooled power plant such as I have in my car. Two completely different topics.

Just something to consider.

Hoop, you are dead on dont beleve him pull ypur oil stick and give a smell I just did as I was checking my oil cold just for grins:s

 

[gs34]

Of all the topics that come open, Getting into an oil discussion is probably the worst. Everyone has their own opinion on how, when, where, and why it should be done.
Very few can be substantiated by fact.
However, that does not sway folks from their opinion.
In most cases, it becomes very much like trying to teach a pig to sing.
All you wind up doing is making yourself look foolish, and annoying the pig.
The bottom line is everyone is going to do what pleases them, no matter what facts and information they are presented with.

 

[Wayne R]

I just went over 50k recently on my bike and have changed the oil at regular 5k intervals the only repair necessary so far was the cam chain tensioners which went at 49k me personally I see no advantage to early changes

 

[Hoople]

As for the 14.7:1 Don't by that line if you like I will attach a NO fuel added dyno run on an 07, I know we have all been told that but it is just not true.

Smitty, I may be wrong but wasn't the Dyno pull you have done at WOT when the ECM was in an open loop state. When in open loop the o2 sensors are ignored. I would bet your A/F went up to 14.7 at cruise or partial throttle.

 

[BluesFan]

Any Truth to this:

I believe that oil will be at it's best (lubrication wise) after used 500 miles... Then down hill from there...

I also was told that wearing galoshes in the house caused bad eye sight..:small3d023:

Now com'on, I was told about the oil in my Older days...

Being a oil tester Above me, He'd have the answers.

Thanks
signed....BUBBIE

Never heard the 500 thing.
I look at myself, only half joking, as the preventer of oil changes.

We do very few based on hours or a calendar.

A few w very small reservoirs, and nor critical, it's cheaper to just let em run.

Our Centrifugal compressors, we change it at 5 years. And I tried to get them off of that. 5 years of 24/7 and HOT. Only reason we do change it is because we do some other work and well, while we're in teh neighborhood....

I see samples from hundreds of machines, 900 MW turbines, 10 HP motor, pumps, smallish diesel gen sets, 4 MW 2 stroke diesels. equal 4 strokers.

All kinds of oil and conditions, including salt water. Failure costs real money. A million a day is likely.

I rely completely on oil analysis and stress my oils.

Looking at conditions, comparing them to my bikes, being VERY conservative, I just can't get real excited about shorting the factory requirements.

If I ran in really dusty areas, I would short them. Chesapeake Basy is not well known for dust storms, so 5,000 it is.

I am willing to be wrong. Given data that doesn't involve anecdotes pnly.

Bottom line, good syn oil for the engines, Heat does matter, and a great filter.

ride and enjoy

 

[trike lady]

I'm from the old school and feel an oil change every 2500 miles is the best way to add longevity to any engine. Stop and go riding/driving is brutal, could be one reason why my 1982 S-10 lasted all those years and I got rid of it in 2005.