oil change frequency
- Thread starter lalojamesliz
- Start date
- Tags change frequency
Short answer.
Once every year or two for me, depending on hours of use.
Long answer.
The great thing about synthetic oil is that it doesn't break down and become corrosive over time (especially during storage) like conventional oil.
Where I live because of extreme temperature changes between summer and winter long term storage, it was recommended to change oil before and after storage, because the oil was becoming ineffective and corrosive over time. Between snowmobiles snow blowers, minibikes and mowers, it added up to a lot of oil. This situation has become alleviated with the new synthetic products.
In our work trucks we change synthetic oil every 450 hours. They are subjected to very hard use in poor conditions. Amsoil had an add suggesting 100,000 miles or once a year in cars, guaranteed. The problem in my opinion with minibikes is the lac of a decent (or any) oil filtration system, and steel parts rotating inside aluminum housings without bearings. They generally have no hour meter or odometer either. The lac of an oil cooler and oil temperature gauge is also worthy of note. I guess I expect synthetic oil to last nearly twice as long as conventional oil under regular use, and longer during storage,
Once every year or two for me, depending on hours of use.
Long answer.
The great thing about synthetic oil is that it doesn't break down and become corrosive over time (especially during storage) like conventional oil.
Where I live because of extreme temperature changes between summer and winter long term storage, it was recommended to change oil before and after storage, because the oil was becoming ineffective and corrosive over time. Between snowmobiles snow blowers, minibikes and mowers, it added up to a lot of oil. This situation has become alleviated with the new synthetic products.
In our work trucks we change synthetic oil every 450 hours. They are subjected to very hard use in poor conditions. Amsoil had an add suggesting 100,000 miles or once a year in cars, guaranteed. The problem in my opinion with minibikes is the lac of a decent (or any) oil filtration system, and steel parts rotating inside aluminum housings without bearings. They generally have no hour meter or odometer either. The lac of an oil cooler and oil temperature gauge is also worthy of note. I guess I expect synthetic oil to last nearly twice as long as conventional oil under regular use, and longer during storage,
Ideally some of your used oil would be sent in for analysis to see how the viscosity and additive package is holding up and to see what the levels of wear metals/moisture/silica are.
That comes down mostly to the additive package rather than the base oil. Magnesium and calcium are the major pH controllers and it is possible to deplete them to the point that they cannot keep combustion byproducts and moisture from forming acids.
It sounds like you're referring to diesels anyway, which typically have longer drain intervals than gasoline engines.
That comes down mostly to the additive package rather than the base oil. Magnesium and calcium are the major pH controllers and it is possible to deplete them to the point that they cannot keep combustion byproducts and moisture from forming acids.
It sounds like you're referring to diesels anyway, which typically have longer drain intervals than gasoline engines.
i try to do mine atleast every 2 years. I dont put many hours on them though since i have so many. when it gets real black :laugh: I just write down in my log book when i changed it so I kinda know. If theres no log of the last time i changed it and its real black Its probrobly time . 
ut: they arnt $10,000 porsche engines so I dont stress about it too much. as long as its full thats what really matters. Like you said at oil prices these days its probrobly cheaper just to let it go and buy a new engine when it roasts :laugh: Thats what a guy I usto know usto do. chevy 350 patrs are cheap. but he owned a machine shop. Thats back when oil was cheap too. he would get 100,000 on an engine never changing the oil. i suspect the little oil added at each check kept it going. filter probrobly clogged up and killed it. or maybe just a tall tale. who could know
ut: they arnt $10,000 porsche engines so I dont stress about it too much. as long as its full thats what really matters. Like you said at oil prices these days its probrobly cheaper just to let it go and buy a new engine when it roasts :laugh: Thats what a guy I usto know usto do. chevy 350 patrs are cheap. but he owned a machine shop. Thats back when oil was cheap too. he would get 100,000 on an engine never changing the oil. i suspect the little oil added at each check kept it going. filter probrobly clogged up and killed it. or maybe just a tall tale. who could know
I'm familiar with Blackstone used oil analysis. I've done it to a few cars I had and Toyota's love Mobil 1 oil. I didn't want to spend another $25 on just checking my oil and the to keep track of the hour usage so that is why I bought what I thought is decent oil. . Thanks for the suggestion Mr. Shelby
I from what I see so far is that oil will last a while so I'll just change it to the royal purple I have and keep a eye on the level often.
15 or so years ago when I had my go kart with my I/c Briggs 5hp I remember just using some regular dino oil and I would change it when it was black. I used that engine a lot and without the governor. Good old made in the USA products :thumbsup:
I from what I see so far is that oil will last a while so I'll just change it to the royal purple I have and keep a eye on the level often.
15 or so years ago when I had my go kart with my I/c Briggs 5hp I remember just using some regular dino oil and I would change it when it was black. I used that engine a lot and without the governor. Good old made in the USA products :thumbsup:
There is nothing about nostalgia to bring out the rose coloured glasses faster than maybe one suffering a hangover from a bad case of American exceptionalism.
The 13 cubic in Briggs was never a great engine.
It was merely a good enough engine.
Good enough for Honda to realize they could not make something as cheap in volume to compete....
So they made the G200 better and sold it for more....
At the time the 5 hp Briggs was coming into its stride it had some competitors, tecumseh, and Clinton for example.
Clinton could not compete with Briggs volume....
They went tits up.
Tecumseh excelled at making an even cheaper ( and crappier ) engine and then sold it in any colour or variation you wanted, they would even make a bastard version of a RPE so you had to buy the parts from a Craftsman service center.
But they were never quite as good as Briggs, just cheaper....
To find something made in the USA to be proud of?
Hold up Lauson, Johnson Iron horse ( OMC industrial engines and don't forget Cushman div ), Kohler, McCullah and even Westend ( later a Div of the Chrysler corp ).
But don't hold Briggs up as a symbol of anything more than how to make something good enough and so cheap you can crush your competitors with cheapness.
Today you can buy a Chinese Clone of Honda that is in every way a better engine than the 13 cube Briggs ever was....
That clone crushed Tecumseh and has put the pressure on Briggs like Honda never could ( this is why so much of Briggs and Stratton production now comes from China including their very own clone of a Honda )...
The 13 cubic in Briggs was never a great engine.
It was merely a good enough engine.
Good enough for Honda to realize they could not make something as cheap in volume to compete....
So they made the G200 better and sold it for more....
At the time the 5 hp Briggs was coming into its stride it had some competitors, tecumseh, and Clinton for example.
Clinton could not compete with Briggs volume....
They went tits up.
Tecumseh excelled at making an even cheaper ( and crappier ) engine and then sold it in any colour or variation you wanted, they would even make a bastard version of a RPE so you had to buy the parts from a Craftsman service center.
But they were never quite as good as Briggs, just cheaper....
To find something made in the USA to be proud of?
Hold up Lauson, Johnson Iron horse ( OMC industrial engines and don't forget Cushman div ), Kohler, McCullah and even Westend ( later a Div of the Chrysler corp ).
But don't hold Briggs up as a symbol of anything more than how to make something good enough and so cheap you can crush your competitors with cheapness.
Today you can buy a Chinese Clone of Honda that is in every way a better engine than the 13 cube Briggs ever was....
That clone crushed Tecumseh and has put the pressure on Briggs like Honda never could ( this is why so much of Briggs and Stratton production now comes from China including their very own clone of a Honda )...
I do not dislike them....
I had a few myself.
But they are what they are, nothing special ( unless you do something with one to make it so ).
If you want a little engine that will run forever....
You want a lister D.
if you want something that screams like the world is coming to an end then you want a raptor or Animal ( suitably modified any engine actually ).
If you want something that lasts a long time and is easy to move around, has good fuel economy too I say a Honda.
I had a few myself.
But they are what they are, nothing special ( unless you do something with one to make it so ).
If you want a little engine that will run forever....
You want a lister D.
if you want something that screams like the world is coming to an end then you want a raptor or Animal ( suitably modified any engine actually ).
If you want something that lasts a long time and is easy to move around, has good fuel economy too I say a Honda.
castrol sae 30 after a rebuild or new engine and change after
two hours of operation.
once a month for my riding habits. whenever the boys stop
over it gets changed after they ride. i use straight SAE 30
with detergent.
no need for synthetic oil or racing oils, these engines don't
produce the heat or pressures to justify them. jmho :smile:
two hours of operation.
once a month for my riding habits. whenever the boys stop
over it gets changed after they ride. i use straight SAE 30
with detergent.
no need for synthetic oil or racing oils, these engines don't
produce the heat or pressures to justify them. jmho :smile:
