Oil/Filter Change Timing
12-06-2017, 06:47 PM
#1
Race Car
Thread Starter
Oil/Filter Change Timing
Has anyone cut open their small and large oil filters after around 2,500 miles use? How dirty were they?
At the outset let me say cost is not an issue so "cheap insurance rationale" is not of interest. I'm concerned about the number of times my car comes apart. The oil and both filters are changed before storage every 2 years or 2,200 miles. As an aside, Exxon techs have indicated M1 V Twin is good for thousands more miles than this in spite of limited use. The manual calls for filters to be changed every 2nd oil change so I'm thinking of doing at least the small filter every 4 years or second oil change instead of during the bi-annual oil change.
At the outset let me say cost is not an issue so "cheap insurance rationale" is not of interest. I'm concerned about the number of times my car comes apart. The oil and both filters are changed before storage every 2 years or 2,200 miles. As an aside, Exxon techs have indicated M1 V Twin is good for thousands more miles than this in spite of limited use. The manual calls for filters to be changed every 2nd oil change so I'm thinking of doing at least the small filter every 4 years or second oil change instead of during the bi-annual oil change.
12-12-2017, 07:58 PM
#2
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I do not think inspecting the filters will show you anything - they will be dark and dirty looking, but that does not mean both the filters are done, or that the oil was "dirty".
The only way to find out what is good or bad is to take measurements - and the best one is doing an oil analysis. That will tell you what the oil itself is doing, and how the engine health is as well. I have been doing on my cars and clients cars for years. The internet is full of opinions and statements that sound like fact and are just opinions - so the engineer in me just says believe in what you can measure.
I find with v-twin on my Turbo with say 5,000 miles on the oil, it still has very low metals, good viscosity, low particulates and lots of zinc, which means there is life left. Another test for oil is it's acidity, which can tell you if the oil is damaging anything in the engine if the car sits for long periods. For instance Blackstone Labs can measure the TBN and TAN levels. The TAN is the total base number and measures the active additives and oil's ability to neutralize acid. The TAN is the total acid number.
An oil analysis can also measure the moisture and insolubles in the oil - so that gives you an idea if you change the oil based on short stops which may be true on low mileage engines.
Another angle is the resell value, if the owner can show that the oil was changed every two years, needed or not, that indicates that the owner wanted to really care of his vehicles.
I am not sure what wears out doing repeated changes, its certainly low impact. Over 20 years that is only 10 oil changes!
Cheers,
Mike
The only way to find out what is good or bad is to take measurements - and the best one is doing an oil analysis. That will tell you what the oil itself is doing, and how the engine health is as well. I have been doing on my cars and clients cars for years. The internet is full of opinions and statements that sound like fact and are just opinions - so the engineer in me just says believe in what you can measure.
I find with v-twin on my Turbo with say 5,000 miles on the oil, it still has very low metals, good viscosity, low particulates and lots of zinc, which means there is life left. Another test for oil is it's acidity, which can tell you if the oil is damaging anything in the engine if the car sits for long periods. For instance Blackstone Labs can measure the TBN and TAN levels. The TAN is the total base number and measures the active additives and oil's ability to neutralize acid. The TAN is the total acid number.
An oil analysis can also measure the moisture and insolubles in the oil - so that gives you an idea if you change the oil based on short stops which may be true on low mileage engines.
Another angle is the resell value, if the owner can show that the oil was changed every two years, needed or not, that indicates that the owner wanted to really care of his vehicles.
I am not sure what wears out doing repeated changes, its certainly low impact. Over 20 years that is only 10 oil changes!
Cheers,
Mike
12-13-2017, 04:02 PM
#3
Race Car
Thread Starter
Thanks for the useful feedback Mike. Having seen many other's Blackstone results I wouldn't bother since they all show good metal readings with M1 V Twin use. What I'm really interested in then, according to your response, is TBN and TAN levels. The analysis below shows 6.0 TBN and no TAN after 5,659 miles but I'm not sure what TBN and TAN levels are and whether these readings are good, bad or ugly. My guess is good??
