Oil changes

Started by tmsmini, June 03, 2021, 11:41:50 AM

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tmsmini

With retirement and limited group runs, we have only covered about 500 miles in the last year.
I have always been a once a year oil change whether it needs it or not.
But with three Minis getting limited use, I am curious what others are doing?

MiniDave

Depends, in those 500 miles did you get it up to speed and run for a while to burn off all the moisture? If not, change it....
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

tmsmini

I try to get the oil up to temp at least once a month. Typically I can get it above 85 C with a hard run, but it drops back to 80 on the freeway.

94touring

Ideally you hit 212F to boil off moisture.  80-85c is pretty cold. You're better off running your oil hotter for less wear and tear. Granted 500 miles a year it probably doesn't matter for you.

tmsmini

It takes some work to get the oil to 100C/212F.
That is why I have not quite understood the need for oil coolers with modern oils.

Richard1

I recommend minimum once a year. The bearings start to corrode, and the oil breaks down sitting with the contamination, moisture, etc. Today I changed the oil on my Corvair, which I had changed 18 months ago as we got into the pandemic. Oil had a total of about 300 km on it. But the lifters were beginning to get noisy. It is much quieter now, so better lubed.

MiniDave

Richard wrote a great paper on the correct oils to use in our classic cars, and I've been following his recommendations in my cars.

I'm using up the last of my 20W50 and will be swapping over to 10W40 when it's gone.

I've also done 3 automatics and put 10W40 MA2 in all of them, they all worked smoothly as could be after the changeover - of course I had no inkling what was in there before.

The only time I might be tempted to use 20W50 is on a long highway run in the hot weather.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Richard1

Quote from: MiniDave on December 16, 2021, 02:41:55 PM
Richard wrote a great paper on the correct oils to use in our classic cars, and I've been following his recommendations in my cars.

I'm using up the last of my 20W50 and will be swapping over to 10W40 when it's gone.

I've also done 3 automatics and put 10W40 MA2 in all of them, they all worked smoothly as could be after the changeover - of course I had no inkling what was in there before.

The only time I might be tempted to use 20W50 is on a long highway run in the hot weather.

And I just updated that paper, adding some oil comparisons of oils sold for Minis.