Black oil quick

[Admiral]

Originally Posted by G.M.

33 years ago I installed a brand new WWII engine in my 39 convertible. I used
Castrol 20/50 from day 1. The engine ran the typical hot, up near 200 and the
oil got black in a few hours. It also used a quart between changes. About 9 years
latter I installed Skips pumps and cooled the engine down to 180 with
Bob Shewman's 180 degree stats that allow a non restricted full flow of coolant
through the engine. The engine ran at 178 to 182 on days in the high 90's. It
stopped using any notable amount of oil between changes and the oil don't get
black but is a dark yellow. At 85,000 when changing the oil I stuck my finger up
in the drain hole and the pick up screen moved, I did it again and the pump
moved so I pulled the pan and the pump was loose where it was welded to the
flange. I brazed it and put it back together. Also the Castrol kept the engine
looking almost new and had no sludge at all in the pan. It now has over 130,000
miles, runs perfect, is quiet and burns no oil. Attached is a picture of when I had
the pan off. G.M.

I shouldn't be surprised, the flathead V8 is a well-engineered powerplant made of quality materials, but racking up 130,000 trouble-free miles with an engine designed and manufactured in the 1930s is nothing short of amazing. This clearly demonstrates the power of proper maintenance.

[mhsprecher]

Originally Posted by Admiral

I shouldn't be surprised, the flathead V8 is a well-engineered powerplant made of quality materials, but racking up 130,000 trouble-free miles with an engine designed and manufactured in the 1930s is nothing short of amazing. This clearly demonstrates the power of proper maintenance.

True dat!

A related comment. I have always been religious about changing my oil, maybe even too often. I don't do that any more on my modern cars, but my 2013 Ford Focus tells me when to change the oil. I had no idea how long it would be and I was getting nervous, because it seemed like it had been a long time and I had not written down when I had last changed the oil.

Last week my change oil indicator came on, so I changed the oil and wrote down the date and mileage. I also looked up on the vast information storehouse that is our Internet, what the oil change interval on my Focus was? Turns out I have Intelligent Oil Monitoring, so the car keeps track of the kind of driving that I do and adjusts my oil change interval accordingly - between 7,500 and 10,000 miles. Nice to know that, but I am still going to track my oil changes just because.

[VeryTangled]

Originally Posted by mhsprecher

Last week my change oil indicator came on, so I changed the oil and wrote down the date and mileage.

Sorry I have to vent. I end up searching for how to reset the systems. One of my cars has a button under the dash. One has me patting the pedal three times after pressing the odometer stalk. I'll scribble the process inside the cover of the owners manual. Other folks' cars baffle me every time until I go searching. Annoying.

I show my age when I say it also really doesn't seem right to go 7500+ miles between changes, but that's what the books say to do with our modern stuff.

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by VeryTangled

I show my age when I say it also really doesn't seem right to go 7500+ miles between changes, but that's what the books say to do with our modern stuff.

Higher running temperatures, lower viscosity and better quality oil, etc. Much longer engine life. It's nothing to get over 200,000 miles out of an engine now.

[Admiral]

Originally Posted by JSeery

It's nothing to get over 200,000 miles out of an engine now.

Or apparently then... G.M. is well on his way to that milestone!

[G.M.]

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Originally Posted by Admiral

Or apparently then... G.M. is well on his way to that milestone!

The engine may make it but at 85 I doubt I will. G.M.

[mhsprecher]

Originally Posted by VeryTangled

Sorry I have to vent. I end up searching for how to reset the systems. One of my cars has a button under the dash. One has me patting the pedal three times after pressing the odometer stalk. I'll scribble the process inside the cover of the owners manual. Other folks' cars baffle me every time until I go searching. Annoying.

I show my age when I say it also really doesn't seem right to go 7500+ miles between changes, but that's what the books say to do with our modern stuff.

I have to look the procedure up on the Internet every time I change the oil. I only have one car that requires this, so it is easy enough.

I agree about the 7,500 miles or more. I used to change oil at 3K, but I think all that did was enrich the oil companies, so I stopped and went with mfgs suggested change intervals.

[outlaw]

Originally Posted by mhsprecher

True dat!

A related comment. I have always been religious about changing my oil, maybe even too often. I don't do that any more on my modern cars, but my 2013 Ford Focus tells me when to change the oil. I had no idea how long it would be and I was getting nervous, because it seemed like it had been a long time and I had not written down when I had last changed the oil.

Last week my change oil indicator came on, so I changed the oil and wrote down the date and mileage. I also looked up on the vast information storehouse that is our Internet, what the oil change interval on my Focus was? Turns out I have Intelligent Oil Monitoring, so the car keeps track of the kind of driving that I do and adjusts my oil change interval accordingly - between 7,500 and 10,000 miles. Nice to know that, but I am still going to track my oil changes just because.

IMHO; I always take a paint pen & put the mileage or hours & date on all my oil filters (on the bottom) when I change my oil. Besides my trucks & suv's I have 5 four wheelers & do this with them also. Bill