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Old 07-01-2018, 03:14 AM   #1
GerryAllen
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Default How many miles between oil changes?

I am new to the Model A world. I use my car as a daily driver, I put on about 600-700 miles a month, mostly at 35- 40 MPH, paved roads no hills to climb as such. My car is a standard Model A, no oil filter, using Chevron 15-40 detergent weight oil.
I know the original owners manual states change your oil every 500 miles. With todays detergent oils, multi grade, better road conditions, at what mileage do you change your oil?
Gerry Allen, Birch Bay WA
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Old 07-01-2018, 03:26 AM   #2
Mike V. Florida
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

500 -1000 miles oil is cheap rebuilt engines are not. I like the saying better safe than sorry, stock up when oil is on sale.
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Old 07-01-2018, 04:57 AM   #3
western77
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

I do run a filter on my engine and change the oil and filter at 3000 miles. I have 60000 miles on this engine. 15-40 Mobil oil. I am not saying this is correct, it's just what I do.
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Old 07-01-2018, 06:57 AM   #4
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

I would recommend changing more offen than not.

Five quarts of oil is much cheaper than a motor rebuild. Actually four and a half.

Today’s oil is much better than the oil used back in the day. However, it’s still the same engine. You want to keep it as clean as possible.

We have always changed oil once a year or at 500 miles. We use 20w50 Walmart oil. Enjoy.
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Old 07-01-2018, 07:14 AM   #5
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

You are safe at 2000miles. Just make sure the oil stays clean. If you drive it just once in a while, then every 500 miles. So, somewhere between as long as it stays fairly clean. Just my opinion. There are a million views on this subject.
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Old 07-01-2018, 07:24 AM   #6
Barry B./ Ma.
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

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I only drive the Model A around 500 miles a year but keep an eye on how clean it is on the dipstick, I've had Model A's where the oil looked dirty after 200 miles so I would change it, for some unknown reason my coupes oil looks clean after 1000 miles, I but as soon as it looks dirty I change it so generally I change it once a year.
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Old 07-01-2018, 07:47 AM   #7
BILL WILLIAMSON
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

"Maybe" you've seen tests, where they separate the contaminates from oil?
There's WATER/ACIDS/GASOLINE/GENERAL CRUD!!!---You can tell a lot about it by LOOKING/FEELING IT/SMELLING it, on the dip stick. Some engines are UNIQUE, Volvo 4 cylinders would survive well, on 7,500 Mile, recommended changes, The V-6 engines would lose cam lobes & rocker arms. They did well, on 3,250 Mile changes.
My '59 Olds would "TELL" me when to change, at around 3,000 Miles, the hydraulic lifters would tick slightly, on initial start up!
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Old 07-01-2018, 08:08 AM   #8
Terry, NJ
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

Actually, the cleanliness of the oil is unimportant. Do a oil change and startup on my diesel VW Jetta and you'd see what I mean. The fresh clean oil you just put in the engine is now black and appears as though it has 20,000 miles. You want to have an oil analysis. This is where you take a sample of the oil being drained, send it off to the analysis lab and get a report back telling you what metals they found. Essentially, how fast your engine is coming apart. The bad report is when they tell you to reduce the time to twenty five hours between oil changes. Remember, you can't see this happening! You need a oil analysis and a report. The US Govt does an oil analysis after each flight of their fighter jets. But to answer your question, I'd change at around 1000 miles.
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Old 07-01-2018, 02:48 PM   #9
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

Remember, most roads in the A's heyday ('30's-50's) were gravel or plain dirt, so lot's of dust kicked up. Now, does anybody even drive on a gravel road? Cleaner air plus far better detergent oil today means you can go a lot further.
Instead of dirt, the biggest limiting factor is condensation and blow-by (acid forming) contaminants, which an oil filter does not remove!
The worst thing for oil contamination is failure to completely warm up the engine whenever it is used. For example, the person who goes out and starts his A every week in the winter and runs it only 10-20 minutes is doing far more damage than driving it a 1,000 miles.
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Old 07-01-2018, 04:23 PM   #10
BILL WILLIAMSON
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

I just hop in cold, drive away, it'll warm up quickly!
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Old 07-02-2018, 02:33 AM   #11
john charlton
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

I change the oil when it starts to become opaque on the dipstick .On a car with a minimal rear main oil leak this is around 2000 miles . My cabriolet has a very noticable leak and as the oil is "freshened" occasionally goes to about 3000 miles . This car has no main bearing rumble and never got any worse over 30 years but I guess I ought to fix it one day .I buy cheap and cheerfull 20/50 detergent multigrade . I have pulled pans to take a look occasionally, the engines are very clean,no crud in the valve chest and no sludge on the crankcase walls.


John in wonderfull sunny weather Suffolk County England .
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Old 07-02-2018, 05:00 AM   #12
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

Diesel oil, 1,000 miles between changes is pretty much the sweet spot for me. i don't use the car as my daily anymore though.
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Old 07-02-2018, 07:47 AM   #13
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

John, this is one of instances when I would recommend using a single weight oil (SAE 30 wt or 40 weight, or the British equivalent) Let me tell you why, A number of years ago, I had a Ford 1962 F-600, with a inline 6, that had a pretty bad rear main, oil leak. It was just a truck for use around the farm and didn't get used all that much. I was a an auction one night and acquired about a half full barrel of 30 weight oil for two dollarsI figured it would be good for the tractor and the truck. I was surprised to find it cut the loss from the leakage in half. The 10w30 I had been using was pouring out through the leaky main and the straight 30 wt stayed in the engine.
Terry

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Originally Posted by john charlton View Post
I change the oil when it starts to become opaque on the dipstick .On a car with a minimal rear main oil leak this is around 2000 miles . My cabriolet has a very noticable leak and as the oil is "freshened" occasionally goes to about 3000 miles . This car has no main bearing rumble and never got any worse over 30 years but I guess I ought to fix it one day .I buy cheap and cheerfull 20/50 detergent multigrade . I have pulled pans to take a look occasionally, the engines are very clean,no crud in the valve chest and no sludge on the crankcase walls.


John in wonderfull sunny weather Suffolk County England .
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Old 07-02-2018, 09:58 AM   #14
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

I change mine once per year. Usually works out to 1000-2000 miles between changes.
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Old 07-02-2018, 10:56 AM   #15
Bob Bidonde
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

As you are using your Model "A" as a daily driver, I suggest that you install Mike's Affordable Oil Filter, run full synthetic or a synthetic blend oil, and change the oil every 3000 to 5000 miles.


Not to worry, I haven't seen or heard of a Model "A" of Model "B" engine failing because of modern motor oil.
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Old 07-03-2018, 02:30 AM   #16
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

I haven’t changed the oil in my Roadster for 6 yrs... of course when I get it running again I will change it every 1000-1500 miles or once a year which ever comes first like my other old cars.
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Old 07-04-2018, 11:23 AM   #17
Jim Brierley
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

I agree with Terry about analysis. I don't recommend diesel oil, I run 20-50, any brand that's on sale. I ran an O-berg filter on my '82 GMC diesel, it has a washable screen inside. I changed oil every 4,000 and to my surprise the screen was always clean.
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Old 07-04-2018, 01:48 PM   #18
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

Quote:
Originally Posted by GerryAllen View Post
I am new to the Model A world. I use my car as a daily driver, I put on about 600-700 miles a month, mostly at 35- 40 MPH, paved roads no hills to climb as such. My car is a standard Model A, no oil filter, using Chevron 15-40 detergent weight oil.
I know the original owners manual states change your oil every 500 miles. With todays detergent oils, multi grade, better road conditions, at what mileage do you change your oil?
Gerry Allen, Birch Bay WA
That is a lot like asking what color is paris green. You will get many opinions. not much in the way of facts.
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Old 07-13-2018, 03:07 PM   #19
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

Quote:
Originally Posted by GerryAllen View Post
I am new to the Model A world. I use my car as a daily driver, I put on about 600-700 miles a month, mostly at 35- 40 MPH, paved roads no hills to climb as such. My car is a standard Model A, no oil filter, using Chevron 15-40 detergent weight oil.
I know the original owners manual states change your oil every 500 miles. With todays detergent oils, multi grade, better road conditions, at what mileage do you change your oil?
Gerry Allen, Birch Bay WA
For my 1930 Model A, it does not get many miles on it. My plan for my car is 500 Miles, or 6 months, whichever comes first. I just changed the oil here in July. Since changing it, I dug up something I will share with you about what Oil to use in a Model A Ford. Strumming thru it, will probably take the next 6 months to grapple with understanding all the data! Anyway, here it is...........Sorry, it is 28 pages.................http://rmaford.org/wp-content/blogs....C_Mar_2012.pdf
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Old 07-13-2018, 04:47 PM   #20
Chris Haynes
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Default Re: How many miles between oil changes?

Synthetic oil lubricates much better. With this being said if you car drops a drop of oil every 100 feet when you put in synthetic it will now drop 5 drops in 100 feet because it lubricates better.
In the '70's when my Early '30 was my daily driver I added a Frantz oil cleaner. I changed the element every 2,000 miles and added oil. The oil stayed clean, Checked by putting a drop off the dipstick on a piece of blotter paper, and after a year when I changed it I took a quart to my local Big Rig shop and they had it analyzed. The owner called me and told me that oil was perfect and there was no reason to change it.
Just for giggles take the dipstick from your modern car and put a drop on a piece of porous paper and hold it up to the light.
http://www.frantzfilters.com/
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