I find our Rockland Maine Prompto to be very attentive in their under the hood inspections (can't check my auto tranny) of filters and fluids.
Their summer and winter windshield wipers are high quality and cheap and they can put them on in about a minute.
I've never waited longer than 3 or 4 minutes.
I don't let them put the little sticker on the windshield.I bring it home and put it in the "Maine Accent" box where all oil changes and service life live for my Hyundai Accent.
Book says oil can go to 7,500 miles,but I like every 5k because it's so easy to see the change coming at every 30k,35k,40k and so forth and 7500 seems a bit long.
7500 is fine..
In motor oil it is the additives that breaks down..n need to be changed..
There life span has been improved over the years...
Me cousin Tom...
Has never changed the oil in annah of his vehicles...
Just adds to them..
I think he is nuts...
But he dose get a full life out of them...
Edited by - STUD figmo Al on 12/03/2025 05:26:23
I started my own ^^ "experiment" (?) one time. The test case was a '71 or '72 AMC Gremlin I bought new. But at about 15,000 miles I decided I'd rather have a '73 Barracuda, so that was that. Things were okay at that point.
But I did have one vehicle that got the "just add oil" treatment, but I went a step further ... only added used oil. It was an old [early '50s?] 3-ton Dodge truck that had started life as an air force bus >> then a neighbor's grain truck >> then my dad's grain truck >> then my round-bale hauler. When my dad got it from the neighbor an engine overhaul was being considered, but for whatever reason never panned out. By the time I got it it was leaking oil all over the place. But I only used it for a week or two each year, so it was easier/cheaper to just add oil .... and I wasn't about to pour new oil through it .... fill it to start, a couple of quarts at lunch time, a couple more mid-afternoon.... started and ran okay, so .... leave well enough alone?? It went for $1300 in our farm auction in 2000. 
I change every 5k as much for the easy figuring on the odometer as the miles.
There's also the 100k/10 year warrantee on my Hyundai's drive train.
If I took the oil to 7500 someone as forgetful as me might not notice that the last change had gone to 8500 giving Hyundai a leg to stand on in a warrantee claim.
quote:
Originally posted by STUD figmo Al7500 is fine..
In motor oil it is the additives that breaks down..n need to be changed..
There life span has been improved over the years...
That is what they tell us... I have been unable to prove it true, especially under shear conditions.
Edited by - pinenut on 12/05/2025 09:37:39
The biggest reason for longer oil life was the advent of electronic fuel injection.
No more pumping the gas pedal to start (raw gas washing down the cylinder walls and into the crankcase oil turning it into cutting oil.
And EFI is the reason we're seeing any reasonably tended vehicle approach/exceed 300k miles these days.
Modern FI calibrated the exact amount of fuel to combust without ANY extra going down past the rings.
If I pull the stick on my Hyundai with 5k on the change it looks just like the day it went in new.
Any of my carbureted cars or trucks would be quite dark to nearly black oil by 3500 miles due to gas wash.
Edited by - steve davis on 12/05/2025 13:25:22
quote:
Originally posted by steve davisThe biggest reason for longer oil life was the advent of electronic fuel injection. No more pumping the gas pedal to start (raw gas washing down the cylinder walls and into the crankcase oil turning it into cutting oil. And EFI is the reason we're seeing any reasonably tended vehicle approach/exceed 300k miles these days. Modern FI calibrated the exact amount of fuel to combust without ANY extra going down past the rings. If I pull the stick on my Hyundai with 5k on the change it looks just like the day it went in new. Any of my carbureted cars or trucks would be quite dark to nearly black oil by 3500 miles due to gas wash.
Errrrr,,,, the biggest reason(s) for longer oil and engine life is switching from bushings and flat rockers/tappets to bearings, tighter tolerances, better static/dynamic balancing, and more consistent materials in the engines.
Edited by - pinenut on 12/05/2025 16:00:02
quote:
Originally posted by pinenutquote:
Originally posted by STUD figmo Al7500 is fine..
In motor oil it is the additives that breaks down..n need to be changed..
There life span has been improved over the years...That is what they tell us... I have been unable to prove it true, especially under shear conditions.
True nuff...mebee...
There have certainly been great improvements in materials and systems to get us where we are now concerning the longevity of the car engine,but uncontaminated oil is the foundation that's been built on.
And that purer oil is being delivered much better now.
quote:
Originally posted by steve davisThere have certainly been great improvements in materials and systems to get us where we are now concerning the longevity of the car engine,but uncontaminated oil is the foundation that's been built on.
And that purer oil is being delivered much better now.
Steve, if gas fouled oil is a problem in an engine; the carb is setup wrong or broken and/or the engine is worn beyond it's service life. This was never an acceptable condition all the way back to early flat-heads.
Edited by - pinenut on 12/05/2025 22:34:22
quote:
Originally posted by STUD figmo Alquote:
Originally posted by pinenutquote:
Originally posted by STUD figmo Al7500 is fine..
In motor oil it is the additives that breaks down..n need to be changed..
There life span has been improved over the years...That is what they tell us... I have been unable to prove it true, especially under shear conditions.
True nuff...mebee...
Run the modern automotive oils in an older engine with bearing surface type lifters and rockers; get back to me after you buy a new cam. The new automotive oils are not better; it's the engines.
The solution is 15w40 diesel oil or fancy $$ additives from the old car supply shops.
This is a well known/documented thing for those of us using older engines.
Edited by - pinenut on 12/05/2025 22:48:34
Agreed,Kam.
A carb can't scan and adjust the fuel in the moment like computer sensored FI.
A well set up Holley 750 double-pumper is a fine thing,but it's limited to one setting for everything;no matter the changes in need.
We got our cams and everything else including aluminum heads with canted valves for sbc's.
Built a '64 4 bolt,1.94 single-hump heads.
It was exhausting through the carb with a worn out cam.We got all our parts from New England Speed Equipment.I made 2 parts runs from So. Portland to Boston in my '63 Bel-Air 230-6.
We were very pleased with the Crane Compu-cam.Anti-pump up hydraulic lifters were preferred over solids for longer life and a break from periodic adjustments.
But the best old-school build is limited to its initial one-way set-up.
A modern computer finetunes everything 100 times a second to always stay with only using the least amount of fuel (among many other things) as required.
I'll end with compare the color of engine oil at 5k miles changes between a carbed daily driver and a modern Hyundai (or other) daily driver.
People can adjust carbs many different ways and tend to run best a touch on the rich side,imo.Not finding fault with that.They work great,but they have to work with a single set-up rather than all the options a computerized system has to optimize so many parameters.
Edited by - steve davis on 12/05/2025 23:46:22
quote:
Originally posted by steve davisAgreed,Kam.
A carb can't scan and adjust the fuel in the moment like computer sensored FI.
A well set up Holley 750 double-pumper is a fine thing,but it's limited to one setting for everything;no matter the changes in need.
Yup, that usually equates to better fuel economy with fuel injection.
And, how are you awake? it's 11pm and past my bedtime; that's like, 2am in Maine...
Edited by - pinenut on 12/05/2025 23:15:30
I meant to have a cup of decaf green tea and drank an Earl Gray instead.
quote:
Originally posted by pinenutquote:
Originally posted by STUD figmo Alquote:
Originally posted by pinenutquote:
Originally posted by STUD figmo Al7500 is fine..
In motor oil it is the additives that breaks down..n need to be changed..
There life span has been improved over the years...That is what they tell us... I have been unable to prove it true, especially under shear conditions.
True nuff...mebee...
Run the modern automotive oils in an older engine with bearing surface type lifters and rockers; get back to me after you buy a new cam. The new automotive oils are not better; it's the engines.
The solution is 15w40 diesel oil or fancy $$ additives from the old car supply shops.
This is a well known/documented thing for those of us using older engines.
I actually run 15-40 fleet oil..in most every thing I run..
The only one I do not is the key truck..10-40 in that...that is what the dealership said to run in it..
But I suspect 15-40 would work too..
So…you say my ‘64 f100 with 56k should have 15-40 diesel? I change once a year around 1k. The seasonal temp swing isn’t an issue with 15 40?
quote:
Originally posted by stevebsqSo…you say my ‘64 f100 with 56k should have 15-40 diesel? I change once a year around 1k. The seasonal temp swing isn’t an issue with 15 40?
Not really ...
quote:
Originally posted by stevebsqSo…you say my ‘64 f100 with 56k should have 15-40 diesel? I change once a year around 1k. The seasonal temp swing isn’t an issue with 15 40?
Iff you are changing the oil every 1000 miles you may get away with the modern automotive oils, I don't know for sure and personally, I don't take that risk anymore.
Very strong, yes; use 15w40 or the shear additives $$ from the old car supply places like "Chev's of the 40's".
The seasonal temp swing is negligible in the lower altitude Pacific Northwest and I haven't had issues with 15w40 at the ski resorts either. If it became a problem I would use the additives for the cold weather and run the less expensive diesel oil in the warmer temps.
In smaller 4cyl and motorcycle engines the 15w40 slows the rpm ramp up/down a little bit, not a complaint, just an observation. Yes, the diesel oil has the right properties for most wet clutches (deep dive into the data sheets)
Either one will allow the older generation cam/engine to have a typical service life.
P.S. Nice ride, I like the older Fords best; don't tell, I'm technically a Chevy guy.
Edited by - pinenut on 12/06/2025 18:46:21
There have been studies over the years using city cabs and State vehicles comparing brands,weights and pricing of all olis available at the time of printing and found no meaningful difference in engine wear between expensive synthetics and bottom of the bucket straight weights.
My Hyundai calls for 5-20 year 'round.
I always use their synthetic "blend" because that is what has been put in it since birth.
$30 seems like a fair deal at Prompto and I didn't have to deal with getting under the car and then taking the mess to our transfer station...I have enough other chores.
I really like the 5-20 weight for knowing it's getting deep into tight clearances.
Whatever oil is used will work fine if it's the right weight and not left in there too long.
In the winter I put a quart of 10w in with the straight 20w in my '57 Ford tractor.Around every other year I dump a pint of Marvel Mystery in.
Edited by - steve davis on 12/08/2025 17:12:30
