The Oil Life Rule of Thumb

With the miles on my truck and the fact that I’m towing the maximum load it’s rated for, coupled with the data from the last 3 oil analysis, my truck is much happier at 3k-4K oil changes. As @rcalexander105 said it’s cheap insurance. Cost me $35 for fresh oil/filter and peace of mind. I’ll take it.

Can’t sleep, re-read this thread and realized I misunderstood. Based on this math (which I didn’t do or understand earlier) it’s actually dead on to what my oil analysis seems to prefer.

6qts x 50=300
300x10mpg=3,000 miles.
 
You kinda have to change it regularly on a HEUI injection engine. Lots of sheering going on with the oil and it gets worked pretty hard.

That is...unless you're @rockcity ...right? :D How long did your old 6.0 PSD go without an oil change?


I owned it and put over 200k miles on that truck. Changed the oil 4 times. Only major issues I had were injectors going bad around 310k miles and the FICM.
 
I owned it and put over 200k miles on that truck. Changed the oil 4 times. Only major issues I had were injectors going bad around 310k miles and the FICM.
I also watched you scrape oil off the dipstick at Dpg...then say. Yes I need to change the oil this week
 
Youd be surprised to see the oil change interval of an over the road tractor that will get 1mil plus miles before an overhaul... It's more than double that.

Yeah, but they hold 10-15 GALLONS of oil.
 
Yeah, but they hold 10-15 GALLONS of oil.
A 6.0 holds 4 gallons.
An OTR truck engine is 15 liters.

It’s an equal relation
 
A 6.0 holds 4 gallons.
An OTR truck engine is 15 liters.

It’s an equal relation

Not really. My 5.9 holds 3 gallons.
 
All you guys whose trucks HOLD all this oil...how do you keep em from leaking? :p
 
Not really. My 5.9 holds 3 gallons.
Ok so the equivalent would be 7.62 gallons...but then again your B is de-tuned factory.
 
May be false equivalence since the duty cycle is much different for equipment engines, but our 9L engine holds 7.1 gallons of oil and has a 500 hour change interval.

I think my GTO computer always showed around 35mph average over a standard drive cycle, so using that ... its the same as a 17.5k change interval.

I guess YMMV is appropriate here.
 
I've got a '11 suburban 1500 and an '07 camry, both renowned oil disappearers. They each get topped off so often I never really need to drain it, just change the filter once or twice a year.
 
I have an early 6.7, so it leaks regularly. :lol:
All you guys whose trucks HOLD all this oil...how do you keep em from leaking? :p

I thought when it stops leaking, thats when you added oil. lol

When i was in highschool i had a honda 400ex 4wheeler. When it stopped smoking it would be at the add mark on the dipstick and was time to add oil.
 
All you guys whose trucks HOLD all this oil...how do you keep em from leaking? :p

Not sure why but this made me flashback to college, but it did. I drove from Knoxville to Atlanta for a fooseball tryout. At that point in time my 79 Bronco still had the original 351M...the thing only ran on 5 cylinders...literally...nice big holes/cracks in 3 pistons. Over that trip, I easily consumed 4gallons of oil...and actually had to start supplementing with trans fluid about half way back...I ran out of oil and had a case of type F, figured some sort of lubrication is better than none at all.
 
Not sure why but this made me flashback to college, but it did. I drove from Knoxville to Atlanta for a fooseball tryout. At that point in time my 79 Bronco still had the original 351M...the thing only ran on 5 cylinders...literally...nice big holes/cracks in 3 pistons. Over that trip, I easily consumed 4gallons of oil...and actually had to start supplementing with trans fluid about half way back...I ran out of oil and had a case of type F, figured some sort of lubrication is better than none at all.
I had a 70 F100 w a 240 I6 one time that leaked oil from every orifice. Young and dumb and tired of putting oil in it so I dumped a quart and 1/2 of 90W in it.Slowed down the leaking and ran just fine..... until it didnt.
 
I think that with all of the change the oil talk the other fluids really get left behind. Everyone KNOWS to change the oil but most feel like a mystery for the other fluids.

I just say this because I've got my self in a bind twice over the last two years after not changing other fluids in a timely manner.
 
I think that with all of the change the oil talk the other fluids really get left behind. Everyone KNOWS to change the oil but most feel like a mystery for the other fluids.

I just say this because I've got my self in a bind twice over the last two years after not changing other fluids in a timely manner.
I don't think I've ever intentionally changed brake fluid just to change it. Maybe I should:confused:
 
I don't think I've ever intentionally changed brake fluid just to change it. Maybe I should:confused:

Same here, had this discussion the other day, I’ve never flushed it but if I changes a caliper or line a good portion of it gets pushed out so I’ve never worried about it. It’s a sealed system so I’ve never thought “100k miles, I need to flush my brake fluid”

Not saying I shouldn’t, perhaps I should. But I never have.
 
The only vehicle I have followed the recommended change intervals for all fluids is my wife's car, and that's only because it has lifetime warranty. We actually plan to keep it long enough that I don't want the warranty co to have an easy out if we have to make a claim.

Duane
 
I don't think I've ever intentionally changed brake fluid just to change it. Maybe I should:confused:
Few ever do, but there is a helluva reason to. Same reason you never save a partial bottle of brake fluid.
 
Few ever do, but there is a helluva reason to. Same reason you never save a partial bottle of brake fluid.

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Few ever do, but there is a helluva reason to. Same reason you never save a partial bottle of brake fluid.

Ummmm. Me and all my partial bottles of brake fluid like an explanation please lol
 
It draws in moisture which changes the chemical composition and makes it less good. If the container is well sealed you will be ok. If its a racecar where you are constantly pushing the heat limit of the fluid its not a good idea. For a typical DD I wouldn't sweat it.
 
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