mcditalia
Well-known member
I usually run good grade synthetic in the summer time, amsoil, redline. To cut costs i wanted to use a conventional oil during winter storage months when it doesnt get used. Anyone see a detriment to doing this?
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I usually run good grade synthetic in the summer time, amsoil, redline. To cut costs i wanted to use a conventional oil during winter storage months when it doesnt get used. Anyone see a detriment to doing this?
It is not logical that you would put new non-synthetic oil in you car just to store over Winter. After all, it's just going to sit in the bottom of the oil pan. Now, when you drain that unused oil in the Spring and do your synthetic oil change, what are you saving? Where does your unused new dino oil go, in the can? Hope not.
I suggest you just drain your old synthetic (if it is time), install new sythetic and let that sit in the bottom of your pan over Winter. Then, at least, you'll be ready to go when the new driving season arrives. Savings? 5 quarts of dino and labor for that fill.
Whatever happened to the either mileage or time rule? If its going to sit for 6 months + wouldnt condensation build up in the engine and drain in the oil pan?
For a period of time less than a year or so, changing the oil for winter storage is a waste of time and oil.
As long as you are using a high-quality 10W30 engine oil, change the oil and filter according to your normal oil drain interval or annually, whichever comes first.
When it comes time to store the car for the winter, worry more about a good car cover, keeping the fuel tank full, avoiding rodent infestations and rust formation in the brake hydraulics.
Guess ive been wasting oil for the past decade or so. I got to be honest i never heard using oil for a year if i dont reach the mileage.
(snip)
I have always changed my oil in the spring because I worried about condensation developing over the winter months.
Although I didn't store my car in my own garage which gets pretty cold in the winter, the place where I stored my car
was only ~45 degrees all winter long.
If you don't start the engine during winter storage, the physics that result in crankcase condensation won't exist. Change the oil prior to storage, and leave it alone; when Spring comes, just drive it. Don't over-think this stuff - engines aren't "delicate".
Oil is not the same as when I was a young man.
Check this website <http://www.substech.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=engine_oils> for complete information on the properties of current engine oil. The following was quoted from The Substances and Technology web page.
If you have any concerns about oil or just need to know more than you ever wanted to know about oil take a short trip to STEVESNOVASITE.COM and jump to their Forums,> Body, Chassis and Mechanical,> Driveline and Performance,> Flat Tappet Warning,Lack of ZDDP in Modern Oils. (ZincDialkylDithioPhosphate) The thread started in Dec. 2007, encompasses 30 pages and is exhaustive in scope. It will take quite a while to read through, that thread has answered any of my questions about oil and related wear.
My son has a 1964 Chevrolet Nova and I spend some time on Steve's website.
Mark.