Re: Oil life - Semi synthetic, etc.

["Paul Misencik" <paul@domain.elided>]

I'm a little uncomfortable with these ultra-long oil change intervals,
because no matter what the condition of the oil itself and no matter how the
filter LOOKS when cut open, I am still not convinced that it's good to risk
the possibility of impurities floating around through the system.  All the
data demonstrated here is impressive, but leaving oil in my car for 7500
miles or 10,000 miles would still freak me out.  I'd wake up in the middle
of the night sweating profusely.  Maybe I'm just indoctrinated, but here's
my experience with one vehilce I owned:

I bought a Ducati 900 SP brand new in 1997.  I drove the bike home and ran
it around the neighborhood for a week or so to show off for my neighbors,
and then, with less than 80 miles on the bike, I changed the oil and filter.
The oil came out golden and beautiful - just like new - but there were metal
filings in it.  This is obviously residue from assembly, but it spooked me
nonetheless.  The filings did not appear to be trapped down in the sump, but
rather suspended in the oil itself.  They were very, very tiny, but I could
run the oil between my fingers and feel it.

Two hundred miles later, I changed the oil and filter again, and there were
still filings in the oil.  Fewer, to be sure, but some.  Eventually, after
about four oil changes in the first 1000 miles, they were seemingly gone,
but the whole thing had a profound impact on my attitude towards oil change
intervals.

With bypass oil filters, not all of the oil is being filtered all the time,
and changing the oil has a sort of "flushing" effect on the whole system.
The oil itself might not be breaking down, and the filter itself might not
be losing effectiveness, but that doesn't mean that there is not value to
changing the oil.

But again, it's not a scientific opinion, just my personal one.

Paul Misencik
P. Roman Media
Huntersville, NC  28078
email: paul@domain.elided
www.paoloroman.com
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