Date: Wed, 15 May 2024 18:53:51 -0500
Reply-To: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Oil change interval
In-Reply-To: <SJ2P222MB0972761CEA563620AC735438A0EC2@SJ2P222MB0972.NAMP222.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM>
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I agree Dennis. The main reason that modern engines last 10+ times what they did in the seventies and eighties is due to the improvement in engine oil, not advancements in metallurgy or anything else. I changed oil at 7500 mile intervals on my 1990 Vanagon and the engine was in superb shape when I let it go at 270k miles. I am a thousand miles shy of 400k with my 83 diesel camper, with over 20 years of ownership at 7500 mile oil changes. Why waste petroleum, no matter what part of the engine it is used in?
Jim
Sent from my iPhone
> On May 15, 2024, at 6:15 PM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> If you read the owner's manual, even back then the recommendation for both conventional and synthetic oil was 7,500 miles. For Fun Bus, while I did ad an oil cooler almost immediately after purchase I have been on a 7,500 mile interval, most of the time. Using Mobil 1 15w-50 or for the last few years 5w-50 for winter. At 354K the engine, head gaskets and all have outlasted 2 transmissions and the rear chassis. It is off the road due to separation of the right side rear trailing arm mount.
>
> For my 91 van that I acquired 5 years ago, at 248K the engine had heads replaced at 168K and had a burned valve when I got it at 248K. I replaced the 1 vleve, tossed in a set of rings for good measure, now has over 300K and running strong. With a GoWesty oil pump and yes an oil cooler it still holds excellent oil pressure usually about 45 psi highway speed, 10-15 idling.
>
> Anyway, to really determine how often oil needs to be changed you need to do analysis. For the Vanagon, the end of oil life was usually nitration, at about 7,500 miles when I used to do testing. From experience with other Vanagons coolant contamination would sometimes be found. The Vanagon cylinder materials and with a properly working fuel system wear and fuel contamination is not really a problem.
>
> And even if not using a "synthetic" conventional oil is much better today than it was in the 80's.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com> On Behalf Of Dan N
> Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2024 11:38 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Oil change interval
>
> Hi All...
>
> For a 2.1 WBX... 30+ years ago recommended oil change interval was 3K to 4K miles. Since oil quality/composition evolved, is it safe to do oil changes at 8K to 10K miles? This is using Conventional Oil (not Synthetic).
>
> Thank you..
>
> dan
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