Really - D U M B - Engine Design !!

   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #21  
I top off my oil cans with my extra oil.
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #22  
For some of us oldtimers who remember the days of the thousand mile oil change, and it was a rare engine indeed that made that thousand miles without adding a quart or two, it's hard to adjust to these 10,000 mile oil changes. And we used to check the oil EVERY time we bought gas, and now . . . . Well, my 2017 Escape now has 4,036 miles on it, and I decided I ought to check the oil a couple of days ago. . . still full. MY 2012 Escape now has 87,489 miles on it and been 2,183 miles since its last oil change . . . . still full. And neither one is dripping any oil on the garage floor. Yep, they really are building them better than they used to.
Same here, none of my vehicles use any oil between changes. Unless I am under the hood filling the WS washer reservoir, I never even check the oil between changes. No leaks and no engine uses oil, not even my lawnmower uses any oil between yearly changes although I do check that before each use.
They sure don't make them like they used to and I am glad to an extent. They sure don't make it easy to service any engine now though with the oil filter crammed into the tightest spots and air dam covers having to be removed just to get at the filter. I helped my neighbor change oil in his Jeep Cherokee Laredo and it took an hour or more just to get everything off and back on. Oil changes used to take me no more than 10 minutes from start to finish up washing my hands.
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #23  
Yep, Gary, I was accustomed to doing all the service on my vehicles, including tractors, myself until I had to move back to town some years back, and now I just let my Ford dealer do it. It's not too expensive since it doesn't have to be done as frequently.
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #24  
I remember an old garage/mechanic that had made himself a rack or tree (for lack of a better description)...that would hold a dozen or more of the old quart oil cans than you pressed a snout down through the top to open and pour...the "tree" was basically a bunch of funnels that let the little bit of oil left in cans to drain down into a collection tank...
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #25  
I remember an old garage/mechanic that had made himself a rack or tree (for lack of a better description)...that would hold a dozen or more of the old quart oil cans than you pressed a snout down through the top to open and pour...the "tree" was basically a bunch of funnels that let the little bit of oil left in cans to drain down into a collection tank...

I know exactly what you're talking about. We used the same 'system' on the farm for those old metal quart cans.

Here's a google image of a store bought modern version.

IMG_1967.JPG

Terry
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #26  
When I change my oil, I just dump till it quits pouring. I don't stand around waiting for the bottles to drip dry into my engines. That leaves quite a bit of oil in the bottle, so I always setup my empties to drain the last little bits of whatever clean oil there is into a single bottle. It then gets used for lots of stuff. It honestly doesn't take draining many "empties" to make a full bottle. Not worrying about getting every drop from every bottle while filling the engine also ensures it doesn't overfill.
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #27  
We are taking a little "road trip" tomorrow. I need to check the oil level. Driving the 1979 Mazda RX-7. That rotary engine is just a variation on a 2 cycle engine. It sips oil from the crankcase by design. Call it a quart every 2000 miles.

But, Something to keep up with between oil changes. ;-)

NOT a "variation on a 2-cycle engine".
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #28  
NOT a "variation on a 2-cycle engine".

Well, perhaps a matter of interpretation.

But ..consider the similarities.

Ported by the moving "piston".
The active chamber "fires" every time it passes the ignition source (spark plug) There is no second exhaust cycle (four cycle) The process is continuous.
No lubrication to the sealing (rings) Apex seals except as provided by fuel charge.

To me, It's just a variation on a two stroke. Whether a weed whacker engine or a Detroit diesel. If it fires every time it passes GO and is piston ported, That's close enough to a two stroke to be a variation on the theme.

Talk to Otto, Talk to Diesel they will help with the "four strokes". Felix had other ideas.

You must realize there is no requirement for "crank case pumping" to be qualified as a two stroke. A blower does the job without conflict.
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #29  
Well, if all the oil went in the motor, it would get used and then go to recycle!

What's the difference if you send the little unused oil to recycle now?? It's gone either way!!

Over the years, I've seen more motors that "don't" use all the oil in every qt. to fill, than did.

SR
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #30  
I'd find better things to worry about. If only not holding as much oil as I thought it should was the worst design flaw I encountered I'd be one happy camper. If it makes you feel better I can only find 15-40 oil in gallons or larger and none of my diesels hold an even gallon.
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #31  
Just save that fraction of a quart from every oil change. Eventually you will have enough for a "free" oil change.
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #32  
Lately I have been taking my cars to Walmart for their up to 5 qt $47 Mobil1 oil and filter change. I still do the truck and tractors of course, but that price is hard to pass up.
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !!
  • Thread Starter
#33  
Lately I have been taking my cars to Walmart for their up to 5 qt $47 Mobil1 oil and filter change. I still do the truck and tractors of course, but that price is hard to pass up.

That is a VERY reasonable price,, I would pay that IF I could see the jug being dumped in the engine., :confused:

I use a place to do mechanical (brakes, power steering pumps, etc,,)
they use one 55 gallon drum of oil for ALL oil changes.

They offer no choice of synthetic, or specific weight.
they said 99% of customers never ask what the oil is.:eek:
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #34  
That is a VERY reasonable price,, I would pay that IF I could see the jug being dumped in the engine., :confused:

I use a place to do mechanical (brakes, power steering pumps, etc,,)
they use one 55 gallon drum of oil for ALL oil changes.

They offer no choice of synthetic, or specific weight.
they said 99% of customers never ask what the oil is.:eek:

Nor does it truly matter, so long as it's "good" oil.

All this "Ford is better than Chevy", "Pensoil is better than Chevron" BS is just that, BS!

Change oil and filter every 4-5K, keep up between changes, and the engine will out live YOU!

Please, Show of hands from ANYONE that has had a lubrication related engine FAILURE due to oil Qualities! PLEASE! EVEN ONE!

What NO ONE???? ..................................Low oil levels do NOT count.

I run "Store brand" 10-40 in everything but the two cycles. That is no less than 31 "piston/cylinders plus 2 rotors.

Over 500 K combined miles and thousands of off road hours.

Give it a break. "The Best OIL", DOESN'T matter.
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !!
  • Thread Starter
#35  
Nor does it truly matter, so long as it's "good" oil.

All this "Ford is better than Chevy", "Pensoil is better than Chevron" BS is just that, BS!

Change oil and filter every 4-5K, keep up between changes, and the engine will out live YOU!

Give it a break. "The Best OIL", DOESN'T matter.

My issue is the car manufacturer specifies synthetic, 0W-20 weight,,,
and
the oil change interval is 10,000 miles.

If you use conventional (non-synthetic) oil, and change every 10,000 miles,
enough fuel mileage reduction will occur to have paid for the synthetic oil.

I am willing to play the manufacturers 10K oil change game,,
I just wish the oil pan would have been sightly larger.

That extra 0.4 quart may have upped the oil change to 11,000 miles :eek:

:laughing:

:thumbsup:
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #36  
I run a 2 quart tolerance. I can't imagine .4 quart being a big deal. An incline would change the oil level significantly more.
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !!
  • Thread Starter
#37  
I run a 2 quart tolerance. I can't imagine .4 quart being a big deal. An incline would change the oil level significantly more.

I use a minus 1-2 quart tolerance on my ten quart capacity diesel,,

These new engines have so many sensors,, the car might email my wife if I over-fill,,, :rolleyes:
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #38  
I use a minus 1-2 quart tolerance on my ten quart capacity diesel,,

These new engines have so many sensors,, the car might email my wife if I over-fill,,, :rolleyes:

Yup!

The AR type are rewards to themselves. ;-)

Tell the e-mail sender to FO!
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #39  
Now that I have so many engines to maintain I am keenly aware of oil levels, and I think there is too much variability to even trust the quoted numbers. What if Honda made it an even 5 quarts? I bet that number would only be true under some ideal condition.

I had to change the lower unit gear oil on my outboard motor recently, and Yamaha quoted "1.03 quarts" as the replacement amount. If anybody can do a change accurate to 0.03 quarts, let me know! More likely is that they converted from some metric number and kept too many decimal places to matter. Anyhow, I could only get in slightly less than 1 quart (with engine vertical as instructed) before it dribbled out the top opening. I am sure there was a little of the old gear oil left down in the prop shaft hub area of the case that would have drained if I played with the motor trim angle and waited long enough, but I was doing this work from an inflatable raft under the boat hanging on a lift and I wasn't in the mood for games.... I figure I put in at least 0.95 quarts and that was obviously close enough according to gravity and the laws of physics.
 
   / Really - D U M B - Engine Design !! #40  

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