Can Too Much Oil Damage Your Motor?, Mechanic Added Too Much Options

[windforfun]

Ran it for about 1 hr prior to draining excess oil. The motor is a "73 1.7. Thanks.

[emerygt350]

I do notice some different behavior as far as oil temp and pressure depending on filter. I mean, it is the most critical health component of these engines so a little attention here goes a long way for longevity, Particularly when you race it.

[Superhawk996]

I do notice some different behavior as far as oil temp and pressure depending on filter. I mean, it is the most critical health component of these engines so a little attention here goes a long way for longevity, Particularly when you race it.

I was being playful but realize my flippant response may have come across as me being an (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bootyshake.gif) clown.

We can do a whole dissertation on Tribology. There are engineers that do only Tribology for their whole career.

Here's the thing. Keep you oil & filter changed regularly (let's just go with the old 3,000 miles myth) on an air cooled engine and life will be good - generally speaking.

On temperature -- temperature and viscosity go hand in hand. Use multi viscosity oil to help offset the effect.

To dig deeper, an oil filter really does nothing for you w.r.t racing. It will catch chunks -- that's about it. If you're seriously taxing your oil, change it every race if need be. The most important thing that you can do for any engine is to have the bearing clearances set properly when the engine is built - race engine or otherwise. Here's the thing about pro racing, the engine only needs to last one race.

With respect to filter size -- fill oil, start car, shut down car, let sit a couple minutes, then recheck oil level. Once the oil filter has filled with oil, and you recheck the oil level, the size of the filter become irrelevant. It could be 1 pint, or 1 gallon, you would accommodate the volume lost from the sump to the filter on the recheck.

With respect to oil pressure loss across various filter brands -- Yup - it's true. Lower filtration efficiency = lower pressure loss (generally speaking).

We could go on about oil & all the nuances. That is what I was joking about.

But the bottom line is -- don't make this too hard. Fill with oil (to mark on dipstick), go drive (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

And to address OP question on over fill . . . . if it is overfilled, drain some. You did the right thing (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif) Yet another good reason to do maintenance yourself . . . the world if full of dopes (IMG:style_emoticons/default/slap.gif) . . .. including me.

[bbrock]

Here's the thing. Keep you oil & filter changed regularly (let's just go with the old 3,000 miles myth) on an air cooled engine and life will be good - generally speaking.

Can you elaborate on this? I'm getting ready to do my first 3,000 mile oil change since rebuild which will happen regardless of answers here, but have been contemplating oil change intervals. Porsche recommended 5,000 mile oil changes with 50 year old single weight oil formulations. What's the rationale for shorter oil changes? More interesting, let's hear the myth busting. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif) My owner's manual says, "Under normal driving conditions it is unnecessary and uneconomical to change oil at intervals shorter than is described in the Service-Schedule of the Maintenance Record." And oil has advanced significantly over the 50 years since that was written.

[wonkipop]

Here's the thing. Keep you oil & filter changed regularly (let's just go with the old 3,000 miles myth) on an air cooled engine and life will be good - generally speaking.

Can you elaborate on this? I'm getting ready to do my first 3,000 mile oil change since rebuild which will happen regardless of answers here, but have been contemplating oil change intervals. Porsche recommended 5,000 mile oil changes with 50 year old single weight oil formulations. What's the rationale for shorter oil changes? More interesting, let's hear the myth busting. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif) My owner's manual says, "Under normal driving conditions it is unnecessary and uneconomical to change oil at intervals shorter than is described in the Service-Schedule of the Maintenance Record." And oil has advanced significantly over the 50 years since that was written.

back in the 60s and 70s in aus it was relatively common for folks with VWs to do oil changes at twice the recommended min intervals (5,000) VW specified. 5,000 miles was roughly twice a year for mileage in average use (and a lot of other cars besides VW had identical 5000m or twice yearly changes). 3 monthly changes were common amongst the fastidious. my mechanic back then, a german, was more specific with his views. his opinion was you had to keep the oil fresh in the australian summer. so i did roughly 3 changes. car was a daily driver. 1 at start of high summer and 1 at end then one in between. this was because oils were mineral based back then and they did break down when the engine ran hotter. and they did run hotter in summer down here. that was the reasoning.
i would have thought synthetic oils are better at not breaking down in use and can go further between changes. esp in colder winter months.

EDIT.
i should add i drove a type 3 squareback. type 3 suitcase engines were notorious for running hotter than type 1 beetles down here. so the advice from my mechanic was to an extent focussed at the type 3 specifically.

[bbrock]

i would have thought synthetic oils are better at not breaking down in use and can go further between changes. esp in colder winter months.

I've read that while synthetics don't break down as fast as conventional, they still get dirty so still should be changed at the same interval. I've always run synthetic in my cars and will do the same in the 914 after one more cycle with VR1.

Still interested to hear why @Superhawk996 calls it the "3,000 mile myth." I'm pretty sure there are some nuggets of wisdom he has to share.

[Superhawk996]

Still interested to hear why @Superhawk996 calls it the "3,000 mile myth." I'm pretty sure there are some nuggets of wisdom he has to share.

Thanks for the vote of confidence! But I doubt I'll change any minds. Oil is a religion.

The simple fact is that I call the need for 3,000 mile oil changes a myth because it is a myth. But you shouldn't believe me . . . I'm just a dope on the internet (IMG:style_emoticons/default/slap.gif) Sure I have an engineering degree and have done automotive engineering for 27 years but like I said, oil is a religion.

Let's start here:

Google all the major OEM's and see if you can find anyone recommending oil changes every 3,000 miles unless there is severe service. As @bbrock stated, even back in the day, the recommendation was 5,000. Most OEM's are right around 7,000 - 10,000 miles for normal use with Dino oil (see graphic pulled for F150). You will note there is a recommendation for a 3,000 mile interval only if Max towing is the normal service, and/or if the vehicle operates in severe hot or cold environment.

Let's also ask who is recommending 3 months or 3,000 miles. Turns out that is largely the Quick Lube place, or your mechanic. They even put a nice little sticker on your windshield to remind you to come back. Think they might have a vested interest in selling oil changes?

Finally, you can do some independent research and you'll come to the conclusion that there is a general consensus that changing oil every 3,000 miles is unnecessary.

So why did I recommend it in the prior post?

To (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stirthepot.gif)

To go with the flow knowing that this is "The Gospel of Oil" according to Quaker State.

Like the Hippocratic Oath - I believe in "do no harm" - a 3,000 mile oil change isn't going to hurt the car. I didn't want to offer advice that could hurt anyone's 914! The environment . . . that's another question. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

Air cooled engines run HOT! This is just a fact. Air cooled engines are really as much oil cooled as they are air cooled. Oil is washing over heads that are running at 350F. In the process, oil absorbs lots of that heat. It is not unexpected for air cooled engines to run oil temps in the range of 240F - 280F. That is hard on conventional Dino oil. So 3,000 mile change intervals with Dino oil are conservative . . . but safe.

Finally, the number one problem with conventional Dino oil is oxidation. Oxidation is caused by lots of things, #1 among them being heat. Other things like exposure to water (condensation) and combustion blow by are on that list. Got a carb running rich and washing down cylinder walls? - another oil oxidation source.

Exhibit 1
2021 F150 Maintenance Schedule.


I'll address the question about synthetics separately.