Re: Determining oil change intervals via analysis
 

JS wrote:

> Stubby wrote:
>
>> Matt Whiting wrote:
>>
>>> With a car, sure I'd just keep on driving it. Oil analysis can't
>>> predict with any certainty when an engine will fail. In a airplane,
>>> I'd have it torn down and inspected. However, this is much easier
>>> than with most cars. A good aircraft mechanic can rebuild the top
>>> end of an airplane engine in the time the car mechanic is getting the
>>> accessories removed from a modern car.
>>
>>
>> To rebuild a small airplane engine costs about $20,000 and takes
>> months. You don't want to do it unless you have good evidence that it
>> is needed.
>
>
> Hah. That all depends on how deep your pockets are. I've seen an
> engine exchange ($$$$$$) in a commercially-owned single-engine tri-tail
> bonanza. Total downtime was 3 days, but they prolly spent $25k on the
> job in the mid 90s.
>
> The biggest issue with general aviation aircraft is they're still using
> 100% manual engine controls. While our cars have advanced greatly in
> engine management, airplanes are still dicking around with mixture and
> carb heat knobs. All it takes is one descent with the mixture knob out
> to destroy an engine. Or you run overrich and get crappy economy and
> clogged up sparkplugs.

Not all airplanes. Check out Cirrus and other new designs.

Matt

Re: Determining oil change intervals via analysis
 

Matt Whiting wrote:
> Brian Nystrom wrote:
>
>> rmac wrote:
>>
>>> "dbltap" <DoubleTap@37.com> wrote in message
>>> news:1ucAg.2477$xp2.1947@newsread1.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
>>>
>>>> http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/02/d...-via-analysis/
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Interesting how some people spend $30 for an oil analysis in order to
>>> avoid a $20 oil change. hmmmm.
>>
>>
>>
>> Probably the biggest benefit of UOA is that it proves to people that
>> oils last much longer than many of them think. With any kind of luck,
>> it will convince people once and for all that changing your oil any
>> more frequently than the car manufacturer recommends is an unnecessary
>> waste of a diminishing resource. Any money saved is a secondary benefit.
>
>
> True, but during the warranty period it is the manufacturers that need
> to be convinced. I'd change my Hyundai oil at 10K miles if I wasn't
> worried about voiding the warranty. And with the 100K warranty, it
> means I can't start my 10K intervals for a long time.

Agreed. I was referring more to the people who are absolutely convinced
that they must change their oil more frequently than the recommended
7500 mile intervals.

Re: Determining oil change intervals via analysis
 

Matt Whiting wrote:
> Brian Nystrom wrote:
>
>> rmac wrote:
>>
>>> "dbltap" <DoubleTap@37.com> wrote in message
>>> news:1ucAg.2477$xp2.1947@newsread1.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
>>>
>>>> http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/02/d...-via-analysis/
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Interesting how some people spend $30 for an oil analysis in order to
>>> avoid a $20 oil change. hmmmm.
>>
>>
>>
>> Probably the biggest benefit of UOA is that it proves to people that
>> oils last much longer than many of them think. With any kind of luck,
>> it will convince people once and for all that changing your oil any
>> more frequently than the car manufacturer recommends is an unnecessary
>> waste of a diminishing resource. Any money saved is a secondary benefit.
>
>
> True, but during the warranty period it is the manufacturers that need
> to be convinced. I'd change my Hyundai oil at 10K miles if I wasn't
> worried about voiding the warranty. And with the 100K warranty, it
> means I can't start my 10K intervals for a long time.

Agreed. I was referring more to the people who are absolutely convinced
that they must change their oil more frequently than the recommended
7500 mile intervals.

Re: Determining oil change intervals via analysis
 

Matt Whiting wrote:
> Brian Nystrom wrote:
>
>> rmac wrote:
>>
>>> "dbltap" <DoubleTap@37.com> wrote in message
>>> news:1ucAg.2477$xp2.1947@newsread1.news.pas.earthl ink.net...
>>>
>>>> http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/02/d...-via-analysis/
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Interesting how some people spend $30 for an oil analysis in order to
>>> avoid a $20 oil change. hmmmm.
>>
>>
>>
>> Probably the biggest benefit of UOA is that it proves to people that
>> oils last much longer than many of them think. With any kind of luck,
>> it will convince people once and for all that changing your oil any
>> more frequently than the car manufacturer recommends is an unnecessary
>> waste of a diminishing resource. Any money saved is a secondary benefit.
>
>
> True, but during the warranty period it is the manufacturers that need
> to be convinced. I'd change my Hyundai oil at 10K miles if I wasn't
> worried about voiding the warranty. And with the 100K warranty, it
> means I can't start my 10K intervals for a long time.

Agreed. I was referring more to the people who are absolutely convinced
that they must change their oil more frequently than the recommended
7500 mile intervals.

Re: Determining oil change intervals via analysis
 

"Jim Warman" <mechanic@telusplanet.net> wrote in message
news:y8CAg.73932$B91.62546@edtnps82...
> So... I take it nobody has seen that this cross posting bastuhd hasn't
> replied to his thread????

Makes me wonder what the ulterior motive was behind the original post.

Re: Determining oil change intervals via analysis
 

"Jim Warman" <mechanic@telusplanet.net> wrote in message
news:y8CAg.73932$B91.62546@edtnps82...
> So... I take it nobody has seen that this cross posting bastuhd hasn't
> replied to his thread????

Makes me wonder what the ulterior motive was behind the original post.

Re: Determining oil change intervals via analysis
 

"Jim Warman" <mechanic@telusplanet.net> wrote in message
news:y8CAg.73932$B91.62546@edtnps82...
> So... I take it nobody has seen that this cross posting bastuhd hasn't
> replied to his thread????

Makes me wonder what the ulterior motive was behind the original post.

Re: Determining oil change intervals via analysis
 

In article <J3HAg.15775$Ju.2709@trndny09>,
Brian Nystrom <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote:

> I was referring more to the people who are absolutely convinced
> that they must change their oil more frequently than the recommended
> 7500 mile intervals.

"must"? No.

"Cheap insurance"? ABSOLUTELY. There is no cheaper insurance for an
engine than oil changes.

Figure out how much you want to pay for that insurance, and set your
intervals accordingly.

If you want to keep the car a long, long time, then 3K intervals (or
even 5K if you bought the car new and are using good oil) are extremely
cheap yet very effective insurance.

Re: Determining oil change intervals via analysis
 

In article <J3HAg.15775$Ju.2709@trndny09>,
Brian Nystrom <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote:

> I was referring more to the people who are absolutely convinced
> that they must change their oil more frequently than the recommended
> 7500 mile intervals.

"must"? No.

"Cheap insurance"? ABSOLUTELY. There is no cheaper insurance for an
engine than oil changes.

Figure out how much you want to pay for that insurance, and set your
intervals accordingly.

If you want to keep the car a long, long time, then 3K intervals (or
even 5K if you bought the car new and are using good oil) are extremely
cheap yet very effective insurance.

Re: Determining oil change intervals via analysis
 

In article <J3HAg.15775$Ju.2709@trndny09>,
Brian Nystrom <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote:

> I was referring more to the people who are absolutely convinced
> that they must change their oil more frequently than the recommended
> 7500 mile intervals.

"must"? No.

"Cheap insurance"? ABSOLUTELY. There is no cheaper insurance for an
engine than oil changes.

Figure out how much you want to pay for that insurance, and set your
intervals accordingly.

If you want to keep the car a long, long time, then 3K intervals (or
even 5K if you bought the car new and are using good oil) are extremely
cheap yet very effective insurance.

Re: Determining oil change intervals via analysis
 

"Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:_OpAg.2306$nU1.394@trndny03...

> >
> > But it doesnt prove it to me.
>
> Well, perhaps you regard ignorance and stubborness as virtues, but I
> don't. It never ceases to amaze me that people can look at scientific
> data that refutes their beliefs and just dismiss it because they don't
> like it. It takes all kinds, I guess...

No, I dont regard ignorance and stubbornness as virtues. There are a
lot of people who are impressed by apparently highly technical data
and specifications, and who really dont know what, if anything, it means.

Re: Determining oil change intervals via analysis
 

"Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:_OpAg.2306$nU1.394@trndny03...

> >
> > But it doesnt prove it to me.
>
> Well, perhaps you regard ignorance and stubborness as virtues, but I
> don't. It never ceases to amaze me that people can look at scientific
> data that refutes their beliefs and just dismiss it because they don't
> like it. It takes all kinds, I guess...

No, I dont regard ignorance and stubbornness as virtues. There are a
lot of people who are impressed by apparently highly technical data
and specifications, and who really dont know what, if anything, it means.

Re: Determining oil change intervals via analysis
 

"Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:_OpAg.2306$nU1.394@trndny03...

> >
> > But it doesnt prove it to me.
>
> Well, perhaps you regard ignorance and stubborness as virtues, but I
> don't. It never ceases to amaze me that people can look at scientific
> data that refutes their beliefs and just dismiss it because they don't
> like it. It takes all kinds, I guess...

No, I dont regard ignorance and stubbornness as virtues. There are a
lot of people who are impressed by apparently highly technical data
and specifications, and who really dont know what, if anything, it means.

Re: Determining oil change intervals via analysis
 

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 16:09:12 GMT, John Horner <jthorner@yahoo.com> wrote:


>The big value of doing an occassional oil analysis is to catch
>mechanical problems when they are small and before more damage is done.

On every change, put a drop of oil on a piece of glass and check it under a
$2 10x eye loupe in strong light. You can easily see metal fines in the oil,
most of which are normal. You can determine if they're ferrous or
non-ferrous by passing a magnet underneath the oil drop. If you see larger
particles than normal, better get it checked out.

I'm guessing that antifreeze can be detected in oil with a $5 dollar black
light in a darkened room.
--
Bob

Re: Determining oil change intervals via analysis
 

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 16:09:12 GMT, John Horner <jthorner@yahoo.com> wrote:


>The big value of doing an occassional oil analysis is to catch
>mechanical problems when they are small and before more damage is done.

On every change, put a drop of oil on a piece of glass and check it under a
$2 10x eye loupe in strong light. You can easily see metal fines in the oil,
most of which are normal. You can determine if they're ferrous or
non-ferrous by passing a magnet underneath the oil drop. If you see larger
particles than normal, better get it checked out.

I'm guessing that antifreeze can be detected in oil with a $5 dollar black
light in a darkened room.
--
Bob