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Originally Posted by kmkindred
Not overdue for an oil change whatsoever - in fact oil still looks pretty darn clean, but I want to do it right .............
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OK, you seem like a pretty logical fellow so let's approach this with some simple logic.
The whole thing about insisting on having FRESH oil in the crankcase during a 3-4 month storage period never made much sense to me. Agreed that it shouldn't be DIRTY oil but it seems to me that anything less than 1/2 the recommended change interval IS pretty much fresh oil. One wouldn't worry about having oil that age in the bike if you ride it once in a while over a 4 month period. I can't see what the difference really is. :??:
In addition, during storage the oil is ...where? In the bottom of the crankcase. There is a light film on the upper parts but most of it is in contact with .......only the PAN. Do I worry about contaminated oil eating a hole in the pan? Take a guess. :biggrin:
And finally, from personal experience:
I have a John Deere riding mower that is probably about 15 years old now. In the summer, it mows about 7 acres of grass once a week. That is a LOT of mowing. My wild guess on the equivalent number of highway miles is about 150,000. I have NEVER changed the oil in the fall. I use synthetic in it but still it's due (or over due) for a change at storage time. Instead, I change it after the first use in the spring. It is on it's third set of tires, a couple of deck bearings, several sets of blades, some cracked and welded frame members, a stripped starter clutch.............BUT.........the engine is still going strong, with no sigh of excessive oil useage (add a couple of Oz sometime mid-season) and no strange noises or difficulty starting.
I expect that the engine will outlive the frame, etc. and that the engine would be in no BETTER condition had I changed the oil in the fall for the last 15 years. Just my opinion, of course.