2yr OCI with boutique oil

[JLTD]

Thanks for explanation, makes more sense now. But:

Originally Posted by parshisa
Btw, he's not in us therefore there's no easy access to UOA.



He has access to mail I am sure....someone can mail him a sample kit, and it can be mailed back in....

 

[parshisa]

Sure, at a cost of 3 oil changes lol. Nah, when i told my dad we probably should change that oil he gave me a look like what the heck are you talking about son haha

 

[JLTD]

Of course it is totally your choice, and his. Best of luck!

 

[DGXR]

Originally Posted by Oliveoil2
2 years is easy as long as you keep it topped off. I've gone 4 years on a garage queen (6k total) with synthetic. I just make sure that when I do drive it, I drive it 40-50 miles.


Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Agreed...I have no scientific basis for what I'm going to say but I'm of the opinion that getting the car out for a spirited run every so often a) burns of any moisture that may have found it's way into the engine case and b) keeps a nice coat of oil on all things metal so as to mitigate corrosion and future dry starts....


This is really the key here. There's a reason "short tripping" use is considered severe service and requires more frequent oil changes.
I think this car will be OK for 2 years with the boutique oil if it's being driven to full temperature and kept there for at least 10-15 minutes on a regular basis. It doesn't have to be every time -- the occasional short trips here and there are OK -- but if it's not regularly kept at full temp for a while, that's when you flirt with problems. Above 180F is where motor oil does its best cleaning, and also steams off any condensation or other moisture. Considering the way your father uses this car, I would run whatever synthetic blend meets the required spec and change it once a year.

 

[burla]

If you want some insurance you can always do what us truck drivers do when we don't feel like changing our oil, use a tbn booster at about the 60% point of the interval. I know bg moa will serve that function, but you don't want to put that in a di turbo if that is what you have, I didn't see or don't remember if you said the engine. Other wise be more safe then sorry and change your oil a little more.

 

[330indy]

Use Redline, and if you heat up the oil on extended drives (like an hour or more), it will last ...
and the ester polarity helps it stick to the metal even after drain down.
Dry starts are not an issue even for a rarely driven garage queen. You can go years with it, w/low mileage

 

[FCD]

Originally Posted by demarpaint
I've run non-boutique oil longer than that, drive on.


Me too, 5000 miles / 2 years on Group 1 20W-50 Dino oil

 

[parshisa]

Great advice here, thanks folks.

What about ATF fluid? Would that be wise to do a fluid swap at this point due to the age of the same?

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by 330indy
Use Redline, and if you heat up the oil on extended drives (like an hour or more), it will last ...
and the ester polarity helps it stick to the metal even after drain down.
Dry starts are not an issue even for a rarely driven garage queen. You can go years with it, w/low mileage

So when a race team pulls the plugs and lubes the cylinder prior to starting an engine that has sat, they must not have spoken to you about dry starts not being a "thing"???

Or how about when Mobil describes (on it's website) one of the benefits of using their oil filters is minimizing "dry starts", I guess they also must not have consulted with you in re "dry starts"???🤔

Engines that are run routinely will keep a good film of oil on their internal components between uses. This film allows the engine to spin over and start, before oil pressure is established and mitigating engine damage. However, engines that sit between uses like classic cars and specialized equipment, this film of oil can dry out as oil drains from the engine and leave the engine unprotected (insufficient film) Over time repeated dry starting can cause significant engine damage.

 

[Navi]

Im going to be honest and direct. Some cars really need a special oil but a Toyota Camry isnt one of them. I would juat go to Walmart and pickup your favorite bottle of full synthetic and go by the factory change interval.

 

[330indy]

Cars that sit a long time have better odds with ester oil in the crankcase due to its polarity /attraction enabling it to coat the metal surfaces .... better than any other formula