motor earl

[broox]

I have an old chevy tahoe that leaks a little oil. I have heard people say "I don't change the oil, just the filter every six months" I have always thought that was just lazy, until today when that is what I did. I have had the tahoe about two months, used three quarts, and gone about two thousand miles. I need a couple of you guys to tell me to quit being a lazy bum, or if just changing the filter is acceptable. Thanks, Brooks

[EssOne]

Well, if I understand your situation correctly, you're driving a thousand miles a month, leaking a quart of oil every 660 miles, or roughly a quart every 20 days. That means that in a five quart engine you'll leak all five quarts in roughly 100 days, which is well under the traditional maximum change interval of every six months. Because of your high consumption you are essentially running on clean oil all the time, so why change it? I would do just as you did today. I'm a real nut on keeping clean oil in my engines, but it seems to me you would be using new oil to replace oil that is darn near as clean. Naw, I'd just change the filter. IMHO. Edited July 7, 2015 by EssOne

[Caster]

I had a '80 Malibu station wagon that used a quart a day. I never took the drain plug out the whole time I had it. Bought the best filter they made and spun on a new one every 10K or so. Oil was always clean. Why waste it?


No, you're not lazy. Edited July 7, 2015 by Caster

[musicman]

Ditto EssOne.

However... that's going through oil fast, isn't it?! Is it all over your driveway or getting burned up due to worn rings?

[EssOne]

Ditto EssOne.

However... that's going through oil fast, isn't it?! Is it all over your driveway or getting burned up due to worn rings?

That much oil going through the rings would smoke like he was running on green wood. Rear main bearing oil seal? Edited July 7, 2015 by EssOne

[nightrunner]

Well, aside from actually fixing the problem to where it doesn't leak any oil...

I'd go filter only. Did it before on a 99 suburban I had. Everything else on the truck was so shot that it wasn't worth fixing, so I just added oil as needed.

[A.J. Holst]

Burning a quart ever 1000 miles or so smokes less than you think once the engine is warm, watch your oil level and quality of oil on dipstick and change filter as warranted.

If you're leaking a quart and a half per month, well, isn't that like simply pouring it down a storm drain?

[FUJIMO]

Ran a couple with the FILTER ONLY method. Worked until they blew,lol.

[Oh Shoot]

I ran a '62 Dodge Dart at least 50K miles that way. Burned just about exactly a quart every other fill up. At some point I quit changing the filter too. Maybe if I hadn't would have gotten over the 225K or so that it did.

 

- OS

Edited July 8, 2015 by Oh Shoot

[Fivestring63]

Mine uses about a quart a month. No leaks, doesn't really smoke. All I do is change the filter.

[Sam1]

Particles settle on the bottom of the oil pan and it doesn't matter if it's fresh or old oil, they get picked up and put right back through the system.  

 

We all look at it in different ways - somebody says grandpa used to do it every 2,500 miles and had drove that 1955 chevy from 1937 to 1996 with no issues.. and other people will say they just topped it off and let the angels keep their share and never had an issue.

 

I think you'll see trouble with whatever is causing the leak well before you see any trouble from not draining an oil pan though.

[Monkeyman2500]

Do you know where it's leaking? Might be an easy fix.

[EssOne]

.....................I think you'll see trouble with whatever is causing the leak well before you see any trouble from not draining an oil pan though.

Yeah I think so too.

[broox]

It is making a little mess in the driveway, but nothing I can't live with. It is leaking, I don't think it is burning it. It is a 2001 model with 270,000 miles. Today was the first time I really crawled around under it and looked. I am not really knowledgeable about car repair, but it does not look like the rear main seal. The oil looks like it is coming from above that area. Valve cover gaskets, if I am lucky. I am not real motivated to fix it, but I will poke around under the hood later.It has a skid plate, which I will have to remove to get a better look. Thanks for the advice! Edited July 8, 2015 by broox

[2.ooohhh]

If it needs a simple seal and it's not hard to do I'd just go on and get it over with you'll save money in the long run on the cost of oil. My last valve cover gasket was only $18 from the dealership. I will say that my beetle burns about a quart every 600 miles, but I haven't repaired it b/c the fix is a new engine due to the rings on cylinder #2. I have the new engine here on a stand half complete, still buying parts here and there but it should be ready to go in with the new transmission right about the time I hit 200k.  :2cents:

[NextExit]

Tighten down the valve cover bolts. Easy to do and it'll buy you time til you feel motivated. ;)

[10-Ring]

I had one once that was so bad I put the used oil from everything else I owned in it. But it was one of those beater cars that I felt I had gotten more than my monies worth out of already.

[musicman]

One other thought... you might play with moving the oil weight up a step or two to the top of the recommended weight for the motor. These days most manufacturers spec super light stuff for economy.

I'm not sure what Chevy was doing in 2001, but theoretically a heavier oil is made up of longer molecular chains and may not seep through seals as much when cold versus a lighter weight smaller-chain oil. Edited July 8, 2015 by musicman

[Spiffy]

You can take a picture of a Long tractor and put it on the wall and it will leak oil.

[Caster]

Any older Harley's will too!

[EssOne]

I used to work in a Chevron station back when they were service stations and we put cars up on the rack and serviced them............in those days you dared not get under a Corvair without a cap on or it would give new meaning to the term "hair oil." Man those thinks leaked!!

[Fivestring63]

One other thought... you might play with moving the oil weight up a step or two to the top of the recommended weight for the motor. These days most manufacturers spec super light stuff for economy.

I'm not sure what Chevy was doing in 2001, but theoretically a heavier oil is made up of longer molecular chains and may not seep through seals as much when cold versus a lighter weight smaller-chain oil.

Yes, I do this. Move up to higher weight of oil on higher mileage cars. Meaning the oil is thicker and will help with sealing up the wear on the engine.

[xjsnake]

Please get the leak fixed. I like my drinking water without oil in it.

[Sam1]

Any older Harley's will too!

 

Rumor has it that the oil companies are the ones that helped HD design their engines for free!

 

;)

[Spots]

Any older Harley's will too!

If it's a Shovel head or older and it's not leaking oil, it's empty. Helicopters leak like a sieve. Every bird on our flight line had large stains underneath it. We used to always tell guys not to panic unless it stops leaking.

Sent from the backwoods