Motoring forum twinged my conscience re:maintenanc

bellky, Dec 31, 9:46pm
yes tightening issue aside, i use a z79x because is it smaller than z148x but i change that filter at 1000km - i wouldn't use the smaller filter on anything i expect to go for 10k before changing
bellky, Dec 31, 9:52pm
filters aren't made of cast iron ay. pretty easy to bend the tin insides out of shape when tightening down on a thread - think how a vice works. that's why it says on fitting instructions to turn only so far once mating surface contact is made
brokebloke1, Jan 1, 3:44am
i change the oil in all my cars and bikes every 5000-6000 km if they need it or not my father who was a mechinc for 40yrs always said its cheap insurance for the motor. and as mugenb20b said they motors always run much better too.
mugenb20b, Jan 1, 4:16am
Very good point. What you say makes perfect sense, but it's hard to imagine that the filter construction near the threaded part is that weak.
whqqsh, Dec 31, 5:57am
Ive known for ages I should change the oil in my AU coon, but Ive fallen into the 'look after the toy cars, forget about the daily driver' trap. So oil & filter bought today & started thinking how long have I had the car (which I knew already had a very dodgy service history) yet havent done anything except brake pads, a radiator & heater hose. oops, bought just before married. married 2 years, so checked mileage oops again, Ive done 38,000kms! & its showed as the strap wrench started crushing the filter, it was so rusty on the underside it was like tissue paper. my sins confessed & work done I feel better now & wonder how time flies & these things happen when I used to be the 'over-maintenance' type! BTW plugs & leads next week & work through the rest of the usual list
bellky, Dec 31, 6:00am
it's a ford - it'll be saweeet
whqqsh, Dec 31, 6:03am
I am amazed how well its done, lots of heavy towing, big loads (station wagon chocka), pulled stumps out from around the property & a hoon driver thats never grown up.
bellky, Dec 31, 6:33am
this is why i love coons and coon drivers.
mugenb20b, Dec 31, 6:42am
What was the old oil like!
whqqsh, Dec 31, 6:43am
a lot thinner than I thought it would be (almost watery), but you dont get much blacker
bellky, Dec 31, 6:49am
i wonder if it was fuel diluted! (blowby)
mugenb20b, Dec 31, 6:53am
I did an oil change on our Odyssey earlier today, 11k since last service. It always amazes me how much smoother the engine runs with fresh oil (when you drive the car that is).
bellky, Dec 31, 7:16am
i read on a forum somewhere recently where a person was talking about a study of bypass oil filters and how they switch to bypass on average at 5500kms. so if that were true you could have been driving on unfiltered oil for 30 odd thousand kms.
mugenb20b, Dec 31, 7:35am
I can't see how.
bellky, Dec 31, 7:44am
did you know that tightening a bypass filter too tight will switch it to bypass!
mugenb20b, Dec 31, 7:49am
How!
bellky, Dec 31, 7:57am
bit hard to explain. i was dubious when i heard that so i took one apart to see how it worked. and now i'm a believer
mugenb20b, Dec 31, 8:09am
The thing is, the difference between a correctly tightened and over tightened filter is less than 2mm. Those 2mm can't be enough to make a difference in filtration. Oil flows around the outside of the filter media, goes through it and back to the engine through the centre of the oil filter. I might cut open an old oil filter tomorrow and have a gander.
mugenb20b, Dec 31, 8:20am
I wonder if the same aplies to switching to a smaller size oil filter, yet both tightened correctly. For example a Z411 can be used in place of Z142A, but Z411 is physically smaller.