Oil, Oil filter, Air filter & other maintenance

[Velocette]

I thought I'd just mention an article I read in the Velocette OC magazine by someone who had been on, or knew someone on the design team at Fram Filters.

In a nutshell, beware of changing oil filters more often than necessary. The particle size that the filter can trap reduces with age, which is an obvious benefit .If you discard the filter at say half design life you are opening up to larger particles again earlier than you need to and miss out on the most efficient phase in the filter's life.

I know this might go against some people's long held beliefs but it I am just passing on what I've read.

[Timnz]

I thought I'd just mention an article I read in the Velocette OC magazine by someone who had been on, or knew someone on the design team at Fram Filters.

In a nutshell, beware of changing oil filters more often than necessary. The particle size that the filter can trap reduces with age, which is an obvious benefit .If you discard the filter at say half design life you are opening up to larger particles again earlier than you need to and miss out on the most efficient phase in the filter's life.

I know this might go against some people's long held beliefs but it I am just passing on what I've read.

that makes sense, as the main reason for the short oil change schedule on the bongo is due to soot from burning diesel... I would guess that this would be very fine particles in the oil..

[Velocette]

I thought I'd just mention an article I read in the Velocette OC magazine by someone who had been on, or knew someone on the design team at Fram Filters.

In a nutshell, beware of changing oil filters more often than necessary. The particle size that the filter can trap reduces with age, which is an obvious benefit .If you discard the filter at say half design life you are opening up to larger particles again earlier than you need to and miss out on the most efficient phase in the filter's life.

I know this might go against some people's long held beliefs but it I am just passing on what I've read.

that makes sense, as the main reason for the short oil change schedule on the bongo is due to soot from burning diesel... I would guess that this would be very fine particles in the oil..

The article was about petrol engine oil filters but it probably true for most types of filter, not advice as I know bog all about diesels, just food for thought.

[mikexgough]

The jury is always out on Oils and Filters...... we know the Bongo oil/filter change recommendations and in today's modern petrol vehicles many run to 20,000 miles between oil/filter changes.
A neighbour of mine has a Diesel C3 Citroen, he sources his O.E filters via me and religiously changes the oil and filter every 3,000 miles, Citroen say 12,500 for the HDI engine but with my neighbour old habits die hard.
I guess there is no absolute as some owners can be more zealous and have the oil filter changed at every oil change even if not recommended. Many of the vehicles that pass my way are of the more mature years and the oil technology was not as good when they rolled out of the factory, but still owners stick to the book and change oil/filters at the makers intervals, even using fully/semi synthetic oils.... but they pay their money and who am I to argue. I changed a chassis for a guy and money was no object....galvanised chassis....stainless bolts etc....in fact everything done to preserve the vehicle for "life"...... could be seen as over engineered or stupidity but for me...yer pays yer money...
Whether your in the "do it by the book" or "the protect my interest" camps ..... you all have valid viewpoints regarding Oil and filter changes but really it's your choice....

[binky]

There are similar thoughts over in the motorcycle fora about K&N filters. Some people cite tests ( I can't) where a slightly dirty paper air filter traps much smaller particles than a similar K&N.
The 'used oil filter is more efficient' statement seems to make sense to me, but then so did buying a V6 Bongo over a diesel.

[Muzorewa]

I changed a chassis for a guy and money was no object....galvanised chassis....stainless bolts etc....in fact everything done to preserve the vehicle for "life"......

Some Land-Rover people do this and set up lovely electrolytic corrosion between the zinc and stainless steel. Some even have a stainless chassis made which doesn't corrode of course but fractures through fatigue earlier than a carbon-steel one would have done

When our Bongo throws its hand in I'll donate the engine to Ady for research - will be interesting to see what's worn and what would have lasted another trip to the moon

[mikeonb4c]

I changed a chassis for a guy and money was no object....galvanised chassis....stainless bolts etc....in fact everything done to preserve the vehicle for "life"......

Some Land-Rover people do this and set up lovely electrolytic corrosion between the zinc and stainless steel. Some even have a stainless chassis made which doesn't corrode of course but fractures through fatigue earlier than a carbon-steel one would have done

When our Bongo throws its hand in I'll donate the engine to Ady for research - will be interesting to see what's worn and what would have lasted another trip to the moon

...which has always been a slight concern of mine regarding s/s exhausts. Having said that, I've not heard any reports of Bongo s/s exhausts suffering fatigue/stress fracturing so maybe it isn't an issue with Bongo exhausts (provided fitted properly, with good vibration damping rubber hangers etc.)

Or maybe they just aren't old enough yet

[mikexgough]

I changed a chassis for a guy and money was no object....galvanised chassis....stainless bolts etc....in fact everything done to preserve the vehicle for "life"......

Some Land-Rover people do this and set up lovely electrolytic corrosion between the zinc and stainless steel. Some even have a stainless chassis made which doesn't corrode of course but fractures through fatigue earlier than a carbon-steel one would have done

When our Bongo throws its hand in I'll donate the engine to Ady for research - will be interesting to see what's worn and what would have lasted another trip to the moon

The chassis I did didn't go the stainless bolts route for anchoring the body due the corrosion Muz pointed out......just to clarify so I don't do a "Ken Clarke" in this build we also used aluminum bolts, cap heads etc for various fixings and over engineering the original car....the moral of my story is.....you can spend as much as the pocket allows and make your vehicle how you want it or think the makers should have made it..... The classic car fraternity is well up on "future proofing" their motors....bless 'em... although I must say some of the old skool maintenance wouldn't go amiss in many a modern workshop...

[mikexgough]

...which has always been a slight concern of mine regarding s/s exhausts. Having said that, I've not heard any reports of Bongo s/s exhausts suffering fatigue/stress fracturing so maybe it isn't an issue with Bongo exhausts (provided fitted properly, with good vibration damping rubber hangers etc.)

Or maybe they just aren't old enough yet

Mike.... My stainless is 18 months old.....no problems whatsoever .....the one I have is made properly and not a "heath robinson" affair and uses the Bongo hangers etc...... I am sure all the stainless exhausts out there are of similar quality and to be honest I have never heard of any aftermarket stainless exhaust suffering fatigue etc..... and I get to see a few of 'em...

[mikeonb4c]

...which has always been a slight concern of mine regarding s/s exhausts. Having said that, I've not heard any reports of Bongo s/s exhausts suffering fatigue/stress fracturing so maybe it isn't an issue with Bongo exhausts (provided fitted properly, with good vibration damping rubber hangers etc.)

Or maybe they just aren't old enough yet

Mike.... My stainless is 18 months old.....no problems whatsoever .....the one I have is made properly and not a "heath robinson" affair and uses the Bongo hangers etc...... I am sure all the stainless exhausts out there are of similar quality and to be honest I have never heard of any aftermarket stainless exhaust suffering fatigue etc..... and I get to see a few of 'em...

18 months!?!?!?! It's just a baby. My mild steel is older than that. And my house is MUCH older.

Only kidding. At the prices they offer them, if they lasted no longer than mild steel you wouldn't be much out of pocket. BUT, I'm sure you're right and they will last a great deal longer than mild steel. I'm considering s/s myself next time

[bikerider]

One other thing to remember about oil is that its hyroscopic (not sure i spelt it right but it mean absorbs water) so your oil is deteriating from the moment its pured in no mater how little miles you do.

[Jaws]

One other thing to remember about oil is that its hyroscopic (not sure i spelt it right but it mean absorbs water) so your oil is deteriating from the moment its pured in no mater how little miles you do.

I guess you meant hydroscopic and that is certainly true of certain types of brake fluid: not sure it applies to engine oils although judging from the mayonnaise effect sometimes seen on dodgy vehicles it could be the case.
As it happens I have run at least three petrol cars on a 'junk' basis ie bought cheap and run 'till they dropped. No oil change, definitely no filter changes, just fuel in the tank. All lasted about two years and were scrapped due to failures unrelated to the engine!
On the other hand my Bongo is quite precious to me and is already more than 12 years old so I choose to cosset it. I can't quite buy the idea that a new filter each oil change is unnecessary except on grounds of economy. Why make a filter that works better when it's partially clogged? In my (other) experience this restricts flow (a bad thing) and may lead to bypass. OK the manual says alternately but it doesn't say "do not" change the filter! I take the point that in a diesel it may be that oil degradation is the more important issue but will continue to change both as long as I can afford it!