I have a small block street machine. It is never raced. I put less than 1000 miles a year on it. I use 20 w 50 not synthetic oil. My question is, should I change oil and filter every year? it is stored in winter thanks for the help

Change out the oil and filter right when you put it away
for the winter

yes change it, its cheap insurance

I personally would and have run low mile synthetic. I have not had a failure.
Doug

This is my preference also. Any acids etc that are in the oil shouldn't sit on the bearings for months at a time without running the engine.

I agree.. but run it after you change oil to coat everything with the fresh oil and flush any impurities from the cam and bearings...

I don't change my oil every year, just when the mileage dictates it. Been doing it this way since 1980s.

I have 14 trucks on my lot and some only see a couple thousand miles per year, they go years without oil changes and I have a couple 1990s truck since new and they are still running strong. Have never had a oil related failure in any of them and they work hard when they get used.

Then my 2 running muscle cars at home get treated the same way, at 5000 miles they get the oil changed. My one car that I don't drive much hasn't had a oil change in years.

I have been changing oil for a living for like 30+ pieces of equipment since 1983 and have never lost a motor period.


This motor ran 16500+ hours with extended oil changes, It was neglected a few times and ran way over the normal 500 hour oil changes. I took care of it since new in 2003.
I did a in frame because it was starting to experience too much blowby. That's from 16000+ hours of use not extended oil changes.

Don't waste your money is my suggestion. I'm in the oil business also.

I ran a 351 ford motor on LP gas for 10 years and did 20K+ mile oil changes on it with regular oil. Sold it with 200K+ miles on it and it is still running today and it is a 1980 truck. One of my neighbors owns it now. Yup LP gas runs clean and extended oil changes is OK and is why we run alternative fuels, to extend the maintenance on it, it worked.

We currently are running 3 V-10s and they get 10K mile oil changes with full synthetic oil in them for years now.

I have enough pride in my hot rod that I'll throw $50 to
it every winter... just for the sake of it... will it live
longer.. maybe.. but I'll do it... do I have junkers that I
dont change the oil on like the hot rod... sure.. and they get
driven a lot

I store my car about 10 minutes from the house for the winter. I change it a day or two before I store it and change it again as soon as I bring it home. Depends on how much I drive it in the summer if it gets one there too.

Water mixes in with oil from sitting from condesation, if your engine oil temps get hot enough (above 190 F) and ran long enough to evaporate the water acids will not be formed That being said synthetics may have a different reaction to water so all bets off on that I use to own and fly a small airplane thta had a 540 C.I. 260 HP opposed 6 cylinder air cool motor in it, the manufacturer recommended changeing the oil at 25 hours of ue with no oil filter and 50 hours with the filter. That airplane had a oil temp gauge in it with a thermostst for the oil line going to the oil cooler, the oil temps normaly ran between 195F to 220 F depedning on the outside air temps and how hard I made the airplane climb out, steeper was slower so that made the motor make higher oil temps I would send a oil smaple out for examination, one time I had flown the plane for less than 20 mintutes to get the oil warmed up before changing it, it was not hot out and the oil temps got up to 190 F but that sample came back with a comment about water in the oil I did run Mobil AV 1 synthethic in it until Mobil quit making that oil due to a class action lawsuit no that oil being defencient in many aspects of protection My motor ended up being sludge up really bad Using Marvel Mystery oil additive eventually cleaned out the sludge after 5 or 6 oil changes Make sure the synthetic oil your using is good in all departments