Should I change the oil or just the filter.

[DBoyd]

Changed the oil and filter back in July - 2012. Used Rotella T6 and a Fleetguard filter. Might have put 500 miles on it just driving it on the highway after I wash it monthly. Should I change the oil or just the filter? Just did change the brake fluid and clutch fluid and the power steering fluid.
Thanks.

 

[lpennock]

Change the oil it starts breaking down the minute it is installed from oxidation. Normal recommendation is to change yearly even if you haven't reached mileage. With so few miles you could skip the filter but why?

 

[Doubleclutch]

Check out the postings on "6 month oil change" in the 4th gen forum. Lots of conversations, and bottom line... yes.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

A lot of the baddies getting into the oil are not filtered out--too small or chemicals like acids. Definitely change oil and filter.

 

[Grizzly]

Always change oil and filter at the same time. Changing one without the other is like taking a shower and putting your dirty underwear back on.

george

 

[LFalconer]

You can always turn the underwear inside out for another day Change the oil filter like the others have said. Even on tractors that may have 75 hours in a year, I always change both. Otherwise you are leaving 2 qt of old oil to mix with the new. Cheap insurance I'd say..

Luke

 

[RustyJC]

Just food for thought and perhaps discussion - on our large industrial engines, we change oil filters based primarily on filter differential pressure (the pressure drop across the filter elements) and change oil based on lube oil analysis results. On one particular model of engine, this approach results in filter changes about every 2000 operating hours and oil changes about every 4000 operating hours.

On our Rams where neither is normally monitored, I change the oil and filter together, as others have said.

Rusty

 

[Jim W]

On some heavy duty machine engines the oil is never changed as we know of it being changed. The filters are changed every 500 hours of operation and the engine oil is mixed at a ratio with the diesel fuel and burned off in the combustion chamber. The oil level in the engine is monitored and replenish as needed from an on board reservoir tank.

Jim W.

 

[RustyJC]

On some heavy duty machine engines the oil is never changed as we know of it being changed. The filters are changed every 500 hours of operation and the engine oil is mixed at a ratio with the diesel fuel and burned off in the combustion chamber. The oil level in the engine is monitored and replenish as needed from an on board reservoir tank.

That's also the case with many of our 2-cycle integral engine/compressors, although their filter life is substantially longer since they are fueled by natural gas. When possible (depending on the process gas), the compressor cylinder and compressor rod/packing lubrication is provided with lubricant drawn from the crankcase, and the power cylinders are also lubricated by oil injected into the bores, so there's constant oil make-up taking place to the crankcase which keeps the additive packages sweetened. Again, lube oil analysis is the key in these situations, and analysis will tell if the sweetening rate is higher than the additive depletion rate. Filter life is again primarily determined by filter differential pressure.

Rusty

 

[jwduke]

Always change oil and filter at the same time. Changing one without the other is like taking a shower and putting your dirty underwear back on.

george

I like you anology, George... LOL!

 

[DBoyd]

Hey RustyJC
Are you referring to the Cooper Bessemer engine/compressor?? I spent many hours working on those outfits and even more operating them. Quite a setup!!

 

[DBoyd]

Thanks everyone for the replies and I will go ahead and change oil and filter. Good points all.
Don