first oil change mileage

LDB · Dec 12, 2007

With a new truck engine when do you do the first oil change? Do you go the full interval mentioned in the manual or do you do the first one sooner? If you do it sooner how do you decide when to do it? Would your decision vary any depending on engine maker?

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riverrat2000 · Dec 12, 2007

I have always done the first oil change at 1/2 the normal recommended time whether in a lawn mower,car of truck gas or diesel figuring that there was enough time to get everything seated but not enough for any particles that came loose during the process to do much damage.
I build vw motors for sandrails and in that process we use a drill to turn the pump for 15 minutes,drain the oil add fresh, bring the motor up to temp,drain the oil add new including a new filter,then run for one hour and do a complete oil change again before we even install the engines in the frames, a bit excessive, probably but we are also taking a block that originally produce 35 to 40 hp and build them to produce 300+ hp one that was dyno'ed at over 600 hp of course that motor didn't last long, lol

ATeam · Dec 12, 2007

When we purchased our Volvo brand new, we did the first oil change at 5,000 miles, as recommended by our dealer; though, even if he had not recommended it, we would have done the same thing.

Before the truck was delivered, it had a higher number of cold starts that it would not have after delivery. The cold starts happen when the truck sits in the yard for days at a time and then is pulled into and out of the the shop for one thing or another (sleeper install, reefer install, truck body install, dealer prep, and other such things, including moving the truck around the yard to get it out of the way of others at times.

Also, a brand new engine will throw more metal particles into the oil than a broke-in engine will, as piston rings seat and other components wear in. In theory, the oil filters should take care of the particles. Still, given the investment we were protecting, an early oil change made sense.

davekc · Dec 12, 2007

I would agree. Somewhere between 5000 and 7000 miles. It really isn't the miles, but how many hours and cold starts.

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Broompilot · Dec 16, 2007

5,000 the same time as if it were an Automatic Transmission.

Than put on a Bypass Oil system.

greg334 · Dec 16, 2007

Cold starts?

someone explain???

riverrat2000 · Dec 16, 2007

I believe another term would be dry starts

LDB · Dec 16, 2007

It works out for me to get it done at 4900 very conveniently and without taking any time away from available status. I was thinking somewhere in the 5-8k range so this works out well. All my documentation with the engine says 25k intervals. I'll probably do the next one at 25k, which will be 20k since this change, with an oil analysis and work my way up in 2500 intervals to find the point getting the full lifespan of the oil. I'm also going to look into bypass systems at MATS and probably get one right after that.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
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Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
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