Crankcase Oil

[ChevyMan]

Thought I'd mention about how often I drive my '76 Chevy, which is hardly any at all, meaning I drive it practically every other day to the stores and such places which totals 2 miles round trip, which comes to an average of 10-15 miles A WEEK!
Just a couple of weeks ago I changed the oil after driving a grand total of 365 miles, and you can't imagine how near-black in color it was. Oil is cheap at Walmart where a 5-qt container cost $17.88 before tax. I guess I'll be changing it again three months from now.

Thought I'd let you all know.

Thanks for listening.


Larry T

[MikeHalloran]

Yeah, two miles a day is really really hard service, because the oil never gets hot enough to boil off the condensed water in it.
That's why changing it on a time basis is a good idea in your case.
That, or fit a crankcase heater like those used on industrial engines, to maintain the oil at ~220F when you're not running the engine.

[Ken]

Mike is right, Larry. Your engine is never getting hot enough to preserve the lubrication qualities of your oil. Why not take the car for a good run at least once a week, Twenty to thirty miles of 50 -60 mph should be enough to boil off the accumulated water and acids, keep the battery in better trim and your engine and gearbox and electrics will thank you for it.

Ken.