Whats the best way???

[joelyn]

switching from reg oil to synth. oil (first time). m/h has been sitting for about 3 months without starting in about 50 degree weather.
will i get a better drain of the reg. oil by just pulling the plug and draining and refilling with synth. or should i start it up and warm the oil up before pulling the plug.
which way should i be able to get most of the reg oil out?
oil in there only has 2500 miles on it,i always change it between 2500 and 3000.

[dieselclacker]

Joelyn, assuming the engine was hot when you last shut it off three months ago, I would just pull the plug. It has had all this time to drain down into the sump. Not to worry about any condensation at 50 degrees.


Dieselclacker

[mfire1339]

Joelyn,

I always drain engine oil "Hot".

[DriVer]

Blackstone Labs our oil sampling sponsor always recommends that oil be brought up to its operational range before draining. Bringing an engine up to operational range is accomplished best when you get the vehicle out on the highway and put some load on the engine for a brief period of time.

Running the engine up to operating temperature and then draining will make sure to scour and bring with the drain any moisture and other contaminants that may be resident in the engine when left idle over extended periods.

If you do want to see how well your engine is doing at this point e-Mail for your FREE sampling kit. You will be able to baseline your previous dino oil strategy to your new synthetic strategy.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

[dieselclacker]

To each his own, if it was shut off hot and allowed to set for three months at 55 degrees, I can see no advantage to getting the engine up to temperature AGAIN and letting it drain. 55 degrees storage temp will cause no significant moisture in the engine. My opinion, and I too am sticking to it until proven differently.

Dieselclacker

[paz]

I always drain hot as well. Warm oil has lower viscosity and will drain more completely. Right after the engine has been run, some of the contaminants will also still be in suspension and will drain out with the old oil instead of being left lying at the bottom of the pan.

[dieselclacker]

The only oil that is drained from the engine is oil that is in the oil pan sump. If the oil was allowed to drain completely from the upper end of the engine while the engine was hot, how can it get contaminated setting for a length of time in the sump? And if it does somehow get contaminated, how does firing up the engine and redistributing the contaminated oil thru out the engine possibly give one a better oil change? If you think about it, most oil changes are performed by owners, and dealers when the engine is hot as a matter of convienince. What business has time or facilities to allow a unit to set before draining the oil?
I would agree completely with not wanting to drain the engine of its oil when the engine has not been thoroughly warmed up. I disagree that the fact the engine has set for a length of time after being shut before changing the oil is somehow harmful to the engine. I do agree that the oil sump will drain more completely with a hot engine.

Dieselclacker

[John-D]

The answer to that is too long for me to type but the short answer is this: You asked the wrong question.

I would not worry in the least about contamination of the oil IN THE SUMP when I'm draining it out and disposing of it, I mean, it's going away so who cares if it is contaminated (The Recyclers perhaps).

Now the oil I do not want contaminated is the FRESH oil I am going to pour into the engine

OK, here's the deal

As the engine sits epically in the winter the engine gets hotter and colder due to the actions of sun and weather. It might get as warm as perhaps 70-80 degees and as cold as minus 50 depending on where it's parked

Now. as this happens the metal expands and contracts, it "Breaths" (Takes in and exhausts air) via various vents, including the crankcase vent. This air carries with it moisture and may carry other contaminates as well.. Sometimes this moisture will condense out inside the engine and coat things

Warming the engine up to operating temps gets rid of this, any dust or rust is flushed out and drained away

Thus contaminating the old oil.. which is headed to the recyclers. and preventing contamination of the FRESH oil which you wish to keep clean and fresh

[dieselclacker]

John-D, read the original post. The motorhome was stored for three months at 55 degrees temp, not the temps you state. I believe condensation is the contamination you are referring to, and it will not happen at the temperature mentioned by the OP. Also, don't know how your engine is sealed, but mine has a sealed crankcase vent system, and the liklihood of dust entering the engine thru that is nil.
As I stated before, to each his own. I put in 37 years as a mechanic and auto service owner, and have torn down and seen torn down many hundreds of engines.Engine oil gets contaminated from NOT changing the oil on a regular basis, and NOT from changing the oil hot or cold. Just my opinion and expierience on the subject.

Dieselclacker

[TandW]

In the old days we'd pull the top pan and reset the the valve lash, clean the gunk and sludge from the pan the rockers and the head and rod out the oil drains. Then we'd drain the oil and refill with kerosene and idle it for 5 minutes. Then we'd change out the filter and drain the oil a second time. We used some of the used kerosene to burn out the engine breather afterwards. It was more funnerer when we were youngerer!!

[Whaler]

TandW,was that a steam engine?????

[TandW]

Only when alcohol was in the radiator!!

[joelyn]

ok, here is the scoop from Blackstone. i called them today and explained what i listed above about changing the oil to a synth. and they said to LEAVE the engine off. DO NOT START the engine to warm the oil, just pull the plug and let it go.
not saying thats the right way but i think they know more than me so i will do it like that tomorrow.

[ichn2go]

Well, I just gotta add my two cents worth.

I think really its a matter of whatever floats your boat. Speaking of boats, since you have to suck the oil outta the dip stick tube on a boat,it works much better if the oil is hot. Now I am talking inboard pleasure boats up to 40 feet. Not Yachts or Aircraft carriers.

Seems to me that hot oil will drain better and not leave as much residue in the pan as cold oil would. Yup, there will be dirty oil in the engine and sometimes it helps to let it set 10 minutes to drain back into the pan.. The oil will still be hot. Since I am 300lbs 6'2" and every time I get my behind lower than my knees I am in big trouble, I drive it to a garage (oil hot) and other times a mechanic comes to the house (oil cold).

Now on the boat I always sacrifice a quart of new oil after getting most of the old oil out and that sucks out even more old oil. I don't think that either way is going to kill your engine. JMHO and thats that...Everyone be safe.