Oil change question.
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this is one of them million dollar questions everyone has there view
odds are the oil is just fine and you can even test it to prove it
BUT oil is rather cheap too?
the issue with time passing and not so much use or miles, but just age!
is a lot depends on how its stored
condensation can play into things, and then there is always the question of HOW hard was the ATV used in the few miles/hours added to it
I never go by just miles or hours on anything I own, I change oil based more on how hard IO use something and HOW in general I use it, and always by how it actually looks
things can happen in short amount of time to RUIN oil
water in it, fuel in it, (worse yet dirt in it) or over heating it and so on!
I have tractors that see an oil change about every 10+ yrs, and never had a issue
but there also things I don't use much or really care about L, as there 50-60+ yrs old and I got my moneys worth out of a few times over already! LOL
Also, I don't see them the same way I see an ATV
smaller motor, and see more extremes for my way of using them!
odds are the oil is just fine and you can even test it to prove it
BUT oil is rather cheap too?
the issue with time passing and not so much use or miles, but just age!
is a lot depends on how its stored
condensation can play into things, and then there is always the question of HOW hard was the ATV used in the few miles/hours added to it
I never go by just miles or hours on anything I own, I change oil based more on how hard IO use something and HOW in general I use it, and always by how it actually looks
things can happen in short amount of time to RUIN oil
water in it, fuel in it, (worse yet dirt in it) or over heating it and so on!
I have tractors that see an oil change about every 10+ yrs, and never had a issue
but there also things I don't use much or really care about L, as there 50-60+ yrs old and I got my moneys worth out of a few times over already! LOL
Also, I don't see them the same way I see an ATV
smaller motor, and see more extremes for my way of using them!
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I concur with mrbb, age/duration must be accounted for in these units. I have taken a screen shot of the service manual for a Rancher and notice, km/miles as well as 12 months are factors to be considered. I rarely put more than 25-50 miles on my units annually but the oil gets changed yearly, plus it gives you an opportunity to look the machine over for other potential gremlins.....
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I agree with mrbb. It really depends on how hard you ride it and how many miles you put on it. I ride my bikes a lot and I ride them very hard, the rev limiter gets used a good amount. I change my oil 6-7 times a year. That may sounds a little overkill, but it's better to be safe than sorry later. I don't have a mile counter but if I did I'm sure it would be over 500-600 miles a year, easily. Everyone has their own opinion and there own view on this topic, take it with a grain of salt, as they say
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there is a thread on this forum, i thought it was here, on R&M page.. no matter the miles or hours, a good time is when it gets dirty.:yeahbaby01: water in the oil is usually whitish to gray, though i have seen some different color's, gas in the oil thins it, if you can smell it, that might help. better to be safe than sorry. how well you sleep at night, the expense of being wrong, that sounds like my territory.
It is stored inside when not in use and even though it's used on the farm, it is not ridden hard. The oil still looks almost like it did when I put it in. I know oil is relatively cheap but it feels almost crazy to change it when I've hardly put any miles or hours on it. Thanks for the replies.
Wayne
Wayne
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Every 100 hours as per the FSM.
After being stood for a longtime, depending why quality oil was used, some can separate, you’ll get a thick gloop at the bottom and a runny liquid up top, that runny liquid will be the first to run around the system. If condensation has come in to play then that will now be sat at the bottom of the crankcase so would be an ideal time to change as it will run out nicely.
For the sale of a few dollars and 5 minutes I’d change it, just for peace of mind.
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I too would change it once a year no matter what , Sam stole some thunder from me with the condensation aspect -------- think about it like this ,you rode 20 hours last year , and say you ride 20 again this year , so next year you would ask the same question ?
I change mine every 5 trips , which might be any where from 15-20 hours , over kill , maybe , but I do ride in extreme conditions , oil is cheap compared to a upper job or a crankshaft / connecting rod
I change mine every 5 trips , which might be any where from 15-20 hours , over kill , maybe , but I do ride in extreme conditions , oil is cheap compared to a upper job or a crankshaft / connecting rod
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Wayne,
Glad to see the conclusion and confident changing the oil will give you a peace of mind regarding this decision.
Glad to see the conclusion and confident changing the oil will give you a peace of mind regarding this decision.
I got the oil and filter changed so I'm good for another year. I used Rotella 5W-40 again. I also rubbed the dirt and dust off of the engine while I had the cover off. I will say that I'm not a fan of the one piece cover. I always have problems putting it back on and getting the little pegs back into the rubber grommets.
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You can apply some Silicone grease to the rubber grommets...
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We all have our "value systems." I value peace of mind, so I concur with alloutdoors.
Good suggestion which I will try next time I have the cover off. Most of the problem seems to be getting the cover in the correct place so that the posts are near the rubber grommets. They don't seem to line up a lot of the time.
I used to always change my oil on my cars and trucks at a year unless they exceeded the miles during that time but since I've retired and don't drive as much anymore, I sometimes go longer than a year. My 2014 Mustang GT is the only one that still has some drivetrain warranty left so I make sure I change it once a year regardless if I only put a few miles on it. The warranty goes out in August and so I will probably extend changes on it after that. I changed the oil in it in November and have not driven it since.
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Interesting you mention cars and extended oil changes. I have to cogitate more on a situation for my own fleet now and have been considering it for a while, i.e., the idea of changing oil once per year or 20K miles.
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ONLY IF your ON THE HIGHWAY doing all highway driving. For all other driving stick to your manufacturers advice.
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I just got my new rubi in Oct, did the first service within 2 weeks, broke the engine in with reg honda oil, at 1000 km I switched to Rotella T-6 and I'm going to go off the hr meter for this change because of the riding condition and the type of oil.
If I followed the book by kms I would do around 4 a year, but when you do @lot of field or dirt road riding your mileage can go up fast, but your hr meter barely ticked.
But for me a yearly oil change is mandatory here on my farm.
If I followed the book by kms I would do around 4 a year, but when you do @lot of field or dirt road riding your mileage can go up fast, but your hr meter barely ticked.
But for me a yearly oil change is mandatory here on my farm.
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