Another Oil Q-Tip

Well, here I go again with more thoughts about oil. With a last name of Quibble and ideas everyday and all-day everyone who knows me isn’t surprised when I say, “ I have an Idea” and these ideas have come to be known as “Q-Tips”.

This will be a BONUS thread because I will share my new thought while adding my Oil Regimen that RIVALS my wife’s nightly moisturizing, which NOW has me thinking. She has had a better Oil plan than me this whole time and I didn’t even recognize it, hmmmm.

Here’s my idea but first the problem- Cold Starts. Many believe an engine that hasn’t operated in some time will lose its lubrication from not being operated over some timeframe. Any component requiring lubricant will shed some or much of it if it is allowed to sit. What might that timeframe be? I don’t know but this will be Q1 for all of you.

Possible Cold Start Solution- having a 2021 model my Tacoma came with the 1st Year Subscription FREE that permits me to remotely start my vehicle- even if I am on business on the other side of the country. I have read many posts that question the value of this subscription/option BUT if it allows me to remotely start my vehicle every day from wherever I may be just maybe I can extend the life of my engine if that is something that might be important to me. It might even minimize future repair cost too.

So, there you have it. A potential problem and a possible solution for all of you to do whatever you’d like with it. Just another Q-Tip / Public Service Announcement for those who might care. If you don’t care- I’m sorry you have read this far but that’s solely on you.

Before I document my Oil Regimen let’s take an opportunity to identify, please add to it here if you can, those things that can ruin an engine- in no particular order. Here’s my Top Ten (10).

1. Contaminated oil,
2. Oil beyond its useful life,
3. Oil of the incorrect viscosity,
4. Oil that doesn’t meet OEM standards,
5. Overfilled engine- oil cavitation,
6. Underfilled engine,
7. Overused filter,
8. Filter that doesn’t meet OEM standards,
9. Oil filter dry start- possible element tearing, and
10. Cold starts.

Now to my oil regimen.
a. I change my oil and filter every 5,000 miles. This addresses items 1,2, and 7.

B. I use Amsoil 0W-20 and a NAPA Platinum PFL 41393 Filter. This addresses items 3,4, and 8.

c. Because I have the Baxter inverted / relocation kit that allows me to have a spin-on inverted filter. I pre-fill the filter with oil, allow it to sit, and immediately before installation I dump most of the oil out into a clean container to catch and reuse. This allows the filter element to be moist during the next start-up that should mitigate the potential of element tear that could occur during a dry element start. This addresses item 9. Once you start the engine and operate it the filter will fill-up with oil and retain a full filter upon engine cut-off via the anti-drain back valve that spin-on filters use.

d. Fill engine with proper amount of oil and confirm proper level on the dipstick with the vehicle in a level configuration. Quick fact- the amount of oil between the upper and lower lines on the dipstick is 1.6 quarts. This addresses items 5 and 6.

e. If I am away from home for more than a couple of days, I remotely start my engine using the Toyota App each day to keep the engine components fairly lubricated to reduce the effect of a Cold Start. This addresses item 10.

f. Here are my between-change-activity. These address item 1 above.

i. Every 1,000 miles I drain my oil into a clean container.
ii. I then run this oil through a 2micron by-pass filter for twenty (20) minutes.
iii. I then swipe a neodymium [extremely strong] magnet through the oil which will collect any metallic contaminant that may remain. The magnet is 6” x ½” x 1/8” in size and has a pull-force of 27.54 lbs. Cost is $12. If anything is in that oil it has no chance of escaping this swipe.
iv. Add filtered and cleaned oil back into vehicle.
v. Check oil level.

There you have it! My process for addressing each of the potential failure modes. Of course, I share this not to convince anyone “ to do this my way” but rather to strike-up a conversation that could generate new thoughts and ideas to help me improve the process I use. I’ve learned a lot from all of you and I’m sure I’ll learn much more from your many responses I anticipate. Thanks!

 

Wow!!! Way too much work for nominal benefit. I do change my oil/filter every 5,000 miles but draining and filtering your oil every 1,000 miles??? Just wow! Someone has way too much time on their hands...

 

Your regimen seems extremely cumbersome and unnecessary. I change my oil and OEM Toyota filter every 5k miles. I bump the starter a few times before starting after the oil change to circulate the oil and avoid what you refer to as a "cold start" and call it good. Pulled my valve cover off to do some work a few months back and after 10 years/150k miles everything still looked new.

Has no chance of escaping your magnet as long as it isn't stainless steel or aluminum.

How many miles are on your 2021? Curious how long you'll keep up with your drain and filter oil every 1k miles routine.

 

Nerd.

 

I think you’d be better off draining and filtering your oil every 500 miles, just to be safe.

 

Just no.

After repeatedly seeing the liberal and great looking oil coating in the heads of my bike, which is feed by tiny banjo fittings pumped through journals, I completely quit worrying about all this non-standard whackiness.

Show me some lubrication failures, then we can chat.

 

I’ve been performing this once a month routine on two (2) vehicles for a year now.

 

What about the rest of the drive train?

 

Okay?

 

Got that covered too. That’s a different process.

 

With these regular remote starts you mention, will you allow the engine to get to operating temperature for an hour or more? If not you may not be burning off the contaminants that get in your oil at start up and idle. What say you?

 

No way I could sleep at night with a lax oil regiment like that. I drain my oil every night and take it inside. In the morning I run it through my dedicated for oil coffee maker with 2 filters in the basket. Then I take the filtered and preheated oil and dump it in my truck before heading out to work.

I'm not going to judge anyone that doesn't follow this regiment. If you want to be a lazy idiot that let's your engine wear out prematurely that's none of my business.

 

Oh boy we're gonna get more Q-Tips!

 

You asked- I shared.

 

I didn't ask, but doing that process for 2yrs would have me wanting to ride the bus.

 

Consider NAPA Gold over the Platinums. Lots of info on (i think) Bob is the Oil Guy about how the Gold filter media is better, unless you are going for 10,000 mile+ oil changes.

 

Thanks for sharing.