Amsoil 0-30 question

I am going to try out this amsoil signature series 0w-30 which supposedly only needs to be changed once a year or 25,000 miles.

Do i need to change the filter at intervals throughout that time? (toyota filters)

How can i go about getting the oil tested? I am not 100% confident in letting oil go unchanged for a year.

And what is the benefit to using the 0w-30 as opposed to 5w-30?

Any opinions on this oil would be appreciated as well, I know there are a few people on here that run this oil.

 

Why is that?

I know there's someone on here who does the once a year thing (can't remember his name). I wonder if he has ever had his oil tested.

 

i dont know if you sent the wrong one or what but the 4.0 was not listed as one of the affected engines.

 

If you're going to do extended oil change intervals it can be helpful to have an analysis or two done at least on the first run of the oil. I'd do that so you can get an idea of how long the oil lasts in your engine, driving conditions, and driving habits. I use Blackstone Labs although there are others.

 

The 2.2l 4cyl 5S-FE was the only Toyota engine listed. The oil return passages from the cylinder heads were small and more prone to sludge blockage; the resulting pressure would blow the valve cover off.
It's a symptom of extended oil changes in conventional oil more so than synthetic, just like the bullitin says.
I change my filter every 5k miles and change oil once a year at the longest.

 

i use Mann filter's ML1003


every six months. or 7500 mile

with 0-30 amsoil.sig series

 

they have an EAO filter out now.

i use them in my 97 altima once a year.0-30 amsoil also

 

thats odd never seen that before....

 

sounds good i got 10 toyota oil filters so im just going to use those and change them every 5000 miles

I will send out samples at each 5000 mile filter change to check on the oil as well.

 

You'll need a vampire to get a sample through the dipstick. The oil from the filter will not give you an accurate read.

 

You are in MA. Unless you store the truck in the winter, the engine will be fine on regular oil long after the body and frame have rotted out.

 

I sand and paint all rust on the frame/underbody on my vehicles at least once a year thank you very much

haha i know rust is a serious issue up here

edit: and i live about 3 miles from the coast so theres no getting away from salt for me

 

Anyway, the filter should be changed at the regular interval. Metal particles don't disappear just because the oil is "better". Toyota OEM filter is preferred because it has the largest filter media area.

Benefit of 0W-30 is thinner viscosity when cold, so the oil flows better when the engine first starts.

If you are curious, sample the oil (from the drain plug, not the oil filter) at the 6-month point and send it to Blackstone for analysis. It should tell you if the additives in the oil have worn out, basically the main thing that limits oil "life".

Personally I just use basic 5W30 dino oil and change it every 3 months. Pretty sure something else will fail uneconomically before the engine wear out... like that complicated controller/servovalve thing for the brakes.

 

The drain plug is the second worst place to sample, the filter is the first.
A proper sample is taken an inch from the bottom of the pan, through the dipstick tube, with the engine running at operating temp. This gives an accurate reading of what oil the engine is seeing.
You can sample from the drain plug, but you may as well just change the oil for how much oil you lose taking a proper sample.
http://www.oaitesting.com/sampling.htm

 

Blackstone also sells a vacuum pump so you can get a sample from the dipstick tube. http://www.blackstone-labs.com/vacuum-pump.php You can probably get a similar vacuum pump from a local auto parts store as well.

FWIW the EaO57 filters spec'd for the Tacomas were taken off the market a couple of years ago when that TSB came out. My father and I had both used them without issue on our trucks. Earlier this year they redesigned the Ea filters and now there is one for the Tacoma again, part no Ea15K51. Couldn't find the product announcement on the web, but here's a link to the product reference which has some info on both the EaO and Ea15 filters.

http://www.amsoil.com/lit/g3000s.pdf