Personally I think the 7500 mile oil change interval is just too long and needs to be reduced to 5000 miles if you want to give the car to your children someday. Very few people change thier oil early, and most change it later then they should.

 

 

nipper

Amen to that. I've long felt that 7500 was optimistic at best and an effort to force car replacement in the 100K miles range.

 

I usually buy my cars with around 100K on them and keep them until 250K when I sell them. Not because they are problematic but I've grown tired of that model. Note that I said I sell them; my last sale was of my '91 Legacy wagon over 18 months ago and it is still running fine.

 

I shoot for changing the oil and filter at 2500 miles; sometimes a little earlier and never past 3000. I also use Dino oil since I was never convinced that synthetic was cost effective over the long haul.

Amen to that. I've long felt that 7500 was optimistic at best and an effort to force car replacement in the 100K miles range.

 

I usually buy my cars with around 100K on them and keep them until 250K when I sell them. Not because they are problematic but I've grown tired of that model. Note that I said I sell them; my last sale was of my '91 Legacy wagon over 18 months ago and it is still running fine.

 

I shoot for changing the oil and filter at 2500 miles; sometimes a little earlier and never past 3000. I also use Dino oil since I was never convinced that synthetic was cost effective over the long haul.

 

I only use synthetis because during the winter i do a lot of short trips (2 blocks- 2 miles) and the oil never gets to heat up.

 

80% of us really can be covered by Heavy duty intervals. The long intervals started in the 90's to show how low cost maint was on cars. The trade off is the longevity of vehicals (spark plugs are a different story).

I think a subaru 2.2 engine in a bug might be a bit too much power. I worry that it will be too much in the van. The porche engine I have in it now gets it to uncomfortable speeds. I think I will try and use a couple honda civic radiators (the real small ones) and mount them on either side where the factory air intakes are. I'm pretty good with wiring so im not to worried about that. I helped a high school kid put a mazda 323 engine in a 71 bus and I got it so you could still use the obd plug. Plus it would be nice to have water-cooled heat in the old air cooled bus. mmmmm heat.

Hey Nipper,

 

"My 2 cents. Subaru itself admitted that the 2.5 (when it first came out) was pushed to the design limits. Since then they have beefed them up."

 

They made choices. They made the cars heavy and consequently needed more power. They could have used more flat six. Built on the reputation of the early 2.2... Bulletproof 2.5 non interference, and more turbo.

 

They chose to make it interference for more power and open deck. Big mistake.

 

Used Subaru's with run to failure drivers. They'll be dropping like flys, or something:)

 

Doug

I shoot for changing the oil and filter at 2500 miles; sometimes a little earlier and never past 3000. I also use Dino oil since I was never convinced that synthetic was cost effective over the long haul.

Reply With Quote

 

I've been running Amsoil full synthetic on my Lincoln for the past two years. The first drain I did at 5000 which is the recommended interval for the Motorcraft partial synthetic that Ford uses. After that I started doing regular oil analysis testing every 2500 miles. I run 15k between changes now thanks to info from the analysis. I opened a preferred customer account with Amsoil, which cuts about 1/3 of the cost from everything I buy through them. Granted I have to pay shipping costs, and sales tax, I still come out spending only about $15 more for 6 quarts of oil and a Wix filter, over motorcraft oil and a purolator. But I drive 3 times longer on the synthetic.

Hey,

 

A 2002 Outback with 135K miles. "Engine overhaul at 115K miles, with new timing belt."

 

http://parkersburg.craigslist.org/cto/1396466744.html

 

Doug