Question regarding Maintenance intervals

[Dionk]

For our cars that are driven only a few thousand miles a year, how do you address the various maintenance intervals.  What do you do regularly and what should be done even if you are only Sunday driving?

 

thanks

Dionk

[Stevenc22]

Oil change every 3000 miles or annually. Clean air filters.

 

Beyond that it should be just as needed.

[dlacey]

Open the hood once a year, change the oil. Once every three years change the brake fluid and coolant. Replace the tyres every 5 years. Shocks and brake hoses every 15 years. Otherwise follow the mileage intervals in the manual.

[Simeon]

Remember, engine oil is ‘time limited’ as well as mileage limited. Synthetic oil gives you an extension for both but ultimately the quality of the oil breaks down with both usage and time. 

[Dionk]

11 hours ago, Simeon said:

engine oil is ‘time limited’ as well as mileage limited. Synthetic oil gives you an extension for both but ultimately the quality of the oil breaks down with both usage and time. 

How about differential and transmission fluid ?

[Schnellvintage]

For the manual transmissions, I would change every 12k to 15k miles or every 2 -3 year depending if stored in a garage.

Same for the differential.  all of these intervals are under normal driving conditions.  If you're tracking the car, obviously intervals change.

Matt

[jimk]

15 hours ago, Dionk said:

How about differential and transmission fluid ?

A few years ago I made a demonstration box to show the improved gear lube drag.  Gears did nothing buy turn in the lube.  Amsoil Long Life was in the left chamber and Valvoline in the right chamber.  I never used the demonstrator for a long time and set it along the garage.  I removed the cover to dump out the lube before tossing the demonstrator.  The Long Life lube is rated for 500,000 miles in over the road trucks.  The Valvoline took a crap in it's bed.

[Dionk]

27 minutes ago, jimk said:

The Long Life lube is rated for 500,000 miles in over the road trucks.  The Valvoline took a crap in it's bed.

Wow!  

[Schnellvintage]

Was that Valvoline conventional or synthetic?  I agree w/Jimk, Amsoil makes a good oil, as it is synthetic.  Most synthetics will outlast conventional oils when exposed to the environment.

Matt

 

[jimk]

2 hours ago, Schnellvintage said:

Was that Valvoline conventional

Yes, because the demonstrator was to show the less drag of the synthetic.

I was quite suprised to see the conventional lube deteriorated as much as it was and reinforces the recommendation to replace the lube if you are not sure what is installed, especially if it is a barn find car.  I bought a diff once that had sludge that heavy in it. Here is how that cover looked when I opened it up.

Edited June 27, 2018 by jimk

[Schnellvintage]

That picture from Jimk, is why I always use and recommend good quality synthetic oil/fluids/grease, in new and vintage vehicles.  They just last longer and provide better protection.  

Matt

Edited June 27, 2018 by Schnellvintage
spelling correction.

[TobyB]

The diff only heats up if you're using the car at WOT for long periods of time.

The trans doesn't even do that.

 

ANY good quality dino oil, appropriate for the box (hypoid for the diff, GL4 for the trans)

is going to be fine for a light- use car at 5 year change intervals.  And that only for 

settling of the additives.

Synthetic is bonus- and yet, the 5 year interval's not a bad idea, for water and for settling.

 

I have opened dozens of diffs from the junkyard and have NEVER seen one with particularly

bad fluid in it- and I'm sure some have had the original oil in them.

 

just not a big deal,

 

t