What do you use as your "wash out" quart of oil when doing an oil change?

CaifanSC

SCCoA Member
Usually when doing an oil change, I let the car sit for a while so that I get as much old oil as possible to drip out. In addition, after sitting for a few minutes I dump a quart of clean oil in small spurts so that it "washes down" more of the old oil. I usually just use an extra quart of whatever is going into the engine.

So, what do you use? I wonder if for a car with synthetic oil you can use non synthetic just to "wash out".

Today I was buying oil for a few cars and wondered about that. I usually get an extra quart here and there, but since I'm buying for several cars, I found myself buying an entire extra case of full synthetic oil just to "wash out" seemed a little much and made me wonder :).
 
$10 a quart in/out seems a bit too high ;)

I've never bothered with 'wash out' except after major repairs and first run.
 
Seems like a waste of good oil. It's just running down the nearest drainback hole(s) from the head to the pan and out the plug. It isn't rinsing out the whole crankcase or anything.
 
Don't bother with that here. If you are changing it every 3k the synthetic isn't even used up. Do it hot and it runs out faster and drains back easier.
 
The oil is the expensive part of the oil change. If you insist on running more oil through for the sake of clean, it makes the most sense to me to just change your oil every 3,000 miles or sooner.

Does anyone here have a synthetic preference? I buy Walmart High Mileage Full Synthetic oil because it’s like $15.00 for the 5-quart jug, but I change my oil every 3,000-4,000 miles because I don’t know if it’s good enough to last 5-6,000 miles like other types. I’m not an expert, just not sure if anyone else had any thoughts on cheap Walmart oil. I do use Motorcraft FL-400S oil filters though.
 
To be honest, I question the point of it too :). But, it's an old habit that stuck from tinkering with my old man many years ago on an old 81 VW Scirocco. Once i started tinkering with my first car (my 89 SC) I always did that in oil changes.

I hadn't seen that oil from Wally world. Not bad for a full synthetic 5 quart bottle for $15.
 
The oil is the expensive part of the oil change.

Amen. I love doing oil changes on the birds. Even if you go "fancy" with good oil, it's always still very cheap for oil and filter. I just paid $165 for for the oil change items for my rage rover. Thankfully, that's just once a year.
 
CalifanSC,

How is the 89 SC "Blue Lazarus" running these days? Your brother still have it?

Regarding oil changes and running clean oil out the drain plug. Take it from a oil change Nazi like me. I much rather change the oil as early as 2,500 miles (when it starts getting much darker on the dip stick) than pour a quart of good oil after draining the old oil. You only getting one side of the head and block anyways (so its wasted clean oil). Use the "detergency" of clean oil in your favor. Drive a lot of highway miles? Extend the change a little longer to 3,500 to 4,000. Do only short trips, in city miles? Change at 2,500-3,000. Synthetics can last longer for sure, but by-product of combustion is by-product of combustion regardless.

Since most of my flock has managed to go into the 6-digits on the odometer, I have switched to Rotella T6 Synthetic 5W40 vs. a High Mileage 5W-30 or 5W-20 type. Yeah, it's an oil for diesels, but it cleans like the dickens and provides a bunch of extra zinc. That is just my preference plain and simple. I am not looking to start into a Bob's the Oil Guy type discussion. Take and use advise as you see fit.

Saludos guey!

Glenn
 
I don't do the wash out quart of oil, and never even heard of anyone doing that until now. Just change oil every 3K miles and it will be fine.
 
I just do the factory recommended 5000 mile change with plain jane (not synthetic) 10w/30 and a new filter and done. I've never washed out any remaining oil. With almost 300,000 miles, the stock engine has no blowby, and has never been rebuilt. Its whatever you want to do with your time. ;)
 
I don't do the wash out quart of oil, and never even heard of anyone doing that until now. Just change oil every 3K miles and it will be fine.

LOL. I was thinking the same. I find if you do some 7000 rpm pulls without a catchcan you can spit enough oil out along the way too.

Micah
 
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