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Is 32 miles enough to flush an engine?
Steve Lovelock - 7/6/08 at 08:14 AM

I bought two oil filters when building the kit, fitted one and saved the second for use once I had used the engine enough to flush it. In my mind I had thought that would be after about 100 miles or so. However, after my SVA & DVLA trips, 32 miles in total, I noticed a leak in the sump welds. I have drained the oil and removed the sump for welding today. The question is, should I just replace the used oil and run it for a few more miles or replace it and the filter now?

nib1980 - 7/6/08 at 08:31 AM

i'd say yes, new oil and a filter is only a few quid. it's not worth risking an engine to try and save £15

r1_pete - 7/6/08 at 08:56 AM

For the cost imo, its never worth re-using engine oil, you dont know what has got in there during draining or storage....

Danozeman - 7/6/08 at 09:11 AM

Id put the new oil and filter in it. Then change it again after a few hundred miles just to make sure. For the price of oil and filter its not worth knackering a newly built engine.

Steve Lovelock - 7/6/08 at 09:25 AM

OK, new oil bought. Just to clarify, the engine is not newly built, it's well used and abused. Cheers.

Mark Allanson - 7/6/08 at 09:50 AM

Old oil and filter, and run for 60 seconds at 3000rpm. Then change the oil and filter.

Welding, even mig, will produce slag and it would be nice to get rid of this in the old oil. Running at 3000rpm centres the crank so there is little or no lateral load.

andyharding - 7/6/08 at 10:40 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
Running at 3000rpm centres the crank so there is little or no lateral load.


This is a new on to me. Can you reference source for further reading?