Hourly Service Interval Timing

jeepjoe43

jeepjoe43

YJ Enthusiast
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Dec 4, 2020
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Black Canyon City, AZ 85324
Just a curiosity question....
Years ago when I was wheeling my old GPW, it didn't have a speedo, or any gauges for that matter, so I just did regular services on an annual basis.
I mean you can't do regular service "Too often".
Annual was fine, unless I missed the date or forgot about it.
I used to put an estimated 1000 miles a year on it, but almost all Off-Road.
So the odo would have been pointless anyway and I contemplated installing an Hour Meter like Industrial equipment uses.
That never happened to it, but Fluffy is going to get one.

My question is this, has anyone else here has done it and if so, what kind of hourly intervals would you recommend?
 
I dont have an hour meter, however like you my annual mileage is way under the norm for oil changes. I basically shoot for every 6 months/5000 miles in the street vehicles unless it looks dirty.Typically at the 5K mark the oil looks pretty clean still which is great. In the YJ I cant say that, Im at about 1800 on the YJ and it looks pretty ugly. Like you it sees 90% off paved highway use.
 
That's about my percentage, too, maybe a little higher.
Mine was fluids about once a year, belts, hoses and tires every 5.
Which was basically when it needed tires it was time for belts and hoses.
Of course the diffs got drained immediately if I'd done any deep water fording, as demanded by the laws of thermodynamics.
 
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Always wanted to do the same thing on all my vehicles and never did. Always wondered the same thing. (what do these numbers mean to me and how do I use them?)

I went to synthetic oil about the same time I got a second vehicle. For years my routine was forget the miles, I just changed the oil twice a year, usually in late April and early November. (prior to two annual slightly longer drives) According to common wisdom for both synthetic and conventional oil, I was changing it way too often. But I looked it like this, it costs me less than a tank of gas, why not do it? Now days I'm driving three vehicles and fewer miles than ever, I'm down to changing it once a year and pay no attention to the miles.


Though on one that's probably not long for the world, I think I'm going do what I did for a car I had years ago. I would change the filter maybe two, or three times a year. Because I added oil weekly, it burned and leaked so much, it was always like new. I never "changed it". I did that for a number of years. One day it was so low nothing showed on the stick, I thought now's the time to drain the pan, get the sludge and nasty stuff out. But there really wasn't any.
(a 1986 Olds Delta 88 that had 120k miles on it when I paid $400 for it. I put another 90K basically trouble free miles on it. Other than the time I manage to overheat it so bad that it was hot enough to melt the spark plug boots and most of the vacuum hoses. (I didn't know that was even possible). It killed the valve guide seals and started it on it heavy thirst for oil. At least the cylinder walls were well lubricated! lol But even with that, I drove it for several more years.)
 
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Had a 76 Chevy 4x4 that did not leak or smoke that you could see, but you could smell it if following behind it. It burned 2 quarts a week back and forth to work, about 240 miles. That was using 50W Valvoline racing oil and added a can of STP every month. Without the STP it burned alot more. And with 10W40 it was using 4 qt a week. I did the same thing, new filter every 2 months and stopped changing oil.
 
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