Dismantled 3.5 litre Rover V8

I know the owner of another Rover 3500 (I know it is not a LR 4WD but the engine is a Rover V8) who would go the full distance between between oil changes,..typically 10,000km. Because the car saw little use it might easily take 2, 3 or more years before the oil would be changed again. The filter would be changed at the same time. The engine now has approx 260,000km on it. Looking inside the oil filler cap the insides are shiny jet black. At idle oil pressure is not much over 10psi and driving in city traffic 20psi at best.

No part save for the water pump, carburettor seal kits, air filters, etc has ever been changed since that engine was built in 1974.

In my opinion it is in a far worse state than my 3.5.

Ron.

On the oil and filter change interval as stated in the manual...every 10,000km OR 6 months. This implies that both should be changed regardless of the distance covered should it be less than the stated maximum distance once a period of 6 months has elapsed.

So if the engine only covers 100km in 6 months, the oil according to Rover should be changed along with the filter.

Time it would seem carries considerable significance when it comes to the life of an engine oil.

Tank wrote,...

Quote:

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But I'm a great believer in companies like Land Rover and Shell and Caltex et al who have done millions of $ worth of research on what oils to use and what intervals that oil should be changed at.

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Hello Frank,

I had a look at the Penrite website as this company is the official supplier to Land Rover within Australia.

http://www.penriteoil.com.au/oiladvice.php?id=2

Quoting the site....."Your owner's manual will give you information on what kind of oil you need for both normal and severe driving conditions. It might surprise you to know that a lot of driving actually falls into the severe category. Extreme temperatures, frequent short trips, stop-start traffic and hauling or towing all put extra strain on your engine and mean you need an oil that is suitable for severe driving conditions, as well as more regular oil changes.

A good guide is to change your motor oil and oil filter every 5,000 kilometres or every six months, whichever comes first. Doing this will give better engine protection and prolong your engine’s life. Make sure you check your owner's manual for special conditions and do not exceed warranty recommendations".


I did not tend to follow the 6 month guide with my 3.5 litre engine, so no doubt that contributed to additional wear. With my new 4.6 I am changing the oil within time periods not exceeding 6 months.

Ron.

Penrite has a vested interest in oil changes at 5K, that's fine for a Diesel but I hardly think the average drive can be considered "Severe conditions", I will stick with LR's definition of severe conditions. Todays oils will still be going strong at 10K in a petrol engine, I use penrite Synthetic in my 300TDi and Castrol Magnatec in the V8 Disco, Regards Frank.