Re: Flint/Tonawanda/St. Louis "breakin oil"
Hello Duke;
Another factor in oil change interval was the public perception that oil should be changed early in an engine life to "get those machining chips out of the engine". 1000 mile first oil changes were common.
We had cab drivers changing the cabs oil religiously at 3000 miles. They would run 150,000-200,000 on a cam/lifters and valve job and 350,000-400,000 on a short block. The engine were clean & nice to work on but they did have lead deposits in the oil pan. They also were some of the best tippers. A timely valve job & cam (4-5 hours) would get me a $10 - $20 tip. Short blocks took 7-8 hours and reap $20-$30. It's amazing how efficient one can get doing the same thing over & over.
Just some more memories.
Hope that helps.
Ray
Hello Duke;
Another factor in oil change interval was the public perception that oil should be changed early in an engine life to "get those machining chips out of the engine". 1000 mile first oil changes were common.
We had cab drivers changing the cabs oil religiously at 3000 miles. They would run 150,000-200,000 on a cam/lifters and valve job and 350,000-400,000 on a short block. The engine were clean & nice to work on but they did have lead deposits in the oil pan. They also were some of the best tippers. A timely valve job & cam (4-5 hours) would get me a $10 - $20 tip. Short blocks took 7-8 hours and reap $20-$30. It's amazing how efficient one can get doing the same thing over & over.
Just some more memories.
Hope that helps.
Ray
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