A question on oil changes w/ a big cam.
A question on oil changes w/ a big cam. I have herd when you go with a big cam ( I’m getting the g5x4) you should change your oil every 1,000 to 1,500 miles because of all the overlap and the gas getting dumped into your oil. So my question is will regular motor oil work just as well as synthetic oil since it will only be in the motor for such a short amount of time. Right now I use full synthetic which is expensive but not to bad every 3,000 miles since it’s not my DD but every 1,000 is a different story. 
I was just wondering what you guys do and what your thoughts are on the subject. THANKS!!!
I was just wondering what you guys do and what your thoughts are on the subject. THANKS!!! 
Banned
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,636
Likes: 2
A bigger cam can (and does) idle richer in every car I have personally seen. This could cause a little fuel/oil contamination, but not NEAR what you are describing. Just dont do the 8-10K change intervals I see sometimes on here.
Yea I'm not saying you get half a tank of gas in your oil but I thought from the really rough idle you get a little bit of mixture. I herd from 2 different shops its a good idea to change it around every 1,500 after I do this cam, they just didn't say anything about which oil to use.
TECH Resident
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 797
Likes: 0
From: Long Island, NY
3k at minimum with a good synthetic even with a big cam (daily driving 1k per month).
Now if you race the car or just weekends and hard then more so.
Every 6 months max if you barely drive the car.
Now if you race the car or just weekends and hard then more so.
Every 6 months max if you barely drive the car.
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo I am putting the cam in march 1st and yes it will be dyno tuned after the gears get broken in. I am just trying to figure out ahead of time how long I am going to go between oil changes. I herd from 2 different performance shop's w/ a big cam to change it around the 1,500 mile mark but if you guys are going 3,00 maybe I will try it. I'll just keep an eye on my oil and if it starts to look to dark get it changed.
Originally Posted by T'sBlack99Z28
I am putting the cam in march 1st and yes it will be dyno tuned after the gears get broken in. I am just trying to figure out ahead of time how long I am going to go between oil changes. I herd from 2 different performance shop's w/ a big cam to change it around the 1,500 mile mark but if you guys are going 3,00 maybe I will try it. I'll just keep an eye on my oil and if it starts to look to dark get it changed.
Gotta run up the flag again on this one...
.. it will not affect your oil change interval unless you have someting broken internally .. do yourself a favor and Change shops.. 
Originally Posted by slt200mph
Gotta run up the flag again on this one... .. it will not affect your oil change interval unless you have someting broken internally .. do yourself a favor and Change shops..
.. it will not affect your oil change interval unless you have someting broken internally .. do yourself a favor and Change shops.. X2......... 3000 miles is just fine.
It's not that I don't trust everyone I just wanted to here different options from ppl ho are running better cams. I thank everyone for all the input and well be going for 3,000 miles as long as everything is looking good. and one of the to shops is Rapid motor sports. Mikey who is a sponsor on here and i believe holds the world record for fastes n/a TA @ a 9.5 something. I think but i could be wrong. I do know he holds some kinda record tho and had his TA in Hotrod mag.
If you want to talk oil PM Patman he is the resident oil expert...he really knows his stuff .. if you change your oil at 1500 or 3000 miles using synthetic oil on a street car in good running order you are wasting money..5-6 k is where a lot of folks do it..but to each his own..I have 129,000+ miles on my car and that is the oil change interval that I have been using (M1 0-40) and I have no consumption unless you think that half a quart every 5000 miles is using a lot..I bought my car because it was a hot rod and I drive it like one ... it sees the red line most every day..I've been running a 233/233 .595/.595 112 for the last 40,000 miles .... I've had my oil analized and it comes back good and could go longer between changes according to the folks who look at it.. good luck to you which ever way you decide to go.. I do not care who told you to change your oil at 1500 miles ... they are dead wrong ..
Originally Posted by T'sBlack99Z28
I'll just keep an eye on my oil and if it starts to look to dark get it changed.
I have a decent sized cam that i drive about 2500 miles a month with, sometimes more. I usually go 3k-4k miles on each oil change. Car has aroud 87k miles, cammed since 61k. Never had a problem. Oil pressure is never gets below 35psi at idle, and is usually like 75 WOT.
