thoughts on monthly oil/filter changes(auto)

[angus67]

hey guys, hopefully some of you run into the situ that I'm in.
I have been working as a welder/faber at Carlson paving in Tacoma, and I live in Shelton, WA.
My round trip is 120 miles per day, 6 days a week.
So doing the math, I put on 2,880 miles a month, and that's just work and back.
The truck I have is a 2000 Toyota Tacoma my grandparents bought new.
It has a 2.4 liter, auto. No power, don't get one splurge for the 2.7 stick.
Anyways, I got it with 68,000 miles on it 2 years ago, it was mint. Kbb at 9500, I bought it from them for 6500. I smoke, eat on the road. poor truck. granddad would bend me over if he was still with us, but I ramble.
Anyways, I was wondering your thoughts on those miles being racked up in such a short time, and if its really worth changing the oil and filter at 5,000 miles, which is about every other month, or just change the filter, and only change the oil every , say, 6 months or so?
Also, it really is lacking power. I put in a whole bottle of berryman's fuel injector cleaner in just a half tank, it did help a little, but wondering just how well those injector cleaning services at the dealer work. is it worth it? I heard it snake oil.
I'm considering putting a header on it, I figure it might pick up a couple miles to the gallon, since its all freeway driving 60+mph. And a free-er flowing muffler.
Thoughts? suggestions?

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Man, that's a lotta miles! Hope it's not from simply wearing out. Could try compression test. Does it have an old timing belt?

Used BG's injector cleaner (local mechs call it 'liquid gold', expen$$ive), worked fine on my Tahoe, cleared it up.

Been experimenting with 'MotorKote', wore-out bike runs a little better, quieter...

 

[Iowa Mark]

My brother and sister-in law just got back from a 5000 mile vacation drive in their 2 year old Chevy pickup. He said that when they left the read-out on the dash showed he had 57% oil life left. When they pulled back in afterwards, it showed 55% life left. It was almost all highway miles. That would mean that unless you travel in short bursts and love gravel roads, the oil retains it's qualities for a much longer time when it has an opportunity to rid itself of moisture and not have to fight contamination. Using synthetics lengthen that usable window even farther.

 

[angus67]

My brother has a cobalt with that read out. Sometimes it gives bazzar readings.
I use blended oil, usually Castrol, and one of those extended filters.
It may have been bg's, that's sounds more familiar.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

30 years ago Amzoil published a chart that showed oil usable life expectancy vs operating temperature for various petroleum grade oils and synthetics. If memory serves (oh gawd), the dino oils showed a 'knee' in the curve (where the curve rapidly turns down) with 2 week life expectancy at about 280°F. The synthetics showed a similar 'knee' at about 540°F.

Maybe some Amzoil folks out there remember that chart?