Oil Change Interval and Partial Change?

[unipres]

So the recommended oil change interval for my O-320 in my PA-28 is 50 hours. (Engine TSMOH is 1200ish) My A&P swears by 30hrs as an optimum. I've noticed that somewhere about the 20-25ish hour mark is when there's enough ash/carbon to darken the oil color. I've also noticed that my airplane seems to like about 6.5 quarts and burns very little if I maintain it at that level but anything past 7 tends to end up on the belly. .

Anyway, long story short, I wondered if a good compromise wouldn't be to do a partial oil change somewhere around the 30 hour mark. It's not expensive or time consuming to hook a 3/8" hose to the quick change and drain out a few if not all quarts, replace and leave the filter replacement and full change at 50 hours. There's just something comforting about having clean, not black oil on the dipstick most of the interval.

Is this reasonable? Am I overthinking it?

Thanks!

 

[Tom]

 

[Orest @ CYFD]

 

[imwithtuxedo]

 

[flyguydon]

 

[GM.]

 

[kf6iat]

 

[GM.]

 

[magman]

 

[Domenick]