Oil Analysis...anybody do it?
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Race Director
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From: San Jose Pat Tillman - American Hero
Oil Analysis...anybody do it?
I've heard of people sending a small sample of their used motor oils into independant laboratories after a change for analysis... Is there any decent reason to spend the $15 on this, or is it just another way for us who are automotively obsessive compulsive to lighten our wallets?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 6,376
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From: Traverse City MI
unless you do it on a regular basis, it's just for kicks and a little insight into your engine.
I send mine to Blackstone Labs when I change the oil, so far so good. I figure if I ever need to sell my soul and part with the car - a history of oil analysis would be a good selling point.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Oregon
Originally Posted by Aaron71771
I send mine to Blackstone Labs when I change the oil, so far so good. I figure if I ever need to sell my soul and part with the car - a history of oil analysis would be a good selling point.
I do it to see what's going on with my engine.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Lake Havasu City, AZ
Used oil analysis is a preventitive maintenance practice that identifies trace levels of wear metals in your oil. By identifying which metals are present you can diagnose where problems are beginning to occur and correct them before you have an engine failure. Since different engine components have differretn metalurgy, the presence of one metal versus another helps to pinpoint the likely location.
It is routinely used in industrial applications, where the downtime associated with failure costs the business revenue in addtion to the cost of the repair.
In automotive aplications is is widely used by fleets to monitor and determine when a vehicle should either have a motor overhaul or be taken out of service.
If you have a higher mileage vehicle it makes sense.
As mentioned previously... You need to have a baseline for comparison.
It is not the type of thing you can do onl yonce and expect an answer.
It is the increase in wear metals that signals the beginning of a problem.
It is routinely used in industrial applications, where the downtime associated with failure costs the business revenue in addtion to the cost of the repair.
In automotive aplications is is widely used by fleets to monitor and determine when a vehicle should either have a motor overhaul or be taken out of service.
If you have a higher mileage vehicle it makes sense.
As mentioned previously... You need to have a baseline for comparison.
It is not the type of thing you can do onl yonce and expect an answer.
It is the increase in wear metals that signals the beginning of a problem.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 11,043
Likes: 3
From: San Jose Pat Tillman - American Hero
Originally Posted by rws.1
Used oil analysis is a preventitive maintenance practice that identifies trace levels of wear metals in your oil. By identifying which metals are present you can diagnose where problems are beginning to occur and correct them before you have an engine failure. Since different engine components have differretn metalurgy, the presence of one metal versus another helps to pinpoint the likely location.
It is routinely used in industrial applications, where the downtime associated with failure costs the business revenue in addtion to the cost of the repair.
In automotive aplications is is widely used by fleets to monitor and determine when a vehicle should either have a motor overhaul or be taken out of service.
If you have a higher mileage vehicle it makes sense.
As mentioned previously... You need to have a baseline for comparison.
It is not the type of thing you can do onl yonce and expect an answer.
It is the increase in wear metals that signals the beginning of a problem.
It is routinely used in industrial applications, where the downtime associated with failure costs the business revenue in addtion to the cost of the repair.
In automotive aplications is is widely used by fleets to monitor and determine when a vehicle should either have a motor overhaul or be taken out of service.
If you have a higher mileage vehicle it makes sense.
As mentioned previously... You need to have a baseline for comparison.
It is not the type of thing you can do onl yonce and expect an answer.
It is the increase in wear metals that signals the beginning of a problem.
Large Impressive Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 65,811
Likes: 71
From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by rws.1
Used oil analysis is a preventitive maintenance practice that identifies trace levels of wear metals in your oil. By identifying which metals are present you can diagnose where problems are beginning to occur and correct them before you have an engine failure. Since different engine components have differretn metalurgy, the presence of one metal versus another helps to pinpoint the likely location.
It is routinely used in industrial applications, where the downtime associated with failure costs the business revenue in addtion to the cost of the repair.
In automotive aplications is is widely used by fleets to monitor and determine when a vehicle should either have a motor overhaul or be taken out of service.
If you have a higher mileage vehicle it makes sense.
As mentioned previously... You need to have a baseline for comparison.
It is not the type of thing you can do onl yonce and expect an answer.
It is the increase in wear metals that signals the beginning of a problem.
It is routinely used in industrial applications, where the downtime associated with failure costs the business revenue in addtion to the cost of the repair.
In automotive aplications is is widely used by fleets to monitor and determine when a vehicle should either have a motor overhaul or be taken out of service.
If you have a higher mileage vehicle it makes sense.
As mentioned previously... You need to have a baseline for comparison.
It is not the type of thing you can do onl yonce and expect an answer.
It is the increase in wear metals that signals the beginning of a problem.
It certainly wouldn't hurt anything if you want the peace of mind. I've never done it for a car of mine but I've sent many samples off for the trucking companies for whom we do work. Cheap insurance for engines that cost 15K or so, plus labor, to replace in the event of a catastrophic (non rebuildable) failure. I use a magnetic oil plug in my car to help keep an eye on things.
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Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,793
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From: VA
Originally Posted by Perfusion
Wow - great info! Thanks for the response. I guess at just a tick over 50,000mi. and no "baseline", it'd be somewhat pointless to start this now.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,991
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From: The Pines South Jersey
The kit will come with a tube to stick down the dip stick tube, do not bottom it out in the pan, and take sample warm so the "not so goodies" are in suspension.
Also the result will come back in an easy to read format, ie: describing what is found, levels, acceptable or not, and what it indicates, such as rod bearings.
Also the result will come back in an easy to read format, ie: describing what is found, levels, acceptable or not, and what it indicates, such as rod bearings.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,253
Likes: 2
From: Castro Valley CA
You should check out a very informative website. Sorry, I don't know how to post a link, but here it is : www.bobistheoilguy.com
By the way, I perform oil analysis on my 1994 LT1 and it has proved its worth by pointing out an air filter seal problem that resulted in high wear. It can also allow you to optimize the type, viscosity and proper oil change interval to minimize wear.
Sidney
By the way, I perform oil analysis on my 1994 LT1 and it has proved its worth by pointing out an air filter seal problem that resulted in high wear. It can also allow you to optimize the type, viscosity and proper oil change interval to minimize wear.
Sidney
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: San Jose Pat Tillman - American Hero
Originally Posted by Sidney004
You should check out a very informative website. Sorry, I don't know how to post a link, but here it is : www.bobistheoilguy.com
By the way, I perform oil analysis on my 1994 LT1 and it has proved its worth by pointing out an air filter seal problem that resulted in high wear. It can also allow you to optimize the type, viscosity and proper oil change interval to minimize wear.
Sidney
By the way, I perform oil analysis on my 1994 LT1 and it has proved its worth by pointing out an air filter seal problem that resulted in high wear. It can also allow you to optimize the type, viscosity and proper oil change interval to minimize wear.
Sidney
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,997
Likes: 1
From: Lake Ozark MO
As stated before, if you are **** about oil then www.bobistheoilguy.com is your site.
Realistically, the guys on that site deal in minutia (although it is good reading). If you change your oil at 5K (using regular or synthetic, preferably synthetic) then you'll be fine regardless of "air cleaner leaks" or things like "I live near the beach so my car has high silica because of sand ingestion" crap.
If your engine is running poorly enough that it needs internal mechanical attention, it will let you know.
Don't get hung up on numbers. Mechanical items wear out or break. You can't prevent it. Just be reasonable on maintenance
Realistically, the guys on that site deal in minutia (although it is good reading). If you change your oil at 5K (using regular or synthetic, preferably synthetic) then you'll be fine regardless of "air cleaner leaks" or things like "I live near the beach so my car has high silica because of sand ingestion" crap.
If your engine is running poorly enough that it needs internal mechanical attention, it will let you know.
Don't get hung up on numbers. Mechanical items wear out or break. You can't prevent it. Just be reasonable on maintenance
Last edited by Dan Parker '96; Feb 19, 2005 at 02:58 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 8,745
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From: SE TN
I use http://www.blackstone-labs.com/ for my diesel truck. Although they can do all kinds of engines. You can request the free collection kits from them and it will cost about 18 bucks for them to analize the sample for you. Then you will get a report of the findings with a little explanation of everything.
I do the analysis to keep an eye on any problems that may occur before the engine gets hurt. If you send in a sample every time you change the oil, you can watch the trends and when something is flagged, you will have an idea what is getting ready to let go.
Ed
I do the analysis to keep an eye on any problems that may occur before the engine gets hurt. If you send in a sample every time you change the oil, you can watch the trends and when something is flagged, you will have an idea what is getting ready to let go.
Ed
Last edited by fastzr1; Feb 19, 2005 at 07:35 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,493
Likes: 94
From: Westfield MA
I use oil analysis on the airplane, but not on a car. It is something that is good for trend analysis. If you only do it once, it won't tell you much unless you have something coming apart real bad. The point of doing it for trends is to find something coming apart before it damages other parts of the engine or to make a decision as to an overhaul. Another thing commonly done is to cut the oil filter open and see what is there. If a cam is coming apart whcich is common, you will find pieces that will stick to a magnet and often times, the oil analysis will not pick this up because the pieces are too big. In the airplane, it has the benefit of telling you you have an impending engine failure. It is always better to find that out on the ground than in the air. For the car, mine is a stocker, so I figure the odds of something in the engine coming apart is pretty slim. So if it does, I will find out about it in the conventional way and call the tow truck.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,018
Likes: 1
From: OR
Originally Posted by Perfusion
I've heard of people sending a small sample of their used motor oils into independant laboratories after a change for analysis... Is there any decent reason to spend the $15 on this, or is it just another way for us who are automotively obsessive compulsive to lighten our wallets?
