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Finally did my first used oil analysis on this engine!
It's had a few oil changes since I bought it, but those didn't make sense to sample because they weren't all under my control and didn't all use the same oil. I plan to stick with this oil for the foreseeable future, mainly because AFAIK it's the most appropriate 0W-20 that FCP Euro sells (sticking with them for their Lifetime Replacement Guarantee).
I assume this vehicle was meant for people to putter around rarely exceeding half throttle or like 3k RPM. That's.... not what I do. I have zero reservations about going WOT and making the needles swing when it's safe – which is fairly often given how slow this thing is. I do try not to let the revs get past 5k because I assume this engine wasn't meant to spend much time up there; this means I basically never let it make peak power (159 hp @ 6k RPM). I also drive gently and keep the revs low until the "cold coolant" light goes out (it doesn't have an actual temp gauge). But when merging on a highway, or when the road ahead is clean and clear and visibility is good, the loud pedal goes right to the floor and doesn't come up except to shift.
Given that, I have no way to understand how low these wear metals look. I did add 1 L of oil pretty close to the end of the OCI, which isn't insignificant given that an oil and filter change takes 5 L. But even if I multiply all of the wear metals numbers by 5/4, they still seem incomprehensibly low to me given the mismatch between my usage and what I assume the engine was designed for.
As with all oil analysis, low numbers on a single report don't necessarily mean all is well. But they still seem crazy to see. Maybe I'm underestimating this engine.
Nominal starting TBN on this oil is apparently 8.7, so seeing 3.04 on this report makes this change interval (~5k miles) feel good to me. Enough reserve capacity in the oil that I don't feel like I'm running it too long, but not so much that I feel like I'm wasting it. Also nice to see TBN being the limiting factor rather than something else.
Screen clip of the report is at the bottom of the post, but I've transcribed the numbers because I don't think the report's formatting works well in this context.
Wear Metals
Iron - 10
Chromium - 0
Nickel - 0
Aluminum - 2
Copper - 1
Lead - 0
Tin - 0
Cadmium - 0
Silver - 0
Vanadium - 0
Not sure what company you use for that oil analysis I know most of them and not familiar with that format used?
Polaris Labs (eoilreports.com).
Definitely not the most user-friendly option out there. They seem optimized for industrial and fleet accounts than for individuals with single-digit equipment numbers. I use them because the test package includes more and better tests for the same price as Blackstone's basic test kit.
Definitely not the most user-friendly option out there. They seem optimized for industrial and fleet accounts than for individuals with single-digit equipment numbers. I use them because the test package includes more and better tests for the same price as Blackstone's basic test kit.
To be clear they are NOT better test. Not sure where you got that idea?
I would guess most don't understand 1/5th most of the information on oil analysis and go by average values without knowing if they actually apply to their engine. Basically, having more information is like reading your blood analysis unless you have the discretion of each and then *consult with a medical professional you are only assuming the numbers and values as good bad or ok?
*I already see a few things in your values
I am always pleased to see any member getting these oil samples done!
To be clear they are NOT better test. Not sure where you got that idea?
I would guess most don't understand 1/5th most of the information on oil analysis and go by average values without knowing if they actually apply to their engine. Basically, having more information is like reading your blood analysis unless you have the discretion of each and then *consult with a medical professional you are only assuming the numbers and values as good bad or ok?
*I already see a few things in your values
Are you inviting discussion here, or have you already decided IDK what I'm doing / talking about?
Are you inviting discussion here, or have you already decided IDK what I'm doing / talking about?
I just see a few things that if you were a customer performance oriented that we would talk about. otherwise, as I said I always think it is great when members do oil analysis. I already copied your info edit the position of the data and made it a little better together. Your oil was for a daily driver very good. However, I am not exactly sure I would get confident going more than a max of 5k miles between oil and filter changes based on that data. Also, you may consider tossing a can of sea foam in a about 50-75 miles (slightly over filling the sump for that short of time will NOT harm any aspect of the engine) before your next oil change to help clean some of the sludge at the bottom of your oil pan out.
For anyone looking on: This oil analysis package is Polaris Labs's "Advanced Engine Plus". Same price as Blackstone Labs's basic kit, and includes the same elemental and contaminant analysis, plus:
1. TBN, which Blackstone offers only at additional cost.
2. Oxidation and nitration, which AFAIK Blackstone doesn't offer.
3. PQ index, which finds ferrous particles bigger than what the elemental analysis can catch.
They do fuel dilution via gas chromatography (GC), which is the industry standard. Blackstone uses some other method, either FTIR or inference; whatever it is, it's far less accurate (often yields "0%" when viscosity and flash point tell a completely different story).
This package doesn't include flash point, and I kind of wish it did. But TBH that's not a big deal given oxidation, nitration, and a reliable fuel dilution number.
It's still by no means a surefire way to diagnose wear, especially as a one-off. No oil analysis can be, short of some rather esoteric options costing hundreds of dollars and requiring a great deal of hard-to-get background info. What it is is a bit more informative than most oil analysis packages, for about the same price.
At this point, the main thing this report tells me is that my oil change interval is about where I want it to be. TBN is low but not too low, wear metals numbers are normal, oxidation and nitration are low; in other words, the oil isn't showing signs of being severely depleted, nor does it seem to have been changed too soon.
Fuel dilution at 1.2% technically isn't ideal but doesn't suggest anything worth worrying about at all.
I'll be doing one of these analyses at every oil change; once I have a few logged, I can watch the wear metals numbers for deviations. That's why I waited to do this until I could sample the oil I intend to keep running for the foreseeable future; different oils can produce different baseline patterns. Even with that kind of history, it's not perfect because a lack of deviations wouldn't necessarily mean all was well. However, if something did spike (especially PQ index), it might be time to start planning for an upcoming repair.
I have zero intention or inclination to put anything other than engine oil in the sump. I see no evidence of sludge or other excessive deposits in this engine worth worrying about. If there is some just sitting at the bottom of the pan, and it hasn't been unsettled by anything I've done to date, I don't care to disturb it. If there is anything else in there worth cleaning for some other reason, I'll let this fully formulated and frequently changed engine oil clean it away slowly. No need for additives that might alter the oil's viscometrics, disrupt its chemistry, or break up deposits fast enough to send chunks through the engine.
I wouldn't even know where to begin with that DIY unexperienced, uneducated in chemistry or likely automotive engineering and seems more like internet wisdom. I would say this last post has many inaccurate ,none empiral and frankly guessing on the part of the members. Not even worth using the better information which was the actual oil analysis he had done because in it by how last response he is debating the empirical information as well not seeing the big or bigger picture what is going on in his engine. ROLMAO. **I sent in your last thread info and post to one oil analysis company . They may respond to me but my guess is they will view it as just another internet keyboard i* and simply ignore it. But I will hear from Blackstone from at least a call to me. LOL
WOW just wow, but it does make for a goof laugh over coffee this morning!!
Honestly dude....
Maybe it is time you should join or at least spend some time on this forum that you can learn empirical facts about OIL and oil Analisis ?
A few of us are members there as well!
12-13-2023, 03:17 PM
