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Oil Analysis

Thanks to Sheriff Buford T. Justice: 
updated 6/7/05

When my 97 SHO had 1000 miles on it I changed the motor for the first time then every 5000 miles since then. In the summer I use Mobil 1 5W-30 and in winter I use Mobil 1 0W-30. Skipping the first oil change (meaningless since it is break-in oil) I have had the oil analyzed every oil change since.

The technique of oil sampling is simple but must be done with care. Wipe off the outside of the oil pan so you don't get road dirt in the sample, Open the drain plug as you normally do then wait a moment or two so the dregs come out first then just catch a sample in the small 2 oz bottle provided with the kit. Remember you don't want to sample the first or last oil, you want a clean sample from the middle. Then finish your oil change as usual.

The oil change kits come with directions, a data form, a small bottle and a small box to send the whole thing to the lab for analysis. In a week or two you get a report you information in several key areas.

 Physical Properties
The lab should test for glycol (antifreeze), water, fuel and solids as well as viscosity.
 
Analysis Information
Test
Measures
Cause
Effect
Viscosity High Viscosity Contamination Soot/Solids Increased Operating Costs
(lubricant "thickness" Oxidation Degradation Engine Overheating
resistance to flow) Coolant Leak Restricted Oil Flow
Over-Extended Oil Drain Increased Energy Consumption
High Operating Accelerated Wear
Temperatures Harmful Deposits/Sludge
Improper Oil Grade Hard Starting
Low Viscosity Additive Shear Engine Overheating
Fuel Dilution Poor Lubrication 
Improper Oil Grade Metal to Metal Contact
Coolant Leak Accelerated Wear
Water/Coolant Oil Contamination Defective Seals Engine Failure
Contamination New Oil Contamination Lubricant Thickening
(water or coolant Coolant Leak Poor Lubrication
present in lubricant) Improper Storage Corrosion
Condensation Sludge Formation
Cracked Head or Block Increased Engine Heat
Weather/Moisture Acid Formation
Combustion By-Product Accelerated Wear
Oil Cooler Leak Reduced Additive Effectiveness
Fuel Dilution Oil Contamination Incorrect Air to Fuel Ratio Metal to Metal Contact
(fuel present in lubricant) Extended Idling Poor Lubrication - Oil Thinning
Stop and Go Driving Increased Overall Wear 
Incorrect Timing Cylinder Ring Wear
Defective Injectors Reduced MPG
Leaking Fuel Pump/Lines Decreased Oil Pressure
Incomplete Combustion Reduced Engine Performance
Carburetor Malfunction High Operating Costs
Shortened Engine Life
Fuel Soot Oil Contamination Improper Air/Fuel Ratio Poor Engine Performance
(soot content of lubricant) Improper Injector Adjustment Poor Fuel Economy
Defective Injector Increased Operating Cost
Poor Quality Fuel Harmful Deposits/Sludge 
Incomplete Combustion Increased Wear
Clogged Air Induction Lubricant Thickening
Improper Equipment Operation Shortened Oil Life
Low Compression Lacquer Formation
Worn Engine Parts/Rings Carbon Deposits
Clogged Filters
Shortened Engine Life
Oxidation Oil Contamination  Overheating Shortened Equipment Life
(evidence of lubricant / Condition Over-Extended Oil Drain Lacquer Deposits
breakdown) Improper Oil Type Oil Filter Plugging
Combustion By-Products Increased Oil Viscosity
Blow-By Corrosion of Metal Parts
Coolant Leak Increased Operating Expenses
Increased Wear
Shortened Equipment Life
Nitration Oil Contamination  Abnormally High Accelerated Oxidation
(evidence of lubricant / Condition Combustion Temperature Increased Exhaust Emissions
breakdown) Lean Air to Fuel Ratio Acidic By-Products Formed
Abnormal Blow-By Increased Cylinder and
Injector or Carburetor Valve Train Wear
Malfunction Oil Thickening
EGR Valve Failure  Combustion Area Deposits
Increased TAN
Total Acid Number (TAN) Oil Contamination  High Sulfur Fuel Corrosion of Metallic
(lubricant acid content) / Condition Overheating Components
Excessive Blow-By Increases Oxidation
Over-Extended Oil Drains Oil Degradation
Improper Oil Type Oil Thickening
Additive Depletion
Total Base Number (TBN) Lubricant Service Life High Sulfur Fuel Increased TAN
(lubricant alkalinity reserve) (Low Readings) Overheating Oil Degradation 
Over-Extended Oil Drains Increased Wear
Improper Oil Type Corrosion of Metal Parts
Acid Build-up in Oil
 

This table above may give you an idea of some of the things you can learn from an oil analysis before we even get to wear metals. This past winter I pulled over in a rest stop to catch a few winks, and because the temperature out side was 10 degrees I let the engine run. The next oil analysis came back with 5.5% fuel dilution from the prolonged idling which can cause the cylinder walls to wear prematurely.

Wear Metals
In addition to checking for physical properties the lab does spectrographic analysis which detects the presence of wear medals in parts-per-million. Recently a SHO owner reported that the bearings and valve train were like new after 180K miles but his piston rings were worn out. Spectrographic analysis is the type of procedure that can point to exactly that type situation without a tear down. The chrome used in the rings would have showed up in the tests and I also wonder if fuel dilution would have showed up as well.
 
Indicator
Acceptable Levels
Engine Problem
What to Check
Silicon (Si) and 10 to 30 ppm Dirt ingestion Air intake system, oil filter plugging, oil filler cap and breather, valve covers, oil supply
Aluminum (Al)     Blower, camshaft intermediate bearings, turbo bearings, crankshaft thrust bearings.
Iron (Fe) 100 to 200 ppm Wear of cylinder liner, valve and gear train, oil pump, rust in system Excessive oil consumption, abnormal engine noise, performance problems, oil pressure, abnormal operating temperatures, stuck/broken piston rings
Chromium (CR) 10 to 30 ppm Piston ring wear Excessive oil blow-by and oil consumption, oil degradation
Copper (CU) 10 to 50 ppm Bearings and bushings wear, oil cooler passivating, radiator corrosion Coolant in engine oil, abnormal noise when operating at near stall speed
Lead (Pb)* 40 to 100 ppm Bearing corrosion Extended oil change intervals
Copper (CU) and 10 to 50 ppm Bearing lining wear Oil pressure, abnormal engine noise, dirt being ingested in air intake, fuel dilution, extended oil drain intervals
Lead (Pb)* 10 to 50 ppm Bearing lining wear  
Aluminum (Al) 10 to 30 ppm Piston and piston thrust bearing wear Blow-by gases, oil consumption, power loss, abnormal engine noise
Silver and 2 to 5 ppm Wear of bearings Excessive oil consumption, abnormal engine noise, loss in oil pressure
Tin 10 to 30 ppm Wear of bearings  
 
Another way to look at it.
 
WEAR METAL REFERENCE GUIDE - Gas Engine
When trace metals are detected, the following components could be responsible
Iron
Copper
Lead
Aluminum
Silicon
Chromium
Tin
Sodium
Potassium
Fe
Cu
Pb
Al
Si
Cr
Sn
Na
K
Journal Bearings
X
X
X
X
Bushings
X
X
X
X
Cam Shaft
X
Coolant Additives
X
X
X
X
Crankshaft
X
Cylinder Walls
X
X
Exhaust Valve
X
X
Anti-Friction Bearing
X
Gasket Materials
X
X
Gasoline Additive
X
X
Housing/Castings
X
X
X
Ingested Dirt
X
X
Oil Additive
X
X
X
Oil Cooler
X
Oil Pump Bushing
X
X
X
X
Oil Pumps
X
X
Pistons
X
X
X
Rings
X
X
Thrust Washers
X
X
X
X
Timing Gears
X
Turbo-Charger/Super Charger
X
X
Valve Guides
X
X
Valve Train
X
Wrist Pin-Bushings
X
X
X
X
Wrist Pins
X
 

The notable wear metals my car has shown have been iron, chrome, aluminum, copper, and lead. The only iron in the engine in the engine is the cylinder liners and the chrome is from the piston rings. Just before the 10K oil change I ran the car on a chassis dyno without an air filter. Note that at 15 all the metals shot up, either I let a lot of dirt in the engine tat one half hour on the dyno or new air filter was letting more dirt in. It was also when I pulled the baffle (mouse catcher) out of the "saxophone." I did another air-filter-less dyno run between the 25k and 30k but seem to have done less damage that time. The amount of wear metals parallels the amount of silicon (dirt) in the oil which indicate that the wear is cause by dirt getting into the engine. Before we get into a panic notice that the quantity of wear metals is low, within the acceptable range, the engine is very healthy, but I have learned to NEVER run an engine with out an air filter and don't let an engine idle for long periods.

The purpose of having a history is so one can watch for trends and take corrective actions as I have.
Miles at Oil Change 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000 47,777 52000 58,000   62,000   65,905   75,000   79,938   85,000   90,005   95,000   99,507 106,390
Change date Aug-97 Oct-97 Mar-98 Jul-98 Oct-98 Feb-99 May-99 Oct-99 Jan-00 Apr-00 Sep-00 Feb-01 Jun-01 Dec-01 Jun-02 Jan-03 Jul-03 Nov-03 Jul-04 Oct-04 May-05
Wear metals - ppm by wt.                                        
Iron  49 6 67 52 36 42 22 17 20 21 21   28 75 52 53 20 26 43 18 33
Lead 16 1 6 10 7 4 1 3 1 1 3   1 2 3 1 2 2 2 0 2
Copper 21 3 10 9 7 7 6 13 7 8 19   9 8 9 14 9 6 9 5 7
Chromium  8 0 12 8 5 6 3 2 4 2 3   3 9 4 8 5 5 6 3 6
Tin 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
Aluminum 16 3 10 9 8 9 5 6 6 7 8   8 12 12 13 8 7 10 6 9
Silver 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Manganese 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nickel 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0   0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vanadium 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Titanium 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Contaminant Metals - ppm by wt.                                      
Silicon 44* 8 20 27 24 19 15 13 6 7 8   11 11 28 18 8 14 18 12 15
Sodium 43 145 0 0 6 8 3 7 6 9 9   17 6 8 15 6 9 12 16 15
Potassium 10 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 0   0 N/A N/A 0 0 0 0 0 0
Boron 52 26 73 67 66 61 73 69 69 95 91   89 91 36 59 5 37 50 72 40
Additive Metals - ppm by wt.                                        
Magnesium 674 250 694 667 610 600 355 771 1427 2191 2156   2020 1557 428 1331 458 1224 1538 988 1388
Calcium 1418 2565 1447 1389 1248 1258 2977 1657 739 1058 980   1297 1285 1898 838 2186 826 857 1236 794
Barium 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Phosphorus 1050 539 1076 1160 987 1040 839 980 841 1092 1206   1162 978 845 930 905 982 954 957 534
Zinc 1244 987 1258 1351 991 1076 1160 1191 1203 1233 1305   1260 1135 1113 1169 1213 1155 1092 1017 1160
Molybdenum 7 38 3 2 2 2 0 2 1 0 0   0 16 45 6 2 0 1 17 5
Non-metalic Contaminants                                        
Fuel % vol 3.0% <1%   2% 2% 5.5% <1.0 <1.0% <1.0 <1.0 <1.0   <1.0 <1.0 <1.0 <1.0 <1.0 <1.0 <1.0 <1.0 <1.0
Water % vol <.1%  0   <.1% <.1% <.1% <.05% <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05   <0.05 0.1 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Glycol na neg         NEG NEG NEG NEG NEG   NEG NEG NEG NEG NEG NEG NEG NEG NEG
Viscosity 100 Deg C             9.5 9.6 9.5 8.5 9.3   8.9 9.1 9.8 9.31 9.24 8.95 9.17 9.78 10.5
% Solids             TR TR TR TR TR   TR N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
% Oxd             <1.0 11.1 <1.0 25.6 27.8   30 31.1 30 25 42 32 31 31 N/A
% NOX             21.4 24.3 30 28.6 31.4   34.3 32.9 34.3 28 43 29 28 27 27
TBN             7.0 4.8 7.5 10.0 9.8   9.8 7.3 6.9 6.51 5.56 6.91 5.85 6.95 5.59
Grade SH SH SH SH SH SH SJ  SJ  SJ  SJ  SJ  SJ  SJ  SJ  SJ  SJ  SJ  SJ  SJ  SJ  SJ 
Brand Oil Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Amsoil Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1
Vis Grade 5W-30 0W-30 5W-30 5W-30 5W-30 0W-30 5W-30 5W-30 5W-30 5W-30 5W-30 5W-30 5W-30 5W-30 5W-30 5W-30 5W-30 5W-30 5W-30 5W-30 5W-30
Filter Changed- Brand Ford Ford Ford Ford Ford Ford Ford Mobil 1 Mobil 1  K&N  K&N  AC DG  AC DG Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 Mobil 1 AC DG

 

Additive Metals

Note that recently Mobil 1 has changed their formulation and it now meets SJ grade. For this reason I sent a 2 oz of the new stuff to my oil lab for a free baseline analysis. Unless I somehow got dirt involved new clean Mobil 1 10W-30 has 27 ppm silicon as an additive so I doubt I will ever get less than that again. Assuming the engine is in good shape you can track changes in the additive packages by tracking them in the additive metals section. See that SH grade 5W-30 that I put in at 5k and the great numbers I got at 10k Then they changed the additive package, naturally

One last note , you can also sample ATX fluid, MTX fluid or any other type of lubricant.


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