oil analysis

[bfast54]

Greetings all, I am somewhat a stickler to maintenance on my vehicle since I do a lot of driving and I want to be sure that my vehicle will last as long as it possibly can

I have a F350 dually long bed crew with a diesel motor and I've always change my oil around 5,000 miles-- I use Rotella T6 synthetic --and I was kind of wondering if I was changing it too often ,if I can get more life out of oil ---things like that.

Since I am doing it myself I run about $130 each oil change.

I've been thinking about oil analysis for quite some time ,and so I finally did .

I took a sample of my oil after the vehicle had been runing quite a while ,things like that ....send it in and I was very pleased with the results.

I have just over 5,000 miles on the oil everything came back absolutely spectacular --basically its... no antifreeze, almost zero zero fuel dilution into the oil Basically zero soot,,,all that good stuff ..so the Analysis company that does a lot of oil analysis on heavy Vehicles commercial vehicles things like that..... said go ahead and run it to 10,000 and see what it looks like by then.

So if you run very very good oil and you run mostly highway miles on your vehicle .....it might well be worth while seeing how your engine is doing ---it came back almost no metals, no materials in it or anything.

They included a very detailed report which I'm not going to go into here but it's very concise.. I'm very pleased ....My truck has over 300,000 miles on it.

So this is kind of an informational post or whatever ....you may want to think about it.
I thought about it a long time and I'm glad I did it finally.
By the way it was $29 for the analysis that I got in Michigan and it saved me over $130 in oil and all that stuff like that oil filter ...etc....

When I get back from this next trip I may consider just changing the oil filter and topping it off because I'll be probably around 7000 or so miles Maybe a little more.

[Grit_dog]

^ Lotta people with alotta time and opinions on their hands on the forum. You're bound to get responses that cover the spectrum on any subject.
Including those that think you're damaging your engine with fresh filters and those that feel the need to do oil analysis on a brand new engine with a lifetime warranty.
Different strokes for different folks....

[bfast54]

Huntindog wrote:

bfast54 wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

bfast54 wrote:
When I get back from this next trip I may consider just changing the oil filter and topping it off because I'll be probably around 7000 or so miles Maybe a little more.

Why? :h

Why not go with the recommended 10K your oil analysis company is recommending? They are the experts and you should follow their recommendations. If you don't trust them, then why use them? If you do trust them then why not follow their recommendations?

Okay Apparently you didn't read it well...j

the 10,000 miles that they recommended is that I check it again at ten thousand and see how it is ---now I know darn well that oil filters catch things ----that's their purpose so if I can catch any particles and get rid of them and put a new filter on that --I know I'm money ahead and it's only one quart.

There is a common misconception that a new filter will filter better than an old one. That thinking may have had some merit a long time ago when motors ran a lot dirtier than today.
If a filter becomes totally clogged, then a bypass valve will open letting unfiltered oil circulate.. But in today's motors, something would have to be seriously wrong for that to happen. So barring that, a used filter will filter BETTER than a brand new one.

So--following your line of thinking --I need to Take my new tires off that I just recently put on and put my old ones back on--- since the old ones would be better than the new ones..

:S:h....
It is amazing --I post something that I'm trying for the first time to see how my engine is doing and the attacks are really interesting ..........

[bfast54]

rhagfo wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
Hmm lest see, 5k oil changes at $130 or trusting a company to say you can go 10k oil changes and the potential to ruin a motor? Ill take preventative maint. any day! $130 twice a year is cheaper than a motor repair/replacement!

Well I have my oil checked at every change, Blackstone will let you know what is going on inside your engine. Fuel dilution, antifreeze, high metals. I think the $29 is worth the knowledge.

Thank you......That is a Major thing I wanted to know.

Apparently some Neanderthrols......dont understsnd Science...:W

[bfast54]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
OP what was your TBN?

Been on the road and busy......
I will check it and post ...Thanks.

[Cummins12V98]

jim1521 wrote:
@GritDog: 2 reasons; 1) because I want to be aware of the status of the engine wear, and 2) In the event of a possible warranty issue I've got an audit trail that would show that it wasn't due to sludge, etc. those reports coupled with the maintenance records would go a long way towards showing that the truck was well maintained.

$30 every six months? That's about the price of a case of beer. Well worth it.

I highly recommend doing the TBN also. That will tell you how much life is left in the oil.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

Durb wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

Huntindog wrote:

bfast54 wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

bfast54 wrote:
When I get back from this next trip I may consider just changing the oil filter and topping it off because I'll be probably around 7000 or so miles Maybe a little more.

Why? :h

Why not go with the recommended 10K your oil analysis company is recommending? They are the experts and you should follow their recommendations. If you don't trust them, then why use them? If you do trust them then why not follow their recommendations?

Okay Apparently you didn't read it well...

the 10,000 miles that they recommended is that I check it again at ten thousand and see how it is ---now I know darn well that oil filters catch things ----that's their purpose so if I can catch any particles and get rid of them and put a new filter on that --I know I'm money ahead and it's only one quart.

There is a common misconception that a new filter will filter better than an old one. That thinking may have had some merit a long time ago when motors ran a lot dirtier than today.
If a filter becomes totally clogged, then a bypass valve will open letting unfiltered oil circulate.. But in today's motors, something would have to be seriously wrong for that to happen. So barring that, a used filter will filter BETTER than a brand new one.

Dog, I tried to explain this many times in this forum but some of the sheep here would have no part of it. I also said the same thing about fuel filters with mostly the same reaction. And fuel filters don't even have a by-pass. :R

Interjection from one of the sheep here. I assume you never change your filters as they just become more effective the dirtier they get. Possibly filter manufacturers should sell used filters for a premium because they filter better than a new one. You might have been the same one that postured that dirty oil was better for engine longevity than clean oil. Fact is, one doesn't know when a filter goes to bypass. It could be when the oil is more viscous when cold or the filter is really dirty. Some of the bypass valve designs I have seen supply oil directly to the engine from the dirty side of the filtering media. The valve will close and the filter will catch the dirt on the return trip then might open again. Please continue with your urban myth, I will continue to change my filters.

Wolf here: You need to go argue with CAT or Toyota. Cat said for years to run your machine until you feel a power loss. Why? Because their engineers knew the fuel filters got better over time until they got fuel restrictive. Or you can argue with Toyota. They recommended for years to change the oil filter every other time. Why? Because they knew the filter got better over time.

No urban myth for me. The fact "you" might not know when a by-pass is opening but "I" knew when a by-pass is opening. How? I delete them. You see, I never ran them on my turbo engines. You see, by-passes are for sheep that can't read a gauge.

I never wanted unfiltered oil to circulate in my engine even as remote as that might become. So I would pull the relief valve pound out the spring and put a bolt in it's place. Done.

In those days I ran the oil to about 7K and called it a day. The turbos chewed up the oil pretty good so I didn't press it. NEVER once did the oil pressure drop. If the filter plugged up any amount worth talking about the OP would have fell in the basement due to a restriction. That NEVER EVER happened!

I really don't care if you or anybody else changes your filter every 100 miles. Knock yourself out. People like you make the economy better and I appreciate that! :B

[jim1521]

@GritDog: 2 reasons; 1) because I want to be aware of the status of the engine wear, and 2) In the event of a possible warranty issue I've got an audit trail that would show that it wasn't due to sludge, etc. those reports coupled with the maintenance records would go a long way towards showing that the truck was well maintained.

$30 every six months? That's about the price of a case of beer. Well worth it.

[FishOnOne]

Grit dog wrote:
Jim1521, maybe I'm stating the obvious, but if you have a lifetime powertrain warranty, one of the few things it covers is the internals of the engine (and maybe turbo), so why spend the $ for oil analysis if you get a new engine for free when/if it blows up or wears out?
Under normal circumstances, oil analysis doesn't provide an easy button to change a major operating characteristic if you start eating parts, it just tells you that you're eating parts and I doubt a dealer would give you a new engine based on advanced warning thru black stone reports.

With the iron at 105ppm I would continue to do oil analysis until that iron drops to universal averages at a minimum.

[Grit_dog]

Jim1521, maybe I'm stating the obvious, but if you have a lifetime powertrain warranty, one of the few things it covers is the internals of the engine (and maybe turbo), so why spend the $ for oil analysis if you get a new engine for free when/if it blows up or wears out?
Under normal circumstances, oil analysis doesn't provide an easy button to change a major operating characteristic if you start eating parts, it just tells you that you're eating parts and I doubt a dealer would give you a new engine based on advanced warning thru black stone reports.

[Durb]

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

Huntindog wrote:

bfast54 wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

bfast54 wrote:
When I get back from this next trip I may consider just changing the oil filter and topping it off because I'll be probably around 7000 or so miles Maybe a little more.

Why? :h

Why not go with the recommended 10K your oil analysis company is recommending? They are the experts and you should follow their recommendations. If you don't trust them, then why use them? If you do trust them then why not follow their recommendations?

Okay Apparently you didn't read it well...

the 10,000 miles that they recommended is that I check it again at ten thousand and see how it is ---now I know darn well that oil filters catch things ----that's their purpose so if I can catch any particles and get rid of them and put a new filter on that --I know I'm money ahead and it's only one quart.

There is a common misconception that a new filter will filter better than an old one. That thinking may have had some merit a long time ago when motors ran a lot dirtier than today.
If a filter becomes totally clogged, then a bypass valve will open letting unfiltered oil circulate.. But in today's motors, something would have to be seriously wrong for that to happen. So barring that, a used filter will filter BETTER than a brand new one.

Dog, I tried to explain this many times in this forum but some of the sheep here would have no part of it. I also said the same thing about fuel filters with mostly the same reaction. And fuel filters don't even have a by-pass. :R

Interjection from one of the sheep here. I assume you never change your filters as they just become more effective the dirtier they get. Possibly filter manufacturers should sell used filters for a premium because they filter better than a new one. You might have been the same one that postured that dirty oil was better for engine longevity than clean oil. Fact is, one doesn't know when a filter goes to bypass. It could be when the oil is more viscous when cold or the filter is really dirty. Some of the bypass valve designs I have seen supply oil directly to the engine from the dirty side of the filtering media. The valve will close and the filter will catch the dirt on the return trip then might open again. Please continue with your urban myth, I will continue to change my filters.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

Huntindog wrote:

bfast54 wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

bfast54 wrote:
When I get back from this next trip I may consider just changing the oil filter and topping it off because I'll be probably around 7000 or so miles Maybe a little more.

Why? :h

Why not go with the recommended 10K your oil analysis company is recommending? They are the experts and you should follow their recommendations. If you don't trust them, then why use them? If you do trust them then why not follow their recommendations?

Okay Apparently you didn't read it well...

the 10,000 miles that they recommended is that I check it again at ten thousand and see how it is ---now I know darn well that oil filters catch things ----that's their purpose so if I can catch any particles and get rid of them and put a new filter on that --I know I'm money ahead and it's only one quart.

There is a common misconception that a new filter will filter better than an old one. That thinking may have had some merit a long time ago when motors ran a lot dirtier than today.
If a filter becomes totally clogged, then a bypass valve will open letting unfiltered oil circulate.. But in today's motors, something would have to be seriously wrong for that to happen. So barring that, a used filter will filter BETTER than a brand new one.

Dog, I tried to explain this many times in this forum but some of the sheep here would have no part of it. I also said the same thing about fuel filters with mostly the same reaction. And fuel filters don't even have a by-pass. :R

[jim1521]

I just got my oil analysis back from Blackstone labs. I'll continue to do this every oil change. Like the OP I'm planning keeping this truck (2016 Nissan Titan XD SL diesel) a LONG time as I have a lifetime warranty on the powertrain. Much happier to KNOW than to guess. And yes, even 2 oil changes in one year are more than worth it.

[Huntindog]

bfast54 wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

bfast54 wrote:
When I get back from this next trip I may consider just changing the oil filter and topping it off because I'll be probably around 7000 or so miles Maybe a little more.

Why? :h

Why not go with the recommended 10K your oil analysis company is recommending? They are the experts and you should follow their recommendations. If you don't trust them, then why use them? If you do trust them then why not follow their recommendations?

Okay Apparently you didn't read it well...

the 10,000 miles that they recommended is that I check it again at ten thousand and see how it is ---now I know darn well that oil filters catch things ----that's their purpose so if I can catch any particles and get rid of them and put a new filter on that --I know I'm money ahead and it's only one quart.

There is a common misconception that a new filter will filter better than an old one. That thinking may have had some merit a long time ago when motors ran a lot dirtier than today.
If a filter becomes totally clogged, then a bypass valve will open letting unfiltered oil circulate.. But in today's motors, something would have to be seriously wrong for that to happen. So barring that, a used filter will filter BETTER than a brand new one.

[WTP-GC]

bfast54 wrote:

I have just over 5,000 miles on the oil everything came back absolutely spectacular --basically its... no antifreeze, almost zero zero fuel dilution into the oil Basically zero soot,,,all that good stuff ..

....My truck has over 300,000 miles on it.

Well, it is a 7.3L PSD...so why would you expect any less :B

I used to do the oil analysis' all the time on my 1996 F350 7.3L PSD. Now it has about 296K miles and is only a part-time driven vehicle. No more RV towing, no more long trips...so I basically quit doing them because it quit being important to me. The results, though, gave me the confidence I needed in the vehicle and whether or not it was worth keeping up. At one point, I was using an inferior oil, which the analysis caught after trending the results from multiple oil changes.

I'm approaching 80K miles on my RAM and plan on starting to do an analysis at every other oil change.