Help interpreting oil analysis report

[bigceltic]

I would call 3.4% soot major as Cummins doesn't want more than 3% so the oil is done. The soot could be why it is thickening but it also looks like the oil was hot with the elevated cooper leaching. I doubt the oil got to hot with synthetic unless your coolant got VERY hot (which I don't recall you mentioning in our emails).

It's all part of the 04.5-07 in-cylinder EGR but some engines make more soot than others. My 05 was on the higher end with the stock motor.

I have talked with OAI about the Cummins soot limit but they haven't changed their standards.

Blackstone is not a company I have ever had any faith in and this report is a good example of that.

Thanks, John. I do not think I had any coolant issues - I think the hottest I got was around 210-215 or so going up the mountain passes (Vail pass and Eisenhower tunnel) but the temps came right back down to 190ish once over the summit - this was on the trip back with the BBis, max speed 45 as I was trying to keep EGTs under 1200. I guess I will just go back to the 7500 Schedule B (severe) oil changes and see how that does. I plan to use the Amsoil oil analyzers from now on, but wanted to see what blackstone had to say since I had used them before.

 

[AH64ID]

Nothing wrong with 215° at all. Per Cummins the 190° thermostat is good for operation up to 225° which should keep oil around 275° at most.

I change my AME (Amsoil Heavy Duty Diesel 15w-40) about annually which is 7,000-11,000 miles and so far so good on UOA.

 

[Tuesdak]

I would call 3.4% soot major as Cummins doesn't want more than 3% so the oil is done. The soot could be why it is thickening but it also looks like the oil was hot with the elevated cooper leaching. I doubt the oil got to hot with synthetic unless your coolant got VERY hot (which I don't recall you mentioning in our emails).

It's all part of the 04.5-07 in-cylinder EGR but some engines make more soot than others. My 05 was on the higher end with the stock motor.

I have talked with OAI about the Cummins soot limit but they haven't changed their standards.

Blackstone is not a company I have ever had any faith in and this report is a good example of that.

That makes more sense. I was going off the labs's "Soot is at a minor level" and scratching my head at how he got AMSOIL too hot to thicken it so much. So injector failure may have spiked the soot level.

I'll keep that number in mind for my engine's results.

 

[amsoilman]

Thanks, John. I do not think I had any coolant issues - I think the hottest I got was around 210-215 or so going up the mountain passes (Vail pass and Eisenhower tunnel) but the temps came right back down to 190ish once over the summit - this was on the trip back with the BBis, max speed 45 as I was trying to keep EGTs under 1200. I guess I will just go back to the 7500 Schedule B (severe) oil changes and see how that does. I plan to use the Amsoil oil analyzers from now on, but wanted to see what blackstone had to say since I had used them before.

Not to take away anything that the others have said, but if you ever have questions regarding Oil Analysis, you can get some good advice from Allen Bender@715-399-6359 or 715-395-0222. He is the "Oil Analyzers" contact with Amsoil Inc.

 

[AH64ID]

Allen Bender is who I spoke to multiple times about the Cummins ISB limit of 3.0% soot but it appears it never went anywhere.

 

[bigceltic]

Ok here is my latest oil report (yes, I know it is Blackstone - will get the Oil Analyzers report soon).

This sample is no towing. Just work commuting. Any ideas why the viscosity is still off? Should I get something checked?

 

[AH64ID]

I would guess soot.

IIRC even thou insolubles are on the Blackstone test they generally read low on soot.

 

[bigceltic]

I would guess soot.

IIRC even thou insolubles are on the Blackstone test they generally read low on soot.

Hmm, I thought that by adding the Amsoil bypass oil filter I would be keeping soot low. I guess I was wrong (or at least I should say I am somewhat disappointed).

 

[AH64ID]

You can blame modern oils for that.

Modern oils need to fight all the EGR soot and to do so they suspend it better than older oils and keep the soot from agglomerating. Soot particles are sub-micron and very difficult to filter out, yet the bypass is still catching a bunch of them.

The 04.5-07 piston design is also very soot production friendly

 

[bigceltic]

You can blame modern oils for that.

Modern oils need to fight all the EGR soot and to do so they suspend it better than older oils and keep the soot from agglomerating. Soot particles are sub-micron and very difficult to filter out, yet the bypass is still catching a bunch of them.

The 04.5-07 piston design is also very soot production friendly

Ah, ok. I guess I will just change it more often. Thanks!

 

[AH64ID]

I would use OAI and go from there. You can still get 15K miles out of oil, or more.