Help Oil Analysis

[ziffle]

Always learning. Can someone explain any of this? My oil analsis '89 Cummins with 505400 showing on the odometer (not sure if orginal engine). Using Amsoil S3000 syn hd,slowly changing to 15-40 diesel & marine syn. Running Frantz & Amsoil filters,sampled at 5000 miles use. As follows: iron-18,chromium-2,lead-4,copper-3,tin-0,alum-2,nickel-0,silver-0,silicon-5,boron-6,sodium-3,mag-83,calcium-3545,barium-0,phosp-1358,zinc-1691,molybdenum-3,titan-0,vanadium-0,potassium-0,fuel<1,vis@100c-12. 46,water-0,soot-0. 2,coolant n/a If anything my typing skills are improving. At 5000 miles changed the toilet roll. The analysis was from Staveley Services,tried calling them didn't get any advice. Have no idea how long to go on the oil? Do the same thing at the next 5000? Will this oil hold up to 20000 miles? The old girl runs great, hate to blow a good thing. Many thanks in advance. Scott

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Looks pretty typical for a bypassed/Amsoiled sample - but could probably change the TP roll at more like 3K miles, unless your driving is mostly longer distance freeway miles...

 

[waltk]

I don't know about running oil that long in the first gens. Bypass oil filters are NOT a good idea on these engines, due to low capacity oil pump. I will only run Valvoline Premium Blue Extream for 5k miles in my '90. However I guess that I am just a little paranoid about my engine

 

[GHarman]

TBN, Total Base Number is a key parameter. (Ams. 15W-40 Diesel and Marine starts with 12 TBN) Below 3 the oil can no longer protect against corrosivity, as I understand it. In my experience, using Cummins filters and Amsoil 15W-40 Diesel and Marine oil, extended drain intervals are no issue unless you run dusty roads all the time. (In this case multiple oil filter changes may be something to consider?) I have 10 miles of Dirt road to navigate. The oil change routine was every 6 months when "Old Ugly" was a daily driver. The last couple of oil changes were regulated to once a year with low annual miles (less than 6000 miles). In 2007, while doing a clutch job I elected to replace the rear main seal, pan gasket, transmission mounts,etc. Upon removal of the pan, my helper, a professional mechanic, noted that the motor was EXTREMELY clean. There was a minimal amount of sludgy stuff in the pan sump that wiped clean with a handful of paper towels. There was an issue with a cam lobe flaking. But that was not a lack of lubrication. It was due to an improperly heat treated cam. Presently, "Old Ugly" is a parts truck. It was totaled on 26 February. However, It will fire right up after sitting with 13 Quarts of Amsoil 15W-40 in the motor. Make sure the TBN is part of the oil Chemistry, you paid for it! Hope this helps. GregH

 

[R C Cola]

Oil Change

Ditto on the TBN # and its importance. My iron stays at 12 plus or minus 1 from test to next test. I test oil once per month regardless of miles driven and change Frantz filter element between 2 and 3 thousand miles after having done lots of experimenting. Less than 2k is definitely too soon for my truck and more than 3. 5k the numbers start to climb. TBN starts to fluctuate at about 6k but has never gone below 9 that I remember. Old betsy uses about 1 qt every 1k to 1. 5k depending on type of driving. Factory filter I change about every 10k just to keep it from getting old and falling apart. At 10k the oil report said it was still good to run awhile but I did not like the numbers and the filter costs me less than a dollar.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I don't know about running oil that long in the first gens. Bypass oil filters are NOT a good idea on these engines, due to low capacity oil pump. I will only run Valvoline Premium Blue Extream for 5k miles in my '90. However I guess that I am just a little paranoid about my engine

You must not be very familiar with the actual operation of true "bypass" oil filters - and the physical size of the restrictor orifices and oil flow rates thru them - I ran one for 120,000 miles on my '91 truck - never saw ANY discernible reduction in oil pressure, and oil analysis done near that 120K miles prior to trading for the current '02, was the BEST the engine ever produced, and THAT was with plain 'ol DELO 400...

 

[bheiting]

Always learning. Can someone explain any of this? My oil analsis '89 Cummins with 505400 showing on the odometer (not sure if orginal engine). Using Amsoil S3000 syn hd,slowly changing to 15-40 diesel & marine syn. Running Frantz & Amsoil filters,sampled at 5000 miles use. As follows: iron-18,chromium-2,lead-4,copper-3,tin-0,alum-2,nickel-0,silver-0,silicon-5,boron-6,sodium-3,mag-83,calcium-3545,barium-0,phosp-1358,zinc-1691,molybdenum-3,titan-0,vanadium-0,potassium-0,fuel<1,vis@100c-12. 46,water-0,soot-0. 2,coolant n/a If anything my typing skills are improving. At 5000 miles changed the toilet roll. The analysis was from Staveley Services,tried calling them didn't get any advice. Have no idea how long to go on the oil? Do the same thing at the next 5000? Will this oil hold up to 20000 miles? The old girl runs great, hate to blow a good thing. Many thanks in advance. Scott

Now that we have past issues of TDR in digital format here on the site,

I would urge you to read John Martins Technical Topics articles in, I believe,

issues 56-58. He does a blind test of a number of oil samples, and gives

his professional opinion. He places the most emphasis on oil additives.

Amsoil's additives were only mediocre at that time, so I would watch your

tests for extended oil changes. If your testing lab does not give you an

explaination of your results, I would find one that does. Cummins own

lab does a fairly good job, highlighting out of spec. numbers.

 

[R C Cola]

" Low Capacity Oil Pump " ? ?

My rig measures 69 lbs of pressure at 1500 RPM every time I check it measured with external guage installed at oil filter port. Presently have 620k on the odometer. Last I checked Cummins said this engine will run without damage with 7 pounds steady oil pressure. Does not seem to be low capacity to me. Other input on this anyone ?