Oil analysis save your day - and engine?

[Gary - K7GLD]

I'm thinking, depending on how my current test with Delo turns out, that I will probably settle at about 10-15,000 miles, or annual oil changes, whichever comes first - probably an annual analysis too, unless that starts appearing pointless or unnecessary...



At 5000 miles on my current experiment with the Delo, I took 3 oil samples for analysis, after changing both the 3894 full flow and the Frantz bypass - and sent those identical samples to 3 different labs - Oil Analyzers, Cat, and Blackstone - 2 have come back with VERY interesting numbers - still waiting for the last one. I'll start another related thread covering both the extended drain progress, and the results of the 3 samples...



And then continue on to the 10,000 mile mark...

 

[Diesel Gunner]

A small point here. I am not aware of oil companies encouraging 3k oil changes. However, I know fully well that many oil change outlets strum that string continuously. And, they really make the bucks on the little items that they find in their "free" inspection.



Personally, I would never take anything that I own to a quicky oil changer. I prefer to be kissed when I am getting... .



I know that the company that I work for (a major oil company) makes a product that protects far beyond what most people think is reasonable. I have customers that are running our conventional oils in class 8 equipment 18K between changes. Yes, they are using analysis to establish PM schedules.



If running your oil for 105K or 3K makes you feel good about your maintenance style, do it. I would not recommend that you try running your syn oil 100K without analysis any more than changing it every 3K.



There are many factors that one needs to consider on this subject. Too many to begin listing here. If you only drive 6K miles a year and live in Tuscon that is much different than doing the same and living on the beach in Santa Barbara.



I feel safe saying that most folks change their oil (dino or syn {highly refined dino}) more often than is necessary. Way more often. Like everything else in life, it boils down to "How much money you got, Brother?"



Make yourself happy. Life is short. Don't sweat the small stuff. And, remember, you can't take it with you.



Oh, yea. Me? Delo about every 5K.



Peace, Out!

 

[Tony T.]

Oil Sampling

In regards to changing the oil every 3K, I have always done this on my gasser engines through out the years. I've always heard that if you don't make the mileage interval it's best to go ahead an change due to (condensation build up). What is it, 3K or 3 months which ever comes first. Is this all just "hype". Example my wife's vehicle I change at 3K intervals, but the time to change (3 months) shows up before 3K interval. I am planning a 20K oil sample on the CTD here in about another 800 or 900 miles more or less for curious purposes, an a starting point for later oil sampling, maybe every other change. Changing CTD at 5K intervals now. Also has anyone done the sampling on the trans fluid for "wear". The mechanics I've talked to on the trans say "well the fluid is still bright red" "does'nt have a burn't smell to it. " Planning on trans fluid change around 25 to 30K.

 

[mhenon]

How 'bout this

Thanks to this web-page I think I got the engine broke in properly. It doesn't burn oil ("0")... Ok maybe a tiny bit when I'm towing. It starts instantly... no cranking whatsoever. I'm getting great fuel mileage. It doesn't smoke (Ok. . some of you think this is a bad thing). I'm running Mobil Delvac 1 and the engine definitely starts easy and runs cooler. I installed a by-pass filter (Frantz0.

Do I really need analysis too???? Come-on! How much does a guy have to spend to keep this engine going. I think the by-pass filter was money well spent. Synthetic oil... . probably over-kill. But oil analysis at 10 bucks a whack????

Look... if anything really bad was happening... I would have taken it back to the dealer for an engine replacement... and at 52k. . I still can. I thinks it's kind of proven itself now. This truck/engine doesn't need the "lemon law". It was built right and will last a long time. Just the usual maintenance and I'm sure I'll get 500k or more out of it.

Whatever makes ya happy... . but "I'm" not doing analysis. If I owned a fleet of delivery trucks. . you bet. But on one vehicle that gets babied constantly... I just have to draw the line somewhere.

JMO

Mike

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

MIKE:

 

[n5ifi]

I don't test. I do change religiously.

 

[Ralph Wood]

If your filter doesn't clean oil the more often you change the oil the better. If you have a filter that cleans oil you need to change it often enough to keep the oil clean. Transmission fluid can be dirtier than the motor oil and still be a bright red in color. I installed a dual remote ATF filter on a new Dodge Cummins. I don't see any reason for the ATF to be changed with a combination full flow and submicronic bypass filter installed. I think the fluid is called ATF-4. The fluid washed out the teflon pipe dope. Should have used teflon tape. The filter system should have enough capacity to keep the fluid clean for 100 thousand. The owner is a pilot that watches the gauges. He isn't going to overheat the transmission.

If you have a filter that cleans fluid the only reason you will need to drain the oil is if you have a mechanical problem such as coolant getting in the oil or the filter isn't being changed enough.

I sent a sample of oil to a lab after a trip to Alaska and back from the Dallas area. It was an 8. 3 Cummins in a motor home. The owner was happy when he saw the report. I could tell by looking at the oil that the report was going to be good. Change oil drain recommendations are based on marketing and has little to do with longer engine life.



Ralph

 

[u2plt]

Ralph Wood is right on. He is so honest he has even told everyone on the Forum about the problem with his using liquid tape on my install. My son had used my 04. 5 HO600 3500 Dully to pull his Nisson 350Z to National Convention last month. Ralph had just installed the transmission filters and I had driven the CTD for several days with no sign of leaking. My son had at least 6000# in tow and was pushing it hard at 85MPH on first day and at fueling stop noticed red fluid all over the front of his Nisson. He fixed the problem by putting Teflon tap on the filter fittings and tightened up the hoze claps. He drove 4500 miles

with no more leaks. The transmission temp on X-gage never got above 175* even though it took 3 quarts of ATF-4. Cozy Kline, The Old Fighter/U-2 Pilot.

 

[Ralph Wood]

Originally posted by u2plt

Ralph Wood is right on. He has even told everyone on the Forum about the problem with his using liquid tape on my install.

If you watch people install teflon tape it will scare you. At work I see people wrap it on the threads backwards. Some will put 10 rounds on. Some will put it on loose. I have used the paste in the the past with no problems on motor oil and ATF. I found this paste at ACE hardware. The label looked good. "10,000 PSI on liquids from -50 to +500 F. Use on water, steam, natural and LP gas, oils, fuels, and dilute acids. "

On the the big jobs at work I normally use paste. For the hydraulic lines I normally use tape. I put a Motor Guard on a Gardner Denver Screw compressor at work that uses an agressive oil. I had a shaft collar in the Motor Guard that was cadmium coated. It turned black. Teflon can handle a lot of things. The paste isn't all teflon. There might be something in the paste that the ATF-4 likes to eat. The 1/2" hose to the full flow mount is from Perma-Cool. I toss the little clamps and install stronger clamps. The hose to the Motor Guard are Aeroquip. Both are rated for 300 degrees F.

That transmission must have a heck of a pump. It can put out a big stream of oil.



Ralph

 

[Diesel Gunner]

Being the smart *ss that I am, should I take this to mean that if I have Teflon pipe dope, Teflon tape, and a bypass filter system, all of my longevity problems are solved?



Gentlemen and Ladies, with all due respect, and to each his or her own, when I take a shower I put on clean undies. Amazingly, unless I work very hard out in the heat, I don't stink! At least no one has told me that I do recently.



A shower with old undies will eventually out itself. Clean undies without a shower will eventually out itself. Shower and clean clothes has worked for a long time (everyday for me, sometimes twice if I need it!).



Sooo.....



The moral of the story is do what you like. But, Please!, just stay downwind from me.



Only humor intended here. I beg everyone to just smile and keep on posting. Or grind your teeth and keep on posting.

 

[HWigand]

I'm curious, where/how do you get your engine oil tested? This is my first diesel. My Mustang did okay, I just had to go for oil changes every 2-3 months, regardless of miles. It lasted over 320K miles. I expect to drive this truck at least for the next 6-8 years. I do almost all highway with no towing (50/50 heavy traffic/light-to-no traffic). I average between 40-52K per year. I expect this truck to at least do better than my Mustang, right? What am I looking for from the testing? Why would I test now if I never did with my Mustang? Is testing more necessary if preformance modules are placed?

 

[R C Cola]

Analysis versus cost ??

I use oil analysis fairly often based on if I can get to it easily. Varies from 2 to 5000 miles. If the readout shows that oil is in great shape I know that the oil is still good, air filter is doing its job well, no internal anti-freeze leaks (this one could be really bad), it also tells me if I idle too much (soot level).

If I use the wrong brand of TP filter element I can tell it on the next analysis because the readings go up due to filter inefficiency.

I would be changing oil bi-weekly (about 2500 miles per/week) without this kind of imput and still not knowing if some internal problem had come up.

Immediate results--- saves about $100/per month on oil changes = $1200/per year and the peace of mind in knowing that all is well internally.

For additional peace of mind I change the factory filter every third time the bypass filter is changed and change the oil completely twice per year even though the test says it is still good to go. . . R C

 

[EMD Diesel Power]

Oil analysis is worth every buck to me. It saved my butt one time on a displaced air filter. Not sure how it got kittywampus... . lol. only thing I could figure out is that the turbo burped and it knocked out that one edge a little bit.



changed oil, got the test back and my silicon was 10 or better... . normally it was 2. found the displaced filter and fixed it.



Also used the analysis to push my oil changes out to 12-15k. I could have probably gone to 16-18k on the oil with just the filter change. the 12-15k readings were good on the additive package, but the insolubles(?) were high.



Im also an ASE Master diesel tech, and I view an analysis as no different than having a few more gauges on the engine. :-laf :-laf can get lots of info from it.



Jeff

 

[barbwire]

Just one less beer a week

:-laf :-laf

You would think that any one on here would NOT have problems. I put 7500 miles or less on oil and change it every 6 to 8 weeks. If it were a fuel leak wouldn't i see the crank case level rise. Or higher EGT's. $10 every six weeks would get expensive. The most