Well, I'm at a loss on this one guys. Some of you know that I have my bypass system, and when I changed the oil and put in the Schaeffer's 9000, I changed both the full flow and bypass filter elements.

Now, after only... ONLY 6500 miles, Blackstone's report shows significant increases in both LEAD and COPPER in compariison to what I got on the Amsoil at nearly 12K miles. Now, I didn't add any oil before sampling, and it took 1.5 quarts to top off after the sample, so there is absolutely no fresh oil dilution in the sample to give false low numbers.

So... here's my concern... increased wear metals and increased oil consumption on what I was expecting to be a better-performing oil.

I can change the oil now, and am inclined to do so, but I don't have a warm and fuzzy about making another run on the Schaeffers, yet I am also inclined to give it one more try based on a couple of things I've read about:

1. the outstanding reports of excellent long run intervals on Schaeffers from a number of folks in here.
2. changing oil brands can sometimes show disparities in numbers, and a single test is not necessarily the whole banana.

OK... now it's your turn... chime in and give me YOUR thoughts!!

 

Since everyone knows I'm going to say it anyway, I'll just say it. Skip the OA stuff. What a headache. Just change it regularly and if the engine goes south, it is going south. All the OAs and hand wringing in the world is not going to change that.

Having said all of that, did you inform them of the oil brand change? Perhaps the new stuff is cleaning it up? Perhaps this is all a bunch of baloney as in a lab error.

 

OK, I looked closer. Man, that Schaeffers is loaded with Moly. I don't think you are way out of line but who knows? Perhaps Rich or Jeremy will be along with some of their numbers since they use the same stuff.

 

I frequently switch back and forth between Delo and Rotella 5w-40. I also have done analysis all the way from 6,000-12,000 OCI. That being said, I've never seen any real difference in lead or copper in my oil analysis, always 2 or 3 ppm for copper and 3 or 4 ppm for lead. Looks to me like you are trending upward on both metals,even before the change to Schaffers. I think you may have a bearing going south.

 

I am a very staunch member of this club.

 

Yep, and the problem is a lot easier to diagnose once there is a rod hanging out the side of the block.

I know, I know, shut up clux.

 

And I am probably about to become a staunch member of the going back to dyno oil club here real soon too Dan. Aside from spiffy cold startup, I am not impressed. I think my truck liked dyno better.

 

All Synthetic oil is made of a dino base Amsoil has one of the best. Just my two cents worth!

 

Good one clux. Funny thing is, when I came back here, I meant to compliment you for not flaming on me again, but I replied to Dan first. Oh well. Can you argue? When it's broke, it needs to be fixed. What would you recommend Pete do now???????? Stop driving it? Rebuild engine now before window in block? Retest? Hand wringing, LOL.

 

I'd stick with the Schaffers and retest in 5,000. Not flaming you, Tenn, just offering my version of reality, which may or may not be the right one.

I know one thing.............I'd rather rebuild and pay for a set of bearings that might be bad than a crankshaft and a block that I know are bad.

 

I think we can rule out the hand-wringing exercises. I'm not much into that anyway, but I DO like to understand things that are happening.

I've had the same questions regarding "lab error" and "cleaning out", and I also noticed the same high moly load, too. I expect Jeremy and Rich may have some insights, and am eagerly awaiting their responses.

My inclination is to not only continue with the Schaeffers right now, but also go ahead and run it up to about 10K - banking on a combination of lab error and cleaning out possibilities.

One thing I also forgot to mention, after I got the test results at 11,700 miles on the Amsoil, I ran fr another 1400 miles before my shipment of Schaeffers arrived so I could make the switch. What that means is that the wear metals were actually higher than those values in the report due to the extended run. Since I was so close to the 11,700 miles test result, I chose to not test the final Amsoil condition at the 13,000 mile mark.

To answer another question... No, I didn't specifically tell them I changed oil brands, but they had the records of what I had been running and I also sent in a sample of the virgin Schaeffers to see how it tested with NO miles on it straight from the bottle.

EDIT: One more note... since these samples were taken a little while back, I'm actually at about 8,500 miles on the same oil right now anyway... might as well go the rest of the way to 11,700.

 

I wouldn't worry about the Moly, Delo 400 analysis used to come back at over 200 ppm moly before the new low emission oil was introduced. It is part of the additive package.

The only wear metal that should increase lineally with the mileage is the iron. Hopefully this is just some kind of cleaning out like you mentioned.

I agree, I'd run another change of the Schaffer's, if the next analysis comes back with high lead/copper, try switching back to the Amsoil. If you still get high lead/copper, might be time for the engine hoist.

 

You're right, Clux... the moly doesn't concern me at all... it's just that I was equally impressed with how much they (Schaeffers) adds for some lubricity boost. I'll tell you what, the raw viscosities and flash points were equally impressive on the virgin oil sample.

Them there words hurt to even think about right now.

Tell me, now. IF the bearings are really running on the downward slope, what are some other symptoms I can be watching out for as I continue to run, or is it just possibly to early for anything else (aside from OA's) to actually reveal what's happening inside?

 

Don't be mad Pete, but we are about to be wringing our hands now. Clux has a good point about bearings being cheaper to replace than a block, but c'mon already. You obviously see this point because you are asking. By the time you notice other symptoms, you will be very close to failure and need to act quick.

Having said all of that, you may still have another 400k on that engine and this whole lab test stuff is a fluke. The Schaeffers is loaded with Moly BTW, I am sure you know, and that is supposed to be a good thing. That may be why you have some sudden elevated #s elsewhere, IDK. It is said to have a cleaning quality. Let's see if Rich or Jeremy will happen along tonight.

 

Looking at the rest of the sample, I would keep a really close eye on your coolant level, I don't know what the virgin oil sample for the schaffers shows but it looks to me like potassium and sodium are up in this sample, which could be coolant in the oil, which would explain the increased wear metals.