Hello I am woundering if anyone out there has started taking oil samples on their 6.7's I have done two so far and sent them off to Blackstone Labs, and the reports that I gotten back shows that there is high traces of Aluminum (1st sample 19ppm, 2nd sample 26ppm) in the samples tested. I have 31046 miles and 4 Oil changes so far with oil changed by my local dealer. Has anyone else taken oil samples and had the similar readings? Also when I shut down the truck there is whineing sound, could it be the turbo?

 

There are a few guys here doing diesel engine oil analysis and can help you with your report. I have been testing airplane engines for years through oil analysis and I suspect (haven't had to change my oil yet) that Blackstone should be providing you some sort of acceptable ranges for the levels they are reporting. If not, I would call them up and ask for it.

 

Here's my most recent report. Only two samples so far but coming up on 15K miles now so there will be another column of data available soon. I'm starting to wonder about the validity of the averages now that owners are changing oil on such different schedules. I'm going 5K between each but some are going 3K and others 10K. How does that play into averages as the transients in the oil will increase with the increased mileage? You can't just average the values, they should be mileage adjusted and I don't know if Blackstone is doing that.

 

I have been getting my oli changed every 7,000 I am putting about 70 miles round trip each day to work. I have not hauled much a 23' wooden boat 50 miles one way and a camping trailer 110 miles also one way.

 

And people thought I was CRAZY when I said I didn't care what the "new" logic on change intervals was. Even though my '11 only has 2500 miles on it, I am glad I dropped the factory fill this past weekend, and I am never going to go more than 4000 miles on my intervals. I also put a filtermag on mine to help trap particulate. Might be snake oil, but I figure it can't hurt...

I think "trusting" the supposedly intelligent oil life monitor in this truck is a bad idea. The peace of mind I derive from changing every 4000 or so is well worth the (additional) money I will expend on an aggressive maintenance regimen.

Just my opinion, of course.

-Rob

 

Dealer did first oil change at 4,702, didn't have tested.
I haven't planned to change the oil below 5,000 miles from that point forward.

For the second change (01/08/11) at 9,883 miles:
17 aluminum
3.0% fuel in oil.
5,181 miles on that oil change.
Around 5 hrs total of SEIC idle.
SUS viscosity @ 210 degrees F was 63.4.
I had the TBN run and it reported 3.6.

I'm already past 6 hrs SEIC idle this time and my goal was less so that isn't what I had planned.
I'll be close to 15,000 miles by the end of this week so I'll probably change it on one of the next few Saturday's to see how this sample reports.

I use Motorcraft 15w-40 and the Motorcraft FL2051 oil filter.

EDIT: I need to add my sample could have been slightly contaminated.
I knocked over the sample bottle and had to take from the bucket 3/4th drained.
Probably clean but I did inform Blackstone of that dumb mistake.

 

Also it's impossible to quantify the amount of stress (ie towing heavy loads) an engine endured which will also affect wear metals as well.

 

What does it cost to get an oil analisis done?

 

What is most troubling is what Epic mentioned about the schedules. In airplane engines we typically change the oil on set intervals based on hours. Looking at the data from interval to interval gives you the trend. In other words, changing the frequency will change the result - provided there wasn't a catastrophic failure. You also look for killer items that shouldn't be there at all. This suggests that a component is either failing or has failed. The stage that the motor is in (break-in versus broke in) will change what is expected to be seen.

What I didn't like about Epic's report was their comment about changing the frequency. Like duh, you will get less wear metals if you change the oil sooner than you did last time. Why are they asking for a shorter interval?

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I have been monitoring my airplane oil for quite a while. My life and my family's lives depend on making sure that engine keeps working. These tests (airplane & automotive) should be similar but something doesn't feel right. Time for some research.

 

I would assume you would get an elevated amount in the first couple of changes, stands to reason. My question is what are the acceptable amounts. I have never ever thought to send a sample of my oil to a lab for analysis. I have a 100,000 mile warranty and plan on extending it to 200,000 before it expires. I think I will let Ford worry about it.

I do worry about scratches tho....

 

Oil analysis can be a pretty handy tool, provided the results are standardized and can be understood. If standards are set for acceptable levels, then any deviation from those standards can indicate a possible problem. It's a good way to gauge the health of your engine.

In my flying career, I don't worry about the scratches, but do worry about the engine

 

Well said!

 

I appreciate the wealth of info here, and I have contemplated getting oil analysis myself in the past, and I might even do it on my new truck in the future.

But, I am curious as to exactly what you would do about it if Blackstone continued to report, for example, elevated aluminum particulate?

I don't mean to be sarcastic, but exactly what do you do with that info? Do you take it to your dealer and say something is wrong here? It would seem to me that during the warranty period, they are just going to tell you everything is ok, and basically wait for a failure as far as I can tell.

I guess my point is that as proactive as I am about maintenance and my grandfather's voice saying "if you take care of your vehicle, it will take care of you..." what do you do about it? I guess I have enough to worry about without the added expense and frustration if my engine is developing an internal issue. Granted, it is far easier to coast to a dead stop in a truck than a plane...

Again, I don't mean to be argumentative here or stir anything up. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the wealth of wisdom available here from guys like Epic, but I just don't currently see how to make use of the info provided from an analysis. If I am missing something, please enlighten me.

 

If I owned a plane and flew my family, yes I would like all the info I could get to insure their safety.

My truck is not ever off the ground, if it is not to the tune of a couple of thousand feet. I feel that it would be a waste of money. Take all the tests you want and Ford will just look at you as if you were nuts.

Just seems like you are p***ing in the wind getting the tests done.

 

That is exactly the problem. In an airplane engine, if I see an elevated metal or one that shouldn't be there, I can go to the A&P and tell him to look at a certain component. Often before a plane engine makes serious metal, there is an elevation of the metals. In the automotive world it is a "let it break and we'll fix it" mentality.

It is good to see certain things like elevated fuel levels and water. Not sure I could get my mechanic to change out a component based on an elevated metal