Engine Oil Analysis

[bluevost]

Hey POGgers,

Thought I would share a service available to us from Power Trac. It is an engine oil analysis that is performed for no charge (kind of). Here is how it works:
First you call 1-800-DDC-0952 and set up an account. I set one up for my generator motor, and the Series 60.
Next you purchase the analysis kit. This is the "kind of" noted above. The kit costs around $13.00 to $14.00 dollars ea. I purchased some in May 2007 at Covington Diesel, Knoxville, TN at $13.28 each. Most Detroit/Allison places should have them. There are no charges for the lab work.
Then you collect a sample of your oil during the next oil change. Fill out the label, pick the lab closest to your whereabouts, and mail it off. Postage runs about $2.50. You will get a detailed analysis sheet in the mail about 10 days later.
On your second and subsequent samples, the analysis sheet shows a graph on things that have changed significantly. I'm not smart enough to know what all of these things are, or how they relate to our oil samples. What interests me is the phrase "no corrective action required" below the analysis recommendations.

The analysis report attached here is a little hard to read. If someone can tell me how to make it bigger, I'll try again.

Ken

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Ken

For starters your first analysis is used as your baseline and all subsequent samples will be compared to it. Trace amounts showing are usually and probably normal.

Elevated silicone levels I believe would indicate a potential coolant contamination.

Engine bearings are a series of different alloys in layers, lead copper alum., and as they wear down these different alloys are exposed and begin to wear thus showing up in a sample. For example copper is a lower layer so if it begins to appear in elevated amounts that is a bad indicator.

I would guess that rings and cylinder walls are the iron designation and fit the same equations in a similar manner.

I'll bet ya Jack14r or Kevin could do a more exact breakdown of these metals and how and in what order they are fashioned.

I used to do these on the Cat but it is sooooooooooo far down the road, I do not want to know anymore.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I used to do them on my planes. I sold a plane and before taking possession the new owner pulled the push rods and lifters because that particular engine had lubrication issues in that area. The lifters and cam lobes were eating each other up. The metal by then was probably big enough to have part numbers on it, but the oil analysis every 35 hours never reported any unusual wear. he took theplane anyway because the engine was reaching the end of its life.

But I stopped doing the analysis because it did not do a thing for me in that case.

I do cut open my oil filters and look at the pleats for signs of metal. It will be seen by the naked eye.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Ken, I think you did quite well with your images, being that you may click on them up to two times for increased magnification!

You might tell us, how you did that?

[Jerry Winchester]

We had a similar experience to Jon's on the oil anaysis and finally just stopped checking the whole fleet (+/-85,000 engines).

I look at it like making a forced landing in your plane at night. You pick a likely spot to land and when you get close you turn the landing light on. If you don't like what you see you just turn the light off.

Sometimes you just don't want to know.

[truk4u]

Ditto Jon & Jerry, I had 120 trucks at one point and the oil analysis caused to may unnecessary engine tear downs. If you use the analysis, it may make sense if you start with a brand new engine establishing a new base line.

[kmuller]

For those who may be interested, we have a very comprehensive article published in this month's, December, Passage Maker Magazine (available in The Boat/Yacht section of any good book/magazine store) on oil analysis, trending and interpretation. It is the feature tech article for the issue.

Karl Muller
Zimmerman Marine/Zimmerman Coach