Oil analysis 1:results

[Bukowski]

Recently got my oil analyzed by a popular internet-mail-in service. Might have been 3000 mi or closer to 1000 mi, not sure. Castrol GTX 10W-30. Oil-coolant sludge and new cooler seals over 10 years ago. I was inspired by van Svenson using analysis to decide on changing the rod bearings. My total engine mileage is not reliable. Enjoy:

Oil analysis 1:
PPM's:
Al 3
Cr 0
Fe 4
Cu 2
Pb 0
Sn 0
Mo 17
Ni 0
Mn 0
Ag 0
Ti 0
K 2
B 66
Si 4
Na 61
Ca 2143
Mg 8
P 703
Zn 824
Ba 0
SUS Viscosity at 210degF 57.8
cSt viscosity at 100degC 9.58
Flashpoint (F) 395
Fuel (%) <0.5
Antifreeze (%) 0
Water (%) 0
Insolubles (%) 0.3

... I accidentally put this in another forum but left it - 997's and such.

[333pg333]

Sorry, is this for a 944? If so, are you living in the Arctic? Why run such a lightweight oil?

[v2rocket_aka944]

+1
if its not currently snowing you should have 20W50

[Bukowski]

What does the engine do when oil is too light?

[Litesonic]

so... what does it mean?
Seems the analysis part of this is missing.

Maybe a screen capt of the PDF (so we can see avgs./maximums, etc.) would be useful.
Is there enough in the oil that you feel the need to replace the bearings?
How much per oil analysis is the right amount (assuming it's not cumulative)?

[djnolan]

Those analysis typically come with average numbers and range numbers and I compare them to the ones I've gotten back and then all looks like that oil was very fresh engine doesn't show any problems

[333pg333]

Originally Posted by Bukowski

What does the engine do when oil is too light?

Major failure requiring part or total repair is possible for example.

[DannoXYZ]

Especially if you drive car hard in hot weather. Heat will break down oil's viscosity and parts will rub each other increasing wear and tear. Here's section from Owner's Manual.



Down under, they have +10 oils with extra viscosity for engine-protection under demanding conditions such as racing. These come in 10w50, 15w60 or 20w60 weights.

[OPRN]

Originally Posted by 333pg333

Sorry, is this for a 944? If so, are you living in the Arctic? Why run such a lightweight oil?

I would suggest that by the results of his oil analysis he is not doing the engine any harm running to oil he is. Sure he could run heavier oil but unless he is taxing that engine with constant hard driving the oil temperature is going to stay relatively cool.

Something that keeps coming up over and over on this forum that I cannot agree with is guys replacing the rod bearings only. I learned an expensive lesson many years ago doing just that on a VW bug. I ended up turning one of new rod bearings and wrecking the rod. When the mains are left worn and the rod bearings are new and tight the oil takes the path of least resistance and the new rod bearings end up being starved for oil. All bearings should be replaced at the same time to maintain equal clearance and equal oil delivery across the engine.

If you are constantly having to replace rod bearings there is something wrong.

[Bukowski]

http://m.blackstone-labs.com/ReportExplanation

Choose gas/diesel

[Rasta Monsta]

LOL, nothing like a 30 year old owners manual for good oil advice.

Don't listen to the 20-50ers, Bukowski. They're giving up power and fuel efficiency by clinging to outdated tech.

[333pg333]

Yeah, see if you can find a 0/5w. That should be great for economy lol...

[djnolan]

I prefer lighter oil weights, but how else do you stop a flickering oil pressure light in the good old summer time other than with 20w50?

[Rasta Monsta]

If you check the manual, it will say that behavior is normal. It does not say "increase viscosity light."

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[djnolan]

Yeah I couldn't agree more. It was 40 degrees this morning it started up the 9:44 with 20w50 and it ran like it had sludge in the crankcase. I have three thousand miles on this oil change and it looks like I need to dump it for a lighter-weight oil. It is 20w50 full synthetic most people would run it for Ten Thousand Miles and now I have to dump it.

[v2rocket_aka944]

maybe there's some other issue related to idle quality on your car?
there's never been anything but dinosaur 20w50 in my sump and it starts up at 30 degrees the same as at 100. sure the idle is 800 vs 1000rpm or thats just how the tuning is...
ive driven in snow storms where it takes 15 miles just to get the heater up to temperature but the oil is doing fine..

remember...20W50 means it flows (pours...viscosity test) like a 20 weight when cold and a 50 weight when hot.

[Techno Duck]

For a daily driven car i would run 10w40. I used to run 15w50 and 20w50 to keep the oil pressure a little higher on the track; this was really only an issue running in the hottest months in the north east... July through September. Another thing i found interesting is i used to get the same oil pressure with Redline 10w40 as i was with Mobil1 15w50 under similar conditions at the track... i stopped using Mobil1 in my track car after that. Not saying i am not a Mobil1 fan or i am Redline fan boy..for instance i still used Mobil1 0w40 in my E39 and i think Mobil1 5w30 in my Tacoma. I just didnt think it was a good oil for track usage.

I used to run 15w50 year round in my 951 in the North East. I had a tiny Oddsey PC680 battery and regularly left the car parked for 5+ days a a time. I remember a few times starting in like 15-20 degree weather.. car barely turned over but always fired right up!

[OK-944]

After I did a complete reseal on my 85.5's engine...I decided to "risk" going from dino-oil to Mobil-1 10w40 "high mileage" synthetic. Has been about perfect for driving from late March through early November here in Vermont. Having said this, I might have been hesitant to make the switch to synthetic had I not done the reseal.

[djnolan]

Imagine the oil temperature is the telling variable here which affects oil pressure in the flickering light. In the summer in the Northeast with 95 degree temperature my afternoon commute is 20 miles in the car and it may as well be at the track for as hot as it seems to be getting.

[OPRN]

Originally Posted by djnolan

I prefer lighter oil weights, but how else do you stop a flickering oil pressure light in the good old summer time other than with 20w50?

Start by installing an oil temperature gauge. Oil temperatures above 230 degrees F are questionable and 250 degrees is a "never exceed" maximum.
Dad bought a VW van new in '69 and the first engine only lasted 38,000 miles before the bearings went south. We installed an oil temp gauge and found to our horror that the oil ran in excess of 400 degrees on the highway. The fix was to install an oil cooler out of a Mazda RX7 with a fan to move air through it. That brought the oil temperatures down to the above values and the next engine went 80,000 miles till it needed valve work. The bearings were still good!

Originally Posted by djnolan

Imagine the oil temperature is the telling variable here which affects oil pressure in the flickering light. In the summer in the Northeast with 95 degree temperature my afternoon commute is 20 miles in the car and it may as well be at the track for as hot as it seems to be getting.

Very few people have any idea how much cooling the oil does in an engine. Oil temperatures rise in direct proportion to load, the faster and harder you drive the higher the oil temp, period. It's that simple.
The oil pressure in an engine does not save the bearings, when that cylinder fires there is several tons of pressure coming down on that rod bearing and you would need many thousands of pounds of oil pressure to counter that force! All oil pressure does is ensure that there is a sufficient VOLUME of oil getting to every engine component that needs it. It's the oil film strength that is important. Oil film strength is a function of oil quality, oil temperature and oil contamination.
Using a heavy oil to fix a low oil pressure problem is only a temporary "band aid" solution. Find the problem and fix it.
The 944 oil cooler if I understand correctly is a oil to coolant exchanger. In my opinion it is not really a cooler so much as an oil heater for quick warm ups for the average city commuter to help stabilize and average out the overall engine temperature. Anyone considering using these cars seriously should give serious consideration to adding an air to oil cooler and a temperature gauge. The stock set up only ensures that your oil will be too hot under hard driving in my opinion. I suspect that the aluminum oil pan with it's cooling fins does far more to lower the oil temperature than the stock "cooler" does.