YACT: Used oil analysis

[boyRacer]

Sample report

Any of you guys try this? $20 for standard analysis... $30 if you want them to analyze how much additive is left. Pretty cool if you're curious about your engine oil I guess.

Blackstone Labs

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

99+% of car guys won't be interested.

OTR trucks will send in samples every 25~50K oil change to look for aluminum, iron, steel, copper or babbit in engine oil. Gear oil is also checked for traces of roller or ball bearing material. Heavy duty construction equipment is checked quite often.

Catching a repair early saves $10s of thousands of money in repair, downtime or break down on the job. The latter being the worse.

Race bikes are torn down often, the car guys might use oil analysis. IDK


...Galvanized

 

[mrchan]

I used to do it through amsoil, same cost, $20 per analysis. Pretty good info, will let you know how long you can run your oil.

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: mrchan
I used to do it through amsoil, same cost, $20 per analysis. Pretty good info, will let you know how long you can run your oil.

If you do it through Amsoil, does that mean you have to be using their oil too?

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

*IF* I were buying a high dollar used car or touring bike.

Take it for a drive to warm the oil, use a plastic syringe w/long tube to draw out a sample via the dip stick or oil fill(bike), then send it in or drop it off at the lab. Hold the car/bike with a retaining fee, with full payment based on analysis.


...Galvanized

 

[boyRacer]

Well I'm not getting a fancy ride tested or anything...

But I thought it would be interesting to see what your engine is doing to your oil... maybe if i had $20 to burn.

 

[Eli]

I do it. Worth every penny. It's the only way to know.

Once you get a few samples in, you don't have to do it everytime you change your oil, unless your driving habbits/conditions/etc change significantly.

 

[cliftonite]

cars due for an oil change soon, test it before its changed or after? This is probably one of those dumb questions

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: cliftonite
cars due for an oil change soon, test it before its changed or after? This is probably one of those dumb questions

Why would you test new oil?

 

[Apex]

I use em. Worthwhile info.

 

[mrchan]

Originally posted by: bR

Originally posted by: mrchan
I used to do it through amsoil, same cost, $20 per analysis. Pretty good info, will let you know how long you can run your oil.

If you do it through Amsoil, does that mean you have to be using their oil too?

No. I used it with Amsoil and Mobil 1 oil.

 

[BoomerD]

Haven't done it with one of my personal vehicles in a long time, but it CAN be worthwihle, especially with an expensive vehicle, or if the engine is starting to show some excessive wear. Nice way to troubleshoot some problems.
We have used Oil sample analysis in the construction industry for MANY years, with great results.
Testing with synthetic oils is a good way to know how the engine is responding to the synthetics, and how long you can safely push your oil/filter changes.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

With most cars metal won't show up first. Engine coolent will, from leaking head gaskets.

When I worked in Trucking we had some units running 100k w/o an oil change. It still was
testing good at that high milage. They ran 10k per month and used those huge by-pass
oil filters you see hanging near the cab. Used two of'em. The oil had so much carbon in it
that it stained like ink. I got tee-shirt rags here that still have stains on'em 20 years later.
Shoot!! I think they have been washed 50 times.


...Galvanized

 

[randomlinh]

i do it out of curiousity for the most part. just wanted to see how my new engine was.. making sure nothing odd from auto-x'ing... heh.

 

[SampSon]

I've done three of them over a period of one year.
During that 50K miles the oil wear didn't change significantly at all.
I havn't bothered to get another one done lately, mabey I will sometime this summer. I think I have better things to spend $20 on.