beating that dead horse named Blackstone again...

[soulpatchfr]

since i can't link to previous threads, i'll open a fresh beer & give a little history:
236k miles, annual (10-15k) change intervals, Amsoil 15w40 with old style 2qt bypass (always change w/ oil using amsoil filters in both locations), 90% hwy miles, daily driver & never really 'worked' (i just installed her first trailer hitch last weekend).

1st Blackstone report showed a little high on lead (bearings) & overall really good bottom end #s. 2nd report kept up the status quo, basically - most of you said no problems, don't worry.
then i went to a forum by 'Bob the oil guy', & was told that my sodium & potassium #'s, as well as the lead count, as well as the TBN on my initial test all could be pointing towards coolant in the oil.
GoatBum, you then told me that's a maybe, & i got concerned...

which leads me to oil analysis #3, right here
i am still running the same oil, BTW. i'll change it along with the tranny & diff fluid pretty soon & sample again, but would appreciate any comments.

Mel, i look forward to you telling me to change my oil every 2500 miles [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bleh.gif[/img]. also, Blackstone sent me an email 6 1/2 hours before they sent the results telling me that $18 is the TDS member price, not the $17 i mailed them (+ $10 for the TBN)... do you owe me a dollar now?

[jdkline]

I don't know if that's good news or bad. My sodium and potassium were quite a bit higher than universal averages too, but they said nothing about coolant in the oil. Also haven't lost any coolant since I got all my external leaks squared away. It would be interesting toi see what your lead would be like after the normal 2500-3500 mile interval that they normally see on IDIs. On the other hand, it wouldn't make any sense for you to change your oil that often, as that would defeat a lot of the purpose of synthetic. You saw how bad my second to most recent sample was, I just ha dto kind of forget it and drive on. I won't say I still don't think about those bearings often though. I hope both our rigs have a lot of life left in them,
J.D.

[agnem]

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Mel, i look forward to you telling me to change my oil every 2500 miles [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bleh.gif[/img]

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I normally charge a dollar for that advice, so I'd say we are even.


Frank, you should change your oil every 2K if you want to get Blackstone reports like Mine.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[soulpatchfr]

well, i guess either many don't care, or don't have relevant input. was hoping for some advice...
i still haven't called Blackstone yet (last time, they spent a lot of time answering questions - i was impressed).

JD - you saw the 2750 mile sample right?
a) i recently installed a fumoto valve, so the change intervals are not related to the analysis intervals. BTW, did you see the discussion about using a shopvac during oil changes? AWESOME!
b) i'm too paranoid to 'forget it & drive' - that's why i've sampled 3 times in 6000 miles! but i'm improving... now i drive, worry, drive, sample, worry, drive, etc [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]
c) after chatting with GoatBum, i have a theory that maybe excessive idling (of course leading to wet stacking) may be a major contributor to bearing wear... do you have a history of idling the IDI for extended periods, JD? i do [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] - i use the truck as a power source during long outages (9 days during hurricane isabel / on & off)

oh, and Mel: a quick comparison of your #s & mine - keeping miles on truck and miles on oil in mind... i think with the exception of lead, Big Black is looking pretty good for 236k miles VS The Moose. how many miles can that 1 owner truck have, anyway????

[argve]

Well you will find that if you make a post and it's not one of the normal cookie cutter type questions that you end up not many replies... I think this is because your starting into a realm that not too many of the IDI'ers or diesel owners for that matter venture - most folks have never heard of oil sampling on an everyday vehicle or tow rig. Typically this is only done on fleet commercial vehicles not too many normal everyday Joes have this done.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img] Just my theory...

Like I said earlier I'm going to send mine out to another place just to see what they have to say so I can compare numbers not that I don't have good faith in Blackstone but I have never had anyone else look at my oil so I have nothing to base/compare it to... Then I'll have more of a picture to work with.

Don't mind me I'm just off roaming around in another pasture like always... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/phoney.gif[/img]

[agnem]

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GoatBum

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I love it! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]


The Moose Truck once idled for 3 hours due to some idiot locking the keys in it. No ill effects. I'm not sure why there would be potassium or coolant in your oil unless you definitely had a leak of some kind going on. I'd concentrate on erradicating that. Sounds like an R&R of the oil cooler is in order as a first step.

[jdkline]

Frank,
I really don't have a history of extnded idling. I think it has to be habitual rather than just a rarity as with power outages. If you do it again, put a constant 12V to your Fast Idle solenoid, and this will raise your idle to about 950-1000 RPM, which should avoid most of your wet stacking problems. If that were causing your problems I think you'd expect to see high ring wear to, (i.e. Chromium, iron, aluminum from the pistons maybe). Frank you said you still ahven't lost any coolant thjough unless that has changed, makes me wonder where that sodium and potassium is coming from. Could it be an additive in AMSOIL or am I way off base? I saw your 2750 mile report, but its been too long ago for me to really remember, I think you had 11ppm lead in that one right? Universal AVG for the 7.3 is 9, not too bad, I would go on what you see at 3000-3500 asa guide, since that is what most of blackstone's customers average before an oil change. I will let you know what I see on mine after 2000-3000 miles with the SA30 and mostly biodiesel, but I stll have a while to wait, only about 750 miles on this sample so far.
J.D.

[soulpatchfr]

oil cooler. hmmmm... thanks mel - i've never paid attention to those threads, so i have homework to do, i guess. makes me feel a little better, as i was worrying that this was the first sign of the big C rearing it's ugly head. or i'd be in for a HG dance like the dog catcher.
anyone have a 'how-to' handy on OC diagnosis? or R&R? (since the 'search' has been rendered useless}

i posit the theory of idling contributing to bearing wear based on this excerpt from a PM: Now for idling... The cylinder temps drop when a diesel idles but you need at least a certain magical temp to burn all the fuel that is injected - the unsed fuel will wet down the cylinder walls and will then seep past the piston rings causing the fuel to dilute. Problem with this it's bad on the rings because it strips the oil off the side of cylinder walls, also because it thins the oil out <font color="red">then the bearings don't have as much protection as they need</font>...

JD: is it really as simple as a dash mounted switch &amp; 12 volts to the solenoid? i've been using a stick on the go-pedal since i learned of wet stacking, but have considered a manual control like i'm told The Warden has... again more to research.
not that i really use the inverter often, but that's still be a pretty cool mod. maybe i'd use it more...

additive? one of my first theories (and questions - great minds think alike?). theres a virgin Amsoil 15w40 report in my gallery that shoots that theory out of the water, though.

[aceohearts]

Depends on the motor, but I know for instance that Detroit motors are supposed to be idled at about 900 rpm minimum. Not only is the "wet stacking" a problem, but the sulfer in diesel fuel can react with the crankcase vapors and produce sulfuric acid. And anyone who's had a battery leak knows what sulfuric acid will do to metal. 10-15 mins here and there isn't a problem, but if you're talking hours you should bump the rpm's.

Be careful running the inverter. They're wonderful, I couldn't live with out the 1000 watt one in my semi (It's powering my laptop as I write this), but they are murder on your alternator and batteries. Especially if you max them out frequently. I end up replacing my batteries about twice as often as a normal semi because of the inverter and the 12v fridge. Make sure you use the heaviest cable you can fit in the connectors, and always turn it off if you aren't using it.