Well, with nearly 9,000 miles on my oil (Amsoil Series 2000 0W-30) I had an oil analysis done. I was going to install a crank scraper set I had and had to drop the oil pan so I went ahead and changed the oil out but got a sample to send in. Today I got the results back from that, and they are nothing but good.
What I will do is list the results, and comment where I can. RPIJG will probably be able to fill in any gaps that I may not know how to explain.
Iron = 11 (Wear metal)
Chromium = 1 (Wear metal)
Lead = 1 (Wear metal)
Copper = 7 (Wear metal, you might see this number considerably higher in a new motor as it breaks in).
Tin = 0 (Wear metal)
Aluminum = 2 (Wear metal)
Nickel = 0 (Wear metal, used in steel alloys)
Silver = 0 (Wear metal, more seen in diesel engines)
Silicon = 4 (Contaminant, high number here would indicate a possible issue with the oil filter such as it not working or being clogged up and needing changing)
Boron = 33 (Contaminant, can come from engine coolant or oil)
Sodium = 0 (Contaminant, can come from engine coolant or oil)
Magnesium = 845 (This is a dispersant and detergent which is part of the original oil additive package. This is a good number which means the oil was still in excellent shape to keep the motor internally clean)
Calcium = 2116 (Part of the original oil additive package and is a dispersant and detergent, again, the high number here shows the oil to be in excellent shape. Calcium could also indicate water contamination, but that would be backed up by other indicators as well)
Barium = 0 (This is normally found in diesel fuel additives)
Phosphorus = 1029 (Anti wear additive. This shows that not only was the oil in excellent shape but also that its additive package still had plenty to work with)
Zinc = 1029 (Anti wear additive. This is one of Amsoil's hallmarks, the level of zinc in their oil. All oils have a shear point, that is a point in which the pressure between two lubricated surfaces may reach such a level as to force the oil out from between the two surfaces. It is at this point that the zinc in an oil comes into play and minimizes any contact damage. So again this number shows the additive package is in excellent shape)
Molybdenium = 3 (Wear metal)
Titanium = 0 (Wear metal in steel alloys)
Vanadium = 0 (Wear metal in steel alloys)
Potassium = 0 (Not sure on this one)
Fuel, %vol = less than 1 (basically, no fuel in the oil, which means the piston rings are sealing good. This is good because I let the car warm up before driving it after it has set for more than a few hours or so)
Viscosity @ 100 C = 12.80 (This is basically a measure of resistance to flow and pumpability. For a 30 weight oil it should be around 12.5 or so, so this indicates that the 30 weight oil I put in 9,000 miles ago is still flowing like a 30 weight oil)
Water, %vol = 0 (Where calcium listed above can also show water contamination, this test result here clearly shows that the calcium in the oil is part of the oil additive package and not due to contamination)
Glycol = Negative (No coolant leaks getting into the oil)
TBN = 8.76 (This is the total base number of the oil. This is one of the key factors, among others, that determines the longevity of an oil, or what gives it extended drain interval ability. The higher the number the better. This is what gives Amsoil synthetics their ability to go 25,000 miles, 35,000 miles between oil changes. The 0W-30 has a TBN of around 11.0 out of the bottle, so after 9,000 miles the oil has just barely worn down at all. Non-synthetic oils have a TBN out of the bottle of around 5.0 - 6.5 on average. So after 9,000 miles I still have a TBN over 40% higher than that of a non-synthetic oil out of the bottle. Now, for you Mobil 1 users, you want to know what Mobil 1's synthetics TBN is out of the bottle? Their 0W-30 TBN out of the bottle is 5.0! Less than half of what Amsoil's is out of the bottle, which is why they wont guarantee their oil for extended drain intervals)
The lab that analyzed my oil had this comment:
"No corrective action required. Oil is suitable for continued use. Resample at next regular interval."
Basically what this all amounts to is that after 9,000 miles the oil is still in excellent shape. And folks, that includes a few runs I made that were 100+ mph on some back roads. That also includes a lot of idle time from chasing storms and warm ups. After 9,000 miles the Amsoil is in better shape than Mobil 1 synthetic is brand new out of the bottle. To me that is significant. This also shows that the By-pass system is doing an outstanding job in keeping the oil really clean for extended use.
Now, as I stated, I changed the oil out since I had to drop the oil pan in my attempt to install the crank scrapers. So the oil and the by-pass filters have been changed, but I will try and start getting samples at 5,000 mile intervals if I can do so. Im also going to try and send in a sample of oil out of the bottle so I have a baseline to go by.
To me this is just further proof of what I have know for a number of years. Amsoil is just simply the best lubrication you can get hands down.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
Thank you Chelly. I was both eager and somewhat afraid to get the analysis back. I had been loosing coolant for some reason. I couldnt find any leaks externally and was getting concerned it may be a leak into the oil. However the oil wasnt foaming or turning milky.
So my thought was it was either a leak I couldnt find or it was just due to the heat and perhaps my coolant tank cap wasn't sealing right. When I got the oil analysis results back you can imagine my relief when both the water and glycol levels were zero.
So my baby is healthy and strong and the oil is performing exceptionally well and I got the test results to prove it.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
I'm seeing alot of people saying they are losing coolant but can't find where it is going. Bizarre. My thoughts are this, tell me if I'm right or wrong... if it's not in the oil, and it's not on the ground, where in the hell else would it be?
RPIJG wrote: I'm seeing alot of people saying they are losing coolant but can't find where it is going. Bizarre. My thoughts are this, tell me if I'm right or wrong... if it's not in the oil, and it's not on the ground, where in the hell else would it be?
My suspiscion is that it coolant tank cap is not sealing properly. Which is fairly common among that type of set up. Just like on a radiator cap that would not seal it would leak out and you might even run hotter due to the system not pressurizing. The same effect will take place on a coolant cap. If its not sealing your system may not get up to pressure and will make it more susceptible to boil off and this will be even more noticeable on higher temp. days. Im going to try and find out if the coolant tank cap is a 15 or 16 psi cap and replace it.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
microtonal wrote: Nice feedback on the oil sample.
I've been using the 7500 Series Amsoil 5w-20 for 20K+ miles and change my oil every 5-7K miles.
I use either Motorcraft or Purulator oil filters.
Glad to hear I'm using some good oil.
Hey microtonal. No need to use a Motorcraft paper filter. You can use an Amsoil SDF-34 filter. It will obviously cost a little more but you are going to get way better filtration which is nothing but good for your car.
One other thing since you are using the XL-7500 oil it wouldnt cost you but maybe $10 or so dollars more to use the 25,000 mile oil which is a 5W-30. You would need the oil and two SDF-34 filters. You would lower your maintenance costs even further by not having to mess with the oil changes as often and you still get the excellent protection from using Amsoil and their oil filters are good for 12,500 miles instead of 3,000 - 5,000 miles.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
dead on about the coolent cap. Ive had mine boil over twice because the cap came unseated and let the pressure out. Also had the tank explode once but I think thatwas a "manufacturing issue". Ever seen someone turn a dasani water bottle and some duct tape into a coolent resevoir?
