Owners of diesel trucks like ours who gather in boards like this typically are a "special breed".
Most of us are here because we recognize the superior characteristics
of our trucks that deliver operating and lifespan characteristics far
above typical gas powered vehicles. We're more than simply diesel truck
owners, we're ENTHUSIASTS!
With that in mind, many of us look for ways to preserve the quality
built into our trucks by various means - best possible lubricants -
best filters, best waxes/polish, etc.
In the case of lubricants, especially engine oils, there are a wide
variety of available brands and types - full synthetics,
semi-synthetics, and a number of excellent conventional oils.
Then there are filters, varying brands and types, that cover fuel, air and oil filtration.
New diesel truck owners in groups like this soon wonder what oils and
filters are best for their truck and their particular use - and what is
the best change intervals for these items.
One long accepted "yardstick" for measuring the effectiveness of
specific oils, filters and change intervals, is thru use of oil
analysis. Lab testing of lube oils has been used by the commercial
trucking industry for decades - and has become cost effective and more
common down at our level in recent years.
Here's a photo of my last oil analysis, done at the conclusion of an
extended drain test I did to see how long regular Dino based lubricant
(Chevron Delo 400 15/40) would continue to meet physical lubrication
requirements - the oil tested had been in my engine for 20,000 miles -
mostly towing our 5th wheel RV.
The various line entries seen, display analysis results in
Parts-Per-Million (PPM), of wear metals like Iron, Aluminum, copper,
etc., various common oil additives like Boron, Zinc, and Molybdenum -
as well as contaminents such as Soot, antifreeze and water.
In my case, my use of a Frantz oil bypass filter delivers extra
filtration down into the sub-micron range (better filtering is a GOOD
thing!), so my numbers at 20K miles are better than many un-bypassed
samples at 5K miles - which was another point in my particular test.
So, what is the point or value in oil analysis? Well, it reveals the
effectiveness of YOUR specific lube, filters and change interval in
actual measured numbers - and gives comparison data vs common universal
averages, and allows you to track the wear of your engine over time and
make comparisons of various oil and filter brands, as well as comparing
your analysis with that of others.
Oil analysis also gives you info on other engine operating parameters -
high soot levels are an indication of improper fuel delivery - and
resulting low fuel economy as well as lube contamination. Existence of
antifreeze in the oil sample is indication of coolent leakage into the
lubrication system - possibly a leaking headgasket. Excessive Silicon
content may signal a poor or failing air filter, which in turn allows
dirt ingestion into the engine - a BAD thing...
It is generally accepted that while there are a fair number of outfits
doing analysis - Blackstone as I posted above, CAT, Oil Analyzers Inc.,
and a number of others - that a user is best off to start with one of
their choice, then stick with them for subsequent tests.
This is because of common variations in company equipment, calibration,
and types of test equipment - it has been clearly demonstrated that
analysis of the same exact oil samples sent to several different
companies CAN give significantly different results - not necessarily a
bad thing, as long as you focus upon the TRENDS of the readings, rather
than specific numbers.
That said, I personally, have had the best, most consistent and
repeatable test results with Blackstone - they charge more than most
others - about $20 per analysis - but their consistent results are
worth the slightly higher cost to me.
So, there's a basic overview of oil analysis for new diesel truck owners - enjoy!
