Blackstone lab/ oil reports

[Mopar1973Man]

Yeah, low hours! My 10K mile OCI will be around 400 hours.

I run changes annually, about 10K miles. I do a UOA at 7,500 just to check soot and TBN. My oem interval is 7,500.

I thought 2nd gens were 3,750 for schedule B? Schedule A use is a unicorn used almost exclusively for marketing IMHO. No towing, no slow dirt roads, no light load in cold weather, etc. basically interstate travel for the entire OCI, no traffic, etc...

 

I'll have to dig out the owners manual again and take a peek at the Schedule B. But I'm not going to change every 3k that's plain nuts. Even the 1996 is set for 6k miles for V8 gasser. I was of the mind set of changing every 3k on the gasser when I first got it but then started to realize the oil was still rather clean. So I read the manual at switched to 6k and it just barely darkens by then. That's a 6 quart system. Now my Cummins is a 12 quart system (mine is plus one from the extra filter) and I would have to change at 3k... Not happening. Funny part is both trucks get used around here doing trailer hauling and wood hauling too.

[AH64ID]

I'll have to dig out the owners manual again and take a peek at the Schedule B. But I'm not going to change every 3k that's plain nuts. Even the 1996 is set for 6k miles for V8 gasser. I was of the mind set of changing every 3k on the gasser when I first got it but then started to realize the oil was still rather clean. So I read the manual at switched to 6k and it just barely darkens by then. That's a 6 quart system. Now my Cummins is a 12 quart system (mine is plus one from the extra filter) and I would have to change at 3k... Not happening. Funny part is both trucks get used around here doing trailer hauling and wood hauling too.

I found a pic of your manual on another thread, 7500mile is schedule A.

Don't get too wrapped up in the volume of the system. A Diesel engine is much harder on oil, so they have to have large sumps. If you had a small sump the oil wouldn't last very long at all.

Is 6K on the 1500 schedule A or B?

I think you are fine to go longer on oil, but personally I would be testing it to be sure. Oil isn't better than in 2002, and it actually has a lower TBN so it may not last as long. There are lots of things that effect oil life, so while I think your fine at 10k I wouldn't be making a 20K bet when I can know the answer for $25-30 bucks. Test it at 5K and see how it looks, run it to 10K and test again. With good TBN and other numbers continue running it.

I did initial testing on the wife's runner to find an oil it liked for 12 month use, it took 2 oils despite only going 8-9K miles and an extra qt of oil and a bypass. Oil was clean, very clean, but the TBN was gone on the first oil.

[dorkweed]

I change yearly now with a TP change and 1qt. of make up oil added halfway.  Usually about 20,000 miles/year now.

[AH64ID]

Before I bought a commuter car I got more miles out of my oil. Now my use is a higher percentage of towing, slow back road use, etc.. all things that reduce oil life. 

[Mopar1973Man]

This year I won't have all the slow rolling back woods as much. As a matter of fact I've got the trailer hitched up this morning and heading to a log yard in New Meadows, Idaho to get a load of Red Fir for $100 a cord. So all my firewood hauling this year will be highway running.

[IBMobile]

Just changed the oil on the Driveway Queen, went 7436mi in 23mo. I don't bother testing because :

1- I drive it so little

2- It is used mostly for towing 8-10,000 lb on highways.

3- Chevron 15w-40 because I bought 5- 6 gallon cases of it years ago.

4- I'll be dead be for it reaches 150,000mi so I don't care.

[Mopar1973Man]

Like myself I clear 30k miles a year so it gets 3-4 oil changes a year or one every 3 month roughly.

[dorkweed]

This year I won't have all the slow rolling back woods as much. As a matter of fact I've got the trailer hitched up this morning and heading to a log yard in New Meadows, Idaho to get a load of Red Fir for $100 a cord. So all my firewood hauling this year will be highway running.

 

 

Getting soft??!!

[AH64ID]

Just changed the oil on the Driveway Queen, went 7436mi in 23mo. I don't bother testing because :

1- I drive it so little

2- It is used mostly for towing 8-10,000 lb on highways.

3- Chevron 15w-40 because I bought 5- 6 gallon cases of it years ago.

4- I'll be dead be for it reaches 150,000mi so I don't care.

Without testing I would no be running oil 23 months. Your oil starts to degrade the first time you start the engine, and that process doesn't stop when you shut the engine off. The TBN is likely gone, despite the low miles.

Conventional oil is typically only good for 6-12 month, 6 recommended without testing, and good synthetics for 12-18 months, 12 without testing.

Bad oil can kill the engine long before 150K miles.

[Wild and Free]

 I had an eye opener a few months ago on my 2010 Hemi, pulled oil sample before finding out my tranny burned up a clutch pack and at roughly 5K miles on oil change found my TBN "Standard procedure to test with Oil analyzers UOA"  to be at 2.5 which was critically low already and had I not seen that I would have continued to run that oil for another 2500 miles. I have since switched to a different type of Amsoil after seeing that. I was running the cheap 5w20 extended life oil which I think is a syn blend that is supposed to be good to 7500 miles, I switched to the high end 5w30 signature series now and will pull a sample again at 5k miles to see how this is doing.

[dorkweed]

I'm basing my current oil routine based on my former oil routine.................per my truck!!

[diesel4life]

 I had an eye opener a few months ago on my 2010 Hemi, pulled oil sample before finding out my tranny burned up a clutch pack and at roughly 5K miles on oil change found my TBN "Standard procedure to test with Oil analyzers UOA"  to be at 2.5 which was critically low already and had I not seen that I would have continued to run that oil for another 2500 miles. I have since switched to a different type of Amsoil after seeing that. I was running the cheap 5w20 extended life oil which I think is a syn blend that is supposed to be good to 7500 miles, I switched to the high end 5w30 signature series now and will pull a sample again at 5k miles to see how this is doing.

Our 3v 4.6 is hell on 20w oil as well. Schaeffers 9000 is the only oil Ive found that I can safely go double or more the recommended 7500 OCI. I typically do one oil change a year in every vehicle (at least that is the goal) which so far has been less than 20k annually for the Mercury.

The 12 valve and early 24 valve engines are some of the easiest engines on oil as far as depleting TBN. Lack of EGR and lower injector psi (than CR) are favorable, not to mention ULSD negate as much a need for higher TBN levels. There are a few tractors on the family farm with old rotory style injection pumps that dont see many hours and get oil changes every other year. While I would probably test them if the repair bill were on my shoulders its been that way as long as I remember, which was during the days of CH/CI oil and "dirty" fuel.

[Wild and Free]

The only reason I was running the 5w20 is that is what is recommended for the MDS system on the 5.7 hemi to supposedly function properly in cold temps since the oil flow to the tappets is solenoid controlled so I gave it a try, the 5.7 hemi without the mds system uses 5w30 or 10w30 in the 2500's, so I switched it over to the 5w30 as that is what I use in my 2011 3.5l V-6 Nissan Murano so only having one oil on the shelf for 2vehicles works better anyhow. Have not noticed any difference in the MDS system operation after the switch in cold temps.

[diesel4life]

Ive thought about trying a 30w as well but Ford strongly recommends 20w for the operation of their variable camshaft timing. The only thing that scares me is the record cold winters we've had the last two years and these motors are supposedly very dependent on the thinner oil. Ive found a 20w that seems to hold up quite well so for now I think I'll stick with it.

[Dieselfuture]

On the TBN part I run amsoil 15-40 diesel and marine 12tbn and after 13 mounts and 5,500 ml I had it tested frough CAT and the only thing out line was soot, TBN was at 11.something which I thought was pretty hight for the ml and time on oil.

[AH64ID]

Pretty good!

 

My last UOA with the same oil was at 5700 miles with a TBN of 8.5, lots of towing in those 5700 miles.

[dorkweed]

Do you's guys that run Amsoil still have "higher than normal" Fe or Iron in your results??  That seemed to be the norm several years ago for folks running Amsoil...................Just asking, not arguing.

[Wild and Free]

Never seen any higher than normal iron but on both my 02 and 05 the copper was/ has always been very slightly elevated which from talking to lab techs in our local Cat dealers oil lab is not uncommon with certain oils and nothing to worry about.