Need help with reading oil analysis

belfert · August 05, 2009, 06:05:01 PM

I finally remembered tpo have oil analysis done on my Series 60. The analysis said everything is normal and o excessive, but I do have questions about a couple of readings. There are supposed to be test explanations on the rear side, but C&J Bus Repair put my address there instead.

Iron PPM is 8 and silicone is 6 PPM. Are these high at all? The silicone I assume is from the dust out in the desert at Blackrock. I haven't changed my air filter in three years since I got the bus, but any air restrictions I assume would not allow in extra dirt. The filter Minder hasn't moved at all.

bobofthenorth · August 05, 2009, 08:29:06 PM

I'm not sure what the cutoffs are and they are no doubt different for your S60 than my antique 8-92 but those are low numbers. I routinely see silicon in the teens with no change reccomendation and I've seen iron as high as 84 without any highlight or mention in the report.

Is there no toll free number associated with your report where you can ask these questions?

gyrocrasher · August 05, 2009, 11:45:22 PM

Hi
My 60 in a big truck. Consecutive samples at about 12k miles each. Engine has a million miles. Literally.

Iron:15, 15, 21, 20, 15.

Sillica:5, 4, 4, 4, 3.
HTH, Mitch

belfert · August 06, 2009, 04:49:05 AM

Okay, I am in good shape then. I wasn't sure if those numbers were high, midrange, low.

gus · August 06, 2009, 01:29:31 PM

Brian,

The first analysis is not really much good unless something is way above normal which gives you a heads up.

Consider the first, if it has no danger warnings, as your base line.

Then the analyses after that show, by comparison, how you are doing

loosenut · August 07, 2009, 08:19:44 AM

Where do you collect the oil? I bought the lab container/shipper but don't know where to get the oil.

Mike

JackConrad · August 07, 2009, 09:17:48 AM

Quote from: loosenut on August 07, 2009, 08:19:44 AM
Where do you collect the oil? I bought the lab container/shipper but don't know where to get the oil.
Mike

From the crankcase. You can get a sample when draining the oil or you can use a syringe and length of tubing to pull a sample through the dipstick tube. Jack

edroelle · August 07, 2009, 12:50:28 PM

The company that I use for oil analysis indicates iron should be less than 150. My 8V71 was in the 60s. A friends 671 was up to 140 when he rebuilt it. My Series 60 is 10-17. Your 8 is fine.

Silicon should be below 20. Your 6 is in the neighborhood of the other engines except - I had readings of 25 and 40 with my 8V71. The analysis company said, "Silicon appears high. This shows excessive dirt in the engine. Suggest checking the air intake system for the cause of the dirt entry. Change oil and filters resample at 1/2 normal interval." Sure enough, after a lot of looking, I found a small crack in the rubber air intake duct at the engine.

Ed Roelle
Flint, MI

belfert · August 07, 2009, 01:05:58 PM

I've been meaning to do oil analysis the last several years, but I kept forgetting to tell the shop to do it.

Certainly tracking over time is better, but even a one time analysis can tell you if there are major problems today.