Slobber valves

[eagle19952]

sample hot.

[DoubleEagle]

I remember buying an expensive oil sampling kit from Caterpillar in the 1980's with the plastic sampling tubes when I had a trucking company. I was always concerned about the dipstick tube crud that the plastic tube would scrape past that might contaminate the sample, but the cost and added steps swung me to taking samples while the oil was draining hot into a sample bottle (I held it with the tool that takes off wheel nut covers). The main proviso is to let the oil run for a while to flush the bottom sediment out to get a fair reading of the oil that is actually circulating in the engine. Dipping a sample bottle in the catch pan can include the residue of previous oil changes (we tend to not clean the oil pan out to pristine condition), and the bottom layer of the engine oil pan. I think the necessity to do oil analysis in private coaches is less likely to be worthwhile than in heavy trucks that are double or more in weight. Spotting water and antifreeze can be done visually. Fuel contamination can be spotted by dripped a few drops on a paper towel - if a clearer ring appears around the dark oil spot, it is usually diesel fuel.

[luvrbus]

Cat has oil sampling ports now for the last 15 or so years I installed a sampling port on my series 60 but I have so many Cat kits I still use the bottles,labels and tubes

[Oonrahnjay]

..  coolant that has been exposed to exhaust gets a particularly odd smell i.e. Blown gasket or crack in the combustion surfaces. ...

      First time we were chasing down a coolant problem, my boss in England described the smell "like chicken curry that's been dropped on a stove* burner".  I immediately caught on the first time I smelled it and I've never forgotten the smell.

(In England, they call it the "cooker burner ring" but I translated for you.)

[jackhanow]

I hate it when I smell that smell. Over the years head gaskets have become one of my least favorite jobs. Oil gets an odd smell as well. it's different between diesel and gas.