If only manufacturers could provide wear rates per 1000 miles so that those of us that use analysis could gauge how the engine is wearing. For example, is 20 ppm of iron normal in 3000 miles and or 50 ppm in 7,500 miles. And, the big question is, at 50 ppm of iron at 7500 miles intervals will this engine cease to exist at 150,000 miles whereas if we changed every 3000 miles would it then last 200,000 or 250,000 miles. Are the rion particles large enough at 50 ppm to cause damage or is it just normal wear which can never be stopped? WE JUST DO NOT KNOW!
15k mile results - Amsoil 0W30
- Thread starter aldive
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Spector,
Most "normal" wear particles are < 5 microns in size ....You can run iron levels up to 100 ppm and you won't see any "bootstraping" effect on wear rates. Provided you have excellent air filtration, simply running longer change intervals has little effect on wear rates up to a point. The key is determining where that break point is ....
I'd say anything less than 50-60 ppm of iron in 10,000 miles is very low wear - that would be approx 17-20 ppm of iron for a 3000 mile analysis. Of course the metallurgy of the particular engine is a big factor here and every engine has a different wear pattern. For other wear metals like PB/Cu/Al, I like to see levels < 20 ppm @ 10,000 miles as sort of a baseline. However, you really have to look at a number of tests from a particular engine type to be able to spot abnormal wear rates.
TooSlick
Most "normal" wear particles are < 5 microns in size ....You can run iron levels up to 100 ppm and you won't see any "bootstraping" effect on wear rates. Provided you have excellent air filtration, simply running longer change intervals has little effect on wear rates up to a point. The key is determining where that break point is ....
I'd say anything less than 50-60 ppm of iron in 10,000 miles is very low wear - that would be approx 17-20 ppm of iron for a 3000 mile analysis. Of course the metallurgy of the particular engine is a big factor here and every engine has a different wear pattern. For other wear metals like PB/Cu/Al, I like to see levels < 20 ppm @ 10,000 miles as sort of a baseline. However, you really have to look at a number of tests from a particular engine type to be able to spot abnormal wear rates.
TooSlick
Patman
Staff member
Also, some engines can tolerate more wear metals in the oil than others. An engine such as my LT1, which is basically a good ole small block Chevy, has bearing clearances big enough that larger particles won't damage them as much as in a newer design DOHC type engine with tighter clearances.
MolaKule
Staff member
"If only manufacturers could provide wear rates per 1000 miles so that those of us that use analysis could gauge how the engine is wearing. For example, is 20 ppm of iron normal in 3000 miles and or 50 ppm in 7,500 miles. And, the big question is, at 50 ppm of iron at 7500 miles intervals will this engine cease to exist at 150,000 miles whereas if we changed every 3000 miles would it then last 200,000 or 250,000 miles. Are the rion particles large enough at 50 ppm to cause damage or is it just normal wear which can never be stopped? WE JUST DO NOT KNOW! "
Engine manufactures do know the wear rates for a specific driving cycle. They use a radioactive iron tracing system which gives them exact wear rates. Problem is, your driving habit and mine most likely differ from their run cycle. If they published those wear rates, law suits would abound, IMHO.
Engine manufactures do know the wear rates for a specific driving cycle. They use a radioactive iron tracing system which gives them exact wear rates. Problem is, your driving habit and mine most likely differ from their run cycle. If they published those wear rates, law suits would abound, IMHO.
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