Amsoil 5W30, ~5000, 2006 Subaru STI

[HairyCanary]

Anybody care to offer an opinion on this one? I try to treat my car pretty well, so I'm surprised to see accelerated bearing wear indications. I'm curious as to the possible relationship betweeen manganese (they said magnesium, but that appears to me to be a mistake) and lead. The only "interesting" things I can think of that occured during this oil period was one track day and a few tanks where I was using Torco.

I think I'll be doing the 35K UOA with Dyson.

 

[Pablo]

Quote:

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one track day and a few tanks where I was using Torco.

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Please elaborate. Torco? Fuel additive?

Manganese is usual in lower quality "octane" boosters and used to be in Canadian fuel. What kind of fuel were you using?

 

[HairyCanary]

Torco is an octane booster (although they do not like to call it that, since most off-the-shelf octane boosters are pretty weak). They call it "race fuel concentrate" -- I use enough of it to bump the octane to 100. For more details: http://www.torco.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=163

For fuel I was exclusively using Union 76 from one particular station near my house. Starting yesterday I've switched to the Chevron across the street to see what changes.

 

[oilyriser]

what kind of air filter? Si is a bit above normal

 

[HairyCanary]

Air filter is a K&N.

 

[Pablo]

I assume your previous oil was ASL as well?

Anyway - it looks like the fuel additive is your unwelcome huckleberry. If you use enough to bump the octane from 91 to 100 you must be using quite a lot.

 

[HairyCanary]

Yeah, except for the first two oil changes I use strictly Amsoil 5W30.

I'm actually just using one 32 ounce bottle of Torco to boost the octane. It's quite a lot more effective than the stuff they sell at auto parts stores. My guess is a lot of MMT, but Torco is mum on the exact ingredients.

Worth noting is that I have occasionally used Torco in the past, too, without anything showing up on the UOA. When I first got the car I used it quite a bit, then got bored and quit using it so much; now I use it primarily when ambient temperatures are very high or I am going to a track day.

 

[bluesubie]

I would stop the Torco, or does anyone think that a thicker viscosity used with Torco reduce the lead and copper?

-Dennis

 

[Laminar Lou]

HairyCanary,

Here are the MSDS. Which one are you using?

MSDS

I looked at a few but saw mainly MTBE. I'll admit I don't look at MSDS that often so I am sure someone will see something I don't.

Whoops, just noticed that the 100 octane stuff may have MMT in it:

Mach 100

Is that the stuff you are using?

 

[HairyCanary]

Laminar Lou -- I'm using the Unleaded Accelerator. I had not see the documentation you mentioned. My guess of MMT is based on the rather unscientific observation that it turns the inside of my exhaust tip orange ;-).

I'll avoid the Torco, at the very least for the next 5000 miles (and I've no plans for track days in that time period either). I commute 50 miles/day (90% highway) so it shouldn't take too long to find out.

 

[Pablo]

There is also a chance that the fuel additive (accidently?) contains some lead.

EDIT => Also your previous used oil analysis don't show super high Mn, so something was different back then. Either you used less, or the concentration in the additive was less.

 

[Laminar Lou]

If the fuel add is washing down into the crankcase it may be causing some bearing wear (that is your lead). Pablo could be right that there might even be lead in the additive. Who knows. They probably have disclaimers all over it that state it is specifically for "racing applications". I always thought of that as shorthand for: "this will poison your catalytic converter".

I think you are wise to discontinue use and do another UOA. If Pablo is right (and I think he is), you owe him a beer. Or at least a virtual beer.

 

[oilyriser]

MMT can burn to a Mn sulphate ash (the orange powder), but I'm not sure what size particles it tends to form. Is your oil turning brick red, by any chance?

 

[buster]

This is the problem when using an additive.

 

[SubLGT]

Quote:

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......For fuel I was exclusively using Union 76 from one particular station near my house. Starting yesterday I've switched to the Chevron across the street to see what changes........

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You might want to try Shell instead. See Terry's comments in this thread:

http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/s...true#Post886640

 

[4esorselrahc]

A good reason supporting why I don't like using additives.

(400)

 

[HairyCanary]

Quote:

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Is your oil turning brick red, by any chance?

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Nope, looks just like always.

 

[HairyCanary]

Quote:

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This is the problem when using an additive.

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It's waaaaaay too early to accuse Torco of anything. Given that I used Torco for perhaps 5-10% of this oil change, I'd be surprised to see it cause such a big jump in lead & manganese.

 

[wantin150]

Is 100 octane racing fuel available at the track? Why not just use it instead of the booster and see if that works?

 

[Triple_Se7en]

There's been some comments on various fuel additives creating copper spikes.... not sure about the lead. Super 76 and Chevron gasoline are both Top-Tier organizational fuels. They both carry alot of cleaners.

I would suggest another UOA -absent of any fuel additives. Then see what it reads.

Lastly, what is the owner manualn octane fuel recommendation? They specifically ask for mid-grade or premium??? If not, then do an OCI using 87 octane - alternating Top-Tier fuels with non top-tier --- and no Torco.