Cleaning UOA Sample Tube with Brake Cleaner

[Jim 5]

I am in the habit of cleaning my tygon oil sample pump tube with brake cleaner (sometimes chlorinated).

This stuff seems to evaporate to nothing, but virgin brake cleaner will sometimes leave a white powdery film on things. I am wondering if anybody knows whether this residue could be expected to show up in or skew a UOA in any way, and if so how?

Thanks in advance.

 

[dkryan]

Jim 5,

Do a search under my name for responses to my similar question in June 2007. Search under "Automotive General Topics." It sounds like any and everything can and will contaminate a sample.

 

[Al]

Don't do it. It will likely attack the plastic an you will have a boatload of silicon in the sample.. Just a guess. Just not worth trying to clean..life's too short.

 

[Jim 5]

Thanks for the responses.

Interesting to note about silicon. I'll have to buy a roll of tygon and use new sample hose each time.

 

[theedge67]

I just use the same sample hose, but I always run about 3-4 ounces of oil through it first into a spare container that I keep just for that purpose. That way I make sure and get out any gunk/old oil that is in the tubing. Then I take my clean sample.

 

[02zx9r]

I know oil and water usually dont go well together but couldnt you just run fresh water through the hose for a few minutes or soapy hot water through it to get most of the old stuff out?

Just wondering is all

 

[dkryan]

I'd just like a "100% correct" answer I could be sure of. While $50 for Terry Dyson's UOA and advice is a bargain, I'd rather not start chasing my tail over what turned out to be a contaminated sample.

 

[Gary Allan]

$2.95/25ft @ THD. Yes, I know ...you go through it faster than you think. I personally think that brake clean would do the job without issues. I use it to clean the funnel that I use to put oil in the engine before and after use. It volatilizes quickly and without residue. If enough was used, it should flush any films off of the tubing.

That said, I've never reused a piece of tubing.

The running sample oil through the tubing before drawing the test sameple has merit too. The volume should step on any leaching residuals to an overwhelming degree. You're talking fractional cc's vs 8+ oz. It should (note qualification) take care of most incidentals that may adhere to the tube from airborne contaminants. You can get them too with new tubing ..but they don't have oil to stick to (in some envisioned micro-dispersal/holding capacity of your background air particle content

)

I still go with the new piece of tubing