HDEO in my Stuff?

[Gebo]

Originally Posted By: dnewton3


Get several used oil analysis in your current pattern (it will take time; be patient). Also, pull a valve cover or two a few times and take pictures. Then, swap oils and repeat the process. I think you'll find that, while premium products certainly are great products and have their good applications, they are not needed for normal situations. And everything you've told us so far is that you're "normal" in your use and maintenance needs.



Who do you recommend for doing the used oil analysis. You can PM me if necessary.

 

[A_Harman]

Go to about 500 miles before you normally do an oil change and take a sample for analysis. The result will give you an idea of how much life your oil has left, whether TBN or some wear metals threshold will reach a limit.

 

[Gebo]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
Go to about 500 miles before you normally do an oil change and take a sample for analysis. The result will give you an idea of how much life your oil has left, whether TBN or some wear metals threshold will reach a limit.


Great idea as I had not thought of that. THANKS!

 

[A_Harman]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I had an old mid-size LTD. I was using 10w30 and 5w30 Castrol GTX at the time. It had about 300000 miles on it, having been a taxi before. He was doing an oil change on his 6.2 L diesel with his winter fill of Esso XD-3 10w30 HDEO. I thought that might be a good match for my engine and made the mistake of saying so. He asked why I would want to put that thick garbage (he was more colourful than that, actually) in my gasser. Of course, I answered with the protection argument. He asked what was wrong with my GTX and the previous QS - after all, they got the engine to very high mileage.



I think this story points out the importance of regular changes with high-quality oil when a car is new. Get the debris of break-in wear out of the engine, don't allow sludge to form, and keep the ring packs clean. If the engine gets to 50-60K miles and has very low blowby and oil consumption, then it is safer to extend the oil change intervals. If an engine is not maintained properly when it is new, no oil selection later on is going to solve the problems that come up.

 

[Gebo]

Originally Posted By: Gebo
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
Go to about 500 miles before you normally do an oil change and take a sample for analysis. The result will give you an idea of how much life your oil has left, whether TBN or some wear metals threshold will reach a limit.


Great idea as I had not thought of that. THANKS!


Hmmm, how exactly would I get this sample?

 

[A_Harman]

I use Polaris labs in Indianapolis for my samples. I bought an oil sampling kit from them which has a hand-operated vacuum pump with small hoses that you can snake down the dipstick tube. The Polaris sample bottle screws right onto the vacuum pump, and you pump the oil up the hose and into the bottle. They only require about 3 ounces of oil for the analysis.

 

[dnewton3]

Originally Posted By: Gebo
Originally Posted By: dnewton3


Get several used oil analysis in your current pattern (it will take time; be patient). Also, pull a valve cover or two a few times and take pictures. Then, swap oils and repeat the process. I think you'll find that, while premium products certainly are great products and have their good applications, they are not needed for normal situations. And everything you've told us so far is that you're "normal" in your use and maintenance needs.



Who do you recommend for doing the used oil analysis. You can PM me if necessary.



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