Mobil 1 5w30 7,968 miles 1995 Escort

Lagtime · Mar 25, 2005

So, what to do about lead? Different oil (5w40 T&SUV, 0w40 M1...).

Or, am I just asking too much. Car is my drive to work beater, 12 miles one way, 8 miles of which are freeway. The rest of the miles are short trip around town driving. Once in a great while I'll take the car on a long freeway cruise.

TR3-2001SE · Mar 25, 2005

I'd be looking at the PCV valve and air filter. Silicon is slightly high so maybe air filter is not working well or has a leak. We saw a honda with high lead and it was the PCV valve.
Should be OEM and rattle if working properly.

Mr Nice · Mar 25, 2005

What was the TBN after 7,968 miles ??

Lagtime · Mar 25, 2005

quote:

I'd be looking at the PCV valve and air filter.

PCV is the original. Still rattles. Probably time to replace regardless. Air filter was replaced about 15k miles ago.

quote:

What was the TBN after 7,968 miles ??

I Didn't have a TBN run.

haley10 · Mar 25, 2005

I'd probably get Terry to look at this one. The Mobil 1 looks fine and the insolubles are ok. The TBN was probably not shot, so I don't have a clue as to the lead.

I'm not so sure that shortening the oci will dramatically drop it. Something else is going on.

TooSlick · Mar 26, 2005

Chip,

The presence of Fe/Cr/Ni is the signature for stainless steel. This typically comes from abrasive wear of the intake/exhaust valves. I know how bad the sand can be in Barstow - I was stationed at Edwards AFB for 4.5 years in the mid 80's.

It looks like you are ingesting some fairly large sand particles and this is increasing the bearing wear. I'd recommend checking the entire intake system for leaks and inspecting the airbox downstream from the air filter for dirt.

Your winter analysis results and summer analysis results are pretty close, so I don't think the oil is too thin. However, if you drive through sandstorms on occasion, I'd try a 4000-5000 mile change interval or consider installing a by-pass filter. By-pass oil filters do an excellent job of preventing abrasive wear even in off road agricultural applications.

Tooslick

mikep · Mar 26, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by TooSlick:
Chip,

The presence of Fe/Cr/Ni is the signature for stainless steel. This typically comes from abrasive wear of the intake/exhaust valves. I know how bad the sand can be in Barstow - I was stationed at Edwards AFB for 4.5 years in the mid 80's.

It looks like you are ingesting some fairly large sand particles and this is increasing the bearing wear. I'd recommend checking the entire intake system for leaks and inspecting the airbox downstream from the air filter for dirt.

Your winter analysis results and summer analysis results are pretty close, so I don't think the oil is too thin. However, if you drive through sandstorms on occasion, I'd try a 4000-5000 mile change interval or consider installing a by-pass filter. By-pass oil filters do an excellent job of preventing abrasive wear even in off road agricultural applications.

Tooslick

Great post

TooSlick · Mar 26, 2005

Chip,

If you ingest small dirt particles through the combustion chambers, you typically see increased upper cylinder wear, but not bearing wear - most of this dirt goes out the exhaust. However if you ingest large particles of sand - silica/alumina - directly into the crankcase, your bearing wear can go off scale. These particles are too large to show up in a spectrographic analysis, which typically only measures particles < 5 um. Low silicon levels can be misleading in this type of situation.

By looking at the specific type of abnormal wear and the affected alloys, you can get an idea of where to look on the engine for the air leak....

TS

BlazerLT · Mar 27, 2005

I wonder if this engine is sludged up a bit and the oil flow isn't very good.

Lagtime · Mar 27, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by BlazerLT:
I wonder if this engine is sludged up a bit and the oil flow isn't very good.

I hope not.

I bought it w/15k miles on it, it had dino oil changes until 25k when I went to M1.

When I changed the timing belt at 60k I pulled the valve cover off. It was spotless, clean aluminum. No varnish/sludge etc.

I think I'm getting dirt in past the PCV grommet. Maybe a bit past the airfilter also.

Lagtime · Mar 27, 2005

TooSlick,

Your comment about sandstorms is on target. I did a quick once-over on the intake & PCV this morning. While nothing jumped out at me concerning the intake (I'll need to pull it off and look more closely to be sure), the PCV valve grommet looks loose, and is covered in sandy, oily residue.

I also need to do some searching here on good air filters.

vvk · Mar 27, 2005

Don't forget to check that pesky breather hose and filter. The hose usually ends up with a hole because it rubs on the EGR tubing. This is assuming you've got the 1.9l SOHC engine.

I would not worry too much about PCV grommet being loose.

I have seen air filters with hole in them. Install a brand name filter and check it for pin holes before installing. Look at the sides of pleats -- some manufacturers don't seal this area very well. I usually try to look at the sun using the filter as an eye shield. This way any pin holes jump out at you as bright light.

Lagtime · Mar 27, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by vvk:
Don't forget to check that pesky breather hose and filter. The hose usually ends up with a hole because it rubs on the EGR tubing. This is assuming you've got the 1.9l SOHC engine.

I would not worry too much about PCV grommet being loose.

I have seen air filters with hole in them. Install a brand name filter and check it for pin holes before installing. Look at the sides of pleats -- some manufacturers don't seal this area very well. I usually try to look at the sun using the filter as an eye shield. This way any pin holes jump out at you as bright light.

Good idea about the breather hose, I do have the 1.9L engine.

Lagtime · Mar 29, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by vvk:
Don't forget to check that pesky breather hose and filter.

Checked the hose & filter last night. The hose is intact (although oxidizing and needs replacement).

The filter in the airbox, on the other hand, is old, dry and full of sandy dirt. The recess the foam breather filter sits in had quite a bit of fine sand in it. Sure looks like this is the source of problem, since the PCV system pull air in through here, through the valve cover into the crankcase, then through the PCV back into the intake manifold to be burned.

So I pulled the airbox and washed it out.

I'm tempted to use air filter oil on the new replacement foam breather filter.

Mobil 1 5w30 7,968 miles 1995 Escort

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