My UOA Folly

['00obw]

A while back, I had a link to a poorman’s oil test where oil was placed on a business card and allowed to settle. IIRC, the result was there was black splosh in the middle with the rest of the oil settled outward. The basic interpretation of this was the oil had lost its ability to suspend and disperse contaminates and needed to be replaced. Nothing is known about the real oil condition by an actual UOA. I thought it might be interesting if I experimented with this test with UOAs and just maybe, could lead to a predictor of when to make an oil change or take an UOA. The oil I used was from a dipstick drawn sample that I will send to OAI-CTC on Monday and had 7039 miles on it. This is the same oil I have an UOA posted here http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000717. The test material used to place oil on is the inside of a matchbook cover. My oil samples pics can be viewed at: http://f1.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/[email protected]/lst?.dir=/Oil+Sample+Pics&.view=l Pic 7039-1: Oil just placed on test material….sure is black. Pic 7039-2: Oil is settling. Pic 7039-3: Oil is completely settled. To my untrained eye the oil looks to have settled pretty evenly, not black spots or sploshes. This leads me believe as OAI says “oil is suitable for continued use”. I’ll find out when my UOA report comes back. What do you guys think….a folly test or not? bgin

 

[unDummy]

Matchbook cover becomes effective bypass filter Certain things don't flow through paper well. This oil/matchbook test, along with ATF/papertowel, doesn't mean a thing. Its just a way of convincing customers that they need to have maintenance performed

 

[JoggingGuy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by unDummy: Matchbook cover becomes effective bypass filter Certain things don't flow through paper well. This oil/matchbook test, along with ATF/papertowel, doesn't mean a thing.

---

Any recommendation on the brand of matchbook cover? M1? Purolator? Frantz?

 

[Robbie Alexander]

quote:

---

Originally posted by '00obw: --**-- Nothing is known about the real oil condition by an actual UOA. I thought it might be interesting if I experimented with this test with UOAs and just maybe, could lead to a predictor of when to make an oil change or take an UOA. -*-*-*-*-

---

I think that it can help those that do not understand that oil can LOOK dirty and yet have lubricity value left. I think it's a good idea to show what the Eye sees vs. what the Lab determines to be clean. Post the reports, looking forward to them. Rob.

 

[Doug Hillary]

Hi, for the blokes with grey hair on this, Bob's wonderful Board, you likely will remember the use of blotting paper as a quick test for engine oil "cleanliness" I still use this method from time to time with diesels. It is a good quick "in the field" test I no longer use the "treated" blotter paper - just a good quality blotter! Regards

 

[moribundman]

Well, alright, here is a scan of an oil drop on white blotter paper. If the paper doesn't look white, then your monitor's color balance must be off. http://tinypic.com/1zi2hu M1 5W-40 with only 100 miles on it. The stain had 9 hours time to set. Its diameter is 24 mm, or almost 1 inch. The scan was not manipulated in anyway. I'll post a new scan every few hundred miles or so. What's the terminology to be used in describing the stain? Core and halo?

 

[Pablo]

quote:

---

What's the terminology to be used in describing the stain?

---

careful