UOA 2: 05 Baja turbo, RLI 5W30, stressed use

[bulwnkl]

This is the 2nd UOA for this truck with the Subaru EJ-255 turbo engine with an A/T behind it. Previous UOA can be found at NASIOC.com if you care to look for it.
6,065 miles on the oil, ~10,000 on the oil filter (Ams EaO), ~94,000 on the truck.

In fact, I'll just list the numbers side-by-side.
New numbers first, old numbers second. Old numbers are from a run of 4 - 4.5K miles immediately before this run. I may drain this oil completely, but a 50 - 75% replacement would be sufficient.

Aluminum 4 4
Chromium 2 2
Iron 12 17
Copper 8 7
Lead 6 3
Tin 0 0
Nickel 1 0
Silver 0 0
Titanium 0 0
Calcium 1811 1971
Magnesium 11 14
Phosphorus 768 1055
Zinc 895 1014
Molybdenum 4 9
Boron 10 14
Antimony 186 54
Barium 0 0
Potassium 0 0
Silicon 8 1
Sodium 25 27
Vanadium 0 0

Properties
Viscosity @100C: 10.0 cSt 9.1 cSt
Viscosity @40C: 52.7 cSt 47.1 cSt
Viscosity Index: 182 180
Flash Point: 255 355
Fuel %: 1.86 0.953
Glycol: 0 0
Water (KF): 462 465
Soot: 0 0
TBN: 1.6 1.4
TAN: 3.23 3.01
OXIDATION: 167 157
NITRATION: 14 13
SULFATE BY-PRODUCT: 130 124

Roughly 4,000 miles in to this run, I flashed the ECU in an effort to get: Slightly higher mpg, factory-rated hp output at my altitude, and the tuner richened it up under higher load to fight overheat tendencies when towing. I now tow a camper that is fairly tall, and appears to me to be somewhat over the rated tow capacity. I'm guessing 2,500 - 3,000 lbs (haven't weighed it). The truck will overheat if I don't back off when towing, despite an aftermarket ATF cooler. I have now reverted to the factory ECU programming.

A recent camping trip (just before the oil sample) had me sustaining ~7psig boost for 100 - 150 miles, then 8 - 10 psig on the return trip. This is sustained down the freeway, not a few seconds for an on-ramp or a fun run. I had to limit boost to these levels in order to prevent overheating. As it was, the temp gauge was around the high-normal mark.

I also ran a few tanks of E85 in the middle part of this run during a long trip (factory ECU programming). I'd love to use E85 or E85 blends regularly, but there isn't a source for it within 250 miles of me. Too bad...

Despite the high temps, hard work, double the fuel dilution, 'old' oil filter, and 35 - 50% longer interval, wear is very nicely down. Viscosity index is still sky high, just like it should be. Viscosity is right on target. Comments or questions?

 

[buster]

Quote:
Despite the high temps, hard work, double the fuel dilution, 'old' oil filter, and 35 - 50% longer interval, wear is very nicely down. Viscosity index is still sky high, just like it should be. Viscosity is right on target. Comments or questions?


I think you summed it up. Held up well.

 

[ThirdeYe]

I've always wanted a Subaru Baja, you don't see them around very often. Shame they never really caught on... I think they're really cool trucks.

 

[bulwnkl]

Thanks! I've always thought they were cool, too.

 

[buster]

Does the RLI 5w30 not use Cu?

 

[bulwnkl]

Nope. That's in the HD stuff, but not the 'regular' like I'm using.

 

[Nederlander75]

Is your most recent Flash Point a typo?

 

[bulwnkl]

Nope, not a type-o, just way too much fuel in the oil. Which is what makes this UOA so very outstanding, really. All that fuel, some very, very hard working conditions, and still really excellent wear control.

 

[bluesubie]

What does your owner's manual say in regards to viscosity about towing?

I would be really curious to see how the 5w-40 HD would do. Or what about 10w30 HD?

I don't know if you're a reader of subiesport, but they recently had a very good article on ethanol.

-Dennis

 

[FZ1]

Come on,man! Be a sport and just run it 5k with new syn oil and a new filter each time. The report is o. k. but that oil is shot! Overheating,fuel dilution,low flashpoint,Tan 2x the low Tbn. The aerodynamics of a camper vs. a bass boat of the same weight make a big difference, so the towing capacity may not be overstated.

 

[bulwnkl]

Bluesubie, I replied at NASIOC on the the HD oil thing. For the benefit of others here, the HD fluids really aren't needed.

FZ1, I rarely come here any more, so I don't know you well enough to understand what you're saying in your post. Joking, not joking, ...?

 

[FZ1]

Both. Joking as to tone,but serious re the need to change the oil out sooner,rather than later, in a severe service situation such as yours. I tow also and change my oil every 6 months in fall and late spring running about 3500 mi per change with PP. I just think newer oil will perform better than older 1.4 tbn oil. Just my opinion.

 

[bulwnkl]

Now I understand; thank you. It is time to change out at least 50 - 75% of this oil, though it's not allowing the high fuel to cause harm. Some of these numbers would normally be telling us that varnish is forming, even in a synthetic, but others confirm that it's not in this case. I really like RLI for that.

I think I will just change it completely. The filter is showing no need of changing yet. I may or may not change it anyway.

 

[SubLGT]

Originally Posted By: bulwnkl
............I also ran a few tanks of E85 in the middle part of this run during a long trip (factory ECU programming). I'd love to use E85 or E85 blends regularly, but there isn't a source for it within 250 miles of me. Too bad......................


What modifications did you have to make in order to run E85?

 

[bulwnkl]

Didn't make any, just ran it. I had a CEL for lean condition from running up a couple mountain passes, but they were short runs and the code cleared itself shortly.

The ECU lacks sufficient adjustment authority to completely compensate for straight E85, but only by ~5%. If it had a little more adjust authority, and a higher-flow fuel pump just to be sure, it'd be an FFV right off the assembly line. I don't know why they don't just do that? Baja injectors have enough flow capability just as they are, as do other Subaru models.

 

[WolfPlayer]

Originally Posted By: bulwnkl
A recent camping trip (just before the oil sample) had me sustaining ~7psig boost for 100 - 150 miles, then 8 - 10 psig on the return trip. This is sustained down the freeway, not a few seconds for an on-ramp or a fun run.


Wow. Given the above comment, the oil did better than I would have expected. Non-Subaru people won't really understand the importance of your statement. Holding 8-10 PSI on a Subaru for 150 miles is a huge recipe for serious fuel dilution and engine overheating. Contrary to what others have said, I would look into the 5W-40 RLI HD oil.

t

 

[bluesubie]

Originally Posted By: WolfPlayer
Contrary to what others have said, I would look into the 5W-40 RLI HD oil.

That's what I said.

bulwnkl doesn't pay us for our advice though.

-Dennis

 

[bulwnkl]

I do think that the 5W40 HD would do well here, and would afford outstanding wear protection/control. Still, that particular service (the towing under boost) is weekends, and not every weekend. So, I'm not convinced the trade-off during my daily work commute would be worth it. There's nothing bad about this report at all in terms of wear, though it's possible that one of the HD formulations could do better? Winter mpg already goes right into the toilet, and I don't really want to exacerbate that. By the same token, I don't care to try to spend the money it would take to run RLI's 0W30 or 5W30 during the winter, and their 5W40 in the summer. If I'm unable to get many more miles than this out of a drain, though, then it'll be just about like running a winter oil and a summer oil so maybe...

 

[Nederlander75]

Id keep running what you have. Given what you have said sounds like its working great for you. The 5w40HD would probably kill your cats too no? Anyone, please correct me if Im wrong on this.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Nederlander75
Id keep running what you have. Given what you have said sounds like its working great for you. The 5w40HD would probably kill your cats too no? Anyone, please correct me if Im wrong on this.


You are wrong on this.

Most racing/High performance oils have as much Zinc (what is often blamed for killing cats) as the HDEO's.

M1 5w50 and 15w40, which are both PCMO's have very similar Zinc content to their Delvac 1/M1 TDT 5w40 oils.....

A car would have to be a SERIOUS oil burner for any real cat poisoning to occur IMHO.