1996 5.7L Suburban
Four Samples-The first three are from Oilguard the last from Blackstone.
The third and fourth samples are from THE SAME OIL CHANGE.
Last Column is Blackstone's Universal Averages at 3800 Miles
The only oil used was valvoline 5w-30 All Climate
No make oil ever added -used ~1/4 qt on the 5k run.
A Little History
The engine had an intermitent external coolant leak from the intake gasket since about 65k miles. So I did the first analysis to see if it was getting in the oil. It was, but not in any quantity. Intake gasket changed at 93K then a single Auto-RX treatment. Also ditched the dexcool
No problems since. Getting 16.5-17.5 mpg, not bad for a 6000 pound suv. Auto rx helped gain about 0.5mpg. The first sample interval was of 7 mile short trips to work in the winter all city driving, which explains the wear metals. The rest of the intervals are 600+ miles per week with about 90% highway and very few short trips. The first and second OCIs also included towing a 2000lb trailer in the mountains for about 500 mi each interval
Date........(11/03-..(2/04-...(5/31/04-7/31/04)
Used.........1/04)....3/04)
MION OIL...2700....3012.....5067.....5067....UNV/AVER
MI ON VEH 91243..96412..106893..106893
ALUMINUM......4.......3.......3.......2.......7
CHROMIUM.....3.......0.......3.......2.......3
IRON...............6.......1.......6.......8.......41
COPPER..........5.......3.......6.......2.......15
LEAD...............4.......3.......7.......8.......22
TIN..................2.......0.......1.......1.......3
MOLYBDENUM..0.......0.......0.......0.......35
NICKEL............0.......0.......0.......0.......1
MANGANESE....0.......0.......0.......0.......1
SILVER............0.......0.......0.......0.......0
TITANIUM........0.......0.......0.......0.......0
POTASSIUM....14.....29......0.......0.......9
BORON............0.......0.......0.......0......42
SILICON.........17.....23.....21.....17.....23
SODIUM..........60......0.......4.......5.....17
CALCIUM.........0.......0.......0...1816...1790
MAGNESIUM....0.......0.......0.......6......433
PHOSPHORUS..0.......0.......0....717.....819
ZINC................0.......0.......0.....831....993
TBN.................7.3.....7.1.....6.4......0
NITRATION......3.5.....3.2.....4.5......0
OXIDATION.....4.3.....4.3.....6.0......0
Visc @100c ....13.6...13.6...13.6...62.0 (54-61)
Insolubles..................................0.5
No Fuel or water
BLACKSTONE's comments
CHELTON: This oil was run 5067 miles, which is longer than the average mileage for this type of
engine, yet all wear well below averages. This is a very good indication of normal wearing parts and
that you're operating this GM engine carefully. The universal averages column shows typical wear
from this type of engine after 3800 miles on the oil. The viscosity was a little high for a 5W/30, but no
fuel dilution or anti-freeze was found that would cause a viscosity shift. It's not hurting anything. At this
point things look great! Suggest going 6000 miles on the next oil fill.
My Thoughts (The few I have)
I sent samples of the same oil to both Blackstone and Oilguard because I wasn't sure if the previous results from oilguard were off. It looks to me that OG and BS are within lab error except for copper as far as wear metals go. OG is WAAAAAY off on the viscosity, but at least they are consistent. OG TBN is high I think by 2-3 points. I also dislike the fact that OG doesn't measure oil additives, but I guess thats what you get for $9 per sample(includes TBN).
Whats up with Blackstones's comments? The viscosity is on the mid to low side of a 30wt but it is out if their range. Their range =8.59-10.5. 30 wt should be 9.30-12.5. Mine was 10.86cst right where it should be. How do they come up with their "should be"??? I have seen a very different range of numbers from UOAs on here all from 5w-30s.
I am also suprised they recommended going 6K on the next change. It wouldn'd hurt it but wear is higher per 1k on the 5k run vz the 3k oci. Insolubles are also just under the limit at 0.5. I think this oil has payed for its self and is done.
I guess I proved that you don't need a great oil to put up great UOA numbers. I think it has more to do with the engine than the oil in "easy on oil" engines. (Has an oil to water oil cooler and I have never seen oil temps about 220 even in 90 heat) I doubt if these number could be improved on with syn, but I'll try.
This 5.7 must have been built on Wendsday after the machine shop guys got a raise. Luck of the draw I guess. It has Amsoil 5w-30 in it now. I was going to run 5k on amsoil and see what the numbers did. Because the operating conditions were exactly the same for the intervals, I thought it would be a good experiment. However the 600 mi/week drive went away. Good for my wife but bad for my experiment. Her commute is 1.5 miles one way now. Talk about from one extreme to another!
Sorry for the long post but I think there is some good info hear that a few will be interested in!
[ August 23, 2004, 07:54 PM: Message edited by: rugerman1 ]
Four Samples-The first three are from Oilguard the last from Blackstone.
The third and fourth samples are from THE SAME OIL CHANGE.
Last Column is Blackstone's Universal Averages at 3800 Miles
The only oil used was valvoline 5w-30 All Climate
No make oil ever added -used ~1/4 qt on the 5k run.
A Little History
The engine had an intermitent external coolant leak from the intake gasket since about 65k miles. So I did the first analysis to see if it was getting in the oil. It was, but not in any quantity. Intake gasket changed at 93K then a single Auto-RX treatment. Also ditched the dexcool
No problems since. Getting 16.5-17.5 mpg, not bad for a 6000 pound suv. Auto rx helped gain about 0.5mpg. The first sample interval was of 7 mile short trips to work in the winter all city driving, which explains the wear metals. The rest of the intervals are 600+ miles per week with about 90% highway and very few short trips. The first and second OCIs also included towing a 2000lb trailer in the mountains for about 500 mi each interval
Date........(11/03-..(2/04-...(5/31/04-7/31/04)
Used.........1/04)....3/04)
MION OIL...2700....3012.....5067.....5067....UNV/AVER
MI ON VEH 91243..96412..106893..106893
ALUMINUM......4.......3.......3.......2.......7
CHROMIUM.....3.......0.......3.......2.......3
IRON...............6.......1.......6.......8.......41
COPPER..........5.......3.......6.......2.......15
LEAD...............4.......3.......7.......8.......22
TIN..................2.......0.......1.......1.......3
MOLYBDENUM..0.......0.......0.......0.......35
NICKEL............0.......0.......0.......0.......1
MANGANESE....0.......0.......0.......0.......1
SILVER............0.......0.......0.......0.......0
TITANIUM........0.......0.......0.......0.......0
POTASSIUM....14.....29......0.......0.......9
BORON............0.......0.......0.......0......42
SILICON.........17.....23.....21.....17.....23
SODIUM..........60......0.......4.......5.....17
CALCIUM.........0.......0.......0...1816...1790
MAGNESIUM....0.......0.......0.......6......433
PHOSPHORUS..0.......0.......0....717.....819
ZINC................0.......0.......0.....831....993
TBN.................7.3.....7.1.....6.4......0
NITRATION......3.5.....3.2.....4.5......0
OXIDATION.....4.3.....4.3.....6.0......0
Visc @100c ....13.6...13.6...13.6...62.0 (54-61)
Insolubles..................................0.5
No Fuel or water
BLACKSTONE's comments
CHELTON: This oil was run 5067 miles, which is longer than the average mileage for this type of
engine, yet all wear well below averages. This is a very good indication of normal wearing parts and
that you're operating this GM engine carefully. The universal averages column shows typical wear
from this type of engine after 3800 miles on the oil. The viscosity was a little high for a 5W/30, but no
fuel dilution or anti-freeze was found that would cause a viscosity shift. It's not hurting anything. At this
point things look great! Suggest going 6000 miles on the next oil fill.
My Thoughts (The few I have)
I sent samples of the same oil to both Blackstone and Oilguard because I wasn't sure if the previous results from oilguard were off. It looks to me that OG and BS are within lab error except for copper as far as wear metals go. OG is WAAAAAY off on the viscosity, but at least they are consistent. OG TBN is high I think by 2-3 points. I also dislike the fact that OG doesn't measure oil additives, but I guess thats what you get for $9 per sample(includes TBN).
Whats up with Blackstones's comments? The viscosity is on the mid to low side of a 30wt but it is out if their range. Their range =8.59-10.5. 30 wt should be 9.30-12.5. Mine was 10.86cst right where it should be. How do they come up with their "should be"??? I have seen a very different range of numbers from UOAs on here all from 5w-30s.
I am also suprised they recommended going 6K on the next change. It wouldn'd hurt it but wear is higher per 1k on the 5k run vz the 3k oci. Insolubles are also just under the limit at 0.5. I think this oil has payed for its self and is done.
I guess I proved that you don't need a great oil to put up great UOA numbers. I think it has more to do with the engine than the oil in "easy on oil" engines. (Has an oil to water oil cooler and I have never seen oil temps about 220 even in 90 heat) I doubt if these number could be improved on with syn, but I'll try.
This 5.7 must have been built on Wendsday after the machine shop guys got a raise. Luck of the draw I guess. It has Amsoil 5w-30 in it now. I was going to run 5k on amsoil and see what the numbers did. Because the operating conditions were exactly the same for the intervals, I thought it would be a good experiment. However the 600 mi/week drive went away. Good for my wife but bad for my experiment. Her commute is 1.5 miles one way now. Talk about from one extreme to another!
Sorry for the long post but I think there is some good info hear that a few will be interested in!
[ August 23, 2004, 07:54 PM: Message edited by: rugerman1 ]
