Blackstone UOA - cost to ship?

[metroplex]

I just received my Blackstone kit and was wondering the best way it was to ship the sample back. I heard that USPS doesn't like it when you are shipping fluids/oils and would delay the shipping, and that some threw the sample bottle into a box. How much would it cost to ship it back?

Is the TBN worth adding for an extra $10? My goal right now is to do a sample on my EcoBoost 3.5L on a lease. I have to make a decision on whether to buy out my lease or turn it in, and this would be the last oil change before the lease is up in a few months. I figure it would be a good time to check on the condition of the engine and see if my oil change interval was good enough.

 

[Kuato]

I've paid as little as $1.68 from the East Coast to around $3 to mail from MT. Best way I've found is to go to the automated machine that weighs it and prints the postage label....drop it and go.

I've only had an issue once with a US Mail person about sending it.

 

[CarbonSteel]

One UOA is not going to give you enough information to make a decision whether or not to buy it--unless you are checking to see if there is a coolant leak. You should base that on how it was maintained (I am assuming you know the history).

To answer your question, USPS sucks, but YMMV and the cost would be about $5-$6 to ship it via USPS. I always spend the extra $2 and use Fed-Ex so the package is REALLY trackable. The TBN will tell you how much life is left in the oil which is pointless for you considering what you are attempting to decide. TBN (Total Base Number) tells you how much active additive there is in the oil.

 

[metroplex]

I'm not trying to argue, but wouldn't TBN tell me if the oil I selected (which meets the Ford spec for 5W-30) and the oil change interval was acceptable for the engine?
I've been following the recommended oil change interval from the owner's manual and used oil and filters that met the Ford specification. I read that the EcoBoost 3.5L can have a lot of fuel dilution.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

I just mailed an ATF sample as a first class parcel: $3.02.

Blackstone had sent me three or four sample kits in a Tyvek envelope. This was the last of those kits, so I sent it back in the same envelope.

I sent my first sample to Blackstone using just the sample bottle, and it took a long time to arrive. After that, I started packing them in small boxes. My current post office has never given me any trouble when I tell them the package contains liquid or an oil sample.

Ask for first class. Priority isn't required until 13 oz.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted By: metroplex
I'm not trying to argue, but wouldn't TBN tell me if the oil I selected (which meets the Ford spec for 5W-30) and the oil change interval was acceptable for the engine?
I've been following the recommended oil change interval from the owner's manual and used oil and filters that met the Ford specification. I read that the EcoBoost 3.5L can have a lot of fuel dilution.
Yes, if that is what you are trying to determine. I may have misunderstood in thinking you were trying to tell the condition of the engine by using a single UOA.

 

[Kuato]

PSD while one UOA can't tell any trend, OP could compare with universal averages to find out how his engine is doing vs the average ecoboost. Then if he decides to keep it, he has his first UOA in a series to determine the best OCI with his oil and driving habits.

Good idea

to get it done with TBN.