At first take, it does not look to bad. The sample results are "Normal". But what does normal mean? Well it means that none of the individual values exceed some generally accepted values for Alert/Reportable/Critical levels. At those levels, there is already some engine damage.
What are you saying?
I am saying that varying duty cycles and operating conditions affect the machining process within your engine. Machining is the production and removal of chips. The larger chips get filtered out and the little ones are suspended in the oil or become sludge deposits together with separating additives, etc.
I am getting a headache, why?
Because establishing a proper OCI is not simple. The driver for me is to maintain an equivalent quantity of wear metals as someone that does easy driving (say at least 30% HWY) and goes 5-10,000 miles OCI on a quality synthetic oil. You may do this to establish or validate an OCI. Or to make sure that your rebuilt or junkyard engine is healthy.
What is your duty cycle like?
For this 1400 miles, 3 full track days (~100 track miles each - 6 or 7 15 mile sessions) and about 50 autocross runs and driving to and fro these events. A few spirited runs in between. Most shifting above 5,000 and often at Rev limit. I would call this duty cycle moderate-severe. Endurance racing would be severe in my book and that run time would be driven by hours not miles.
What are you saying re. the results you posted?
Compared to other 4 cylinder engines with similar mileage yet gentler operation, and taking their results and averaging them in a spreadsheet, at 1400 hard miles here is how I compare to their 7500 street gentle miles:
2 x Iron
2 x Chrome
1.5 x Lead
3 x Aluminum
2 x Silicon
No contaminants at all (water/glycol/fuel)
Excellent Oil Composition (additive package and viscosity)
So, my initial 1,500 mile chosen interval seems to be OK with Mobil 1 5w-30, yet my CAI needs to go as I have found similarly high Silicon levels in other Oil Analysis as folks that run K&N (I have a UniPod). If my thinking is on the right track, going back to the factory filter panel should be reflected in my next sample as reduced wear metals and the Silicon should drop down to under 8 ppm (parts per million). Currently I am making more metal at 1400 than they are at 7500.
Is this crazy or what?
Yes it is, and no it is not. It cost me 10 dollars for the Spectrographic Analysis, and a bit of time taking the sample, shipping, interpreting and reviewing findings. I have in the past reviewed a few thousand Turbine Engine oil samples as well as few hundred Air Cycle Machine samples which is what drives this process I subscribed to.
If I had a Rebello or FM build engine, I would do an analysis every 10 hours or so, to build a nice database or wear metals. I would also sample a racing transmission at 10 hour intervals though I know that some folks rebuilt theirs at 10 hour intervals.
I changed the oil and will follow up with another sample 14-1500 miles from now (mid-season or so depending on usage). I get oil cheap (20-25 for 5 qts of Mobil 1) so from a financial point of view, this is not an item.
For you Green folks, my drained oil goes into the fleet of tow trucks operated from my friends' shop. Shops used to do this for many years before the Green movement came about, due to economic reasons. The drained oil would spend another 5000 miles on tow trucks, snow plow Jeeps, delivery station car, etc. Recycling at its best.
Now, I will get some snacks, a Nomex suit and await your thoughts. Feel free to criticize and recommend changes to my program or approach.
This is my OTM2 (Other Than Mazda 2: 1995 Miata) with 91k miles. Enjoy!
I will use the same methodology for the Mazda2 unless you folks vehemently protest! BITOG (Bob is the Oil Guy recommended 1-2000 miles on cars that see track duty, I think it is on his Page 4 or 5). http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=83
Lots of reading but it is all good.
What are you saying?
I am saying that varying duty cycles and operating conditions affect the machining process within your engine. Machining is the production and removal of chips. The larger chips get filtered out and the little ones are suspended in the oil or become sludge deposits together with separating additives, etc.
I am getting a headache, why?
Because establishing a proper OCI is not simple. The driver for me is to maintain an equivalent quantity of wear metals as someone that does easy driving (say at least 30% HWY) and goes 5-10,000 miles OCI on a quality synthetic oil. You may do this to establish or validate an OCI. Or to make sure that your rebuilt or junkyard engine is healthy.
What is your duty cycle like?
For this 1400 miles, 3 full track days (~100 track miles each - 6 or 7 15 mile sessions) and about 50 autocross runs and driving to and fro these events. A few spirited runs in between. Most shifting above 5,000 and often at Rev limit. I would call this duty cycle moderate-severe. Endurance racing would be severe in my book and that run time would be driven by hours not miles.
What are you saying re. the results you posted?
Compared to other 4 cylinder engines with similar mileage yet gentler operation, and taking their results and averaging them in a spreadsheet, at 1400 hard miles here is how I compare to their 7500 street gentle miles:
2 x Iron
2 x Chrome
1.5 x Lead
3 x Aluminum
2 x Silicon
No contaminants at all (water/glycol/fuel)
Excellent Oil Composition (additive package and viscosity)
So, my initial 1,500 mile chosen interval seems to be OK with Mobil 1 5w-30, yet my CAI needs to go as I have found similarly high Silicon levels in other Oil Analysis as folks that run K&N (I have a UniPod). If my thinking is on the right track, going back to the factory filter panel should be reflected in my next sample as reduced wear metals and the Silicon should drop down to under 8 ppm (parts per million). Currently I am making more metal at 1400 than they are at 7500.
Is this crazy or what?
Yes it is, and no it is not. It cost me 10 dollars for the Spectrographic Analysis, and a bit of time taking the sample, shipping, interpreting and reviewing findings. I have in the past reviewed a few thousand Turbine Engine oil samples as well as few hundred Air Cycle Machine samples which is what drives this process I subscribed to.
If I had a Rebello or FM build engine, I would do an analysis every 10 hours or so, to build a nice database or wear metals. I would also sample a racing transmission at 10 hour intervals though I know that some folks rebuilt theirs at 10 hour intervals.
I changed the oil and will follow up with another sample 14-1500 miles from now (mid-season or so depending on usage). I get oil cheap (20-25 for 5 qts of Mobil 1) so from a financial point of view, this is not an item.
For you Green folks, my drained oil goes into the fleet of tow trucks operated from my friends' shop. Shops used to do this for many years before the Green movement came about, due to economic reasons. The drained oil would spend another 5000 miles on tow trucks, snow plow Jeeps, delivery station car, etc. Recycling at its best.
Now, I will get some snacks, a Nomex suit and await your thoughts. Feel free to criticize and recommend changes to my program or approach.
This is my OTM2 (Other Than Mazda 2: 1995 Miata) with 91k miles. Enjoy!
I will use the same methodology for the Mazda2 unless you folks vehemently protest! BITOG (Bob is the Oil Guy recommended 1-2000 miles on cars that see track duty, I think it is on his Page 4 or 5). http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=83
Lots of reading but it is all good.
