Oil Analysis

[cbenjes]

You'd like to see single digits iron on 5000mi change intervals at your mileage but 14 is not alarming given you're going 6500mi. The ramp up is so slight I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. On my latest 15,000km change interval my iron was 14ppm at 60,000km.

The shearing is interesting. I wouldn't say the EA888 engines in general shear oil. I have the 1.8L in my 2017 golf and run Pentosin SP-III on 15,000km change intervals and my viscosity (D445) @100C has been (in order, 15, 30, 45, 60,00km) 11.38, 11.77, 12.05, 11.50. The first change interval has the lowest viscosity but was also the factory fill so I can't be sure what exactly it is. My Pentosin SP-III start at a viscosity of 12.16, so in all of my samples here has been only zero/negligible shear given that there is always at least trace amounts of fuel in used oil.

I have a theory that the iron levels were artificially high this time because the sample I took on this go-round was toward the end of the drain when the oil was running slowly out of the drain plug, but not flowing heavily like it does when you first open the plug. It wasn't dripping, but it wasn't gushing either.

 

[shortyb]

Shearing is very common in F/I engines. Add on top of that the higher than average fuel dilution and you get a much thinner fluid with correspondingly weaker film strength. Result? More wear, which is showing in not only the Fe number, but also the Al. There are many variables that can contribute to this and these aren't super scary numbers really. Blackstone is not the best at giving very precise fuel dilution readings because of their testing method and why I believe there is way more fuel in the oil causing the thinning/shearing.

Pennz fluids tend to run on the thin side of their visc. range new though, but have a fairly robust add pack to fight shearing. They don't generally shear as fast as some others I've seen (cough cough Mobil 1) but still succumb to the abuse our engines can heap on it. Granted it's only been in service for 6500 miles but it's more than likely done.

 

[cbenjes]

Agreed, I've read examples from other users who send in oil samples for testing about M1 0W40 shearing down in just 3000 miles. It's cheap oil at WalMart and very popular because of the price, but you get what you pay for. Like I said, 6500 miles is my limit.

 

[JerseyDrew77]

@Armchair_Racer
Dragy
OEM Bone Stock

Ok, yes, now I remember.

 

[swcrow]

Agreed, I've read examples from other users who send in oil samples for testing about M1 0W40 shearing down in just 3000 miles. It's cheap oil at WalMart and very popular because of the price, but you get what you pay for. Like I said, 6500 miles is my limit.

Euro 0w-40 or standard 0w-40?

 

[shortyb]

Euro 0w-40 or standard 0w-40?

Isn't all M1 0W-40 listed as "European Formula"? Do you mean the difference between the older Euro that was VW502.00 and BMW LL-01 or the newer FS that is VW505.00 and dropped the BMW rating?

 

[swcrow]

Isn't all M1 0W-40 listed as "European Formula"? Do you mean the difference between the older Euro that was VW502.00 and BMW LL-01 or the newer FS that is VW505.00 and dropped the BMW rating?

No....I can literally get regular Mobil1 0w-40 or the Euro version

 

[Hoon]

Fuel dilution is one of the most important metrics for a DI car, and Blackstone doesn't test it, they estimate it, and that can be way off.

Recommend using Oil Analyzers instead. TBN is also included with them at no additional cost.

 

[GroceryGTIer]

Fuel dilution is one of the most important metrics for a DI car, and Blackstone doesn't test it, they estimate it, and that can be way off.

Recommend using Oil Analyzers instead. TBN is also included with them at no additional cost.

ok, which oils, right OTS do the best for price? Based on analysis, etc?

 

[shortyb]

ok, which oils, right OTS do the best for price? Based on analysis, etc?

Had a few analysis with the Castrol 0W-40 and decent results dealing with fuel dilution. All were under 1.3% with nitration at around 11ab. Not much shear, but does start out as a "thick" 30 wt. or "thin" 40 wt. depending on your point of view. All OIS (oil in service) went to 5K no problem and I figure thats pretty good for a cheap, easily sourced oil.

 

[Hoon]

ok, which oils, right OTS do the best for price? Based on analysis, etc?

Personally i used Amsoil Euro Classic 5W40 (the Improved formula is only emissions BS, waste of $). With a preferred account ($16/yr) and buying $100+ at a time for free shipping (not a big deal because i maintain 4 cars and a couple bikes) it was under $50/oil change including OEM filters from Amazon. Based on UOA i settled on 5K intervals, only due to dilution. The viscosity was a bit low but the oil was still doing its job fine. Also analyzed on ethanol and 5K was fine for that too.

My rod bearings after 54K severe miles and thousands of WOT pulls could be put in a box and sold as new. Pistons, bores, etc all look excellent. Main bearings show slight wear but extremely mild, just very light on the surface. Valvetrain looks like a nearly new engine.

If it weren't for the rings not tolerating the heat, it would have run for a very long time despite the abuse and power level.

 

[jimlloyd40]

Shearing is very common in F/I engines. Add on top of that the higher than average fuel dilution and you get a much thinner fluid with correspondingly weaker film strength. Result? More wear, which is showing in not only the Fe number, but also the Al. There are many variables that can contribute to this and these aren't super scary numbers really. Blackstone is not the best at giving very precise fuel dilution readings because of their testing method and why I believe there is way more fuel in the oil causing the thinning/shearing.

Pennz fluids tend to run on the thin side of their visc. range new though, but have a fairly robust add pack to fight shearing. They don't generally shear as fast as some others I've seen (cough cough Mobil 1) but still succumb to the abuse our engines can heap on it. Granted it's only been in service for 6500 miles but it's more than likely done.

Fuel dilution can be greatly decreased with a proper catch can system.

 

[shortyb]

Fuel dilution can be greatly decreased with a proper catch can system.

Uh, debatable. Fuel generally enters the oil in the crankcase via cylinder ring blowby. Forced induction increases this greatly. Once in the oil, it then mixes and volatizes with the oil vapor through the PCV breather. This can possibly by "caught" by a catch can system, but the fact remains that the fuel is already in the oil. This is where it does it's damage by thinning the oil and reducing film strength. So it does this long before it hits the breather and onto a catch can. In fact, this volatized fuel oil/vapor can possibly be BENEFICIAL to preventing crud build-up on valve backsides because of the fuels cleaning effect when it makes it's way back into the intake tract. Probably not because it's too miniscule of an amount, but who really knows. This is one major reason that ethanol has been said to have an effect on valve deposits because of the re-introduction back into the intake tract via the breather. Adding a catch can could possibly keep this from happening. Maybe. Like I said the black voodoo science of a catch can system is a great debate on a street driven car. A debate that I'd rather not start here. Just saying that the fuel enters oil before a catch can could have any effect on it.

 

[jimlloyd40]

Uh, debatable. Fuel generally enters the oil in the crankcase via cylinder ring blowby. Forced induction increases this greatly. Once in the oil, it then mixes and volatizes with the oil vapor through the PCV breather. This can possibly by "caught" by a catch can system, but the fact remains that the fuel is already in the oil. This is where it does it's damage by thinning the oil and reducing film strength. So it does this long before it hits the breather and onto a catch can. In fact, this volatized fuel oil/vapor can possibly be BENEFICIAL to preventing crud build-up on valve backsides because of the fuels cleaning effect when it makes it's way back into the intake tract. Probably not because it's too miniscule of an amount, but who really knows. This is one major reason that ethanol has been said to have an effect on valve deposits because of the re-introduction back into the intake tract via the breather. Adding a catch can could possibly keep this from happening. Maybe. Like I said the black voodoo science of a catch can system is a great debate on a street driven car. A debate that I'd rather not start here. Just saying that the fuel enters oil before a catch can could have any effect on it.

Once it enters the crankcase it is then routed through the PCV as you said and if you have an OCC that eliminates the PCV it is then caught in the catch can. And it's that watery thin viscosity black blowby that coats the back of the valves not cleans them. That's the whole purpose of an OCC system.

 

[GroceryGTIer]

Found this, for some of the techie’s here who might care

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3487348/Castrol_0w20_Professional_H