How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

I decided when I bought my boat new that I would keep as complete a record of its use and history as possible, both for my own benefit and that of a potential buyer should I ever sell it. I have a binder of all the original paperwork such as the build sheet, every receipt for things bought for the boat, and both a paper and electronic service record (on stingray's owners website). Part of this plan includes sending samples of used oil to Blackstone Labs at every oil change. My first one came back recently, from the (factory fill) oil I drained while winterizing the boat:



Its about $25 to run a sample, and Blackstone is very fast... I had results the same day they received the sample at their lab. If you can see on my report, my fuel and water levels in the oil were slightly high, but I believe that's due to the engine having sat for over a month before the sample was taken (water) and having only been warmed up while idling on the trailer and not actually being run under load (fuel). We'll see if it continues during future samplings. The high metal content, as expected and as Blackstone notes, is likely due to the fact that this is a factory fill of oil.

So, how many of you use oil analysis on your boats, and do you think its worth the cost?

PS: Mods, I realize this could be considered an engine topic; I placed it here because it seems a more general question regarding boat owner's maintenence habits. Please move it if you feel neccessary.

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

I've always associated oil analysis with larger boats, yachts, ships, larger engines. My engine is a 2 stroke, so no oil to analyze...others here with 4 stroke outboards probably just check level and change their oil. That's about all I know about it!

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

I have had done on dirt equipment in the past and found it worth the expense, in those cases it saved a motor or two.

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

The results can be misleading. You must take the sample at exactly the same hours of operation, any more or less will either add or subtract from the heavy metals in the oil. Are you taking the samples hot or cold? Many things can effect the results. Not really necessary on gasoline engines but is a good idea on diesels.

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

MH Hawker said:

I have had done on dirt equipment in the past and found it worth the expense, in those cases it saved a motor or two.

Click to expand...

How did it save a motor?

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

Capt Ken said:

The results can be misleading. You must take the sample at exactly the same hours of operation, any more or less will either add or subtract from the heavy metals in the oil. Are you taking the samples hot or cold? Many things can effect the results. Not really necessary on gasoline engines but is a good idea on diesels.

Click to expand...

I took the sample "warm"... I agree with you that the results are open to interpretation. Like I said in my original post, I think the relatively high levels of fuel and water were due to the fact that I did not run the engine under load (just idled while the outdrive was in water) prior to sampling. Blackstone provides instructions to get an "optimal" sample, but it simply was not possible for me to do it at this particular occasion. If you have to sample under less then ideal conditions, you just write that on your submission form and they will try to interpret your analysis results with this information in mind.

Obviously, this is not the be-all end-all of engine monitoring. But, considering the relatively low price, I think its just kinda cool and a good thing to be able to show a potential buyer down the road (as long as your results dont indicate your engine is about to grenade ). And, it may be able to indicate a potential problem before it causes more damage then it already has.

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

I have sent the odd sample in when I built big Suzuki GS mills. It was helpful to a point when the big ends would start to degrade.
I sent one sample in on my F350 when it was new. Haven't sent any since. I was going to send one in on my new boat but again I didn't. But now that the first oil change has been done maybe I will.

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

Why waste money if you change when you should and engine running good? But that is my opinion on the oil deal.

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

Capt Ken said:

...Not really necessary on gasoline engines but is a good idea on diesels.

Click to expand...

That's what I always heard was doing this sampling on the diesels that can live 4-5,000 hours......or more

...maybe QC, who was a diesel guy for many years, will check-in with his thoughts on this topic.

Mark

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

How did it save a motor?

Click to expand...

The samples was showing a low amount of anti freeze , a leaking head gasket

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

spoilsofwar said:

I think the relatively high levels of fuel and water were due to the fact that I did not run the engine under load (just idled while the outdrive was in water) prior to sampling. If you have to sample under less then ideal conditions, you just write that on your submission form and they will try to interpret your analysis results with this information in mind.

Click to expand...

I couldn't read the results (too small) so I find this a little confusing...

1. You took your sample under less than ideal conditions, and noted that fact for Blackstone.
2. Blackstone took that fact into consideration when they tested the sample, and STILL noted that fuel and water levels were high?

Now, I would assume that Blackstone was saying that those levels were high, AFTER they took your note into account. If that's the case, why would you make your OWN assumption as to the underlying cause? Seems to me like a waste of time and money to have the analysis done if you disregard it because you already 'know' the answer...

unless I'm missing something?

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

I do not send in samples but I
do cut the old filter in half and take out the filter material
then I pass a magnet over looking for shavings that might appear
If i were to find some metel then I might send a sample off

Harry

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

JoLin said:

I couldn't read the results (too small) so I find this a little confusing...

1. You took your sample under less than ideal conditions, and noted that fact for Blackstone.
2. Blackstone took that fact into consideration when they tested the sample, and STILL noted that fuel and water levels were high?

Now, I would assume that Blackstone was saying that those levels were high, AFTER they took your note into account. If that's the case, why would you make your OWN assumption as to the underlying cause? Seems to me like a waste of time and money to have the analysis done if you disregard it because you already 'know' the answer...

unless I'm missing something?

Click to expand...

You're not missing anything, except the fact that I failed to note that I did not warm the engine up fully under load prior to sampling when I filled out the card and sent it in to Blackstone.

Like any good American male with a new toy or whatever, I read the instructions after I did everything In this case, after I mailed off the sample.

I expect that if I had mentioned it (like Blackstone says to), that they would have attributed the water and fuel levels to the fact that the engine was only idled for <10 mins prior to sampling.

If you re-read post #6 in this thread, I explain the proper process for noting sampling under less then ideal conditions... but I did not say I did it right myself Lesson learned, and my next sample will be mid-season, and taken right after the boat has been run hot.

Clif notes: I failed to follow instructions to a "T" and thus Blackstone did not have complete info when doing the analysis. So I made my own assumptions regarding those two sampling areas. I could be right or wrong. It does not negate the value of the entire analysis process.

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

I cut filters too. Much better than sampling as far as I'm concerned.

We send approx. 10 samples a week to the lab at work, I have free bottles, and I still don't bother on my boat. It's a good practice in conjunction with filter cutting. But I wouldn't bother sampling if not even cutting filters.
The first recommendation most any lab will give you as soon as any wear metal trends high is "cut the filter" and inspect the pleats (right after they recommend resampling).

It's tough to get an uncontaminated sample out of a boat. If I had a 470 or other unit with closed cooling, I would definitely sample to keep an eye out for antifreeze in the oil. That potassium or sodium number is important to watch on systems with antifreeze and oil meeting at a cooler or gasket. Small amounts of antifreeze in oil can harm bearings long before anything gets milky.

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

spoilsofwar said:

I expect that if I had mentioned it (like Blackstone says to), that they would have attributed the water and fuel levels to the fact that the engine was only idled for <10 mins prior to sampling.

Click to expand...

Okay, that was the missing link. I thought you HAD noted it for Blackstone at the time you sent in the sample. Got it. Thanks.

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

Start hunting a new motor

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

Not really worth it in my opinion. I can understand doing it on expensive equipment like diesels, but I don't bother with it on gasoline engines. It's also worthless if you don't have a trend to work with. A single report does you very little good without knowing the history of the data on that engine.

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

Bubba1235 said:

I'll ask the same question I've asked others. If the report comes back saying something is wrong, say high metal content, what would you do about it?

Click to expand...

resample, then cut the filter

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

Only bad things in a gasoline engine oil is water......metal shavings. Water you can see as a milky color or foam.
Buy a drain plug with a magnet..........Yea yea some say the magnetic will magnitize the metal bits & they then stick to some moving parts. ???? I thought a filter traps everything coming out of the crankcase.

Back to water or metal...........I do not cut filters. Raw water cooling is assumed in my cases.

Re: How many of you utilize oil analysis to monitor engine health?

cyclops2 said:

I thought a filter traps everything coming out of the crankcase..

Click to expand...

If that were true, it would be completely plugged and oil would be going over the bypass in a few hours of run time. Plus, there are additives in oil that are larger in particle size than some wear elements. You don't want them all in the filter.

Engine oil filter media is usually sized around 40 - 50 microns.

Oil sampling only looks at particles smaller than 20 microns. All of which pass right through the filter.