Oil Analysis
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 2,019
Likes: 599
From: Columbus, OH
I have been a professional aircraft mechanic since 1974, I have taken a lot of oil samples for oil analysis, but I have never considered having oil analysis done on any engine I have owned, and I have never known anyone whose engine was saved by an oil sample.
Throwing away about 800 bucks over 100k miles.
Just change the oil every 5K and you will be fine.
Throwing away about 800 bucks over 100k miles.
Just change the oil every 5K and you will be fine.
As far as the bold statement I disagree, we have caught many EGR coolers failing by high sodium and potassium numbers without a positive coolant contamination, have caught water pump seals leaking into crankcase, fuel dilution breaking down the oil in engines alone. Not to mention transmission and hydraulic coolers starting to leak and dirt and water contamination of final drives. Watching particle count on hydraulic/hydrostatic systems and transmissions gives a good indication of wear and fluid condition
I am very **** about the sample collection process and make sure I rinse the bottle multiple times with the sample oil as it is draining. Crack the drain open, let oil come out, get some in sample bottle, shake it, dump it, repeat a couple times. Even though bottles ares sealed, they can still be dirty. And concentrations of contaminants can sit in the pan at the drain and you dont want to collect those because they are not representative of whats circulating in the oil, so let it drain a little to let those contaminants flush out.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,173
Likes: 12,740
From: South Carolina
Wait, I missed this:
The OP says he will have the motor oil, transmission lube, primary lube and coolant analysis done at each oil change interval, that would be 160 dollars...
Over a 100K period that would be $3,200.
That would pay for an extended warranty that would cover the entire bike including tires and wheels...
Over a 100K period that would be $3,200.
That would pay for an extended warranty that would cover the entire bike including tires and wheels...
Last edited by Dan89FLSTC; Jul 10, 2024 at 08:32 AM.
HDF Community Team
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 7,873
Likes: 4,432
From: Texas
...
For us sampling at the drain point is a last resort, most modern equipment have sample ports where you can get your sample from the lube circuit, if that's not available then we have an extraction "gun" that pull the oil right into the bottle, sampling at the drain point gives the best chance for contamination and error
For us sampling at the drain point is a last resort, most modern equipment have sample ports where you can get your sample from the lube circuit, if that's not available then we have an extraction "gun" that pull the oil right into the bottle, sampling at the drain point gives the best chance for contamination and error
I suppose if we had a clean syringe with clean tubing, we could just pull the sample from the fill holes! Duh... Wasn't thinking about that yesterday.
But that syringe and tubing needs to be CLEAN and never used with different lubricants.
Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2024
Posts: 42
Likes: 62
From: IL
5,100 mile sample update
Here are my 5k mile samples. Mobil 1 20w/50 was used at the 1k mile service. The engine seems to have high Copper and Iron. The Primary has very high Iron however these will probably level out as time and miles go by.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 17,148
Likes: 6,170
From: SE Michigan
The bottom line is that everyone uses everything, and nobody's bike blew up because of choice of oil.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,672
Likes: 11,459
From: State of Confusion
I recently performed a DIY Oil Analysis .. I drained it after several thousand miles while watching it come out a different color that it was when I put it in .. I realized that I could have run it a little longer, then put new oil in..I'll repeat the analysis again in some TBD mileage interval .. I'm expecting the bike to perform excellent, as they always have, by using engine oils
HDF Community Team
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 7,873
Likes: 4,432
From: Texas
Great results, as expected. What would be awesome is to have a zero-hour sample to compare to. A sample from the first 100 miles of that oil. That way you know what is happening over time with the oil and the engine, not just what is in the oil at the end of its life. Of course this means two oil samples per fluid change.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 1,541
Likes: 543
From: MN
Great results, as expected. What would be awesome is to have a zero-hour sample to compare to. A sample from the first 100 miles of that oil. That way you know what is happening over time with the oil and the engine, not just what is in the oil at the end of its life. Of course this means two oil samples per fluid change.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 2,019
Likes: 599
From: Columbus, OH
Great results, as expected. What would be awesome is to have a zero-hour sample to compare to. A sample from the first 100 miles of that oil. That way you know what is happening over time with the oil and the engine, not just what is in the oil at the end of its life. Of course this means two oil samples per fluid change.