Oil analysis

[Mark]

Ok i have had a chat with Stu and he has ok'd me to post this up, hopefully you will find it interesting/useful.

I am happy to be able to offer Bigpower members an Oil analysis Service

What is Oil Analysis?

It is the detailed inspection of the oil that comes out of your engine when you do an oil change. A number of things are checked and they fall into 3 catagories.

Oil Condition - This is the general condition of the oil and checks to see if it contains water or fuel, how much it has oxydised, the viscosity and the TBN and TAN.

Additive Content - Measures additive concentration of the oil

Metallic Contamination - Measure the amount of metal particles in the oil to signify wear, elements measured include Iron, Copper, Tin, Aluminum and Lead.

Why Do I Need Oil Analysis?

Oil analysis is 2 fold, firstly it gives you a good insight into the condition of your engine. Are your bearings shot? Is your head gasket going? This can assist in preventative maintenance (bearing change instead of a crank regrind at a later date)

Secondly it tells you how your oil is performing, are you changing it too often or not soon enough? This can save you money in the long run (how much will doing 6-8k changes instead of 2-3k save you if you do 20k a year )

How Much Does It Cost?

I can get a full suite analysis done for only

[Mark]

Ok a few more details about oil :-D

Hands up who changes their oil every 3k or less :?:

No need, A good quality synthetic oil can usually cope with 10000+ miles as long as the engine is in good shape (ie not massively overfuelling) and at 3k will still be as fresh as when you put it in :-D

Whats those specs on the back mean?

They are ACEA ratings and put the oil into a class

A1/B1 is a fuel economy oil and should be avoided for modified cars
A3/B3 is what most people here should be using
A5/B5 is a longlife oil for extended drain intervals

TBN and TAN

the TAN value of the oil is how much acid is present, acid is caused mainly by the combustion process so if you have lots of blowby this will increase quickly. The number always starts low (around 3-4)

TBN will start high (around 8-9) and decreses as the oil is used, when the 2 numbers have nearly crossed over its a good time to change the oil

[Mark]

I would also be interested to know what oil people use :thumb:

[jungle-jim]

interesting stuff.

i change mine either every 3-4 thousand miles or when checking with the dipstick, the colour and general condition.

i use castrol GTX magnatech 10w40

not thought about changing the viscosity for winter tbh as i do warm the car up a lot before driving.

its whats recommended for my car using the T-16 manual.

[Bubble]

I am currently using Silkolene Pro S 10/50 and change it around 4,000 miles, as when I had it tested (thanks Mark) it showed a high petrol content, due no doubt to the high power and boost that I run.

[duncan]

use 15/50 during summer months and 10/40 during the winter as it warms up quicker.

both Motul Chrono fully synth

[DASHughes]

Im currently using Millers 10w-40 "Running in" Mineral Engine Oil- for another 150 miles. Then i will change it for something else-im open to suggestions (bearing in mind this is a new engine with 350 miles on it )

[duncan]

Cant beat Alyn's deal on Motul Chrono 10/40 IMO

http://www.bigpower.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1287

[sleepyhead]

This is a good idea

In the industry I work in (Aviation), SOAP analysis is done every "A" Check and/or engine induction into a workshop (dependent on workscope and reason for removal).

Is this open to everyone or just to full (paid) members?

[Mark]

Well thats down to the club but i would like to see it open to only full members (gives you something else for your