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Hey All, Razz

Myself and some other truck drivers have a quetion we can't seem to find answers to.
Basically, we have our oil analyzed when we
change it, and we <i><b>trust</i></b> the report when it indicates <b>NORMAL</b>.
But, what do the results they provide us really mean? Is there an acceptable min/max for these? How do we find them?

FYI, I have attached a sample report.

Thanks so much for your advice.

Wesley

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Sorry, but that scan is un-readable after posting. Here is a list of what it says...

This particular engine, btw, is a Detroit Diesel Series 60 heavy duty truck engine.

Thanks again, Wesley

SPECTROCHEMICAL ANALYSIS IN PARTS PER MILLION BY WEIGHT

IRON = 20
CHROMIUM = 3
NICKEL =<1
ALUMINIUM = 3
LEAD = 1
COPPER = 5
TIN = <1
SILVER = <.1
TITANIUM = <1
SILICON = 26
BORON = 7
SODIUM = 7
POTASSIUM = 18
MOLYBDENUM = 9
PHOSPHORUS = 1364
ZINC = 1218
CALCIUM = 2962
BARIUM = <10
MAGNESIUM = 122
ANTIMONY = <30
VANADIUM = <1

PHYSICAL TEST RESULTS

FUEL% VOL = <1.0
FUEL SOOT = 0.1
WATER % VOL = 0.18
VIS CS 100'C = 13.8
SAE. GRADE = 40
GLY TEST = NEG
Wesley.

Usually they check for abnormal values based upon experiense and similar samples. Some engine manufacturers (a few) have their own limits (ie. Cat, Cummins, Detroit, Komatsu) that can be used as referense. (Detroit: http://www.lubetrak.com/lubedocs/alarms_002.htm - Or from Detroit..)

Diesel engine oil samples si probably the type of samples any lab has the most of, so it is safe to trust the diagnose. Hope this helps you out.
That chart shows ome of the limits that that lab looks at as "normal" etc. It may well be for them.
But are you "average" or are you interested in proactive maintenance. The fact you are participating in this board indicates the latter. Each month I send 80 or so samples to a lab (CTC) for analisis. The results I get back have excellent comments when the results are beyond certain limits. But I know from experience with my own vehicles and customer's equipment that these limits are way beyond what can be achieved.
To look at your example, first I would need to know, type of driving (paved/over-the-road, city, dirt, mountains, etc), how many miles are on the oil an the engine (since last rebuild), and what oil is it (to compare against the analisis of their virgin oil). Then I would compare against similar.
As only 5% of our roads are paved, and we have mostly mountanous terrain, most of my database (mostly in my head)is on Volvo trucks that rarely see 8th gear, farm tractors, CAT and Komatsu equipment.
I'll give you an idea of how that would read here on a typical truck engine:
-Iron: If I can keep a customer's iron to 20 ppm in 10,000 to 15,000 km, we are doing good. The lab normally calls abnormal at 40 ppm
-Chrome, nickel and lead are within norms that I see, depending on the exact composition of the engine. (chrome is a little higher tha might be possible)
-Aluminum is a factor of wear and dirt. With 26 ppm of silicon, you should expect to see 7 to 8 ppm of aluminum, and the rest would be wear. The fact that you have less aluminium would indicate excess silicon (than dirt) from a rebuild, a new engine, new sealants or gaskets, new seals, or some other excess leaching of silicon.
-copper is reasonable for an engine in constant use. I see higher amounts on farm equipment or vehicles that are used infrequently from non-circulation of the oil.
-Sodium should not be there. It is a contamination that often comes from engine washing, or indicates a crak in the head gasket at higher levels. It also comes in the air in the winter when salt is used on roads, on equipment in salty areas (salt flats, beaches, etc.) It is corrosive and might be related to the copper.
Potasium is also often a contaminant that comes from the water in the cooing system, although there are areas where it is in the air.
magnesium is sometimes an additive and sometimes a contaminant. I have areas where it comes from the air, and one where we determined it was coming from the water once we knew the original oil formula had no magnesium and no sodium, but the oil had high levels of both - but no actual water (it actually had a hairline crack in one head)
Additive levels are reasonable for a decent diesel oil with 20,000 miles or so (again depending on speed/engine rpm).
-Water is curious and should be monitored. It could be coming from your refrigeration system (hence the possibility of sodium unless you use pre-mixed antifreeze (glycol can burn off, leaving a NEG for the test), but it could be condensation from idling in cold weather.
-Soot is super low, indicating that combustion is complete.
-
UOA is a very good tool, but needs to be analized in comparison with like equipment and maintenance goals. From this result, I would examine the ingress of water and salt. They may be natural, but may be serious. Even if the salt is from the air, it might be controlable with better filtration.
If you read spanish, I have about 20+ pages on how to read the results and a lot of examples of real analisis at www.widman.biz

You can look at a chart like CAT that says 100 ppm of iron is acceptable in 250 hours, but proactive maintenance says if you can keep it to 20 ppm in 400 hours, you have great savings in productivity, oil costs, and engine life.
Having worked for Castrol India for many years I recall giving the Lab elemental analysis reports to Marine customers. Typical report gave the actual and discard limits. For repeat customers a graphical trend was built.

From your mail I conclude this applies to Oil company reports and not to analysis reports from Non-Oil company Labs reports. May be, you could persuade your lube supplier to trend and provide reports.

As other members have reported the field conditions also matter and have to be interpretted accordingly. Thus, analysis of a 10,000 km run vehicle on a flat road as compared to another vehicle predominantly run an a gradient will surely be different.

Hussam Adeni
I Don't believe in Discarding wear limits.
You cant discard an oil if copper or silicon
alone is elevated as it could be due to oil
cooler leaching effect or due to additives,
seals ,gaskets etc...As widman said combination
of wear elements should be considered for
interpretating the results.It's imperative to
understand common failure modes,Mettalurgy of
components,application for effective interpretation.

Regards,

Bala.
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