Oil Analysis history report

[turbo]

Originally Posted by eatenbyagrue

Does anyone reading this thread have a story about a time where oil analysis actually caught something? I'd be curious to hear where it's made the difference. Just looking at the one posted above, seems like lots of 'normal' variation, so how would you interpret a bad result?

i started this post and believe that not many use OA. when my first engine started getting up past TBO i started using OA. the hobbs finally when to 3,150 hrs[ = to 2,600 tach time] before the cam lifter started making metal. the two things i was concerned with was a valve head breaking off and the cam/ lifter wearing out. i did the wobble tests, comps over 74/80, and rolled the dice on the valves holding out. i finally picked up and increase in iron on a OA, 25 hrs later i cut open the oil filter and my jaw dropped. it was loaded with fine metal pieces. when i put a magnet on it it looked like a fuzz ball. i was all ready and prepared to sell the old engine and buy a new thunderbolt from lycomig which i did. OA is not for everyone but i enjoy seeing the results every 60hrs now. here are a few picks of the final oil filter. safe flying hope you make TBO too. turbo

[snoop9erdog]

Ed,

Thanks for the report. I'm particularly interested in OA due the fact that I recently picked up a IO-360 L2A from Penn Yan. It has 1970 hrs since new, 1000 hrs since overhaul (overhauled at 970 hrs due to prop strike, not sudden stoppage, and then ran fine after teardow/overhaul for 1000 hrs). It was taken off a newer 172R due to TT, but was running perfectly fine. I have all records since new.

I figure that this engine with the work that Penn Yan did on the cylinders, should run at minimum a few hundred hours and possibly another 1000 hrs before a needed overhaul.

I'd like to use OA for the sole purpose of creating a trend and to to be able to catch a change whenever that might occur. I have a lot to learn of course, but believe that it will be useful info. Yours is a perfect example.

Just couldn't bring myself to spend 22-26K on a new Lyc, especially when the operating life of these engines typically run (with overhaul) thousands of hours. More power to those who can afford that

Thanks for the info

[RVadmirer]

Having listened to Mike's seminars at Oshkosh I can honestly say his opinions and advice run much truer than most of the amateur posts on the forums. See below:
At each oil change, it's essential to change the oil filter and cut open the old filter for inspection. We also strongly recommend sending an oil sample to Blackstone Laboratories in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, for oil analysis. Although there are a number of different labs that do such analysis, we think Blackstone is head and shoulders above the rest, and we urge our clients to use this lab exclusively.

Web Page: http://blog.savvymx.com/search?q=Oil+analysis

He feels stongly about OA and I've never heard any (good) reason to think differently. If you don't want the very best information about the condition of the engine flying you (and your family?) over that next mountain range, then who cares..... but don't recommend that cavalier approach to others looking for good advice. The engine builders I know feel the same way.

By the way, his other top recommendations are to either have excellent instrumentation, preferably with data recording capability to analyze what's going on or to pay more attention to the use of a borescope at regular intervals. He helps clients and seminar attendees get well, well over TBO out of their engines safely with these techniques. Sure, there may be that one odd case where an engine fails without any warnings but seriously, how often does that happen? I wanna know.......

Your opinions will obviously vary. Just don't forget to tell your passengers what shortcuts you take with your engine analysis before they fly with you.