Amsoil ATM SS 10w30, 6K, 07 Chevy 3500

[TXHunter]

Motor spun a bearing 2 days after the sample was taken. New engine from Jasper has been ordered. I'm told the oil filter was full of metal shavings (brother-in-laws truck).

Make/Model: GM 8.1L V8
Vehicle: 2007 Chevrolet 3500
Code:


OIL ATM 10w30 ATM 10w30 ATM 10w30 Val 10w30

MILES IN USE 6,000 10,389 6,000 3,000

MILES ON UNIT 146k 140K 130K 123K

SAMPLE TAKEN 6/22/13 4/17/13 10/23/12 9/5/12

MAKE UP OIL 2QT 5QT 2QT 1QT



IRON 50 124 34 10

CHROMIUM 1 3 1 0

NICKEL 1 2 1 0

ALUMINUM 13 33 10 3

COPPER 1 3 1 0

LEAD 8 11 14 8

TIN 0 1 0 0

cADMIUM 0 0 0 0

SILVER 0 0 0 0

VANADIUM 0 0 0 0

SILICON 36 69 27 12

SODIUM 29 96 78 177

POTASSIUM 0 9 4 0

TITANIUM 0 0 0 0

MOLYBDENUM 166 150 144 31

ANTIMONY 1 0 1 0

MANGANESE 7 33 30 47

LITHIUM 0 0 0 0

BORON 62 70 67 0

MAGNESIUM 18 23 19 17

CALCIUM 3720 3495 3556 2298

BARIUM 0 0 0 0

PHOSPHORUS 729 769 727 773

ZINC 849 861 848 861



Fuel %
soot %
Water %
Visc @ 100C 11.2 11.2 11.0 8.9

Base Number 4.87 3.40 5.54 4.55

Oxidation 58 52 48 10

Nitration 15 15 11 8


Oil Analysis Comments:
Infrared results indicate Oxidation is significantly high; Cylinder region metals (pistons, rings, liners etc) are at a moderate level. Silicon is at a moderate level. Silicon sources can be abrasives (dirt, Alumina Silica), seals and gasket material, lube additive or lube supplement, and/or environmental contaminant. Replace oil filter and top off system with fresh make-up oil if not done when oil sample was taken. Re-sample in 3,500 miles or 65 hours.

 

[LargeCarManX2]

Did the engine run the full 146K total miles on Amsoil?

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: dhellman12
I'm told the oil filter was full of metal shavings (brother-in-laws truck).


Ouch!

 

[addyguy]

Proof: Amsoil kills engines! Let people know!

(I kid.....I kid....)

 

[demarpaint]

For a filter to be filled with metal shavings the UOA sure didn't show it. Yea iron was a high, not crazy high though. Makes me wonder about the validity of a UOA, but then again I'm still learning. I guess spinning a bearing 2 days [after] the UOA could be a defense of the UOA.

 

[TXHunter]

The truck was converted to Amsoil at the 123K mile mark. Previously it was filled with either Valvoline or Rotella.

 

[buster]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
For a filter to be filled with metal shavings the UOA sure didn't show it. Yea iron was a high, not crazy high though. Makes me wonder about the validity of a UOA, but then again I'm still learning. I guess spinning a bearing 2 days [after] the UOA could be a defense of the UOA.


It won't pick up larger wear particles. Dave from Redline told me about this. He said they would often see nothing in UOA's from blown engines. Wear was outside of scope.

UOA's are certainly limited.

 

[NateDN10]

Looks like something happened to the engine around the 130 - 140K mark. Silicon, iron, aluminum, and make-up oil all went up.

IMO, this is a very interesting data-point showing that UOAs can show that something may be wrong, but not the severity or the exact problem.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: NateDN10
Looks like something happened to the engine around the 130 - 140K mark. Silicon, iron, aluminum, and make-up oil all went up.

IMO, this is a very interesting data-point showing that UOAs can show that something may be wrong, but not the severity or the exact problem.


Yup, but without those previous snapshots and just looking at the current one, you'd never know the engine was headed for epic failure. This emphasizes the importance of trending, which both Doug Hillary and Dnewton have made it a point to mention on numerous occasions.

This also brings to light another point made by many, including myself and that is that if an engine is in the process of catastrophic failure, you probably won't see much on a UOA. The particles are too large for it to detect. This happened to BuickGN "back in the day".

 

[edhackett]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL

This also brings to light another point made by many, including myself and that is that if an engine is in the process of catastrophic failure, you probably won't see much on a UOA. The particles are too large for it to detect. This happened to BuickGN "back in the day".


This is also true of engines during break-in. The particles are larger than normal wear.

Ed

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: buster
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
For a filter to be filled with metal shavings the UOA sure didn't show it. Yea iron was a high, not crazy high though. Makes me wonder about the validity of a UOA, but then again I'm still learning. I guess spinning a bearing 2 days [after] the UOA could be a defense of the UOA.


It won't pick up larger wear particles. Dave from Redline told me about this. He said they would often see nothing in UOA's from blown engines. Wear was outside of scope.

UOA's are certainly limited.


Exactly, their value is very limited. BuickGN learned that lesson the hard way unfortunately.

 

[KCJeep]

Yet this one showed a dramatic jump in fe, so there is some warning value there. If I ever get a UOA on my Jeep with an aluminum spike it's gonna get traded in fast that's for sure.

 

[DragRace]

Sorry to hear about the motor.

This is why I've posted over and over,the best way to see whats actually goin on inside a motor,the only way,is a tear down,as a UOA only shows a small snapshot.

 

[INDYMAC]

Dirt killed this engine starting at 130k. The ATM protected admirably as long as it could.

 

[CATERHAM]

Of course one could request a particle count which adds to the cost of a UOA. Nevertheless the high iron levels would have prompted some to cut open the oil filter. Also it's hard to imagine there weren't sparkles in the drained oil of the last two oil changes or a drop in oil pressure (although I'm sure he doesn't have an OP gauge).

 

[threeputtpar]

Would the NA be from the add pack or did there end up being coolant intrusion?

I couldn't find a VOA of ATM in a quick search.

 

[dave1251]

My bet is on coolant. Amsoil has traditionally only had trace amounts of sodium in VOA's.

 

[TXHunter]

But Valvoline uses Sodium in their add package. Notice how the trend continues to come down since the last fill of Valvoline.

My bet is on the high silicon...

 

[dave1251]

It does not.

 

[TXHunter]

Sodium was at 177 at 123K miles, and down to 29 at the 146K mile mark.