Particle Count 18/14 any good?

[Razl]

I have an Oilguard BP on my wife's 04 Honda CR-V. I had Blackstone do a particle count with the latest UOA (20,000 miles on the M1 0W-20 oil and 60,000 miles on the engine).

Interestingly, the BP element actually is the original when I installed the BP at 11,000 engine miles, so that means the element has almost 50,000 miles on it. I didn't change it because it always warmed up quickly. My thinking was that it would filter better overtime as long as there was still flow. I did change the oversized PP filter at 10,000 mi intervals.

I'll post the UOA in the appropriate section but need help interpreting the results of the particle count. Blackstone’s comment was that “18/14: is good for a motor oil”, but I’m wondering it 18/14 is good for motor oil with a BP?

ISO Code (2): 18/14
NAS 1638 Class: 3
ISO Code (3): 18/17/15
>=2 Microns: 3535
>=5 Microns: 1309
>=10 Microns: 362
>=15 Microns: 140
>=25 Microns: 33
>=50 Microns: 3
>=100 Microns: 0

 

[Gary Allan]

Okay ..this was a 20k OCI. It's hard to compare. My regular PureOne filter provided better numbers ..but was only over 9k. The progression, much like yours, was about a factor of 3-4X as you got smaller. You also have an accumulative component that makes comparisons difficult.

Here's mine with no bypass:

ISO Particle Count: 17/16/13,
Particles were:
>2 micron = 1,666,
>5 mu = 617 mu,
>10mu = 170,
>15 mu = 66,
>25 mu = 15,
>50 mu = 1,
>100 mu = 0.

You could shave yours in half and just about match it. I don't know how effective my ff would be at 20k. It would still work to some degree ..maybe 100% ..but I don't "know".

Your flow through your bypass filter will degrade in a progressive manner. I think that if you did a 10k PC that it would probably better then my 9k by a good margin.

I don't know if it's normal to regard PC in an "average" manner. That is, you're average PC may have been substantially lower then mine if you strung data points across a graph.

In any event, I'd say it's time to replace your element.

Maybe one of the reps will chime in.

 

[Razl]

UDum, I finally did change the BP element as it was getting quite old. The BP is the standard EPS-10 going from the oil sender port and returned into the filler cap using the Amsoil swivel. Lines and connectors were what came with the kit (push locks lines and .040 orifice for the 1/8" JIC fittings).

Very interesting Gary. I guess those P1 are really good and/or my BP is really ho-hum

I'll have to wait but I'll have to run a 10,000 particle with the new BP element I replaced. I measured warm flow 3 times:

New BP element, 10 mi - 14oz/min
30,000 mi 20oz/min
50,000 mi 21 oz/min

The tach looked like where it should be (950RPM) but those results were just weird. Since there was no progressive drop, I concluded that there was no benefit to leaving the element in.

If the 10,000 UOA results are sub par, I may just have to yank the BP off and run a 10,000 UOA with a PureOne only.

 

[Gary Allan]

Most of the PC that have been performed w/bypass tend to have about the same progression ..they just start at a lower level. That is, instead of >50um being the first particle detected ..it starts @ >25um. Again ..I can't recall the duration in service (miles)

It seems that you're OG was flowing at the same rate with 30k and 50k. I suspect some defect/damage here. At least I hope so.

 

[unDummy]

Change the bypass element. Drive 1k miles and sample the same oil again. If there is a major drop in PPM, then you should consider earlier bypass filter change intervals.

Which oilguard are you using? orifice size? installation location?

I'd also consider bypass output flow. Time measure the BP's output when hot into a quart container.

 

[msparks]

Yo,

Here is my analysis on my F150 a few years ago. I think this oil had about 25,000 miles on it or so.
I was running a BMK13 with Amsoil SDF and BE110 filter on it.
>2= 57,307mu
>5= 16,625mu
>15= 0 mu
>25= 0 mu
>50= 0 mu
>100=0 mu

The ISO code is 23/21/2 (2,5,15 mu)

 

[Gary Allan]

That's beautiful. The lower number nasties are numerous due to mileage ..but the bigger stuff just isn't there.

 

[Nebraskan]

Remember, red blood cells are at 8µ and your 2µ is the same size as bacteria.

It would be intersting to see the particle count of same engine with 2 different sources of oil for analysis.
1> right out of the pan
2> Rigth after the bypass B4 going to the main oil.

That would be a good analysis of how things were doing.

Vern

 

[Razl]

>15= 0 mu Wow MSparks

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

OK, I just completed a VERY informal test with my Frantz bypass filter, and involving a Fleetgaurd 3894 Microglas full flow filter in the first test, and an Amsoil/Donaldson Nanofiber full flow in the second.

Both test runs used Delo 400 15/50 for approximately 5000 miles - here's the particle count results:

Earlier test on left, latest one (Amsoil/Donaldson filter) on right

And here was the "Standard" report on wear metals on the last run - very close to the first, so won't post it: