Shell Helix Ultra Racing 10W-60 (stock fill) / Maserati / UOA very high copper (first change 2,300mi)

[bishopscourt]

First time doing a UOA, as I got curious what happens when oil sits in a crankcase for 5+ years in a low mileage car.

Quick facts-

- Maserati 3.0L twin turbo 90° V6 (officially the "Ferrari F160" engine, as it was hand built by Ferrari in Modena).
- oil sat almost 6 years in crankcase. this was the car's first oil change. stock fill Shell Helix Racing 10W-60.
- car stored in a climate controlled garage.
- 2,300 total miles. bought new, and never "topped off" with any oil.
- completely babied the car, followed proper break in procedures (varied RPMs, driven gently while cold, never exceeded 5k RPM)
- no short trips, I made sure to drive it at least 50 miles every time I took it out. no lengthy idling either.

Is the high copper content (8x the average) typical with a new engine? Ditto with silicone (possibly due to sealants during manufacture?).
Because the lead + iron is normal (thus not a sign of premature wear?), perhaps it's (high copper content) the oil coolers? or something else?

I'm a technical car guy (love sketching out A-arm / wishbone suspension geometry designs when bored), but not really an expert on UOAs.

Thanks in advance for everyone's input.

---

 

[JavierH19]

I believe Maserati switched their engines in 2018 to use 10w-60 up from a 40 grade. If it was my engine I think I'd just be using 15w-50 as 10w-60 will shear and that has sheared to a 40 grade. As for copper some engines trend high in copper. The sample size is too low with your engine. Only repeat uoa's would give a picture. So how big was that jackpot you hit if you don't mind me asking.

 

[bishopscourt]

I believe Maserati switched their engines in 2018 to use 10w-60 up from a 40 grade. If it was my engine I think I'd just be using 15w-50 as 10w-60 will shear and that has sheared to a 40 grade. As for copper some engines trend high in copper. The sample size is too low with your engine. Only repeat uoa's would give a picture. So how big was that jackpot you hit if you don't mind me asking.

I had the dealer change the oil (for $550 USD). The Shell Helix 10w-60 costs $34 / quart, multiply that by 9, then add the filter and what not, and they only had around $100 in profit. Not outrageous.

Correct (sort of). Maserati didn't change their engine from 2014-2017 compared to 2018+ models, but they changed their engine oil requirement from 5W-40 to 10W-60. (They did change a bunch of suspension, chassis, and handling components). In my discussions with Maserati engineers, they think it's "too thick" of an oil for most owners (soccer moms taking kids to soccer practice in the Levante, etc). But it stands up better to hot climates / track use (which most buyers of these cars -- brand snobs) rarely do.

I am not rich. My rich friends (defined as having a liquid net worth [excluding main residence] of over 8 figures in US dollars) all drive Subaru Outbacks, Toyota Land Cruisers, and Mercedes E-Class wagons. Some drive Genesis. I was able to get $30k off MSRP, and use the car mostly as a sound producer (i like hearing it, i drive my other cars to get places).

 

[JavierH19]

I had the dealer change the oil (for $550 USD). The Shell Helix 10w-60 costs $34 / quart, multiply that by 9, then add the filter and what not, and they only had around $100 in profit. Not outrageous.

Correct (sort of). Maserati didn't change their engine from 2014-2017 compared to 2018+ models, but they changed their engine oil requirement from 5W-40 to 10W-60. (They did change a bunch of suspension, chassis, and handling components). In my discussions with Maserati engineers, they think it's "too thick" of an oil for most owners (soccer moms taking kids to soccer practice in the Levante, etc). But it stands up better to hot climates / track use (which most buyers of these cars -- brand snobs) rarely do.

I am not rich. My rich friends (defined as having a liquid net worth [excluding main residence] of over 8 figures in US dollars) all drive Subaru Outbacks, Toyota Land Cruisers, and Mercedes E-Class wagons. Some drive Genesis. I was able to get $30k off MSRP, and use the car mostly as a sound producer (i like hearing it, i drive my other cars to get places).

I'm not getting to the cost of the oil I'm just saying that it's not a spectacular oil. I expected 10w-60 racing to be better, but that's a surprisingly low additive count and poor viscosity retention. But being able to go on all those nice trips around the world and store a nice car away for all those years is undoubtedly wealth. Not too worried about income it seems if you can do that.

 

[atikovi]

Until an engine is fully broken in, it's going to shed wear particles more than after it's broken in. I would have done the first change at 1,000 miles. And even if I made 8 figures, I wouldn't take it to a dealer for a $550 oil change when I can buy the oil and filter for under $100 and do it myself. The $450 saved will buy a lot of gas.

 

[fantastic]

Break in period and the high numbers will subside. Nothing wrong with 10w-60 other than some shearing but you can lessen that by changing the oil at an appropriate time. It stayed in grade here albeit on the low side. Everything is as it should be at this point. You have any photo's of this auto?

 

[himemsys]

First time doing a UOA, as I got curious what happens when oil sits in a crankcase for 5+ years in a low mileage car.

Quick facts-

- Maserati 3.0L twin turbo 90° V6 (officially the "Ferrari F160" engine, as it was hand built by Ferrari in Modena).
- oil sat almost 6 years in crankcase. this was the car's first oil change. stock fill Shell Helix Racing 10W-60.
- car stored in a climate controlled garage.
- 2,300 total miles. bought new, and never "topped off" with any oil.
- completely babied the car, followed proper break in procedures (varied RPMs, driven gently while cold, never exceeded 5k RPM)
- no short trips, I made sure to drive it at least 50 miles every time I took it out. no lengthy idling either.

Is the high copper content (8x the average) typical with a new engine? Ditto with silicone (possibly due to sealants during manufacture?).
Because the lead + iron is normal (thus not a sign of premature wear?), perhaps it's (high copper content) the oil coolers? or something else?

I'm a technical car guy (love sketching out A-arm / wishbone suspension geometry designs when bored), but not really an expert on UOAs.

Thanks in advance for everyone's input.

---

View attachment 173702

As other have mentioned, you can't really tell yet whether that copper level is normal because it's about as "break in" as it gets. At the rate you've been driving it, I might do a couple of short oil change intervals to accelerate flushing out the break in material. Maybe two intervals of 500 miles each. I bet your numbers then will more closely line up with Universal Averages.

You snipped out the Blackstone comments. Did they mention how many miles the Universal Averages are based off of? That can be an important number in comparing your wear to the average.

 

[DuckRyder]

Flashpoint...

Agee on copper likely from oil cooler. Should drop rapidly on subsequent UOAs.

 

[cptbarkey]

Yeah where are the black stone comments? You wanted to know what happens if it sits for 5 years. I know what they would have said, but still curious.

 

[930.engineering]

- oil sat almost 6 years in crankcase. this was the car's first oil change.

versus:

- completely babied the car, followed proper break in procedures (varied RPMs, driven gently while cold, never exceeded 5k RPM)

You get what I mean? It's a tremendous antinomic. This engine deserved fresh oil within its first year, period.

While I'd expect elevated Cu and Si levels on this very first UOA, however in particular Cu at 275 ppm is actually HIGH. Cu means bearings maybe to some degree oil cooler, Si on a newish engine means silicone based seals. After that, Si means dust and/or a leaky air filter.

You should drive this car more often. AND: Do frequent oil changes. Thanks for this report anyway.

If it was my engine I think I'd just be using 15w-50 as 10w-60 will shear and that has sheared to a 40 grade.

"Shear" after 2,300 miles (less than 400 mls per year)???
.

 

[ceecbtg]

For me it's not relevant cooper, it's keeping original oil + break-in time + 6 years.
I don't know reasons, the problem if you want to find one, is it and each cold start after weeks or months with that oil and coolant.

 

[Artem]

Yea I wouldn’t say this engine was babied by any stretch of the imagination, based on the oil change interval of the factory fill. wow. These low mileage cars sure do suffer an interesting death (wear) from lack of use and maintenance.

 

[DuckRyder]

I've run UOAs on old oil.

It doesn't expire