UOA with K&N

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Run your engine without an air filter and see what the silicon and wear numbers go to.
 
Originally Posted by kschachn
Originally Posted by Farnsworth
Clarify. Is it the "silicon" the oil filter misses, or the air filter? It is both isn't it? So which are we talking about here?" How can it be known? Silicon would be from minerals. Actually silicon oxides. Insoluble silicon isn't going to be found in oil at all.

Any silicon that appears in a UOA is from a compound far too small to be captured by an oil filter. So yes it is both, but unless it is coming from inside the engine (such as a sealant) then the primary fault is with the air filter. It wouldn't matter if it is soluble in a hydrocarbon or not as both would show up in the UOA (but I wouldn't know of any soluble silicon compounds).

Of course a UOA cannot distinguish the origin of the silicon since any compounds are decomposed in the ICP plasma. But at the same time there aren't a lot of sources.

So larger silica particles say like 50 u would be sources of silicon in the element analysis? Engines have the fill hole and oil level stick hole which could a great source of silica into the oil. I know in earlier times I could check oil, miss the hole, then find the hole all the while covering the end of stick with the dirt that is everywhere. Now I am very careful.
 
I prefer dry filters. I've got a AFE in my Tacoma and a AEM in my wife's Honda Pilot. I'm about to hit 60K on the AFE. It got is first cleaning with a air nozzle at 30K ago. This time I may not touch it.
 
Originally Posted by Farnsworth
I don't understand now, uoa is supposed to test oil filters and air filters?


Silicon and insoluables are effectively a poxy for "dirt" that is in the oil due to poor filtration. Sure, there can be dirt getting in and fully combusted that exists through the exhaust. There can be dirt that gets in, gets past the rings and into the oil that the oil fitler grabs. It's just a peek at what may be going on and I figure a company that tests oil for a living probably understands these numbers and what they mean.
 
Everything in the video except for Fram coming second to last in filtering was expected. I enjoy PF vids too.

Purolator and WIX really shined.
 
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