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Chris_914
Samba Member
Joined: September 16, 2011
Posts: 344
Location: Las Vegas
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 Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 4:10 pm Post subject: Oil Report Card |
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Looks like sodium is an additive in the oil because coolant is the possible cause of contamination and we all know the that isn't happening. Somehow the viscosity is above the 50wt rating of 16.3-21.9cSt and in the specs for 60wt of 21.9-26.1cSt @ 100°C.
Just info I thought some of you might like to see.
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'75 Westfalia Camper FI 1.8L
'75 914 2.0L |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50337
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 4:34 pm Post subject: |
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| How old was your oil? Oil can get thicker with time. Don't know about the sodium. |
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babysnakes
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Joined: August 19, 2008
Posts: 7106
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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| That chart and the info is beyond me. What's with the calcium? The Zinc is high and I guess that's good. |
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Wildthings
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Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50337
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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| babysnakes wrote: |
| The Zinc is high and I guess that's good. |
Looks like to me that Valvoline Racing oil has about the same amount of zinc as any 20w50 SM/SN rated oil. The phosphorous is below the maximum spec for a GF-4 oil as well. |
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Chris_914
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Joined: September 16, 2011
Posts: 344
Location: Las Vegas
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Wildthings wrote: |
| How old was your oil? Oil can get thicker with time. Don't know about the sodium. |
Researching sodium shows to be either contamination from coolant (don't think that's a problem  ) or part of the oil additive package.
3000 on the odometer but it had a cracked gear for the first 1000 or so and was only registering 1/2 mileage, so probably 4000-4500. 60 mile per day commute 5 days a week including a camping trip of 500 miles climbing and descending 5000+ft of elevation .
| babysnakes wrote: |
That chart and the info is beyond me. What's with the calcium? The Zinc is high and I guess that's good.The Zinc is high and I guess that's good. |
The headers above the test levels explain it all: wear, contaminants, exotic metals (doesn't apply here), and the oil's additive package.
| Wildthings wrote: |
| Looks like to me that Valvoline Racing oil has about the same amount of zinc as any 20w50 SM/SN rated oil. The phosphorous is below the maximum spec for a GF-4 oil as well. |
Oils switch formulas these day without notice. What info you can find is usually marketing crap with stats that don't mean shit. I found this is the only way to actually know what's going on. I am not to impressed with the additive package with this oil but by the numbers it seems to be doing its job. Iron show the highest at 14 ppm but I am going to expect that with some of the 110*F+ air I've been forced to cool the engine with. The other wear is bearing material and probably pistons.
The Rotella synthetic I had tested in my street bike showed good results in the additives but had a bad case of viscosity breakdown.
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'75 Westfalia Camper FI 1.8L
'75 914 2.0L |
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greenbus pilot
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Joined: March 14, 2008
Posts: 1285
Location: Wisconsin: Rustbelt, USA baby!!
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 11:55 pm Post subject: |
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Manufacturer- "VolkswagOn"...... 
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aeromech
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Joined: January 24, 2006
Posts: 16959
Location: San Diego, California
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| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 10:28 am Post subject: |
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How does having your oil tested work? I mean do they send you a bottle for a sample and you mail it back? How much does it cost?
I do a lot of oil changes for my customers in a lot of different kinds of cars. Lately I've been using a lot of synthetic oil and have wondered what a good oil change interval would be. I guess the best way to tell would be scientifically by sending in samples at various mileages to be tested.
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Chris_914
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Joined: September 16, 2011
Posts: 344
Location: Las Vegas
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| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 10:47 am Post subject: |
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| aeromech wrote: |
How does having your oil tested work? I mean do they send you a bottle for a sample and you mail it back? How much does it cost?
I do a lot of oil changes for my customers in a lot of different kinds of cars. Lately I've been using a lot of synthetic oil and have wondered what a good oil change interval would be. I guess the best way to tell would be scientifically by sending in samples at various mileages to be tested. |
That's exactly the way it works. The test and sample jar with mailer container is $23-28 depending on basic or advanced test. Takes a few days and the report comes in email and they have a tracking software you can log into to monitor trends by vehicle/component. I got hit with $14 shipping from IL so the total was about $45 including mailing it back via USPS. This company has a 10 test package that would bring the testing to $13-$17 per test plus probably the same $14 shipping to the west coast and a few bucks per sample to send it USPS. For you it looks like about $~20 per test total if you got the 10 package deal. I checked with the post office and they had no problem shipping sample oil, it was 2 bucks and change to send it to the closest lab in Salt Lake City, UT.
There are others out there but this is the one I use http://www.polarislabs.com/
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'75 Westfalia Camper FI 1.8L
'75 914 2.0L |
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ccpalmer
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Joined: September 17, 2006
Posts: 3850
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
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| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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| aeromech wrote: |
| Lately I've been using a lot of synthetic oil and have wondered what a good oil change interval would be. |
What interval have you been going with if you don't mind me asking?
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Desertbusman
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Joined: June 03, 2005
Posts: 14655
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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Problem with expensive oils is you don't want to change it as often. That's a mistake.
Sampling and testing hydraulic fluids in industrial, aerospace, and other applications is common. We used to pay around $30 a sample. Wonderful way to catch a pump or other component failure before it happens. The real tricky part was drawing the sample without introducing any contaminates.
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aeromech
Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2006
Posts: 16959
Location: San Diego, California
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| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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| ccpalmer wrote: |
| aeromech wrote: |
| Lately I've been using a lot of synthetic oil and have wondered what a good oil change interval would be. |
What interval have you been going with if you don't mind me asking? |
On a modern car I generally go 4000 miles then change the filter. Then go another 3000 before changing the oil and filter. I mostly have been using mobile 1 and castrol edge
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Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
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greenbus pilot
Samba Member
Joined: March 14, 2008
Posts: 1285
Location: Wisconsin: Rustbelt, USA baby!!
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| Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 1:29 am Post subject: |
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| Chris_914 wrote: |
| aeromech wrote: |
How does having your oil tested work? I mean do they send you a bottle for a sample and you mail it back? How much does it cost?
I do a lot of oil changes for my customers in a lot of different kinds of cars. Lately I've been using a lot of synthetic oil and have wondered what a good oil change interval would be. I guess the best way to tell would be scientifically by sending in samples at various mileages to be tested. |
That's exactly the way it works. The test and sample jar with mailer container is $23-28 depending on basic or advanced test. Takes a few days and the report comes in email and they have a tracking software you can log into to monitor trends by vehicle/component. I got hit with $14 shipping from IL so the total was about $45 including mailing it back via USPS. This company has a 10 test package that would bring the testing to $13-$17 per test plus probably the same $14 shipping to the west coast and a few bucks per sample to send it USPS. For you it looks like about $~20 per test total if you got the 10 package deal. I checked with the post office and they had no problem shipping sample oil, it was 2 bucks and change to send it to the closest lab in Salt Lake City, UT.
There are others out there but this is the one I use http://www.polarislabs.com/ |
^^^^^^^^ $14 to ship a bottle of oil?
And I thought a $7 woodruff key was too much..... 
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raygreenwood
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Joined: November 24, 2008
Posts: 21512
Location: Oklahoma City
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| Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:04 am Post subject: |
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Sodium and calcium in oil is common actually. It is usually bound up in the form of an additive.....like sodium hydroxide or sodium sulphonate. As the oil breaks down the sodium gets freed from its other molecular bonds.
These additives are uusally part of the the detergent packages (thats where the calcium comes from as well as from the metallic lubricant packages). the sodium hydroxide is used to comat acidity from oil break down (sodium hydroxide has a very high PH and high solution strength).
There may also be some sodium silicate additives in the high milage type oils that are part ofleak stopper additives.
Most people with radiators and water pumps immediately think this is from a water leak (and it may be in their case). In yours.....its not a big deal. Ray |
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Chris_914
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Joined: September 16, 2011
Posts: 344
Location: Las Vegas
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| Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:24 am Post subject: |
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| greenbus pilot wrote: |
^^^^^^^^ $14 to ship a bottle of oil?
And I thought a $7 woodruff key was too much..... |
I won't tell it it was just the sample container coming to me then... It was about the size of a large asprin container and weighed .2 lbs shipped UPS. It cost me $2.40 or so to send it to the lab full via USPS, I don't know why very few companies maximize their shipping options for small orders like this.
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'75 914 2.0L |
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Chris_914
Samba Member
Joined: September 16, 2011
Posts: 344
Location: Las Vegas
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| Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:28 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the technical input Ray, I've been hanging out in some of the same forums as you for many years and your involvment has always been very much appreciated.
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'75 Westfalia Camper FI 1.8L
'75 914 2.0L |
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raygreenwood
Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2008
Posts: 21512
Location: Oklahoma City
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| Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 12:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Chris_914 wrote: |
| Thanks for the technical input Ray, I've been hanging out in some of the same forums as you for many years and your involvment has always been very much appreciated. |
Thank you!...please call my boss and tell him I only look and smell stupid! 
Ray |
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