Bad UOA, Advice welcome
02-07-2015, 03:11 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Bad UOA, Advice welcome
So I just got this UOA back from Blackstone and the metal levels are alarming to me. Current sample was 1500 miles and 3 track days. Looking for advice on set up and what could be contributing to this wear. I plan on dumping the current oil that has just 400 miles on it and have it tested to rule out my error in taking the sample or just to reconfirm the readings. Current oil has a full day at Buttonwillow plus a few hundred miles in traffic.
Full disclosure on mods. 2.2L with BC stage 2 cams and supertech Ti retainers and springs. Stock 05 bottom end. Full exhaust and Kpro tuned. Intake is a long tube with filter mounted behind faux brake ducts. Mugen oil pan. Accusump with sandwich plate is also used. I use it to pre-oil since the car sits for several weeks in between track days. I do have a Fluidampr installed and I've been skeptical on it and my heart is telling me to pull it and run another day then retest oil. Also rev limit is set to 8500 rpm and I do bounce off of it in a few places at BW. Lastly when the oil sample was taken I only netted 6qt. I was down a quart in the system since the Accusump is a 2qt. The car sees very little street use. Mostly to and from track then run for 3-5 20min sessions.
Current oil in test was Amsoil 0-30 and previous test was Valvoline full synthetic 5-30.
I see elevated wear on some metals and I really don't know how serious it is. I know UOA should be used for trends but both samples have elevated metals. WWS2Ki do?
I have a scheduled track day at Auto Club raceway in a few weeks and I can pull the fluidampr prior to that and then retest oil to see if anything changes. I am skeptical to even run ACS at the moment since its a long front straight with a 30 seconds of WOT plus banking.
So I'm open to suggestions and or potential causes to my elevated metals.
Thanks!
Full disclosure on mods. 2.2L with BC stage 2 cams and supertech Ti retainers and springs. Stock 05 bottom end. Full exhaust and Kpro tuned. Intake is a long tube with filter mounted behind faux brake ducts. Mugen oil pan. Accusump with sandwich plate is also used. I use it to pre-oil since the car sits for several weeks in between track days. I do have a Fluidampr installed and I've been skeptical on it and my heart is telling me to pull it and run another day then retest oil. Also rev limit is set to 8500 rpm and I do bounce off of it in a few places at BW. Lastly when the oil sample was taken I only netted 6qt. I was down a quart in the system since the Accusump is a 2qt. The car sees very little street use. Mostly to and from track then run for 3-5 20min sessions.
Current oil in test was Amsoil 0-30 and previous test was Valvoline full synthetic 5-30.
I see elevated wear on some metals and I really don't know how serious it is. I know UOA should be used for trends but both samples have elevated metals. WWS2Ki do?
I have a scheduled track day at Auto Club raceway in a few weeks and I can pull the fluidampr prior to that and then retest oil to see if anything changes. I am skeptical to even run ACS at the moment since its a long front straight with a 30 seconds of WOT plus banking.
So I'm open to suggestions and or potential causes to my elevated metals.
Thanks!
02-07-2015, 04:41 PM
#3
Dustin,
Dropping the fluidamper might be wise just from a analytical perspective.
How do you normally take your samples? with siphon or during oil change? any reason there's no history on your UOA? Is this the first one?
Have you done a compression test? The aluminum and iron are piston / ring / wall material indicating lubrication breakdown at that point.
Also their suggestion on the intake system is apt. Have you put a fresh filter element on recently?
Dropping the fluidamper might be wise just from a analytical perspective.
How do you normally take your samples? with siphon or during oil change? any reason there's no history on your UOA? Is this the first one?
Have you done a compression test? The aluminum and iron are piston / ring / wall material indicating lubrication breakdown at that point.
Also their suggestion on the intake system is apt. Have you put a fresh filter element on recently?
02-07-2015, 05:12 PM
#4
I've seen a lot of UOA on my car but that is mostly a stock street-driven setup.
No doubt iron and aluminum wear is way too high. Pistons are wearing ? Iron wear could be elevated due to the cams.
How long since the cams have been installed ?.
8500 rpms on the 2.2L will cause more wear, it is inevitable, but the bottom end seems okay.
Silicon is way high too, you must have an opening in the intake system or the filter is trash ?
Viscosity is down, and fuel dilution in the oil is creeping up, which will thin out your oil.
I'd switch to a thicker oil or an oil with more anti-wear additives. Amsoil 0w-30 is a great oil, but maybe not enough for the level of track use you are doing. Any idea of your oil temps on track ?
Your lead and copper wear is decent, so the main and rod bearings are doing okay.
My guess is pistons and cams are causing all of the iron and al metal wear.
No doubt iron and aluminum wear is way too high. Pistons are wearing ? Iron wear could be elevated due to the cams.
How long since the cams have been installed ?.
8500 rpms on the 2.2L will cause more wear, it is inevitable, but the bottom end seems okay.
Silicon is way high too, you must have an opening in the intake system or the filter is trash ?
Viscosity is down, and fuel dilution in the oil is creeping up, which will thin out your oil.
I'd switch to a thicker oil or an oil with more anti-wear additives. Amsoil 0w-30 is a great oil, but maybe not enough for the level of track use you are doing. Any idea of your oil temps on track ?
Your lead and copper wear is decent, so the main and rod bearings are doing okay.
My guess is pistons and cams are causing all of the iron and al metal wear.
02-07-2015, 05:36 PM
#5
Who did the cam install? Hitting 8500 occasionally shouldn't cause that much of an affect. Sounds like something else is up.
Both aluminum and iron... double check the cam install. The cams are steel, and rotate in the aluminum cam bases / caps. The only way you'd be getting aluminum from the cylinders would be if the piston is actually making serious contact with the walls.
Also agree with running the thicker oil. Why are you running 0w-30? 10-30 is what you should be using unless you're doing winter driving. You can even go to a 40 weight if you track often.
Both aluminum and iron... double check the cam install. The cams are steel, and rotate in the aluminum cam bases / caps. The only way you'd be getting aluminum from the cylinders would be if the piston is actually making serious contact with the walls.
Also agree with running the thicker oil. Why are you running 0w-30? 10-30 is what you should be using unless you're doing winter driving. You can even go to a 40 weight if you track often.
02-07-2015, 05:58 PM
#6
^ That's true, the aluminum could be from the head if it is solely a cam issue, and maybe not the pistons.
If you start to see a decline in the wear numbers it may be a short term break-in issue based on the cams. Keep testing the oil and if the numbers trend downward you may be okay.
Double check your intake system.
If you start to see a decline in the wear numbers it may be a short term break-in issue based on the cams. Keep testing the oil and if the numbers trend downward you may be okay.
Double check your intake system.
02-07-2015, 06:14 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Thanks guys.
Cams have been in for over a year and were installed by a reputable mechanic. There are only 2 tests on this motor. I had to start fresh with this 2.2 and didn't start till last year.
I typically run a 0-30 in the cooler months and go to a thicker weight in summer. Currently it has the Amsoil dominator 10-30 and I plan on switching to the rotella 5-40 in the next change. I'll pull the valve cover as well to see how the cams are wearing.
The intake is maybe 6 months old. I'll check the filter since it's buried behind the bumper.
I warm the car up and grab my sample about mid flow from the drain plug.
Cams have been in for over a year and were installed by a reputable mechanic. There are only 2 tests on this motor. I had to start fresh with this 2.2 and didn't start till last year.
I typically run a 0-30 in the cooler months and go to a thicker weight in summer. Currently it has the Amsoil dominator 10-30 and I plan on switching to the rotella 5-40 in the next change. I'll pull the valve cover as well to see how the cams are wearing.
The intake is maybe 6 months old. I'll check the filter since it's buried behind the bumper.
I warm the car up and grab my sample about mid flow from the drain plug.
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02-07-2015, 06:35 PM
#8
Amsoil Dominator and Rotella are a good choice.
Silicon could be up if your mechanic used a break-in additive on the cams , I know Redline Break-in additive has very high amounts of silicon, I've used it before and it caused a spike in my UOA's. Always worth checking the intake system though. Good luck.
Silicon could be up if your mechanic used a break-in additive on the cams , I know Redline Break-in additive has very high amounts of silicon, I've used it before and it caused a spike in my UOA's. Always worth checking the intake system though. Good luck.
