Who do you use for oil analysis?

[texasclouds]

Post the company you use and how often you do it, please. I haven’t been sending off oil samples on my O-300, but may start having it done. Or at least every 100 hrs. Thanks!

 

[Brad Z]

I use Blackstone on every oil change. They provide a nice commentary/interpretation of the findings. They seem to be the gold standard for oil analysis.

 

[bkspero]

I have been using AvLab (AvLab.com) but am changing to ALS Tribology. The problem with AvLab has been their return shipping method is slow and unreliable. I choose to get oil analysis test kits with return packaging and postage included because, in the event of an accident leading to oil release, there is no question that I shipped the oil sample in substandard packaging. AvLab using a cheap Fedex return service that typically takes 3 days to get from NJ to TN or MS, and 2-3 weeks to get from TN/MS to AvLab in Louisiana. They have lost 2 samples in 10 years, and often lose all trace of the sample for weeks prior to its delivery.

I have used ALS once before. It took 4 days for the sample to reach Phoenix from NJ and I had the results the next day. The results were equivalent to the AvLab results from the same oil change.

 

[455 Bravo Uniform]

Blackstone, every oil change (~30 hrs). Overkill, I don’t care.

US Postal Service delivers samples prepaid. Lost once, never found. Solution: don’t recycle your oil until you get the results, or grab 2 samples and save one.

 

[NealRomeoGolf]

Blackstone every oil change.

 

[Domenick]

Ditto on Blackstone at every 50 hour oil and filter change. I also log the data into a trending, normalizing spreadsheet.

 

[Larry Korona]

Blackstone every oil change for the past 20 years, never had one lost in the mail. Very pleased with their service.

 

[Salty]

I provided two reports for you to see. The first is just after my overhaul, and the last is my most recent with 350 hours since overhaul.

 

[Mtns2Skies]

Blackstone every oil change (35 hours). For what you get I can't believe how cheap it is.

 

[Sean - TheFirePilot]

After using AOA for a couple of changes, the shop used blackstone on our annual. Big difference. I think we are going to stick with blackstone moving forward because of the level of personal attention that blackstone provides.

 

[Radar Contact]

Blackstone every change. Usually 30-35 hours. Been using them the past 4-5 years and happy with them.

 

[Domenick]

Perhaps I am just dense this morning, but I don't understand the AOA plots. I understand the vertical axes of PPM. I would expect the horizontal axis to correspond to past and present samples, but only the second report shows a date and only one.

 

[OKDonn]

Post the company you use and how often you do it, please. I haven’t been sending off oil samples on my O-300, but may start having it done. Or at least every 100 hrs. Thanks!

Blackstone at every change since I got the aircraft, plus both the car and the truck at each change.

 

[Hang 4]

ps I am just dense this morning, but I don't understand the AOA plots. I understand the vertical axes of PPM. I would expect the horizontal axis to correspond to past and present samples, but only the second report shows a date and only one.

Rebuild Hours. Roughly in the middle of the tabular data. It's not exactly obvious. I have a visceral negative reaction to unlabeled axes and to inconsistent labels on the same axis (date and hours). So I would not consider you dense

 

[Salty]

Rebuild Hours. Roughly in the middle of the tabular data. It's not exactly obvious. I have a visceral negative reaction to unlabeled axes and to inconsistent labels on the same axis (date and hours). So I would not consider you dense

Oops, you're right. I went by memory, which was wrong. I deleted my post.

 

[Domenick]

Rebuild Hours. Roughly in the middle of the tabular data. It's not exactly obvious. I have a visceral negative reaction to unlabeled axes and to inconsistent labels on the same axis (date and hours). So I would not consider you dense

Thanks.
Hours since rebuild does not give you a trend since the clock is reset at each oil change.

For example, since the Fe value for a 25 hour oil change interval will be different than a 65 hour interval. The only way to track a trend is to normalize the values from each oil change to a consistent number of hours. I personally normalize to 50 hours.

 

[Der Fliegermeister]

+1 for Blackstone. The write-up from the lab is very competent and they dumb it down for us IAs that haven't done lab stuff since high school biology.

At roughly $30 every oil change, it's a really cheap investment to monitor the health of your air pump

 

[texasclouds]

Thanks guys, my free Blackstone kit came in the mail today.