oil analyst

[dporsche74]

hello

I was wondering if i have the oil analyzed before purchase if this will tell if the engine is a tight one or if it on its way out? has anyone done this before purchase, i know the track guys like to know whats happening inside.... any opinions?

[nick49]

If you had a fleet Porsches of the same model and used the same oil in each and drove them simalarly, oil analysis could point to excessive wear in one or more areas. This is useful for trucking companys but I believe the variables too great for one relatively new car. An oil change could flush out all the evidence. Also modern motor failures, and especially Porsche from what I have seen are not oil related. They are manufacturing/engineering defects, such as case porosity, slipping cylinder sleeves, undersized intermediate shaft bearings, etc. Just my take.

[PJorgen]

I disagree with Nick49. I do oil analysis on all my vehicles and find it to be a useful tool. The lab I use, Blackstone, has a large database of results, so your results are compared to averages for that make and model. Yes, not all variables are controlled for, but if something is high, it clearly indicates a problem.

The only problem is that it is important to know how many miles the oil has on it. If the oil was changed recently, then the results are less meaningful. However, Blackstone charges only $20, so you don't have much to lose.

[RF5BPilot]

This is a late response, but the aircraft community commonly uses oil analyses to track the health of their engines (where just a rebuild on a 6-cylinder engine may cost over $25K).

I think oil analyses are helpful, but mostly to track the health of an engine you own (with the goal of identifying problems as they start to happen rather than waiting for a catastrophic failure). Typically you want to establish a baseline for an engine, then watch the trends over time. The oil anlaysis labs are helpful in telling you what changes in the trends might mean.

Oil analyses are less helpful as a one-time analysis on an "unknown" engine. I suspect that it may be more helpful on pre-996 engines where you and an Indy might do a partial intervention, rather than just swapping for a factory rebuilt motor.

James

[Tool Pants]

Got sample....