Engine Oil Analysis In... Coolant?

[Stu Bailey]

Hey ya'll, so I received my engine oil analysis results today. I went with the kit from NAPA, bought it in store and then sampled the oil and mailed it to the Georgia lab. Overall it took about 2 weeks which was good in my book. I had about 700-1,000 miles on the oil at time of sampling. I run Renewable Lubricants BioSynthetic 15-40 in the truck.
I wanted to post this on here so those who may be wondering what all an oil analysis entails can see what the feedback looks like. Also, I wanted to throw it out there and see what any of you smart individuals might have to say about the results. This was my first analysis, but what I got from the report was that everything checked out beside the fact that there may be more coolant in the oil than satisfactory? Diagnosis read this:

Engine wear levels appear satisfactory for first sample.
Sodium level (possible coolant chemical) elevated.
Other contaminant levels acceptable. Viscosity within
specified operating range. Action: Advise monitor
coolant top-up rate as a precaution. As oil and filter(s)
already changed, resample at a reduced service
interval to further monitor.

If there is more coolant than there should be, any thoughts on how to nip this situation in the butt? Could it be a leaky oil cooler? I figured I would change the oil again at 3,000 miles and then send another sample to see how it has changed, but after that I may need to perform some maintenance to prevent any damage from having too much coolant in the crankcase. Either way, I'm fairly new to the whole thing here so any advice/banter would help me out. I'm headed down to Virginia for a week on a well earned vacation and I don't plan on doing much but drinking some Buds, cranking an old backhoe to life, and looking at ways to spend the money my grandchildren just spotted me in the form of STIMULATION.

Cheers folks!

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[quickster]

I've gotten the high sodium level reading too. Try a different oil. I used Blackstone labs for years, but not yet on the 87. Blackstone gives a good detailed report.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

If you aren't seeing any noticable loos of coolant in the radiator and your oil is still nice and black (no gray coloring) then I say don't worry about it. send another sample in at your next oil change or use Blackstone like Quickster said. I wouldn't use any other oil analysis lab but Blackstone. As for the "elevated" sodium level, what is the normal (desired) sodium level? If the normal sodium level is 58 ppm, then I sure wouldn't be getting worried about it. Is this lab positive about the extra sodium coming from coolant or are they just guessing? Is this lab connected to NAPA in some way and are they trying to scare you into buying an engine? If you want to put faith in what this lab is saying, then maybe you should try to contact them and ask some questions. More information will never hurt in this type of situation.

 

[Stu Bailey]

Is this lab positive about the extra sodium coming from coolant or are they just guessing? Is this lab connected to NAPA in some way and are they trying to scare you into buying an engine?

Hahha I mean, I wouldn’t put it past them. Roger that though. I remember reading about blackstone and I’ll have to go with them for the second run. I can’t say I’m noticing any loss of coolant except for the small leak from the thermostat housing. I see that but am waiting for warmer weather and less laziness to take it off again and seal her up.
I’ll have to call them today and find out what they say is “normal” levels. I’ll post back their answer.

 

[Shadetreemechanic]

I had elevated sodium in the only oil test I did with an IDI. I was told to look for trends. If you are worried, do it again and see if things change over time. That sounded like good advice, but I never did another oil sample so I can't say how it will work out for you. The truck I tested is still running 10 years later if that means anything.

 

[Stu Bailey]

I had elevated sodium in the only oil test I did with an IDI. I was told to look for trends. If you are worried, do it again and see if things change over time. That sounded like good advice, but I never did another oil sample so I can't say how it will work out for you. The truck I tested is still running 10 years later if that means anything.

Means a lot! Basically what I wanted to hear haha. I mean after watching Peg throw slave lake around like he does, I want to say the engine is near bulletproof.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Since I'm not up on the chemistry of oils, coolants, fuels, etc., all I got from your results from the first analysis is that your truck may high blood pressure.

 

[stealth13777]

Sodium is an additive in many oils. If your potassium is also elevated, that is cause for concern.

I only have a rudimentary understanding of all this, so I don’t know what would be considered normal for the specific oil you are using. It wouldn’t be a terrible idea to send off a sample of the unused oil as a baseline, or finding an additive list. Sometimes the oil testing labs will know if you tell them the specific oil - as an example, Valvoline often shows high sodium in gas applications, but is normal for their additive package.

 

[Stu Bailey]

Thanks @stealth13777 after doing some digging around I did find a spec sheet for my oil and comparing that to my results and what the company says should widen my scope of understanding.
@IDIBRONCO lmao considering her age and weight I’d say that’s about right

 

[645E3B]

I have used lube oil sampling on large Diesel engines, one of the things that I would recommend is to send in a sample of the engine oil that you’re using to get a baseline , as oil additive packages vary and can make your sample report seam strange if you’re not sure of the starting point

 

[Big Bart]

Should you test your oil again and based on results your concerned about coolant in the oil. Some places to look for the issue.
1) Oil cooler o-rings - Far easier to test out than head gaskets. Uses 4 big o-rings to seperate coolant from the oil. O-rings crack or gets hard, you may now have cross contamination. I was getting a few drops of coolant into my oil pan at each oil change. (Nothing on the oil cap or any discoloration of the oil.) just would see the coolant drops come out last during oil changes. Changed the oil cooler o-rings and problem solved! Hats off to all on this site who tipped me off!
2) The water pump has some bolts that go through to the inside of the engine, they can leak coolant into the crankcase. Might be worth a reseal.
3) Cavitation - Careful on this, often discussed, but I do not see many folks suffer this demise. So possible, not likely, especially if you are running SCA in your coolant. (That slows/stops this.) You will likely see signs of this when you pull your heads off. (Thinking you have a head gasket issue, but see one piston and/or bore looks different.)
4) Head gaskets are leaking. (These trucks are getting old, perhaps wait till the oil samples get worse or till you see that milky white look on your oil fill cap.)
5) Cracked block or head. Do I rebuild top end, top and bottom end, or do I find a new IDI truck???????

Thank you for sharing the report.

 

[CBRF3]

from my understanding BioSynthetic 15-40 oil has a high sodium content its used as a detergeant and here is some good info for you to understand what things do in oil formulations. https://www.austincc.edu/wkibbe/lubrication.htm