Amzoil to test 33 year old oil.

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

As usual we have some great discussions on here about different topics. One that pops up quite often is what oil to use. In 1983 I changed the oil in my one owner 12,000 mile 73 Mach 1. It was taken to Atlanta to the MCA Nationals that year and a couple local shows then parked in the barn and not moved since. You can see there is no climate control except Mother Nature. Wanted to see what ends up in the oil over extend periods of non use I ordered the Amzoil oil test for $20.44 with shipping. It will be interesting to see how much moisture has got into the oil over those 33 years. How much acid is build up and what ever they test for. They have a special bottle that comes with the request, a set of bar codes to keep everything organized and a questionnaire, I took a few pictures of the sheet for reference. It goes to Oil Analyzers Laboratory in either Indianapolis or Houston. You get a mailer to send the sample back and the results will be posted online. You can reach the results by entering your bar code info. When the info is up I will post a link so we call all see what happens to old oil over long periods of time.

I believe that I was using Havoline 10 W 30 NO synthetic at the time. Always had great results from it.

I used a piece of new vinyl 1/4" OD tubing to go down the dip stick hole and retrieve the sample with a kitchen marinade injector. The dip stick did not come out with any rust on it so hopefully there is not a big pool of water in the bottom of the pan. The oil level is still at the full mark not like water has lifter the level of the oil up any. I did not want to jack up and fool with draining unless I was going to move it and try to get it going. That will happen this summer if I have any luck. Too much stuff in the way and too wet outside.

I will probably pull one of the valve covers and see if there is signs of rust there. That is first place that usually rusts high on the engine with big void of air that contains moisture. Also why you see so much sludge there. We average over 48" of rain a year and go from a little below zero in winter to into the 90's in the summer months with cool nights. So we do have quite a temp swing and high humidity that contributes to the water in the oil.

I thought this would be a good way to remove any opinions and just get facts from the lab no matter what they are.

How about some guesses on the amount of moisture in the oil? After seeing that the oil level has not risen I think it might be pretty low, will see.

David

 

[mach1000]

Look forward to learning the results of the test.

 

[73pony]

Very cool. Looking forward to the results.

 

[jbojo]

That will be interesting, looking forward to the results

 

[DK73]

Wow that is so awesome stuff I'm looking forward to hearing from the results of this test! [THUMBS UP SIGN][WINKING FACE] Regards Lars

So I'm a proud owner of one Mach 1 73! Regards Lars DK73

 

[will e]

That's very cool. I will be interested in the results as well.

Out of curiosity, what would this test be used for on a 'normal' car? What kind of information would I get if I provided a sample of my own oil?

 

[Mister 4x4]

I'll bet they tell you to change that oil ASAP, and use their products, just to be safe. :whistling:

 

[secluff]

I'll bet they tell you to change that oil ASAP, and use their products, just to be safe. :whistling:

When they test and see how overdue David is for an oil change, perhaps they will send a complimentary oil change to introduce their line of Amzoil products. And with a suggestion to change the oil more frequently than once every 33 years. Lol

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

That's very cool. I will be interested in the results as well.

Out of curiosity, what would this test be used for on a 'normal' car? What kind of information would I get if I provided a sample of my own oil?

Go to their web site they offer different packages. https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/other-products/oil-analysis-services/

They say they can detect possible engine problems.

I was told many years ago that the USN never changes the oil in the engines on the ships. They have a special filter system that removes any fuel that bypasses and contaminates. They more or less refine their oil and use again.

I myself feel that oil companies have put fear in people that bad things will happen if they don't throw the oil away.

David

 

[mudbilly]

I've always heard that there were 2 modes of failure.

1. Contaminants

2. The physical break down of the lubrication properties

Filtering the oil will solve #1, but I don't think there is a solution for #2

But i have no idea if this is fact or not.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

Well the sample left in the mail today I looked at the paperwork wrong at first . I sent to the Duluth Georgia site for testing. I will be fun to see what they see. Sort of out of the box on this one.

David

When I do move the car I will for sure drain the oil before starting. I will probably mix 50 / 50 with kerosene and prime the system and just let idle. Then change again with full oil. I will pull the valve covers maybe next week to see what is there. Not many that have sat that long.

David

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

I had forgotten all about this test. They sent me a form to fill out to see how I liked the test results & service, lol. When I told them I had never received the results they sent to me today, lol.

I have attached the report. The only RED check was high lead content. Which back when the car was driven the gasoline had lead in it. So they said to disregard that if leaded gas was used.

The other interesting thing is there is 0% water. This car has sat with the same oil in the engine from 1983 until now. Obviously before I crank it I will change the oil and prime but I guess this says water does not build up over time as some have said. I do live in a very humid climate with up to 48 inches of rain per year. The car is in a car port and not inside.

It looks like the Havoline oil back then still had zinc in it.

They never said anything about needing to change the oil but will do so when I move the car to new garage. I will also pull the valve covers and look at the valve stem seals.

Will probably get a scope and look into the cylinders and at valves before cranking engine. If rusted won't even try. But from what they show water or moisture is not an issue.

So 33 years of sitting did not really damage the oil and no moisture present. Not telling anyone not to change their oil but looks like you don't need to unless the engine got rained in. There is pretty much nothing to pull moisture into the crankcase unless you heat cycle it like driving it short distance. If you drive long distance then the PCV and engine heat gets the moisture out.

Attached the report they break out what is in there by wear material, Contaminate Metals, Milti Source Metals, Additive metals, Contaminants were all zero or no reading other things listed also.

On the lead amount. My uncle John Orr was a mechanic for many years from 30's to into 70's and he had to quit because he got lead poisoning from cleaning up engines that ran with leaded gas and using gas with lead for a cleaner.

His hands and arms would crack open and bleed it was so bad. They thought nothing of using gasoline to clean up the parts with and wash their hands and arms with. They didn't know what rubber gloves were.

He loaned me, and eventually gave me, Motors Manuals to learn how to work on my first car, 1950 Ford. First thing I did was break the transmission. When I told dad he just said "Well I guess YOU will have to fix it won't you". So I went to the school of U break it U fix it and just kept going. After many transmission, driveshafts, rear gears, and axles dad dug a grease pit in the garage by hand and laid concrete blocks 4 high so I could change without putting up on concrete blocks, lol. I think I broke 16 transmissions in that car. I took out a broke one and put in another used one, cost $5.00 then, and backed out into the road and dropped the clutch and broke that one.

After I learned that machine bearings were tighter, better and got Hurst shifter and line lock I never broke another transmission just everything behind it. I still have on NOS transmission in the Ford crate. Was bored .125" over, balanced, ported, dual valve springs, adjustable lifters, tulip-ed valves, cut back side, 3 angle valve job, dual point chevy small block fuel injection distributor I altered to fit the flathead. Schiefer bonded clutch disc and I built my on pressure plates adding larger and more springs with Blanchard ground surface. Turned probably 10 lbs. off the stock flywheel. Turned in the 15's in the 80's back in the 60's and that was right there for national record then for T or U stock depending on where they wanted to put me. A 289 4-V was F stock back then, lol. Great times.[/color]

By the way I still have that car in the barn also, lol. Wonder what the oil looks like in it GULF Racing oil been there since 1972.

H136539-OILANA75018796.pdf

 

[will e]

Interesting results. If there was water and it sat for a long time it would have been at the bottome of the pan. Do you think you got to the bottome of the pan with your baster and hose?

I do feel a little better now about the oil in my Mustang and Jeep. I don't drive more than a hundred miles or so in the summer time. Mostly 10 miles or so at a time just to keep it moving. I don't always replace the oil in the fall even though it can be 6 months old. This is in AZ with 12% humidity and parked in a garage.

 

[Mister 4x4]

That's a good point, Will - when I pulled the engine from mine (seized, no less), I drained the pan before removing (of course). As I opened the plug, about a half gallon of clear water poured out, then this black sludgey mess came out right after. No chocolate milk or any other evidence of blending, since the car had been sitting for so long (last registered in Texas in 1980 - I'm assuming that's the last time it had been running).

It'll be interesting to hear if you have nothing but straight oil come out of the pan when you finally move it to the new garage. :whistling:

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

I just recently sold a 1966 Ranchero with 289 3 speed to a guy to convert a 6 cylinder 66 mustang to V-8. That one had sat in the field since before I parked the mustang. We had to just break the hood to get it open it was so rusty. He reached in grabbed the fan and pulled it and the crank turned by hand, not seized. We like to have never got one of the rear brake shoes broke loose so rusted and frozen. I thought the thing was going to break in half when loading it on his trailer rear spring mounts were rusted into. He left happy that he got everything in one place to switch out his mustang and I got $1,000 for it way more than I paid back in early 80's.

I guess sometimes water gets in but I am lucky so far. I have sold 6 of the old cars I just drove into the field and left. 66 ranchero, 59 galaxie that had seats that had never been sat on except to take to upholstery shop and have covered brand new, two 49 ford parts cars and a 52 ford parts car. The last one was a pretty good 1950 Ford panel truck sold to one of the members up in Tenn. He is going to street rod it. So the medication is working I quit buying and have sold some, lol.

To piss the nosy neighbor off that I would not sell to and that turned me in for having the old cars . I made some signs and posted "Coming soon Willow Run Hog Farms". His farm is named Willow Run and right next door. He comes around at least twice a week rides down the line to see what I am doing on the garage. If he crosses the line I can have him arrested, posted signs up and he is aware that I have a shooting range there also. Think I might put up a couple silhouette targets with holes in them along the line, lol.