Chris H.
About two years ago, you analyzed oil samples from my 2003 and 2015 4Runners and my 1991 MR2. I appreciated your work then, but a recent discovery gave me another reason to say thank you.
I’ve owned my MR2 for over 30 years. Over time, as I learned more about working on cars, I took over most of the work done on my MR2—engine oil, oil filter, air filters, coolant flush, brake pads and rotors, alternator, air intake, coilovers, brake fluid flush, clutch fluid flush, etc. The power steering reservoir remained a scary mystery to me. It’s metal, so you can’t read the level from the outside. I finally worked up the courage to open the reservoir, and… it’s a *little* low.
Researching what fluid I need to use to top off the PS fluid, I found out that Toyota recommends Toyota Power Steering Fluid EH (part 08886-01206). This is, of course, discontinued. You can find it online, but it’s crazy expensive and, honestly, how can I be sure how old it is?
While researching alternatives, I ran across a post on a website for MR2 Spyder owners. The MR2 Spyder apparently requires the same PS fluid, and some owner ran into the same problem I just did—what to use as a replacement. The post shows that you did an analysis of 4 recommended alternatives:
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your analysis. I thought you provided an incredibly valuable service BEFORE I ran into this power steering issue, but now…holy cow. Thank you so much for existing—you provide an invaluable service that seems unobtainable for the average home mechanic. If there is anything I can ever do to help you and your business, please let me know.
Best,
Chris
Mike W.
I wanted to follow up and let you know that the data Blackstone provided was exceptionally accurate and ultimately correlated very closely with the components we found failing during teardown.
To close the loop between the oil-analysis results and the actual mechanical findings, I wanted to provide a more detailed summary of our diagnosis.
Shortly after departing our yard, the driver reported that engine oil pressure dropped to approximately 5 PSI, accompanied by a substantial loss of engine power and essentially no throttle response. He shut the engine down and contacted me immediately. During a video call, I had him restart the engine briefly so I could better evaluate the condition. Upon restart, he observed a significant amount of white exhaust smoke. At that point, I had the truck shut down and recovered by tow to prevent any additional damage. Once we began teardown, we identified several significant findings:
Turbocharger failure:
The turbocharger shaft exhibited substantial radial/axial play, and the oil-side sealing system had deteriorated to the point that oil was passing through the turbocharger. This was consistent with the heavy exhaust smoke and significant loss of engine performance observed during the failure. Based on the overall condition of the lubrication system, the severe low-oil-pressure event was also a likely contributing factor to the turbocharger damage.
The turbocharger shaft exhibited substantial radial/axial play, and the oil-side sealing system had deteriorated to the point that oil was passing through the turbocharger. This was consistent with the heavy exhaust smoke and significant loss of engine performance observed during the failure. Based on the overall condition of the lubrication system, the severe low-oil-pressure event was also a likely contributing factor to the turbocharger damage.
Oil pump condition:
The oil pump had been replaced at several PM intervals earlier, near the same time as the rod and main bearing work referenced in my previous oil report. The replacement unit was a remanufactured Cummins oil pump.
During teardown, we found physical wear inside the pump where the bypass/regulating spring had been contacting the aluminum pump housing. I have attached photographs documenting this condition. Given the reported oil-pressure loss and the wear observed internally, the pump and its pressure-regulating/bypass components became a significant area of concern in determining the source of the lubrication failure.
Main gear bearing wear:
We also identified bearing wear severe enough to expose the brass layer on one of the main gear bearings. Considering the other lubrication-related findings, this damage is consistent with the bearing operating under inadequate oil-film conditions at some point. The combined evidence strongly suggests that intermittent or insufficient lubrication played a major role in the progressive wear we found.
What is particularly interesting is how closely the laboratory analysis was tracked with the mechanical failure.
Your report specifically identified elevated lead and iron, raised concern about abnormal wear occurring at a shaft/bearing interface, and recommended resampling approximately 10,000 miles. From the odometer reading at the previous sample to the mileage at failure, the truck accumulated 10,781 miles.
In other words, the failure occurred only 781 miles beyond the recommended resampling interval.
We came extremely close to catching this failure through oil analysis before it progressed to the point of a mechanical breakdown.
I appreciate the level of detail you provide in your reports, particularly the interpretation of the wear metals rather than simply reporting the numerical values. In this case, being able to compare the elevated lead and iron against the physical condition of the turbocharger, oil pump, and bearings during teardown provided a very useful real-world correlation between the laboratory data and the mechanical condition of the engine.
Daniel Y.
I just wanted to say “Thank you” for the service you offer. I have been a customer for over 10 years. When I had older vehicles, I was always worried about how long they would keep running. I also changed my oil much sooner than I needed to.
Once I started utilizing your program, I certainly saved money by knowing I could extend my oil changes less often. I made better decisions on keeping vehicles and deciding on certain repairs based on how well my reports came back. An example was a Honda Accord that needed to have its A/C replaced at $1500. Even though the car had 200,000 miles, I felt that, based on my reports, it was justified to spend the money instead of selling the car. That turned out to be the right and a great long-term solution for me.
Feel free to share my success story. If individuals truly understood the benefits vs. the cost, they would be foolish not to use you. I will always be a Blackstone Lab customer for life.
Janelle
When it comes to wordsmithing, analyst Janelle may have a more eclectic background than most. After earning B.A.s in professional writing and creative writing from Purdue University, Janelle began a career writing on a wide range of topics including business management, investing, and marine-focused sewing projects before finding her new home at Blackstone. Outside of learning everything she can about the wide world of oil analysis, Janelle enjoys playing D&D with friends and working on DIY projects. Her creative hobbies include knitting, crocheting, moving one of her family’s three cats off of her knitting or crocheting project, making stained glass art, and writing her very first fiction novel.
Gabey
Gabey holds a Master’s degree in Devised Theatrical Performance from Pig Iron Studios in Philadelphia, which is a fancy way of saying she went to clown school. On weekends you can usually find her teaching or attending some form of artistic performance. On weekdays, you’ll find her curled in bed next to her Corgi, Oatmeal, reading some deeply inspiring work of environmental non-fiction that has likely moved her to tears. If she is neither of those places, she is probably cruising in a late 70’s Mopar with her partner (who restores and preserves Classic Mopars) to get ice cream. Although Gabey attended clown school, she asks that you please refrain from asking her to tell you a joke. She graduated during the 2020 pandemic, and Zoom school was not sufficient.
Jeff
Jeff came to Blackstone after a long career in the newspaper industry that led from small-town Ohio to Anchorage, Alaska, and eventually Fort Wayne. He’s gone from writing about politics and crime at night to writing about oil during the day! He and his wife have three adult daughters. As a music fan of a certain age, I still have a wall covered with CDs and cassettes (!) and enjoy seeing the seasoned artists who visit The Clyde Theatre. He also enjoys walking their two dogs and tries to enjoy working on his fixer-upper house (one daughter got him a T-shirt that reads, “I enjoy long romantic walks through Menards”).
Sam
If you have a question about ecology or animals, Sam is the person to go to. An aspiring ornithologist, Sam graduated from the University of Saint Francis with degrees in Biology and Environmental Science. When he’s not working in the lab, Sam can be found volunteering with injured raptors at Soarin Hawk Raptor Rehabilitation Center, reading books on ecological conservation, or working out at the gym. Sam is also passionate about helping less fortunate communities, which led him to traveling to the Dominican Republic to provide medical and veterinary care to communities located near the Haiti/DR border.
