Do I Have Too Much Aluminum In My SOHC?

[GJarrett]

I realize that probably no one including Ford may know the answer to this question, but I need to ask it anyway.

Part of my oil analysis results (see "Oil" thread in General Explorations) identified possible excessive amounts of aluminum in my oil.

I doesn't sound like much (50 ppm in 10,000 mile old oil [engine 35,000 miles old]; it was at 30ppm when the oil was 5,000 miles old) but it is identified as an elevated level. I don't know what constitutes "elevated"; I've got 1,818ppm of magnesium in my oil but that's not considered elevated.

The possible culprits according to the analysis reference book are journal bearings, bushings,housings/castings,oil pump and bushing, pistons, thrust washers, or wristpin bushings.

1) The SOHC engine has a lot of aluminum anyway: heads,etc. Is it possible this is not really an elevated level of aluminum? I wonder that while 30-50ppm may be excessive for an old big block iron head it may simply be the nature of the engine for a modern SOHC.

2) Now, assuming I really have a potential future problem that this is trying to tell me to look out for, has anyone had any problems the any of the items listed above as being the possible culprit of the high reading?


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Gerald
"Nerves of Steel; Brain of Chipmunk"
'99 Eddie Bauer 4x4 4.0L SOHC aka "The Jeepeater"
Dead Link Removed
"What the heck is he doing out here in that thing???"

 

[mrboyle]

Considering the amount of aluminum in the SOHC engine, the amount in your oil will be fairly high.
Are you saying you go 10,000 miles between oil changes?
If so you must be using synthetic oil, correct?
This is why I don't belive in the use of synthetic oils in anything but race applications. No oil ever looses its lubercating ability. It just gets dirty. If you change our oil at 3000 miles because it is dirty, why would you belive that a synthetic will still be clean? If they do the same job(or work better as synthetics claim) why don't they collect as much particulates as crude oil? Your oil analysis is more than likely stating that you have excessive wear, because they base their tests on a 3000-5000 mile oil change. If you are concerned, change the oil at 3000 miles and have it tested, it will proably be fine.

 

[Tom Wilk]

Mrboyle, Gerald is doing a long term synthetic oil test for the benefit of the folks that read this forum. If I'm not mistaken, he was a regular "change it at 3000 or so miles" kind of guy prior to this test. You can check out the whole story at:
Dead Link Removed

That being said, do you know just how much aluminum is in the SOHC engine? I know the heads are aluminum (which is very common these days), and it appears the lower block/oil pan might be as well, but I've never really looked at mine closely to see where it is used.

Gerald, as I stated in the other thread, I doubt if the pistons are wearing unless the rings are shot. If that were so, you'd be burning a good deal of oil. Hopefully, this topic will allow others to provide input as to whether there is a problem or not.


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Tom
99 Sport 4x4
SOHC
Auburn Rear & Gerald's old Shackles
265/75-R16 BFG AT's that weren't supposed to fit

 

[GJarrett]

Mr Boyle, thanks for your insight, but I believe this is telling me I may have a wear problem irregardless of when and how often I change my oil. I am hoping that your first sentence (indicating an opinion that since I have a lot of aluminum in my engine in the first place I should expect a high reading) is proven to be true.

If you have time, please read the entire "Oil" thread that gave birth to this analysis. It's a long one but will tell you where I am at and why this is being done.

My belief (and the reason the oil analysis experiment began) is that none of us change our oil at 3,000 miles "because it is dirty". We change it

(1) because we THINK it MAY be dirty; and/or

(2) because Dad always did it that way, so we have always done it that way.

No one really knows though. Now we are learning. Was your last oil change at 3,000 miles because it was dirty and needed it, or simply because it had 3,000 miles on it and you were being safe because you really had no idea? And if you didn't know, why 3,000? Why not 2,000? Or 4,000? Or 1,500 or 6,000? Etc?

This experiment was implemented to give us a true idea, and it is performing its task. We are finding out that if you want to, you really can wait a whole heckuva lot longer than 3,000 miles to change your oil and feel safe about it. I know that many still won't feel safe and will change it the same as they did 30 years ago, and that's fine. This was only to find out what is really going on though.

My oil properties are still way less than half used. I have been using high quality oil filters and changing them during this experiment. It is still almost as clean as it was at 5,000 miles and except for the aluminum reading is still showing neglible amounts of particulate matter well under tolerance for even new/fresh oil. Were I to take this oil to 25,000 or 30,000 miles then I believe the oxidation, nitration, TBN reserve, and viscocity properties would be worn out. Yes you can wear out oil, but not at 3,000 miles, so you are right on that point. You have never worn out your oil. At 10,000 miles my TBN is still showing a greater ability to fight combustion byproduct/acid production in the engine than freshly installed dino oil.

In other words, it is still doing as good a job "cleaning" my engine as any brand new dino oil containing the latest advertising-rich "cleaning additives" giving the lastest and best "wear protection" against engine breakdown.

My high aluminum readings were highlighted in my first 5,000 mile analysis, not just this one. The same company did the original analysis and has the entire history of the oil since the day it was put in my vehicle. Out of 32 categories of particulate analysis this is the only high reading. This has nothing to do with the oil itself, the change interval, or "dirtiness" of the oil. Were I to change right now and then check my oil 3,000 miles from now, I strongly suspect that it will once again show that I am wearing aluminum somewhere in my engine irrespective of which oil I used and how old and clean it was.

Totally laying aside the issue of opinions on how often I should be changing my oil, I'd like to know what it is in my engine made of aluminum that I am wearing out at an accelerated rate. I am asking if anyone else with a SOHC has had a failure yet with any of the mentioned aluminum parts in my first post.

Gerald




[This message has been edited by GJarrett (edited 05-23-2000).]

 

[AgExplorer]

I believe what we are seeing with the elevated aluminum is a result of the conditions that Gerald is driving in. Commuting in stop and go traffic in a metropolitan area and his recent trek over the trails at Moab are very stressful to an engine. Even though he has over 10,000 miles on the oil, he has changed the filter twice and replenished the crankcase with fresh oil each time (at 5k and 10k miles). The evidence is in the analysis report. All wear metals are in normal ranges (with the exception of the aluminum) and the components of the additive package are relatively constant. The increased nitration (NOX) and aluminum are the result of the conditions he is driving in.

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AgExplorer
95 XLT 4X2 4.0L OHV
AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants & Filters
NGK Platinum Plugs
Jacobs Electronics Wires
Monroe Reflex Shocks
PIAA 9007 Headlight Bulbs
Info and Ordering for AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants - Dead Link Removed

 

[SteveVB]

Hey Gerald, I have the pushrod engine but if Im not mistaken the camshafts in the OHC ride in aluminum journals with no bearings. This could be the reason the alum. readings are higher than what may be normal for an engine that uses bearings with a wear surface of a different type. Just a thought.


Thanks for all of the info, really getting the feeling that I change my oil too often to the benefit of only the parts store & oil co!!

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Steve VB
91 Navajo
2 1/2" Rancho,
31" Goodyear AT/S

[This message has been edited by SteveVB (edited 05-23-2000).]

 

[Tom Wilk]

Steve may be right; Chilton's doesn't really say whether they are aluminum, but they do say that "integral with the cylinder heads and are not replacable. In other words, if the bearings are shot, the whole head must be replaced. I'm a bit surprised that they would use aluminum for a bearing surface, but they seem to do a lot with aluminum these days, especially in Germany where this engine is manufactured.

European manufacturers never had this problem, but I just can't help but think of the Chevy Vega whenever someone mentions aluminum. Those had aluminum blocks and were prone to severe cylinder wall wear until GM decided to put iron sleeves in the block. I think things have progressed a bit since then.

BTW, there's a lot of work involved in doing anything with this motor. There are 4 chains driving not only the 2 camshafts, but also a balancing shaft as well as a "jackshaft" whatever that is. ((apparently, the jackshaft is an intermediate set of sprockets between the camshafts and the crankshaft. The 2:1 ratio is between the crankshaft and the jackshaft, with 1:1 sprocket ratios between the jackshaft and the two camshafts. This is, of course, irrelevent to aluminum levels in the oil, but it does point out what an unusual engine this is.)) Dead Link Removed Most major engine work requires pulling the engine. The oil pan isn't just an oil pan but a "ladder frame".

Weird setup. Almost makes me with I had a V-8, but we'll see how long it runs.



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Tom
99 Sport 4x4
SOHC
Auburn Rear & Gerald's old Shackles
265/75-R16 BFG AT's that weren't supposed to fit

 

[GJarrett]

Ohmigosh Tom, don't even bring up the Vega.

I was there in high school and witnessed all that.

A GM Vega block was good for 30,000 miles and NO NORE, predictable as clockwork: buy a new one immediately thereafter. That car was the perfect example of just how bad GM engineering could get.

Or do what everyone else did then, and drop a 327 in it and scream at the drags with real ETs that beat the posers today by several tenths.

Gerald

 

[RangerX]

Gerald,
I gotta say, I find this thread and your experiment fascinating. I'm learning about things I had never thought about before. (Where was that attitude when I was in high school?) Dead Link Removed

What engine in Vegas are you guys talking about, a 4-cyl? I've been driving my wife's '78 Monza, which is basically a Vega, while my truck is in the body shop Dead Link Removed, and you're scaring me! Her car has the 305, and has 80,000 on it.

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Bill Collins
93 Ranger XLT 4X4
Modified

 

[mrboyle]

Thanks for the info on the test. I was just sharing my opinion on what your readings are. As for the quality of aluminum engines forget every nightmare you've evre had since the Vega. The technology in constructing aluminum engine components has improved greater than imaginable since the seventies. Over 40% of the cars produced today have aluminum engines and they are lasting three times longer than some of their cast-iron brothers. True there are a lot of other factors that have aided in the ability of these engines to last, but regular maintainance is always the basis.
As for what parts of the SOHC is aluminum, I do know that the cylinder heads are (and yes, there are no cam bearings. The cam rides on special ground towers.), the pistons are, the oil pan, front timing cover, water pump, not sure about the block though.

 

[Tom Wilk]

As to the Vega, it was a 4 cylinder that was aluminum, not the 305!! GM just didn't have the quality of aluminum casting that was needed for engine blocks. After that little gem, GM came out with a new 4 cylinder called the "Iron Duke". Actually, it was an old design, resurrected hastily to save the company's reputation, since people were avoiding the Vega engine even with the iron sleeves. Dead Link Removed

Europe has been building aluminum engines for years without the wear problems that GM had. Aluminum heads are the rule now in probably about 2/3 of the cars out there. I must admit, I'm not pleased about the aluminum cam bearing surfaces, though if oiling is adequate and the metal is good, it should last.

It all makes me wonder if the 2.0L DOHC engine in my Contour had aluminum bearing sufraces as well. It was a solid engine even if it was too small for the car it was in. I used to rev the you know what out of it! Dead Link Removed I had 65K on it with absolutely no signs of trouble.

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Tom
99 Sport 4x4
SOHC
Auburn Rear & Gerald's old Shackles
265/75-R16 BFG AT's that weren't supposed to fit

 

[gerry]

Just a guess, but could the aluminum be related to the aluminum front timing housing and the infamous tensioner problems?

gerry

p.s. Ditto on the thank you for the test and posting the results!

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2000 4x4 XLT SOHC V6

 

[Gofast]

Gerald, Maybe Rick could put you in contact with the Ford person that was the Gear Head. I can't remeber her name but you asked her several questions about your tranny.

As for the Vega. Been there built that. Dropped a 302 into a Veag GT wagon. Car was sweet, but never did faster than 15's in the 1/4 mile. We left the stock tires and rear end there for the " Sleeper Look ". Changed complete rear ends every 2 weeks after munching the ring & pinion.

For the record the cars straight off the lot are faster than 90% of the cars we could build 10 years ago. My T/A does 13.6 @ 104 and still gets 29 mpg. Stock.

I usually talk about this stuff on other sites though. Built a lot of race cars in the past. Hence the name "Gofast"

Good Luck Gerald and thanks for taking on the Oil Test. No body on the other sites ever put this to the test as you are doing. Great example from a great site!

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Rob Robertson
94 XLT 4X4 4 door
5.5" Superlift,RS9000s,Warn manual hubs,33 X 12.5's ProComp MTs
"What's Potato Salad Hill?"

 

[GJarrett]

Great idea Rob. Her name was Michelle if I remember correctly. I'll email Vivian and see if she wouldn't mind sharing Michelle's email address with me.

Gerald

 

[Nordic-Al]

Gerald,

Following your oil post got me curious about my oil, so when I changed my Amsoil 5w/30 last Friday, at 39,425 miles (7,000 miles on the oil), I sent it in for testing. My aluminum was 8 parts per million, but my iron was 31 ppm. Both were flagged as "normal-no action required". As for your high magnesium level, according to my explanation sheet, that is a additive used as a detergent/dispersent. My level was much lower however my calcium, zinc and phosphorus levels were high. These too are additives for "anti-wear" and "detergent/dispersent" functions.

My big surprise and concern was the tested viscosity level, which reportedly is equal to SAE 58 !! I called the lab and based on the other tests, ie. oxidation, nitration, soot etc.. they cannot explain it. All other areas were great. They did indicate that they believe that Amsoil 30W is really more like 40W, but 58 was way out of line. They recommended testing at next oil change.

I intend to send in a sample of the oil right out of the bottle for testing along with the sample from the next oil change (which will be at 3,000). The car starts and runs fine and gets 18+ mpg in combo driving. Something does not add up.

Any thoughts?


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Alan
'98 XLT, 4x4, 4.0 SOHC
K&N air filter
Amsoil 5W-30
Amsoil oil filter
Bosch platinum +4's
Jacobs wires

 

[Ray Lobato]

Alan,
Just one question. Had you done any 4wheeling in the 7000 miles of that oil? Ok, 2 more questions. If you did, was it light 4wheeling or heavy?

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Happy Wheelin'
Ray L.
97 XLT 4X4 4.0L SOHC
Dead Link Removed

 

[Nordic-Al]

Hi Ray,

No, no 4 wheeling during this period. I would estimate about 40% freeway at 65-70mph, 40% freeway 50-60mph and the rest around town. With perhaps the occasional spurt into the 80's.

Alan

 

[Ray Lobato]

Gerald,
Maybe what AgExplorer was saying about "driving conditions" has merit. The differance between your anlaysis and and Alan's is he dosen't work his SOHC as hard as you do. I'm due for a filter change in another couple of hundred miles, maybe i should take a sample and send it in, and see what is says about mine. We both work our truck hard. the only difference is I do more highway driving that you, but we both went to Moab and did the same trails, so it should be pretty much the same. Ok, Where do I get this kit? This would be a 5K check.

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Happy Wheelin'
Ray L.
97 XLT 4X4 4.0L SOHC
Dead Link Removed

 

[Weatherman]

Ray, as far as I know, the only place to get it is on the Amsoil web site, Dead Link Removed , in their store section. It's $20 postage paid I believe.

-Ben

 

[GJarrett]

Ray,
Oil Analyzers Inc, Superior, WI, (715)395-0222.

Alan, I cannot explain your readings, but you have given me info that maybe I do need to worry about my aluminum reading. Yours is far below mine (mine read 30ppm at 5,000 miles on the oil) and AgExplorer's aluminum reading at 13k on the oil is 34.

Mine is definately reading higher than the other SOHC's out there.

I have emailed Vivian and am in hopes of receiving a reply from Michelle at Ford.

Gerald