Post Your Blackstone Report

[BILT4ME]

Rarely that short, and typically that would only be after I've been driving/hot already. Gets driven regularly where I have a full heat/burnoff cycle, especially in winter where I'm going ~35min each way to the mountain. In summer it's ~15min each way to work, and then a mix otherwise. Sometimes longer, but sometimes 5-10min. Driven every day.

Doesn't seem unlikely that the fuel dilution could be the root, but I'm not a multi-decade vet, so every new issue is a learning experience. Effword!

If you're seeing that much fuel dilution, you need to check your harness to be sure it hasn't been cooked.

If you're doing those heat cycles then the volume is serious.

Do you monitor your gas mileage?

Check the wires and plugs on your injectors and consider getting them rebuilt.

 

[SpenserAK]

Harness looked good/well wrapped last fall when I was doing valve cover & TB stuff, with that clutter out of the way, but I didn't "do" anything with it.

I monitor every tank, and have a scangauge I glance at regularly, so have a good sense of what's normal. Overall average may have dropped 1/2mpg consistently over the last 1-2 years, so I was wondering if that could be related. Nothing else has changed. The trend in my reports could track with a fuel issue that's been getting worse, I suppose.

I haven't quite finished the 98 4runner I got for my brother, so perhaps it's time to start driving that more often.

As always, thanks for the feedback. I have a decent starting point here, but man what a bummer a bad report card is.

 

[Irish Reiver]

This is my baseline Blackstone report on my noobie '96. Not a pretty sight to be honest. Will run it and send in another sample in a few months and see how things have changed. It does have 320k miles so some level of deeper maintenance is to be expected and clearly required.

 

[BILT4ME]

This is my baseline Blackstone report on my noobie '96. Not a pretty sight to be honest. Will run it and send in another sample in a few months and see how things have changed. It does have 320k miles so some level of deeper maintenance is to be expected and clearly required.

View attachment 3313992

Also check your air filter (or just replace) with a PAPER filter, not the washable unit. The paper one does finer filtration than the washable one.
Make sure to wipe out the interior of the clean side of the filter housing and duct with a clean, damp rag to remove residual dust.

 

[Kernal]

@Irish Reiver : was that the original oil from the PO and do you know how long it had been in the engine? If I'm reading it right, the viscosity results appear to show the oil was in the 20W range??

Had the vehicle been sitting a long time?
How much oil is it using/burning?
How does the coolant look and is the level steady in the overflow tank?

It wasn't clear but if you still have that oil in the engine I'd dump it and run a heavier weight than factory fill, something like Rotella 15W-40 with a good filter of course, then repeat the EOA.

FWIW

 

[Irish Reiver]

@Irish Reiver : was that the original oil from the PO and do you know how long it had been in the engine? If I'm reading it right, the viscosity results appear to show the oil was in the 20W range??

Had the vehicle been sitting a long time?
How much oil is it using/burning?
How does the coolant look and is the level steady in the overflow tank?

It wasn't clear but if you still have that oil in the engine I'd dump it and run a heavier weight than factory fill, something like Rotella 15W-40 with a good filter of course, then repeat the EOA.

FWIW

It was more or less the original oil. I added a quart on its 1300 mile drive back. No idea how long the vehicle had been sitting but i suspect it was a while. Coolant was very good and never needed topping off on the run home. I suspect the radiator was the original one so a new one is waiting to be installed when i eventually get back home.
It will definitely be getting a thicker oil especially living where i do.

 

[Irish Reiver]

Also check your air filter (or just replace) with a PAPER filter, not the washable unit. The paper one does finer filtration than the washable one.
Make sure to wipe out the interior of the clean side of the filter housing and duct with a clean, damp rag to remove residual dust.

I missed the reasoning on this recommendation. What are you seeing that comes through the filter? The one that was in it was manky and the tuna can was full - just not with tuna.

 

[BILT4ME]

I missed the reasoning on this recommendation. What are you seeing that comes through the filter? The one that was in it was manky and the tuna can was full - just not with tuna.

Primarily the silicon. That's sand and debris. I had a high silicon reading and they caught it it and recommended a filter change. Turns out I had a hole in it. It took two rounds of oil changes to get it back down because I didn't wipe down the inside.

 

[Irish Reiver]

I would never have thought of that. Great catch.

 

[brockdeck]

Primarily the silicon. That's sand and debris. I had a high silicon reading and they caught it it and recommended a filter change. Turns out I had a hole in it. It took two rounds of oil changes to get it back down because I didn't wipe down the inside.

Also check your air filter (or just replace) with a PAPER filter, not the washable unit. The paper one does finer filtration than the washable one.
Make sure to wipe out the interior of the clean side of the filter housing and duct with a clean, damp rag to remove residual dust.

Are you referring to the washable OEM unit? I haven’t heard this before, however it would make sense.

 

[BILT4ME]

Are you referring to the washable OEM unit? I haven’t heard this before, however it would make sense.

Yes.

 

[idyllwild]

Baseline report- I changed the oil as soon as I got it, ran it 3,000 miles, then changed again and sent the first report to Blackstone. Mobil 1 5w30 full synthetic.
Also included is the compression and leak down test done a few months ago.

 

[csanders]

Figured I'd throw both of my sample reports up for feedback. I originally sent a sample in to see if I had any metal wear from a likely wrist-pin tick, but now I'm focusing on coolant levels. I haven't noticed any visual coolant in the oil or experienced any major white smoke from the exhaust at startup, and I've added about 1/2 quart to keep the reservoir at the full level over the past 8 months. But from the report, it looks like the HG is on it's way out. Cylinder walls looked a little steam-cleaned with a borescope, and to my knowledge, the head hasn't been removed.

Trying to put a rebuild plan together, but it's been tricky with this being my daily driver.

Sample #1

Sample #2

 

[manofthewoods]

Here's my latest. Knock on wood.

 

[Stiles]

Learning things Metals make me feel uneasy. At 5k on oil now.

Blackstone impresses.

 

[ppc]

Adding these additives to Royal Purple is like mixing 100 year old fine Scotch with Hawaiian Punch

 

[chbrow10]

Here's my latest. Knock on wood.
View attachment 3408323

Did you have a head gasket issue and had it repaired after the 3rd report?

 

[chbrow10]

Since everyone posted up their awesome results (except you, @Irish Reiver , sorry bud), I thought I would share mine that is not so great. This engine is a Jasper rebuilt engine... Mileage on the report is my estimate of the miles on the engine since the rebuild.

I love the opening line from the Blackstone analyst.

 

[manofthewoods]

Did you have a head gasket issue and had it repaired after the 3rd report?

VERY astute question!
I was frustrated after doing the rebuild and it running so well. My gut instincts narrowed it down to: A crack in the head, Head gasket, or the oil cooler. My machinist was 99% sure it wasn't a cracked head, and, doubted the head gasket. The ever so small coolant loss WAS from the oil cooler. An easy and cheap replacement

These reports aren't really needed anymore given how it's running and NOT using fluids. I do my 80!
I did a complete write up on the job - if you're into some light reading Grab a (or a chardonnay if you drive a Lexus). Comments appreciated.

Paying it forward, My LX450 "reset/complete rebuild" notes & lessons learned - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/paying-it-forward-my-lx450-reset-complete-rebuild-notes-lessons-learned.1305084/

 

[Devils Paw 80]

Just got mine back. Not good, unless somehow I got some leaded fuel added in the boonies of Canada or Alaska.

Lead number is 79, everything else is fine. And BTW, now I have a no start problem. Haven't figured it out quite yet. Looks to be a fuel delivery issue since there's spark.