Post Your Blackstone Report

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

@Devils Paw 80 Bummer. What a coincidence, two black LX in Juneau, both with mysteriously increased lead markers this year.

Have you done the fuel filter, and I assume you'll be looking into the fuel pump?
 
SpenserAK said:
@Devils Paw 80 Bummer. What a coincidence, two black LX in Juneau, both with mysteriously increased lead markers this year.

Have you done the fuel filter, and I assume you'll be looking into the fuel pump?
Click to expand...
It's got a fairly new fuel filter. I'm thinking it's the pump. Relay seems OK.
 
Here's my full report. Not sure it will come through. Iron level is lower than normal, no fuel dilution. Edit: It didn't seem to show up. Will try again.

IMG_0153.jpg
 
We were referring to the separate no-start issue

Not the case for him since he doesn't appear to have a dilution issue, but enough fuel dilution can lead to thinning of oil, and can affect its ability to cling to metal parts, so possible increase in start-up wear or otherwise, potentially resulting in lead/etc markers from bearings. Or as mentioned, we might have some lingering leaded gas up here 🤔
 
Last edited:
chbrow10 said:
What was the commentary from Blackstone on the high lead levels?
Click to expand...
They said "usually it comes from bearings so we suggest monitoring for low oil pressure or odd sounds until we see how it trends. "

They also mentioned the possibility of leaded fuel, but wouldn't that ruin the catalytic converters?

Oil pressure appears to be fine according to stock gauge, except at idle when warm it goes low.
 
Devils Paw 80 said:
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.
Click to expand...
BTW, the report on my '97 Legacy with 160K miles also is reporting "quite high" on lead, with a value of 36.

Two '97's running great otherwise, at least for the time being.
 
Here is my latest. I'd really like to hear what everyone thinks about the high Copper. A few notes:
  • Oil consumption is a little less than 1 quart per 1,000 miles
  • Between the first and second samples, I installed a turbo kit. Any chance the Copper is coming from the turbo bearing?
  • Oil pressure seems to be acting normally (around 16-19 psi at idle and upwards of 80 psi or so while driving)
  • Can't say that I am hearing any obvious knocking in regular driving; when I go WOT up a hill, I do sometimes hear something that might be knocking though, kinda hard to tell really.

1696252735414.png
 
Last edited:
Well this was disappointing. After my first Blackstone at 225K I started to notice slightly elevated temps, say 5-8 degrees above what I normally saw. I also started to notice that coolant was starting to disappear from my overflow bottle. At 238,800 after knowing that all hoses were new and that nothing was hitting the ground I had my HG replaced, early failure between a water jacket and #6. I didn't have the time to do it myself so it went to a local Lexus/Toyota shop. I changed the oil after a couple of tanks of gas and this is the first oil change since the that initial change following the HG. The truck has been great and I didn't add a drop of oil in this interval. I'm hoping the report is the result of residual contamination and that I don't have to do the HG a second time.

1699641770262.png
 
@77mustard40 Hopefully just residual. I had a cracked head on a different straight six.. could watch coolant coming through it, looking through the oil cap hole. I did a few 5-700 mile oil change intervals after replacing it, and it probably took three reports before the coolant markers got back to where I felt confident. IMO, hang tight and do another short interval and analysis.

Edit: looked through my reports & now I remember more clearly. I did two or three of those very short intervals after replacing the head, and then started doing analyses on ~3k intervals.

Potassium went 85, 46, 16 and then settled. Sodium went 63, 40, 12 and settled.

In retrospect I should have kept doing pretty short intervals until it settled, but I already knew the bearings were roasted so I wasn't too worried about that engine. I inherited the cracked head and coolant issue that had been going on for a while, not my fault! Ran well and had just enough oil pressure (barely), so I drove it until my 80 appeared.

Should have a new report on the 1fz any day. Fingers crossed I can see improvement in fuel dilution and lead.
 
Last edited:
Just got my latest results. I had a theory that my fuel dilution was related to a part of my driving habits. Most of my driving is not super short, but I had a bunch of quick runs to a nearby store mixed in, in the past. I eliminated the majority of that, in hopes the dilution was coming from the engine not fully warming/going through a full heat cycle, leaving excess fuel. I may still have a leaky injector, or injectors, but my numbers went way down, back to normal.

My other theory was that my increasing lead numbers were related to the fuel.. less so that it was thinning the oil, more so that it was making it harder for oil to stick to parts (bearings) as well as it should. Both fuel & lead had been going up together at the same rate over time. Lead also plummeted in this sample to a range that doesn't really concern me for now, but it's not off the radar.

Then again, it could be random.. but it's a notable change, considering the trend in my reports before this, and they still changed together at the same rate.

But of course, with that, there is a new concern. I've never had a trace of anything suggesting coolant in any samples in the past, but now I'm getting a little sodium. The only change other than eliminating very short drives was I switched from mobile 5W40 to rotella 5W40, but they tell me neither of those oils use sodium.

Wasn't very long ago that I did a combustion gas test of the coolant & compression test, both of which easily passed, and I haven't had any other symptoms to worry me about the head gasket. Guess I'll be putting this on the list now for monitoring. Wouldn't be too surprising, being the original, and I'm at 240k.
 
Last edited:
SpenserAK said:
Wasn't very long ago that I did a combustion gas test of the coolant & compression test, both of which easily passed, and I haven't had any other symptoms to worry me about the head gasket. Guess I'll be putting this on the list now for monitoring. Wouldn't be too surprising, being the original, and I'm at 240k.
Click to expand...
Watch that overflow tank, when I noticed that mine was slowly dropping I knew I had a problem. My truck was running fine but it was time for the HG. I never had temp issues, say anything above low 200's, so I think it just finally gave in at 238,500
 
One of my 80's had (repeated) slightly elevated lead levels some years ago, into the 20's ppm IIRC so I switched to a higher viscosity engine oil. After that the lead level dropped. IDK if it was related or a coincidence. FWIW
 
Kernal said:
One of my 80's had (repeated) slightly elevated lead levels some years ago, into the 20's ppm IIRC so I switched to a higher viscosity engine oil. After that the lead level dropped. IDK if it was related or a coincidence. FWIW
Click to expand...
I definitely think about these things, along with the rest of "the things."

Truck had M1 5w30 upon purchase. I assume its history was entirely 5w30 as suggested by US standards. I switched to M1 5w40 at first change, by way of mud recs. T6 5w40 runs heavier on paper (so agrees my report) and I don't think I should surpass this weight in AK, haha.

They say a knuckle job is the right of passage. Methinks HG is the true barrier to ownership. We'll see!
 
Last edited:
I get my oil tested after every oil change. Expensive, but i like data. Just sent in another sample from most recent oil change at 248,845. Here's the results from the 244k-220k miles. It's always somethin. They keep finding evidence of coolant. HG doesnt appear to be leaking upon testing. I dont know why that would be a problem on the 3FE anyways. Have been putting it off.
IMG_9811.jpeg
 
Got a stumper for y'all. How does this happen? Then only thing that is different on this sample is I started to use Yamalube Ring Free in the fuel and the truck went on a very long road trip, like 1100 miles.

4th sample for mud.jpg
 
chbrow10 said:
Got a stumper for y'all. How does this happen? Then only thing that is different on this sample is I started to use Yamalube Ring Free in the fuel and the truck went on a very long road trip, like 1100 miles.

View attachment 3498967
Click to expand...
Well, generally Road trips are easier on engines and lubricants. Cold starts and stopping before the engine is warm, are the opposite.
Fingers crossed fer ya.
 
chbrow10 said:
Got a stumper for y'all. How does this happen? Then only thing that is different on this sample is I started to use Yamalube Ring Free in the fuel and the truck went on a very long road trip, like 1100 miles.

View attachment 3498967
Click to expand...
Long road trips will burn out other contamination and can lower levels of bad stuff.
Everything gets heated up, it likes working.

Looks like the Yamalube is adding some stuff to it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
Not so good Blackstone report
Replies
0
Views
443
jbc28
J
T
1997 200k Blackstone Report
Replies
0
Views
515
taylort232
T
jkeithw
Quick windshield installation question - and post-install thoughts
Replies
4
Views
524
jkeithw
jkeithw
S
New member post
Replies
17
Views
2K
dieseldog
dieseldog

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom