Original post for the idea:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...hlight=diy+oil
I have found this lubricheck engine oil tester seems to work pretty good as far as I can tell.
Here is a product for anyone with an internal combustion engines who changes their own oil and likes using less oil and wearing out less engines.
Changing oil is necessary, it costs money, takes time, uses oil and produces hazardous waste so those factors need to be balanced.
If you change the oil too often then the engine will last until something in the engine just breaks or outside corrosion gets it. If you don't change the oil often enough then acid, dirt fuel build up, additives that protect the metals inside the engine deplete and the engine goes down hill rapidly.
So do what I did and get a lubricheck. I got mine for $50 shipped to my door and I am pretty sure it has already paid for its self, saving 1 oil change the day I got it.
It has a range of LED indicators ranging from 1 to 10. 1 being the best, 7 meaning change soon and anything 8 through 10 being "change now".
The way it works according to some people is pure magic. Others say it works off PH and conductivity.
For the first phase of testing the lubricheck is going straight to war.
Now I am trying it out in Afghanistan on all kinds of different engines. Mostly diesel engines both turbo and non turbo air and liquid cooled. Also gasoline engine air and liquid cooled.
All engines burning the dirtiest burning fuel I have ever seen.
Testing at least a few oil samples every day.
So far I am finding:
It does not work on ester based additiveless gas turbine engine oils.
That's alright because I didn't expect it to.
Little air cooled gasoline engine that hold a little oil and run wide open all the time such as found on pressure washers run through their oil the fastest.
Seems almost as if anything with an oil filter keeps its oil good for a very reasonable amount of time.
Diesel engine that have had their oil changed with in the last month ran almost daliy show a 1 out of 10. The lightly used engines are showing a 1 out of 10 after 6 months of mild use.
The pressure washer show any where from an 8 to 10 out of 10 after less than 6 months of oil change use.
So if something is showing a 1 out of 10 after 6 months its oil is not getting changed, that has saved me a lot of time at work. Since I don't have any frame of reference for what a 5 or 6 really means I am just going a head and changing that oil since it wont get a chance to be changed for another 6 months.
I did not expect air cooled gas engines to ruin their oil so fast and I did not expect the diesels oil to last so well.
The next phase of testing is going to cost some money.
I think I should take oil samples at different indicator reference points and send them to blackstone oil analysis labs to see how good or bad they truly are.
I am thinking I should send off some oil samples in the good range such as 3s and 4s. Then some questionable ones in the 6, 7 and 8 range and really see how they are. Only problem is, last time I checked the oil analysis was $20 in 2008. Looks like they are $28 each now.
I am most curious about 7 and higher. For $30 each I think I will focus there.
To make the tests consistent but varied I am going to use the same oil in all of my different test subjects back home.
Will post a pic later.