sodium in oil?

[RSG]

Latest Blackstone oil analysis report came back with 94 ppm sodium on semi-synthetic oil with about 1500 miles on it. I've been doing lots of cold weather idling and not always getting it up to full 200 *F temperature before shutdown. The lab says:

Note sodium. This is an unusual find in the PSD 7.3L engine for a couple of reasons. No diesel-use oil (that we know of, at least) uses sodium. And it's unusual to see an antifreeze problem in this type of engine. But if we eliminate the oil as a source, that leaves antifreeze as a probable cause. One other possibility is WVO, so let us know if you've switched away from diesel and are making your own fuel. Wear still looks okay, so if this is an antifreeze problem, you've caught it early. Stick with 1,500-2,000 miles on the oil for now and check back to monitor.

Oil is 5W-40 Blaines farm&fleet semi-synthetic. I burn B5-B20 according to the stickers on the pumps around here, nothing home-brewed; but with the biodiesel subsidy not being renewed, I can imagine some unconventional BD might be finding its way into the mix. My antifreeze level isn't noticeably lower.

Any thoughts? I'm off to change the oil...

 

[dpantazis]

how much sodium is the threshold?

could the sample procedure or the container be contaminated?

just thinking about it, sodium is 1/2 of salt, which we use a lot of!

 

[JLDickmon]

sodium may be present on the oil..
sodium, lithium, molybdenum and bromide salts are all used as "thickeners" by the "cheapie" oil manufacturers..

 

[BIG JOE]

You might try a Strait Dino oil or Full Synthetic... have another analysis done at the next OC.. see what results you get back ???

Joe

 

[RSG]

I mispoke....it is full synthetic oil, if it matters? It may be cheapie oil (hell it *is* fleet farm!)

dpantazis -- don't know the threshold, but the number (94) exceeds previous readings by a wide margin, as in 1,2,3 or 4 in previous testing.

On changing the oil this afternoon, I got to thinking about that Fumoto valve and our massive quantities of road salt...you know, I did not do a full bottle sample, and I wonder if a chunk o salt was hiding up in that orifice to contaminate the oil stream...maybe I took a sample improperly. I hope.

As you say, Big Joe, I'm just gonna re-sample in 2k miles on a fresh batch of oil! I'll keep y'all posted...

 

[DaveBen]

Let it drain for a minute and then sample your oil. This will wash out any salt from the Fumoto Valve.

Dave