Slick Talk: Powered By Blackstone Laboratories artwork

Slick Talk: Powered By Blackstone Laboratories

144 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 days ago - ★★★★★ - 88 ratings

Every oil has a story, especially oil that comes from engines, transmissions, and industrial machinery. Blackstone Laboratories tests it all, and in Slick Talk, Blackstone Joe brings you an exclusive look behind the curtain of the oil analysis industry.

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Episodes

114: Unit IDs We Love with Brett Jenkins

April 08, 2024 10:00 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MB

Blackstone Joe sits down with fellow analyst Brett Jenkins to talk about what unit IDs are, and to share some of their favorites. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your free test kit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-laboratories/message

113: Down Goes the OLM

March 25, 2024 10:00 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MB

Oil life monitors. Chances are, your car has one on board to let you know when it’s time to change your oil out. But what if you want to run longer than what the OLM suggests? In this episode, Blackstone Joe explores how his own engine oil looked after months of the monitor reporting zero oil life. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your free test kit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams...

112: The Wear-Ins and Outs of New Engines

March 11, 2024 10:00 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MB

Oil samples from engines that are fresh out of the factory, or from recently rebuilt engines, often contain a lot of wear metal and silicon. But why is that? And why do certain parts seem to produce more metal during the wear-in process than others? These were the questions a customer asked us, and in this episode, Blackstone Joe seeks to provide some answers. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your free test kit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have a question or shoutout? Leave a...

111: Process of Elimination for a Lycoming

February 26, 2024 11:00 - 7 minutes - 7.35 MB

Oil analysis is one way to gauge your engine's health. But it isn't the only way. In this episode, Blackstone Joe breaks down what to do when oil analysis can't provide all the answers for a customer with high copper readings in their Lycoming. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your free test kit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Josh Straley --- Send in a voice message: h...

110: Sabotage with Brett Jenkins

February 12, 2024 14:45 - 19 minutes - 18.4 MB

Brett Jenkins, senior analyst, hasn't been at Blackstone long, but she's already had a major impact on the world of oil analysis. Blackstone Joe sat down to talk with Brett to talk about the forms of sabotage that oil analysis can and can't spot in testing. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your free test kit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Guest: Brett Jenkins Producer: Josh Straley ...

109: Maintaining The Stone with Erik DeMarco

January 29, 2024 11:00 - 37 minutes - 34.9 MB

Blackstone Laboratories helps you keep your engines, transmissions, and other equipment running smoothly. But what does it take to keep Blackstone Labs going strong? Blackstone Joe talked with Erik DeMarco aka "The Guy"about the maintenance needs of an oil lab (2:25), how working at Blackstone changed his maintenance routines (21:50), and past test results in a new segment, Explain That Sample (25:50). Ready to start your oil analysis journey? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your free test kit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ...

108: This Ain't Your Daddy's ATF

January 15, 2024 15:07 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MB

This week Slick Talk is time traveling with a reading of This Ain't Your Daddy's ATF by Ryan Stark where ATF, CVTs, and the idea of "lifetime fluids" are all put under the spotlight. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your free test kit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Josh Straley --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-laboratories/message

107: Lab Updates, Q&A, and Landslide by Jim Stark

January 02, 2024 15:18 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MB

To begin the new year, Blackstone Joe has updates on the lab, what we're doing to improve turnaround time, and a Q&A segment regarding sampling technique, and what to do if we send you more than one sample kit. The main event is a reading of "Landslide," a newsletter from '04 written by the founder of Blackstone Labs, Jim Stark. This is a one-of-a-kind illustration of used oil analysis and why it matters. Not only is this informative but it's a way to introduce you to our late founder, and...

106: Q&A With The Analyst IV

December 18, 2023 15:11 - 18 minutes - 17.5 MB

Blackstone Joe is ready to wrap up 2023 with another round of q&a with the analyst. Joe answers questions about changing oil change intervals when switching oil brands, pinpointing aluminum bearing wear in analysis, and why it makes sense to send older oil samples in for testing. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your free test kit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Joshua Straley --- ...

105: No Time To Change

December 04, 2023 14:30 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MB

Is it time to change your oil? It's nowhere close to being time for the oil and engines in this week's episode. Inspired by a stray bottle of Mobil 1 5W/30 and less than satisfying answers from the Mobil Help Desk, Blackstone Joe digs into a few different examples of oil holding up well over months, years, and even decades. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your free test kit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. H...

104: Feast of Clues

November 20, 2023 15:18 - 17 minutes - 19.7 MB

From a spectral analysis covering 20 different elements, to a stable of physical tests that help determine everything from viscosity to how effective oil filtration was working, oil analysis truly is a feast of clues. As we're just a few days away from carving the turkey, Blackstone Joe thought it would be a great time to breakdown how we can use the clues in a used oil analysis to help determine the ideal oil change interval, whether you need to change the oil based on calendar time, and ho...

103: Unpacked with Eric Sanchez

November 06, 2023 14:58 - 26 minutes - 30.4 MB

To test a sample we must first unpack it, and it takes a trusted pair of hands to transfer your oil to the lab and the sample details to our system - enter Eric. He's a data clerk by title, but that doesn't quite do his work justice as he's part of the talented team in our receiving area, the front lines as it were, of Blackstone Laboratories. Eric joined Blackstone Joe to answer questions how to properly send a sample, Blackstone's work load, and some of the more interesting samples he's ru...

102: The State of The Stone with Ryan Stark

October 23, 2023 14:09 - 44 minutes - 50.9 MB

President Ryan Stark returns to talk to Joe about summer flying and leaded fuel (3:40), company growth and new lab setup (11:50) before answering customer questions about magnetic drain plugs, coolant analysis, flashpoint testing, and how analysts determine an engine's true wear profile (23:50). Last but least, a response to misconceptions about our averages (39:00). Ready to start your oil analysis journey? ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your free test kit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have a question or shoutout? Call ...

101: Report Writing 101 with Kristin Huff

October 09, 2023 14:10 - 33 minutes - 38.6 MB

Kristin Huff, Vice President of Blackstone Laboratories, began her oil analysis journey in 2002. In the years since, Kristin has been a focal point of the operation - her one-of-a-kind wit and humor have been essential ingredients to the comments we craft, even going as so far to create the world-famous Blackstone FAQs on our website. As such, it was long overdue for Blackstone Joe to invite Kristin on the show to help break down our approach to report writing. If you ever wanted to learn wh...

The 100th Episode

September 25, 2023 17:00 - 1 hour - 120 MB

Blackstone Joe sat down with the producer of Slick Talk, Josh, to celebrate Slick Talk's 100th episode! Listen for a look back at memorable guest appearances, hot takes, and the journey that was starting and maintaining Slick Talk over 100 episodes of content. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? ⁠Get your free test kit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠ Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Joshua Straley --- Send in a voice message: https://podc...

99: TBNs and TANs feat. Suzi

September 11, 2023 13:45 - 25 minutes - 28.8 MB

Senior Analyst Suzi Herman joins Blackstone Joe for a discussion about her study of TBNs and TANs (04:10), maintaining her Corolla, Fit, and Chevy S10 (12:10), and her background before joining Blackstone Laboratories (20:00). Read Part 1 of Suzi's TBN and TAN Newsletter. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams  Guest: Suzi Herman Producer: Joshua Straley --- Send ...

98: Meet the Analyst with Samir Kharbas

August 28, 2023 13:40 - 29 minutes - 33.4 MB

Slick Talk & Blackstone Joe are back before Labor Day Weekend with another Meet the Analyst episode with Samir - senior analyst. He tells Joe how Fast & Furious planted the seeds of him being a gearhead and brought him to the Marine Corps (3:35), the journey of his '98 Silvia to the race car it is today (10:38), how working in oil analysis has changed this maintenance routines (15:00), and how customers should approach oil analysis for insurance purposes (20:30). Ready to start your oil an...

97: Raegan's Return feat. the Prius and the Chevy

August 14, 2023 13:26 - 26 minutes - 30.7 MB

Senior Analyst Raegan Byers is back from California and joins Blackstone Joe with two stories about oil analysis. One about her Toyota Prius (2:30). The other about her husband's Chevy S10 that could be developing its own bearing problem (8:00). Then, Blackstone Joe digs more into Raegan's biology background, how she relates it to oil analysis (10:40), and how's she's maintaining the Prius today (17:20). Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. Have a q...

96: Watch & Wait

July 31, 2023 14:20 - 19 minutes - 21.8 MB

What does oil analysis and the Dennis Quad action movie Vantage Point have in common? Things can look different from where you're standing. Blackstone Joe breaks down a couple instances where problems in oil analysis don't always make themselves known right away, how you can eliminate variables to find the source of the problem, and why it pays to watch and wait. Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams  Producer: Joshua Straley --- Send in a voice ...

95: In Search of Soot

July 17, 2023 13:35 - 13 minutes - 15.2 MB

Soot. The byproduct of combustion. Every engine is going to have a little of it, but it's a very big deal for diesel engines. So. How much soot is too much? Blackstone Joe breaks everything you need to know about soot, how it will affect an engine, and what Blackstone Laboratories can tell you about the soot levels in your latest sample. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get started with ⁠⁠our free test kit!⁠⁠ Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe...

94: As The Stone Rolls

July 03, 2023 15:21 - 23 minutes - 26.6 MB

Blackstone Joe breaks down questions and concerns ranging from the impact of poor air quality (2:30), responding to skepticism about sampling without changing the oil, (5:25), a customer outside the US wonders how they can get in on Blackstone oil analysis (13:50), and the latest sample from a WRX breaks a nice trend (15:40). Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get started with ⁠our free test kit!⁠ Host: Joe Adams  Producer: Joshua Straley --- Send in a voice message: https://pod...

93: Justin and the Million-Mile Accord

June 19, 2023 13:34 - 31 minutes - 36.4 MB

Everyone wants their car, pick-up truck, or mini-van's engine to run for a long time. But few people would ever envision an engine lasting over 1,000,000 miles. Justin Kilmer did just that with his Honda Accord's V6. Blackstone Joe talks with Justin Kilmer about his record-setting million miles on his Honda Accord's V-6, the maintenance it took to reach that mark, and how the engine looked in its Blackstone Laboratories samples. Follow Justin on Instagram and YouTube. Ready to start your ...

92: In Focus

June 05, 2023 13:35 - 15 minutes - 17.9 MB

After years of looking at oil reports, especially the reports that don't look so good due to poor wear or contamination, it's important to single out and appreciate the engines that are producing truly exceptional results. This episode takes aim at a 2.0L Turbo EcoBoost sample that just looked too good for our host, Blackstone Joe, to pass up. Listen as he breaks down what made the report so impressive, and how oil analysis is the only way to find out just how well an engine is performing in...

91: Sample First, Ask Questions Later

May 22, 2023 13:26 - 13 minutes - 12.6 MB

You should never read the comments, but Blackstone Joe braved them for this pod. Blackstone Joe addresses the questions and concerns quite a few commenters had about him sampling his Chevy Blazer without changing its oil. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joseph Adams Producer: Joshua Straley --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-labor...

Sample First, Ask Questions Later

May 22, 2023 13:26 - 13 minutes - 12.6 MB

You should never read the comments, but Blackstone Joe braved them for this pod. Blackstone Joe addresses the questions and concerns quite a few commenters had about him sampling his Chevy Blazer without changing its oil. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joseph Adams Producer: Joshua Straley

90: A Honda Civic Comeback with Brian Despain

May 08, 2023 13:06 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MB

Senior Analyst Brian Despain is back on Slick Talk to talk in-depth with Blackstone Joe about an 17,000-mile oil change interval on his Honda Civic, why the results didn't look great, and how Brian got the numbers back on track. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit ⁠here⁠. Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joseph Adams Producer: Joshua Straley --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-l...

89: Dial "D" for Data

April 24, 2023 12:11 - 12 minutes - 14.7 MB

Your latest dose of oil analysis podcasting is here. This week Blackstone Joe answers a listener question about fuel dilution and water contamination in Yamaha outboard engines (1:20) then discusses three samples (reclaimed fuel oil, industrial hydraulic oil, and one from a Subaru Outback) that required dialing up the customer for more information (5:30). Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit here. Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. H...

88: Meet the Analyst with Brian Despain

April 10, 2023 13:19 - 49 minutes - 56.7 MB

Meet Brian! His voice may be familiar to you already if you've called in to discuss one of your reports, but today we go beyond the report page and meet the man behind the keys. Blackstone Joe sat down with Brian to learn what brought Brian to the 'stone - it's a winding road that includes a stint with the Marines, narrowly escaping an arranged marriage, and talents beyond report writing. But before calling it a day, Brian presents Joe with a few instances where oil analysis saved the day fo...

87: How To Make Do

March 27, 2023 12:46 - 22 minutes - 25.7 MB

The pandemic, inflation, and shortages haven't made maintenance easy over the past three years. Customers can't find their usual oil or their usual choice of filter in some cases. This week Blackstone Joe digs into a few situations where oil analysis can help customers sleep easier at night when trying to make do with their engines. Plus, Joe answers a question from friend of the pod, Crazy Dave, about Unit IDs on Blackstone Labs reports. Bonus: Blackstone Joe's recipe for the Greatest Chi...

86: Meet The Analyst with Miranda Beck

March 13, 2023 13:29 - 44 minutes - 50.9 MB

We know our customers are interested in learning all they can about the data, but what about the analyst themselves? Hard-hitting questions like, "Are you a cat or dog person," "coffee or tea," "what superpowers did you acquire during quarantine," the list goes on. Blackstone Joe sat down with senior analyst Miranda Beck to break down these very same questions, and much, much more. After getting to know Miranda, we wrap things up with a breakdown of an aircraft sample where the oil held cruc...

85: Oil in a Day's Work

February 27, 2023 14:20 - 15 minutes - 17.9 MB

Every oil has a story, and that's not only the tagline for the best petroleum-based podcast. In this episode, Blackstone Joe breaks down an application for used oil analysis that was new to him, as well as a look behind the scenes of how Blackstone connects with customers beyond the data. We wrap things up with a tale of an interesting sampling technique that had a noticeable impact on the results. It's oil in a day's work, folks.  Host: Joseph Adams Producer: Joshua Straley --- Send in...

84: Whose Oil is This Anyway?

February 13, 2023 14:06 - 17 minutes - 19.6 MB

The eye test for oil is good for many things, but determining the exact viscosity, additive package, and severity of contamination is a bridge too far even for the far-sighted among us. The Blackstone Labs standard analysis will break down the viscosity range the oil falls in, additive elements, and the presence of contaminants such as fuel or coolant. Episode 84 is all about how you'll be better equipped in finding out -- whose oil is this anyway? Host: Joe Adams Producer: Joshua Straley ...

83: BMWs & Bearings Revisited

January 30, 2023 14:14 - 23 minutes - 27.4 MB

Blackstone Joe is revisiting one of Slick Talk's very first subjects this week - BMWs and rod bearing wear (3:30). Joe digs into the most at risk engines, how to spot a bearing problem in oil analysis, and a few things to keep in mind when building trends for your own car. And then, Joe tackles a listener question about extended oil use, oil filtration, and how it can affect piston rings in the The Catch Pan segment (19:05). Host: Joseph Adams Producer: Joshua Straley --- Send in a voic...

82: Flux it up!

January 16, 2023 13:50 - 20 minutes - 23.9 MB

The New Year is off to an interesting start for Slick Talk. In Episode 82, Blackstone Joe addresses a customer's unique way of testing the pH of a coolant samples (1:10). Then, a customer's curiosity about the difference between hot and cold sampling gives Slick Talk its first Catch Pan segment  of 2023 (6:25), and then finally Joe finally digs into today's main topic of flux compound. What is it? Why do we see it? And how should it be handled for diesel and other turbocharged engine owners ...

81: Ode to 2022

January 02, 2023 13:00 - 20 minutes - 23.4 MB

What was it that Matthew McConaughey said about looking back to move forward? Well, Blackstone Joe must have watched one too many of those commercials, because the start of 2023 finds our host looking back on 2022, fondly of course, with a few different highlights in mind. First, we revisit a past episode and dig a little deeper into low and no-oil situations (2:18).  Next, Blackstone Joe answers Slick Talk's very first caller question (9:00) about a faulty MAP sensor and whether or not fuel...

80: High-mileage engines, when to sample a new Lycoming, and an MB makes a comeback

December 19, 2022 14:17 - 21 minutes - 24.4 MB

'Tis the Pod before Christmas and Blackstone Joe is back with a triple-header of oil analysis topics. Do high wear levels go hand in hand with a high-mileage motor? A Toyota Tacoma and its 1GR-FE hitting 400,000 miles provide insight into our expectations from an aging engine (01:54). Then, Joe tackles an email question about what's the right time to sample a freshly rebuilt Lycoming IO-540 is. Hint: it's sooner than you'd expect (05:25). Thirdly, Joe breaks down the latest sample from an MB...

79: Magic Number

December 05, 2022 15:22 - 19 minutes - 22.6 MB

A customer recently emailed and had the question: is there a magic number somewhere on this report? They were asking if in any particular area, one number or result could tell them about the overall condition of their engine. Blackstone Joe thought this was an ideal time to break down the lack of an overall score/grade on our oil report, and why we instead opt for a much more comprehensive approach, breaking down the sample in its entirety and explaining why the results are high are low, and...

78: Consistency

November 21, 2022 14:24 - 13 minutes - 12.9 MB

A podcast listener wrote in with an interesting question: how do we ensure consistency in the results, no matter who the analyst is? At Blackstone, there is a multi-layered review process that starts with the login process and carries through to the final report. Blackstone Joe is here to break down that approach, as well as give a special s/o to an engine with results that he just couldn't help but share with listeners of the show.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify...

77: No oil, no problem?

November 08, 2022 15:30 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MB

It's a common scenario in our line of work: engine runs dangerously low on oil and the owner is left to wonder what's the damage. Are repairs, replacement, or a rebuild inevitable? Or, did the engine escape without any obvious issues showing up in the used oil? Blackstone Joe is here to break down two scenarios with very different outcomes, detailing why it's important to not to jump to conclusions and go straight to the data. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/po...

77. No oil, no problem?

November 08, 2022 15:30 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MB

It's a common scenario in our line of work: engine runs dangerously low on oil and the owner is left to wonder what's the damage. Are repairs, replacement, or a rebuild inevitable? Or, did the engine escape without any obvious issues showing up in the used oil? Blackstone Joe is here to break down two scenarios with very different outcomes, detailing why it's important to not to jump to conclusions and go straight to the data.

76: They Said, We Said

October 24, 2022 12:15 - 15 minutes - 17.3 MB

The oil you buy probably has a recommended amount of mileage on it, "Good for xxx miles!" the text will usually read. When sending in a sample of the used oil, though, we often find ourselves recommending an interval that contradicts whatever is promised on the label, and some owners (rightfully so) want to know, "What gives?" In episode 76, Blackstone Joe is here to break down one of those very same instances, where the results, one in particular, really, called for a careful approach before...

75: Where To Begin Vol. 2

October 10, 2022 12:11 - 20 minutes - 18.4 MB

Should I sample the first oil change?The short answer: yes. But you'll want to listen as Blackstone Joe breaks down the reason why sampling the first oil change is valuable, even if there is likely to be excess metal and silicon from wear-in and sealer washing outShould I wait to sample until I suspect a problem?It's always a good idea to check on your engine when you think something is wrong, but starting with oil analysis before you suspect a problem is even more valuable. Blackstone Joe di...

74: Do's and Don'ts

September 26, 2022 12:30 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MB

Picture this: the engine you own is facing either certain contamination or the possibility thereof, and you're now faced with deciding how to proceed with the maintenance plan. You might be wondering whether you should use an additive, if recent work might have impacted the results, or how you can go about looking for symptoms of a problem on your end. In this episode, Blackstone Joe is here to break down the do's and don'ts when it comes to addressing coolant, fuel, or excess dirt in the eng...

73: Q&A With the Analyst

September 12, 2022 14:48 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MB

Today's questions include:What's the difference between gas/diesel and aircraft engine oils?Does it matter if I'm using a filter magnet?Will residual additive skew results?How much oil do I need to sample?What information slip to use?Is oil analysis worthwhile before buying? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-laboratories/message

Episode 73: Q&A With the Analyst

September 12, 2022 14:48 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MB

Today's questions include: What's the difference between gas/diesel and aircraft engine oils? Does it matter if I'm using a filter magnet? Will residual additive skew results? How much oil do I need to sample? What information slip to use? Is oil analysis worthwhile before buying?

72: When Do I Check Back?

August 29, 2022 12:32 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MB

No matter the reason for a customer's initial sample, there tends to be a familiar follow-up question: When do I check back? Listen as Blackstone Joe unpacks the question, and how it's important to send in a follow-up sample, especially when harder use is part of the equation.Bonus segments:Used oil analysis - not just for engines!Blackstone Joe responds to internet maintenance tips --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-laboratories/message

Episode 72: When Do I Check Back?

August 29, 2022 12:32 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MB

No matter the reason for a customer's initial sample, there tends to be a familiar follow-up question: When do I check back? Listen as Blackstone Joe unpacks the question, and how it's important to send in a follow-up sample, especially when harder use is part of the equation. Bonus segments: Used oil analysis - not just for engines! Blackstone Joe responds to internet maintenance tips

71: Mixed Signals

August 15, 2022 11:46 - 14 minutes - 12.8 MB

It's never a good idea to jump to conclusions, especially when it comes to vehicle maintenance. In this episode, Blackstone Joe breaks down an example where an owner noticed low oil pressure, which can be evidence of a bearing problem, but not always. Enter the value of used oil analysis, where the owner was able to find out if the bearings were in fact wearing poorly, or if there might have been another explanation for the engine suddenly having low oil pressure. --- Send in a voice messa...

Episode 71: Mixed Signals

August 15, 2022 11:46 - 14 minutes - 12.8 MB

It's never a good idea to jump to conclusions, especially when it comes to vehicle maintenance. In this episode, Blackstone Joe breaks down an example where an owner noticed low oil pressure, which can be evidence of a bearing problem, but not always. Enter the value of used oil analysis, where the owner was able to find out if the bearings were in fact wearing poorly, or if there might have been another explanation for the engine suddenly having low oil pressure.

70: To change or not to change?

August 01, 2022 11:30 - 21 minutes - 24.2 MB

It's the age old question. "Do I need to change my oil?"Blackstone Joe is back in Episode 70 to answer this very question by breaking down a sample from his own 2021 Chevy Blazer.With a trip to Louisville looming, will the oil have what it takes to go the distance or is it time for a change? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-laboratories/message