FYI Blackstone Report After First 3,500 Miles On 2023 New Tacoma

I never wait 5,000 miles to do oil changes. To get a baseline for the future I sent in a sample of the oil from the first oil change. The oil that came from the factory. Here are the results... ALOT of metal

 

Completely normal for a first oil change. I changed mine at 1,000 miles and could see all sorts of shiny stuff in it. Been clean ever since, doing 5k intervals.

 

I would hardly call break in oil a "good baseline" unless your baseline is more of a ceiling.

 

Similarly I did my first change around 4k then another before the "free" 10k service. I've got a couple of Blackstone kits and keep forgetting to grab a sample to send in. I'll try to remember at 25k.

I'm comfortable with 10k oil change intervals under certain conditions but definitely not for the first 10k miles.

 

First oil change is not setting a baseline. It literally is worst case. 20K should be baseline, everything after compared to that.

10K at dealership for me and I never even open the hood myself unless it is to add washer fluid or remove pine needles.

 

Since I know your day job is oil and hydraulics, do you worry about metal shavings in the first oil change? Are there any reasons to change early just to get them out of the system?

 

No, for several reasons, and this is professional me, not truck owner sarcastic me.
1. Any time you break into a oil system, you expose your system to outside air. You would not believe how much tiny dust there is in the air. Now that dust is in your oil.
2. So much bad information and false information is on the internet, including here. For example, people say their oil is dirty because it gets dark and they think dark means dirt. What it is is soot, which is a byproduct of combustion, and a soot particle is way too small to do any damage.
3. Visual wear particles. In a gearbox, if you see particles they can cause problems. In an engine, if you see particles, they are way too big to fit into the wear areas so they are not hurting anything.
4. There is little difference between synthetic hydraulic fluid and synthetic engine oil. In fact, many machine manufacturers use engine oil in their hydraulic system. The difference is the soot in an engine.
5. The main reason you change your engine oil at 10K and let your hydraulic go for 10000 hours ( five years) is the soot. That soot will turn into sludge if you don't change your fluid.
6. Lastly, driving a passenger vehicle like we do is literally the easiest application for an engine ever. If you tow 5K every day? I would change it every 5K.

 

I always change the oil around 3,000 miles I have seen horror stories where people wait 5,000-10,000 miles between oil changes. Thee extra $70 a year is worth the peace of mind

And yes I wanted to flush all the contaminants out.

Also, with the OEM oil it sounded like a diesel tractor. With the Mobil1 Performance oil it is MUCH MUCH MUCH quieter.

As far as wanting a baseline, I know there would be alot of metal. So next oil change I can see if its cleared out, then test the next oil change, etc....

 

Great info thanks!

One question for you, all the old timers used to say that the best way to clean out an old engine is to run ATF in it for a few miles and the detergents will clean the engine. What the real facts behind that?

 

@Trail Limo case in point. I have 35 years under me as an engineer, designing hydraulic systems and gear boxes. Apparently, piece of mind trumps any experience.

 

Not valid anymore. The synthetic oils with their additives negate needing that. If you ran straight 40W, then sure. Now? Not needed.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...y-before-10k-miles-on-your-new-tacoma.707123/

Pairs nicely with my thread. It does seem worth while doing the FIRST oil change early. We have nearly identical readings. Aluminum, Iron, Copper, Silicon are all elevated.

 

just get the engine rebuilt ASAP

 

i am 79 and this is the first i have every heard of it.
Maybe the guy on Roadway Rescues but he also carries a gas can in his car and runs duck tapes a rubber hose on the outside of the car to the carburetor and drives down the road!

 

stop wasting your money on nice oil that lasts at least 10k miles then.

yep, my grandpappy ran water instead of oil in his model T and it’s still running to this day!