High nickel in used oil analysis Jeep

JACQUESROTH

MEMBER
1997 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE
V8
AWD
AUTOMATIC
253,021 MILES

I have a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 5.2L V-8, about 253K miles. Used oil analysis is showing very high nickel (24 ppm in oil used for 3270 miles). A previous test done 61k miles earlier was high but not critical (11 ppm in 2045 miles). Both tests show very low levels of other wear metals, well in the normal range. Does anybody know what parts in this engine may be coated with or plated with nickel that might be wearing out?

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011 AT 9:00 PM

4 Replies

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,005 POSTS

THE TESTING FACILITY, HAD NO CLUE?

MY BEST GUESS WOULD BE ENGINE BEARINGS, CRANK, CAM, ETC

I'VE NEVER READ INGREDIENTS ON THE PACKAGING! LOL!

MAYBE A GOOGLE SEARCH WILL TELL COMPOSITIONS.I'LL GO LOOK!

THE MEDIC

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Wednesday, July 20th, 2011 AT 11:38 PM

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,005 POSTS

GOSH THAT WAS FAST CJ MEDEVAC!

I SORTA STOPPED ON THE 1ST ONE

GAS / DIESEL......SAME THANG!......I RECKON A BEARING, IS A BEARING! MANUFACTURE'S PROCESSES MAY VARY. BEARING MUST BE MADE FROM HARD STUFF TO LAST AS LONG AS THEY DO.

http://www.marinediesels.info/2_stroke_engine_parts/Other_info/bearing_materials.htm

THE MEDIC

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Wednesday, July 20th, 2011 AT 11:46 PM

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,005 POSTS

BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS.

ARE YOU HAVING VEHICLE ISSUES?

WHY WOULD YOU HAVE THIS TEST DONE?

WHO SUGGESTED IT?

HOW MUCH DID IT COST?

AFTER THE TEST AND YOU WERE GIVEN THE RESULTS, WHAT WAS SAID OR WRITTEN, OTHER THAN THE COMPOSITION OF YOUR OIL?

NEVER DEALT WITH THIS BEFORE, ANY INFO YOU CAN PROVIDE, MAY HELP ME IN THE FUTURE.

THANK YOU!

THE MEDIC

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Thursday, July 21st, 2011 AT 7:49 PM

JACQUESROTH

MEMBER
2 POSTS

So far I have had no vehicle issues. I am a pilot and knew oil analysis was often used for aircraft engines. I am just concerned about the mileage on the engine and was hoping to get an early warning if it was about to fail, so I could put a new engine together beforehand and not be stuck for a long time without it. But I don't know if this is the big warning or not. Oil Analyzers, Inc. Just gave me a list of quite a few possible sources of nickel -valve plating, shafts, gears, roller bearings, liners (which the engine does not even have). The two reasonable suggestions people have made are valve plating and wear of the babbitt on the bearings exposing nickel underneath. But I don't know which for sure or perhaps there is another cause.

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Thursday, July 21st, 2011 AT 10:46 PM