Like everybody else, I've been using Blackstone for years, with NO problems. There have been issues with shipping, and issues with broken collection containers, leakage, stuff like that. But once the oil got to Blackstone, I've never had a problem. So just last month I decided to try Napa's kit. I can't remember the p/n, but it was like 50 bucks, and it has collection and shipping instructions, etc. I collected and shipped the sample, and USPS tracking showed it was delivered to their lab in Norcross GA on 5/8. When you fill the form that you include with the sample, you tear off the bottom, and keep that stub. That has another tracking number "NAPA 1234567", something like that. That's, I assume, their internal tracking. I had expected to get an email with the status at some point, but just let it go, and actually kinda forgot about it for awhile, until the customer asked about it. I called the Napa I bought it from, and asked what to do about it, and they didn't know. They didn't even know how to get in touch with the lab. I saved the shipping info, and found out it was sent to ALS Global in GA. I sent an inquiry to them from their website, and after being shuffled around for a few days, ultimately was told they lost the sample. Get this - the guy said "just send another one". I told him "I'm going to send you 2 things, Jack and **** and Jack just left town". What a hassle! Back to Blackstone for me.
Have you compared your local Cat dealer on both price & turnaround time in comparison to Blackstone.? I have no idea what Blackstone do in terms of interpretation of the results either.
We use our local Cat dealer and IIRC they charge $27.50 per sample. This includes the bottle, label, plastic tube and prepaid shipping package. All we do is take the sample, drop it in the mail and wait for the email. It usually takes 2-3 weeks to get a sample back from when we mail it. If we need it sooner we can call ahead and take it to the lab for quicker results.
We had a daily sample run to our local Cat dealer SOS lab. The turnaround time for results once they received a sample was normally 48 hours from the time they received it, or 24 hours if it was marked as urgent. The results were posted online.
When I did oil testing-it went to Cat in Meridian Id. Western States Cat, three days flat.
I never even thought of cat. I’ll look into em. No particular beef with Blackstone, but I like what I’m hearing.
That's where ours go. I like that they include all past sample data for that specific engine or compartment. They have deals occasionally where you buy a whole box of sample kits, and the cost is less than twenty bucks per kit.
My old office at Western States was directly above the sample lab at the 500 East Overland Rd. campus. Good times at WSC.
We use our local CAT dealer, drop it off yourself and u get results back in a day or two. One time same day, during winter tho. Mail usually week to 10day I receive email
You didn't happen to know Rocky Church in the truck shop did you?
Yes. Wonderful and intelligent fella. Oversaw all the TEPS dealers and truck engine sales at that time. Mountain bike enthusiast. Rocky is a extraordinary Cat truck engine subject matter expert. He teaches at CWI now, I believe.
Rocky was the night shift lead when I met him. Fantastic individual and mechanic. He gave me his business card which had his home number on it (before cell phones). I called him one Sunday morning from Alamo, NV with a high fuel pressure concern on a B model. He talked me through that one and saved me having to get it looked at. Good to hear he is teaching! Edit to add: My trucks had all work done at that shop. They took good care of me.
Oil sampling got us a new final drive at no cost on our oldest 279D that was just out of warranty.
The friend of mine of mine that spent 25 years working the truck shop end of Cat, Spokane, Pasco, Pendleton and Walla Walla when Cat had a shop here knew of Rocky, said he was a sharp guy. * Dwight taught diesel through WWCC program at the penitentiary here, said it was the biggest waste of four years he ever spent.
There was a fellow in the Pasco shop that caught an issue on a friend's new truck. Big guy by the name of Rick as I recall. Truck with less than 30,000 miles had a check valve in the primer pump flip. Rick guessed that that was the issue right off the bat. I was impressed!
Those primer pumps were notorious, especially the short stroke type.