Slick Talk: Powered By Blackstone Laboratories

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

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...

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?

This episode is comprised of four acts. Act 1: Open: An update on the Paul Blart Saga at Blackstone Laboratories. Act 2: A Lycoming owner switches to 15W/50 and we find a noticeable change in the trends, one element in particular. Was it a problem or not? Listen and you'll hear Blackstone Joe unpack the outcome. Act 3: Seawater can reach the engine oil, but will it always show up the same way? It'...

An O-300 had a problem and it wasn't obvious on the operator's end, but luckily they sent an oil sample along. The problem was clear as day in the used oil, helping the owner keep the engine up in the air and keeping the repairs far less costly than they would be otherwise. You can reference the report data on our Insta, FB, and Twitter pages. The drama doesn't end there, though. Listen as Blackst...

You want an engine to make good power, but making oil? Not so much. If you notice a rising oil level on the dipstick or that you drain more oil than you put in, there's a couple of contaminants that could be in play. Listen as Blackstone Joe details what sort of contaminants are likely to cause an increase in the oil level, how we find them in testing, and what to do next if you have a problem.

In this episode, Blackstone Joe takes you through a few scenarios that analysts around Blackstone Laboratories find themselves in on a daily basis -- making sense of sudden changes in an aircraft engine's wear profile, evaluating low viscosity readings in a motorcycle engine, and suggesting longer oil change intervals.

Whether it's an actor onstage or an engine, a break in character can speak to a problem, but not always do increases in wear or indicators of contamination result in a problem. Instead, a break in character (or trends) can be the result of wear-in from repairs, or a newly-installed part. In this episode, Blackstone Joe unpacks exactly this type of shift where an engine that had built a reputation...

A sample where nothing was as it seems? That's exactly what happened to Blackstone Joe when he pulled up an aircraft sample that looked anything but right. Unusual additives, physical properties, and spikes in wear metals and silicon meant something had to be wrong. Want to learn more? Just press play on this episode. Thanks for listening!

A/C owners, folks wondering if that sample they took a while ago is still good for testing, and even those wondering how worried (if at all) they should be about an out-of-spec result will benefit from hearing this episode of Slick Talk, wherein Blackstone Joe breaks down helpful rules to live by that will make the process of sending in a sample and understanding the results afterward that much ea...

Oil is what you know us for, but it's by no means the entire scope of our analysis. Coolant and understanding whether it's serviceable is another crucial element to what makes a liquid-cooled engine stay on the road. Listen as Blackstone Joe unpacks the components of our analysis, bringing with him a few samples that illustrate what makes for a serviceable sample, and what can call for a flush/ins...

Switching from one oil type to another can invite a lot of concern, but that doesn't have to be the case. In this episode, you'll learn how an owner that went from years of running one grade changed to another and wound up with results that were strikingly similar. Our host, Blackstone Joe, wasn't surprised and tells you exactly why he more or less expected the results post-switch to be a mirror-i...

From the declassified files of Blackstone Joe: Fuel Forum Noir - a harrowing tale of concern on the keyboards, and an owner looking for answers.

Automotive engineer by day, and all around good guy Matt B, a.k.a. @garage_engineer joins Blackstone Joe on Episode 59 of Slick Talk! Learn all about Matt's beloved 1987 Camaro, finding and fixing a coolant leak, and much, much more!

Every result has an explanation - sometimes that's high wear due to a problem, or elements that make clear the presence of contamination, the wrong oil being in use, and the list goes on. It's also true, though, that a less-than-ideal result doesn't always amount to a problem. High metals from wear-in, or elements that can be harmless additive as opposed to contamination are just a couple scenario...

Join Blackstone Joe and Brandon, a lab operator on staff at Blackstone, as they unpack the thrilling history of Brandon's beloved GT500. Symptoms of a problem were apparent on the driver's end, especially in a certain noise the engine was making. You'll hear the exact noise in the episode, as well as what Brandon was able to find after tearing into the engine. Repairs followed, and you'll hear Joe...

It was Blackstone Joe's turn to analyze a couple of oil filters in the lab, and sure enough he uncovered signs of excess wear that, along with results from an oil analysis, helped inform the owner of potential problems. It wasn't all bad news, though. Listen as Blackstone Joe unpacks particulate other than metal that doesn't necessarily call for alarm. If you're unfamiliar with filter analysis or...

See survey link for Episode 55: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Q8BWZKQWith the release of "Episode 54," we had some burning questions for the listeners of Slick Talk, centered around what would make you keep, get rid of/junk a vehicle. Now Blackstone Joe is back in the host chair, and ready to break down your answers and how oil analysis can play such a valuable role in helping you maintain a vehi...

SURVEY LINK: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SFMD5H7If you're curious where to begin with testing, this episode is for you. Blackstone Joe is back in the host chair and offering a walkthrough of testing, what we run if you don't ask for anything, and what to ask for on the slip especially if you are short on a full sample or want tests in addition to the all-important standard analysis. Enjoy!

Blackstone Joe is back in the host chair and here to break down the makings of a good report, and why even just the two words "good report" mean so much, both in regards to how your engine is doing and the hard work you put in to earn a favorable review. Come for the data, stay for the food analogies, mention of our latest adventures in social media content, a food recommendation, and more.

Even when everything seems fine, taking a sample from your engine is a crucial part of the maintenance plan. Doing so can help you catch a problem in the very early stages, far before a failure, and that's exactly what occurred for the engine we focus on in this latest episode, one that had a silent killer waiting in the wings. Listen as Blackstone Joe unpacks the problem in question, how we found...

Intro - 0:00-4:00: Blackstone Joe is back in the host chair, ready to greet you with a TV show recommendation and a question about how to handle a recycling bandit, or bandits, in the neighborhood (hey, it can't be all data, all the time). When to sample - 4:00-7:45: Folks ask all the time, how often should I sample? To answer this FAQ, Joe goes back to the well for another timely running analogy,...

Episode Guide:0-4:19 - Latest albums we've been listening to. Joe and Ben first bonded over music and as such they like catching each other up on the latest albums they've been jamming to in the office. 4:20-31:22 - Unit IDs defined and the IDs we loveBen defines what exactly a Unit ID is in the Blackstone Universe, and from there Joe and Ben talk favorite Unit IDs they've come across, and a littl...

A long-awaited guest finally joins the program: Ryan Stark, president of Blackstone Laboratories. This is a wide-ranging interview, covering everything from the early days of Blackstone, how the business has evolved over the years, and of course fun facts about the man himself. Enjoy!

Analyzing a filter can prove just as worthwhile as analyzing used oil. But there’s a big difference in exactly how this analysis is conducted and the information you can gather. If you’ve ever wondered what useful knowledge you can glean from your engine’s filter, look no further than this episode, hosted by Blackstone Joe.