Speaking of oil analysis....
I just sent my first sample in to Monitor, and received the report back. Very extensive, but lacking any in-depth explanation. The only notation was pertaining to potassium content, which measured at "22". I use various additives sporadically, have 24K miles on the truck (2004.5) and 9500 on the oil, with very little towing, run a Ramifier on partial setting, and changed the oil, but wanted to know what it was showing. The only wear metals above "1" were: Iron--"57", AL--"8", and CU--"4". Under the "Additive Element" heading were: Magnesium at "513", Calcium at "2658", Phosphorus at "1369", and Zinc at "1409".
Fuel dilution was 1.9%, Soot was 0.5%, and water was <.1%.
Any comments are greatly appreciated.
PMing me would be great, as would sharing the info with all, or e-mailing me at mikeshawnee2 @aol.com
Thank ya Much, Mike

 

I was always of the "only take the cover off if you're really THAT curious is the used vehicle you bought was Posi" school, but I drained the fluid in the rear diff in mine at 15k and it looked like metallic brown paint coming out. Probably 1/8 inch of silver goo on the magnet, and a flake the size of a fingernail stuck to it too. I'm about 10k into this fill, I'll change it for sure, if it shapes up this time I might extend it some, but if it continues to come out looking like that I may actually step it up some, all that metal in the lube has to be hard on parts. The few times I've had the pan off of a diff, it never even came close to looking as bad as mine did, even the Chevy 10 bolt I fragged the spider gears in.