The oil analysis and other suggestions are good. Do you have any blow by? Take the oil filler cap off with the engine running and see if any smoke signals come out. Does it use any oil between changes? It is a lot cheaper to do a cylinder compression test than pull the head. A compression test may indicate if there is any real cylinder scarring or ring damage.

 

I think I would hang a for sale sign on it and wave bye bye...the guy who sold it to you at least deserves an aZZ kicking...

 

got my lab results from blackstone. doesn't look too bad either, i guess my truck will live another day and i don't think i will hang a for sale sign in it.

i don't really know how to post the whole report but here's some cut and paste from the comments:

BRENT: Thanks for the note. The engine looks pretty good, considering the 9000 miles it went with no air filter. Universal averages show typical wear levels from this type of engine after 6300 miles on the oil. This oil was run 6250 miles, and most metals are around averages. Aluminum and iron are a bit higher, and that makes sense. When you get abrasive air bouncing around in the cylinders like that, it can cause higher wear. Now that you've corrected the problem, we should find better numbers next time. TBN = 7.5, still good. No coolant/fuel found. The viscosity is good.

 

Just type in the elements/info in a column down the page...this can show us what your wear metals are like. Sounds positive so far, be good to see the wear metals.
IE: an erroneous number just for example,
Iron 35
ALuminum 3
Lead 4
Tin 3
Copper 5
Silicon 6


And at the bottom, give us all the particulars like viscosity and fuel, coolant etc...
I think we're all anxious to see your results...sounds like you got lucky!

 

well here is my oil report. this is just me typing it in, either way the values are there.

MI on oil 6250
MI on engine 149100
sample date 12/09/08

Actual/Average Values
ALUMINUM 7 / 3
CHROMIUM 4 / 2
IRON 50 / 25
COPPER 2 / 8
LEAD 2 / 3
TIN 0 / 1
MOLYBDENUM 3 / 27
NICKEL 1 / 0
MANGANESE 1 / 1
SILVER 0 / 0
TITANIUM 0 / 0
POTASSIUM 7 / 2
BORON 25 / 91
SILICON 14 / 7
SODIUM 3 / 6
CALCIUM 2173 / 2810
MAGNESIUM 34 / 249
PHOSPHORUS 955 / 1088
ZINC 1117 / 1271
BARIUM 0 / 1


SUS Viscosity @ 210°F 80.5
Flashpoint in °F 425
Fuel % <0.5
Antifreeze % 0
Water % 0
Insolubles % 0.3
TBN 7.5

 

Wow...not bad considering what happened...Your wear numbers honestly don't even looking like you ran without an air filter. I'd say you're fine.

 

i'm for sure glade the engine is ok but the only thing is, i wonder how extensive the damage is to the compressor wheel. i don't have a boost gauge so i don't know if i have lost anything but it didn't feel like a new one that's for sure. a ford diesel tech friend of mine says they get that way with high miles, he's seen trucks that even run filters (haha) with damage similar to mine and guys don't even know it. so i don't know if i should worry about it or not, i do like upgrades though...

 

Sounds like a good excuse for a new turbo (or 2) to me...

 

Wow! that is ammazing!

I run a fair bit of gravel and what not and it always ammazes me the amoun of junk I find in my filter.

It can be just gross.

I'd say mine gets changed every 20,000 miles or so.

It's usually caked with dirt and in the summertime, piles of buys, weed seeds etc.

I'm ammazed that more dammage has not been done.

Good luck, I hope your tuck wasn't seriously dammaged.

 

That is amazing. My filter gets leaves, dirt, cotton, small twigs, all kinds of stuff stuck to it.

Are you sure the filter didn't fall off/out sometime more recently???

Just doesn't make sense to me.

 

Did you have a 'friend' helping you, that might be pulling a prank? Although if you run under normal driving conditions and stay out of the fields during the harvest or planting, and off gravel I'm not surprised. I put 26,000 miles on my Aprilia Mile RSV without an airfilter, and it had a ram air set up right from the nose of the bike to the throttle body. It sill had cross hatches when the kid I sold it to totalled it. That bike was BEAT on too.

 

Well I am happy your oil test came back good. I would put 4000 miles on the next oil. Catch a sample and send it in and have the same test ran. This will tell you all you need to know. Tell them what oil you are runing this way they can give you a good report on the oil also if you can run longer on the oil. I let about a gal run out then catch your sample put the oil back in wate for the report. Good luck == Ben.