Every oil has a story, especially oils that come from engines, transmissions, even machinery used for industrial applications. At Blackstone Laboratories, we test it all, and with the show Slick Talk, our host Joe Adams offers your very own look (or listen) behind the curtain.
The Slick Talk: Powered By Blackstone Laboratories podcast is a hidden gem for car enthusiasts and anyone interested in oil analysis. As someone who has been curious about automotive oil for a while, stumbling upon this podcast was a pleasant surprise. The episodes are not only informative but also entertaining, making it easy to listen to and learn from.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is the wealth of knowledge shared by the hosts and guests. Joe, the host, does an excellent job explaining technical aspects of oil analysis and engine wear in a way that is accessible to listeners with varying levels of expertise. The guests, including industry experts like Michael Thomas from Shell, bring even more insights and experiences to the table. The topics covered are diverse and cover everything from automotive oil analysis to aviation engine wear.
Another great aspect of this podcast is the audio quality. The production value is top-notch, ensuring a clear listening experience. This is especially important when discussing technical subjects like oil analysis. Additionally, the episode lengths are just right - long enough to delve deep into a topic but short enough to hold the listener's attention.
While it's hard to find any major drawbacks to this podcast, some listeners may find the focus on oil analysis too niche for their interests. However, even those who are not particularly interested in cars or engines can still appreciate the level of detail and expertise shared on the show.
In conclusion, The Slick Talk: Powered By Blackstone Laboratories podcast is an intriguing and informative listen for car enthusiasts and anyone curious about the world of oil analysis. Joe's expertise and ability to explain complex concepts make this podcast accessible to both novices and experts in the field. Whether you're a wrench turner or just looking to understand what's happening inside your engine, give this podcast a listen - you won't be disappointed.
We get asked a lot of questions, but just as often, we don't get asked anything at all. When we receive a sample with little to no information, how do we figure out what the customer might want to know? Blackstone Joe has the answers.Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit.Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169.Host: Joe AdamsProducer: Arryn Dennard
Is it time to change your oil? We addressed that question back in episode 105: No Time To Change. Blackstone Joe revisits that episode, and examines how our perspective has shifted since then.Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit.Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169.Host: Joe AdamsProducers: Joshua Straley and Arryn Dennard
Meet Augustia! Another of our new bright stars, Augustia shares how her love of writing and knack for science brought her into the Blackstone fold. She and Blackstone Joe discuss what it's like to be a new writer, how they find the creativity necessary to crank out report after report, and share a few tidbits of advice for any potential new analysts.Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit.Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169.Host: Joe AdamsProducer: Arryn DennardGuest: Augustia Robinson
Oil analysis is a complicated topic, and no one knows that better than a freshly hired Blackstone writer. Helping new analysts master the nuances of the various engines, industrial applications, fuels, and other samples we see on a daily basis is one of the most important responsibilities senior analysts have. Teaching new writers how to communicate that info is a whole other beast. This episode explores how we at Blackstone go about training the analysts that go on to provide you vital info with every sample.Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit.Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169.Host: Joe AdamsProducer: Arryn Dennard
Meet Chris! One of our brightest up-and-coming junior analysts, Chris has also recently taken responsibility for the newsletters we send out quarterly. He joins Blackstone Joe in studio to talk about how his history as a journalist informs his report writing style, and how the writers around him inspire his current work. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit.Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169.Host: Joe AdamsProducer: Arryn DennardGuest: Chris Tulley
You might have noticed a change to our gas/diesel engine oil info slips: we no longer include the question, "Would you like a TBN?" President Ryan Stark joins Blackstone Joe in studio to discuss where that change comes from.Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit.Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169.Host: Joe AdamsProducer: Arryn Dennard
What's more stressful than buying a used vehicle? Not much, especially when you don't have a lot of info about the vehicle (car, boat, plane, etc.) in question. Fortunately, oil analysis can shed some light.Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit.Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169.Host: Joe AdamsProducer: Arryn Dennard
What kind of vehicle, fresh off the assembly line, would see the sort of use that results in frequent redlining? The answer may surprise you!Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit.Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169.Host: Joe AdamsProducer: Arryn Dennard
You might be, but your oil isn't! Every system could use an oil change once in a while, and here's why. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard
What happens when you run longer between oil changes? What changes to the data do we anticipate, and what should stay the same? Blackstone Joe explores that this episode, and also responds to some interesting YouTube comments left for the previous pod. Correction: We mistakenly refer to this episode as number 135, and the previous one as 134. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard
We take a lot of things into consideration when determining whether to recommend a longer oil interval or not. More than just the quality of the oil can influence our decision. As Blackstone Joe can attest this episode, metal content is among those deciding factors. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard
Communication is the name of the game here at Blackstone Labs. Oil analysis is a complicated topic, and it's natural for customers to have questions or misunderstandings about what's expected in an oil report. In this instance, a question regarding a sample's viscosity becomes a valuable teaching moment. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard
There are plenty of products besides just oil that you can put in your engine. Motor Honey, Lucas Oil Stabilizer, Engine Restore, the list is as packed as the shelves at an auto care center. How they show up in analysis is just as varied. As Blackstone Joe can attest, some make a big splash in analysis, while others are a little more mysterious... Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard
Answer: It depends! (But here are some tips to help you find your way.) Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard
There's an expiration date on just about everything, so what about engine oil? It's not uncommon for us to receive samples that have been in the sump for a few years, and a lot of customers wonder how that calendar time affects the oil. The answers, as always, lie in the data. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard
We have a few guidelines for how to properly sample your oil. Crazy as it seems, there's a reason for that. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard
With A.I. technology becoming more popular as a source for information and advice, you may be wondering what info it can provide you about your engine and the oil it's running. We were wondering that as well, which is why we decided to ask ChatGPT some of the most common questions we receive. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard
Riding hell for leather asks a lot of a motorcycle's engine, but some are up to the challenge. Is yours? There's only one way to find out. JKMoto's Oil Analysis with Slick Talk's Joe Adams Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard
The world is full of mysteries. A listener reached out to let us know about an interesting discrepancy between Japanese and American manuals for the FA24F engine. To get some answers, there's only one option. We have to go back... to the data. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard
We test a lot of petroleum products, so we're used to dealing with gunk. You might call us experts in grime. Whether it's fuel, metal, dirt, or something worse, figuring out what's contaminating your sample - and what that means for the unit it came from - is a critical part of the Blackstone process. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard
What goes into obtaining the data we analyze? No one knows the answer to that better than Justin, the Head of Lab Operations. He joins Blackstone Joe in studio to discuss how samples are tested, including some notable insights regarding diesel fuel. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Guest: Justin Mellinger Producer: Arryn Dennard
This episode was recorded during Oshkosh week, so what better time break down how we analyze aircraft samples? We always want to provide you with the most useful report we can, and that sometimes involves digging a little deeper. Depending on the context, what looks like a problem could actually be completely normal. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard
It's common to see some variation from one sample to the next. But when is this fluctuation concerning, and when is it actually normal? Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard
There are a lot of forums out there dedicated to engines and oils, and sometimes our name gets pulled into the discussion. Blackstone Joe is here to set the record straight. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-laboratories/message
Senior Analyst Suzi Herman is back, with a follow-up to her popular TBN/TAN: Do You Need One? newsletter. She had a simple question: how does heat affect the TBN/TAN of an oil? The answer wasn't quite what she or Blackstone Joe expected. Read Part 1 of Suzi's TBN/TAN Newsletter here. Out now! Read Part 2 of Suzi's TBN/TAN Newsletter here. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Guest: Suzi Herman Producer: Arryn Dennard --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-laboratories/message
What does Matthew McConaughey have in common with your engine? As it turns out, a lot. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-laboratories/message
Is synthetic oil still good after twenty thousand miles? Is sludge an issue? A listener had these questions and more about Volkswagen and Audi engines. Blackstone Joe provides some answers. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-laboratories/message
Knowledge is power, and that's as true in oil analysis as anywhere. The more information you send in with your sample, the better our analysis will be. A seasoned analyst may be able to arrive at certain conclusions even with little to no context, but as Blackstone Joe attests, the devil is in the details. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-laboratories/message
Trusting your gut is a good start to vehicle maintenance, but it can only get you so far. Whether it's a coolant leak you're suspicious of, or there's been a recall that may affect your engine, oil analysis can help you confirm those suspicions or lay them to rest. Blackstone Joe explores how in this episode. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-laboratories/message
Blackstone Joe sits down with fellow analyst Brett Jenkins to talk about what unit IDs are, and to share some of their favorites. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-laboratories/message
Oil life monitors. Chances are, your car has one on board to let you know when it's time to change your oil out. But what if you want to run longer than what the OLM suggests? In this episode, Blackstone Joe explores how his own engine oil looked after months of the monitor reporting zero oil life. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-laboratories/message
Oil samples from engines that are fresh out of the factory, or from recently rebuilt engines, often contain a lot of wear metal and silicon. But why is that? And why do certain parts seem to produce more metal during the wear-in process than others? These were the questions a customer asked us, and in this episode, Blackstone Joe seeks to provide some answers. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Arryn Dennard --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-laboratories/message
Oil analysis is one way to gauge your engine's health. But it isn't the only way. In this episode, Blackstone Joe breaks down what to do when oil analysis can't provide all the answers for a customer with high copper readings in their Lycoming. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Josh Straley --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackstone-laboratories/message
Brett Jenkins, senior analyst, hasn't been at Blackstone long, but she's already had a major impact on the world of oil analysis. Blackstone Joe sat down to talk with Brett to talk about the forms of sabotage that oil analysis can and can't spot in testing. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Guest: Brett Jenkins Producer: Josh Straley
Blackstone Laboratories helps you keep your engines, transmissions, and other equipment running smoothly. But what does it take to keep Blackstone Labs going strong? Blackstone Joe talked with Erik DeMarco aka "The Guy"about the maintenance needs of an oil lab (2:25), how working at Blackstone changed his maintenance routines (21:50), and past test results in a new segment, Explain That Sample (25:50). Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Guest: Erik DeMarco Producer: Josh Straley
This week Slick Talk is time traveling with a reading of This Ain't Your Daddy's ATF by Ryan Stark where ATF, CVTs, and the idea of "lifetime fluids" are all put under the spotlight. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Josh Straley
To begin the new year, Blackstone Joe has updates on the lab, what we're doing to improve turnaround time, and a Q&A segment regarding sampling technique, and what to do if we send you more than one sample kit. The main event is a reading of "Landslide," a newsletter from '04 written by the founder of Blackstone Labs, Jim Stark. This is a one-of-a-kind illustration of used oil analysis and why it matters. Not only is this informative but it's a way to introduce you to our late founder, and his approach to explaining the data that made the Blackstone oil report what it is today. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Josh Straley Featured music: "not me" by Infraction https://bit.ly/3XQpNvQ Music promoted by Inaudio: http://bit.ly/3qxoX6U
Blackstone Joe is ready to wrap up 2023 with another round of q&a with the analyst. Joe answers questions about changing oil change intervals when switching oil brands, pinpointing aluminum bearing wear in analysis, and why it makes sense to send older oil samples in for testing. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Joshua Straley
Is it time to change your oil? It's nowhere close to being time for the oil and engines in this week's episode. Inspired by a stray bottle of Mobil 1 5W/30 and less than satisfying answers from the Mobil Help Desk, Blackstone Joe digs into a few different examples of oil holding up well over months, years, and even decades. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit. Have a question or shoutout? Leave a message for Blackstone Joe at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Joshua Straley
From a spectral analysis covering 20 different elements, to a stable of physical tests that help determine everything from viscosity to how effective oil filtration was working, oil analysis truly is a feast of clues. As we're just a few days away from carving the turkey, Blackstone Joe thought it would be a great time to breakdown how we can use the clues in a used oil analysis to help determine the ideal oil change interval, whether you need to change the oil based on calendar time, and how we're able to detect everything from harmless flux washing off a new emissions component to coolant contamination. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit here. Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Joshua Straley
To test a sample we must first unpack it, and it takes a trusted pair of hands to transfer your oil to the lab and the sample details to our system - enter Eric. He's a data clerk by title, but that doesn't quite do his work justice as he's part of the talented team in our receiving area, the front lines as it were, of Blackstone Laboratories. Eric joined Blackstone Joe to answer questions how to properly send a sample, Blackstone's work load, and some of the more interesting samples he's run into during his time at the stone. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit here. Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Guest: Eric Sanchez Producer: Joshua Straley
President Ryan Stark returns to talk to Joe about summer flying and leaded fuel (3:40), company growth and new lab setup (11:50) before answering customer questions about magnetic drain plugs, coolant analysis, flashpoint testing, and how analysts determine an engine's true wear profile (23:50). Last but least, a response to misconceptions about our averages (39:00). Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit here. Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Guest: Ryan Stark Producer: Josh Straley
Kristin Huff, Vice President of Blackstone Laboratories, began her oil analysis journey in 2002. In the years since, Kristin has been a focal point of the operation - her one-of-a-kind wit and humor have been essential ingredients to the comments we craft, even going as so far to create the world-famous Blackstone FAQs on our website. As such, it was long overdue for Blackstone Joe to invite Kristin on the show to help break down our approach to report writing. If you ever wanted to learn what the key ingredients are in a well-written comment, the origins of the comment itself, and what makes our report comments one-of-a-kind in the industry, this episode is for you. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit here. Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Joshua Straley
Blackstone Joe sat down with the producer of Slick Talk, Josh, to celebrate Slick Talk's 100th episode! Listen for a look back at memorable guest appearances, hot takes, and the journey that was starting and maintaining Slick Talk over 100 episodes of content. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit here. Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Joshua Straley
Senior Analyst Suzi Herman joins Blackstone Joe for a discussion about her study of TBNs and TANs (04:10), maintaining her Corolla, Fit, and Chevy S10 (12:10), and her background before joining Blackstone Laboratories (20:00). Read Part 1 of Suzi's TBN and TAN Newsletter. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit here. Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Guest: Suzi Herman Producer: Joshua Straley
Slick Talk & Blackstone Joe are back before Labor Day Weekend with another Meet the Analyst episode with Samir - senior analyst. He tells Joe how Fast & Furious planted the seeds of him being a gearhead and brought him to the Marine Corps (3:35), the journey of his '98 Silvia to the race car it is today (10:38), how working in oil analysis has changed this maintenance routines (15:00), and how customers should approach oil analysis for insurance purposes (20:30). Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit here. Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Guest: Samir Kharbas Producer: Joshua Straley
Senior Analyst Raegan Byers is back from California and joins Blackstone Joe with two stories about oil analysis. One about her Toyota Prius (2:30). The other about her husband's Chevy S10 that could be developing its own bearing problem (8:00). Then, Blackstone Joe digs more into Raegan's biology background, how she relates it to oil analysis (10:40), and how's she's maintaining the Prius today (17:20). Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get your free test kit here. Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Guest: Raegan Byers Producer: Joshua Straley
What does oil analysis and the Dennis Quad action movie Vantage Point have in common? Things can look different from where you're standing. Blackstone Joe breaks down a couple instances where problems in oil analysis don't always make themselves known right away, how you can eliminate variables to find the source of the problem, and why it pays to watch and wait. Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Joshua Straley
Soot. The byproduct of combustion. Every engine is going to have a little of it, but it's a very big deal for diesel engines. So. How much soot is too much? Blackstone Joe breaks everything you need to know about soot, how it will affect an engine, and what Blackstone Laboratories can tell you about the soot levels in your latest sample. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get started with our free test kit! Have a question or shoutout? Call Slick Talk at 614-407-6169. Host: Joe Adams Producer: Joshua Straley
Blackstone Joe breaks down questions and concerns ranging from the impact of poor air quality (2:30), responding to skepticism about sampling without changing the oil, (5:25), a customer outside the US wonders how they can get in on Blackstone oil analysis (13:50), and the latest sample from a WRX breaks a nice trend (15:40). Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get started with our free test kit! Host: Joe Adams Producer: Joshua Straley
Everyone wants their car, pick-up truck, or mini-van's engine to run for a long time. But few people would ever envision an engine lasting over 1,000,000 miles. Justin Kilmer did just that with his Honda Accord's V6. Blackstone Joe talks with Justin Kilmer about his record-setting million miles on his Honda Accord's V-6, the maintenance it took to reach that mark, and how the engine looked in its Blackstone Laboratories samples. Follow Justin on Instagram and YouTube. Ready to start your oil analysis journey? Get started with our free test kit! Host: Joe Adams Guest: Justin Kilmer Producer: Joshua Straley
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