{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"Bore Scoring Is A Myth? Blackstone Labs Porsche Data Revealed!","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/bore-scoring-is-a-myth-blackstone-labs-porsche-data-revealed","audioUrl":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/69d39d9207bc2cbfc7a37727/e/69dd67d03472e03bc7165817/media.mp3","description":"Do you want the actual data from the expert that disputes everything you have heard about Bore Scoring?  Every forum, Facebook group, and \"expert\" corner of the internet would have you believe that if you own a water-cooled 911, your engine is a ticking time bomb. I’ve spent countless nights losing sleep over this—so I went straight to the source for the real numbers.In this episode of ElevenAfterNine, I’m joined by Joe Adams of Blackstone Labs. Joe isn’t guessing; he’s looking at a database of thousands of Porsche engine samples. We break down the actual failure rates for the 996, 997, and 991 generations, and the results are not what you’ve been told.Connect with ElevenAfterNine:• Official Website: ElevenAfterNine.com (Leave a topic suggestion or question!)• Instagram: @theelevenafternine• Podcast: Search \"ElevenAfterNine\" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.Connect with Blackstone Labs:• Website: Blackstone-labs.com• Podcast: Check out Joe on the Slick Talk podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information."},"annotations":[{"startTime":5.8,"endTime":24.8,"type":"brand","title":"Progressive","url":"/glossary/progressive","quote":"Drivers who switch and save with Progressive save over $900 on average. Pop over to Progressive.com, answer some questions, and you'll get a quick quote with discounts that are easy to come by.","canonicalId":"brand:progressive","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Progressive is a major U.S. auto insurance company. In the segment, it’s used as an example of how switching insurers can reduce your premium through discounts.","simplifiedExplanation":"Progressive is an insurance company that sells car insurance. The ad is saying you might pay less if you switch and qualify for discounts."}},{"startTime":149.0,"endTime":152.5,"type":"term","title":"oil change","url":"/glossary/oil-change","quote":"But when you should consider doing an oil change and spoiler alert, it doesn't have to be every year.","canonicalId":"term:oil-change","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"An oil change is the scheduled replacement of engine oil to maintain lubrication and protect internal components. The host is framing it around whether it must be done every year, and how oil breakdown affects engine wear.","simplifiedExplanation":"An oil change is when you replace the engine oil. The episode is asking how often you really need to do it to keep the engine protected."}},{"startTime":154.1,"endTime":158.5,"type":"term","title":"oil additives","url":"/glossary/oil-additives","quote":"We talk about what breaks down with the oil and do additives really matter?","canonicalId":"term:oil-additives","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.82,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Oil additives are aftermarket or formulated chemicals mixed into engine oil (or added separately) to improve properties like detergency, friction reduction, or wear protection. The episode is specifically questioning whether additives meaningfully affect bore scoring outcomes.","simplifiedExplanation":"Oil additives are extra chemicals people add to oil to try to improve how it protects the engine. The host is debating whether they actually make a difference in real engine wear."}},{"startTime":223.84,"endTime":226.8,"type":"term","title":"oil analysis","url":"/glossary/oil-analysis","quote":"Nothing better than oil analysis to help answer those questions, and I'm glad to do it.","canonicalId":"term:oil-analysis","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Oil analysis is a diagnostic method where a used oil sample is tested to infer engine health. By measuring wear metals and contaminants, it can help detect abnormal wear, fuel dilution, coolant intrusion, or other issues before they become failures.","simplifiedExplanation":"Oil analysis means testing the oil after it’s been used. The results can show whether the engine is wearing normally or if something is contaminating the oil."}},{"startTime":236.7,"endTime":263.2,"type":"company","title":"Blackstone Laboratories","url":"/glossary/blackstone-laboratories","quote":"So let's do this just because people might be coming to this not ever having heard of Blackstone Labs before... Blackstone Laboratories has been in the oil analysis game since 1985.","canonicalId":"company:blackstone-laboratories","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Blackstone Laboratories is a company that performs oil analysis. They test a used oil sample to identify wear metals and contaminants, then provide a report that helps interpret what’s happening inside the engine or other oil-filled systems.","simplifiedExplanation":"Blackstone Laboratories is a service that checks used oil. You send in a sample, and they look for signs of wear and contamination so you can understand how your engine is doing."}},{"startTime":275.1,"endTime":281.2,"type":"term","title":"metal content","url":"/glossary/metal-content","quote":"...help you out by explaining the sources of metal content, the signs of contamination, hopefully a lack thereof.","canonicalId":"term:metal-content","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Metal content in oil analysis refers to the concentration of metals found in the used oil. These metals typically come from normal wear (like bearings or cylinder walls) or from abnormal wear, and the pattern can help pinpoint what’s degrading."}},{"startTime":296.48,"endTime":302.0,"type":"brand","title":"Porsche","url":"/glossary/porsche","quote":"and Porsche definitely falls in that category, and we can assist owners that are interested,","canonicalId":"brand:porsche","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Porsche is the German sports-car brand the hosts are discussing in the context of oil analysis and engine wear. In this episode, Porsche owners are the target audience for the lab’s inspection process.","simplifiedExplanation":"Porsche is a car brand known for performance engines. Here, the discussion is about how Porsche owners can check engine health using oil samples."}},{"startTime":301.8,"endTime":332.6,"type":"concept","title":"oil sample","url":"/glossary/oil-sample","quote":"merely by sending us a sample size of three and a half ounces. That's all it takes to learn how your engine is wearing,","canonicalId":"concept:oil-sample","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"An oil sample is a small measured amount of used engine oil sent to a lab for analysis. The key idea is that the oil carries microscopic wear metals and contaminants, which can be used to infer how the engine is wearing.","simplifiedExplanation":"An oil sample is a small amount of your used oil that you send to a lab. The lab can look for tiny bits and contaminants that show how your engine is doing."}},{"startTime":354.2,"endTime":360.1,"type":"concept","title":"sample sets of thousands of other motors","url":"/glossary/sample-sets-of-thousands-of-other-motors","quote":"and you can put it up against the sample sets of thousands of other motors,","canonicalId":"concept:sample-sets-of-thousands-of-other-motors","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"This describes using large reference datasets to interpret oil analysis results. Instead of judging a sample in isolation, labs compare it to thousands of other engines to estimate how “sick” or healthy a specific engine’s wear pattern is."}},{"startTime":530.5,"endTime":542.8,"type":"term","title":"water cooled motors","url":"/glossary/water-cooled-motors","quote":"Let's talk about three different generations of motors because for those of you out there that might not be super familiar with some of the common, I guess, watchouts or issues with water cooled motors. And so these motors are from the 997 generation.","canonicalId":"term:water-cooled-motors","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Water-cooled motors” refers to engines cooled by a liquid coolant system rather than air cooling. The speakers are specifically discussing watchouts that apply to Porsche’s water-cooled flat-six engines.","simplifiedExplanation":"Water-cooled means the engine uses liquid coolant to manage temperature. The hosts are talking about specific issues that show up on Porsche’s water-cooled engine versions."}},{"startTime":574.5,"endTime":578.1,"type":"term","title":"bore scoring","url":"/glossary/bore-scoring","quote":"And there's also a worry about bore scoring. And this is something that I know I fret about and I fretted about because I got a bore scope check on my motor...","canonicalId":"term:bore-scoring","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Bore scoring is damage inside an engine’s cylinder bore, where the cylinder wall gets scratched or worn in a way that can reduce sealing and compression. It’s often discussed in relation to lubrication quality and oil control, and it can lead to increased wear or the need for an engine rebuild.","simplifiedExplanation":"Bore scoring means the inside of the engine cylinders gets scratched or worn. When that happens, the engine may not seal as well, so you can lose power and compression over time."}},{"startTime":677.8,"endTime":686.0,"type":"term","title":"high aluminum, high iron, and high silicon","url":"/glossary/high-aluminum-high-iron-and-high-silicon","quote":"Porsche is unique in that we can see signs of bore scoring in the form of high aluminum, high iron, and high silicon. So when we see these three elements testing high together...","canonicalId":"term:high-aluminum-high-iron-and-high-silicon","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"These are elemental wear metals that can show up in oil analysis when abnormal wear occurs. Elevated aluminum, iron, and silicon together can indicate cylinder/bore-related wear patterns consistent with scoring.","simplifiedExplanation":"These are types of material that can show up in the oil when the engine is wearing abnormally. Higher amounts of these metals can be a clue that something like cylinder scoring is happening."}},{"startTime":697.9,"endTime":701.9,"type":"concept","title":"averages","url":"/glossary/averages","quote":"So we're going to look for these elements and compare them to averages. And we're not seeing it at a terribly high rate...","canonicalId":"concept:averages","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Comparing individual oil samples to “averages” means using baseline statistics from many engines to judge whether a given wear pattern is abnormal. This helps separate normal variation from signals that likely indicate a real problem."}},{"startTime":852.7,"endTime":858.5,"type":"concept","title":"proper warm-up techniques","url":"/glossary/proper-warm-up-techniques","quote":"...the Porsche owners that are sending their samples into you are the ones that understand proper warm-up techniques and probably are a little bit more in tune with the health and the lifeblood of their motors.","canonicalId":"concept:proper-warm-up-techniques","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Proper warm-up techniques refer to letting an engine reach operating temperature before driving it hard. This reduces cold-start wear and helps oil flow and viscosity stabilize, which can influence wear-metal results in oil analysis."}},{"startTime":1199.9,"endTime":1217.5,"type":"term","title":"trending","url":"/glossary/trending","quote":"Now, does that mean you have heart disease? Well, fact of the matter is you need to see how things are trending sometimes. And engines can improve on levels that are less than ideal levels","canonicalId":"term:trending","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Trending” in this context means observing how oil analysis results change across successive samples. A single bad reading can be a “blip,” but a consistent upward trend in wear metals or contamination suggests a real problem.","simplifiedExplanation":"Trending means watching how the results change over time. One weird sample might happen for normal reasons, but a pattern that keeps getting worse is the warning sign."}},{"startTime":1234.3,"endTime":1244.6,"type":"term","title":"oil cleaning and lubricating","url":"/glossary/oil-cleaning-and-lubricating","quote":"Because when the oil is doing its job of cleaning and lubricating, it's picking up that metal, it's picking up.","canonicalId":"term:oil-cleaning-and-lubricating","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"The speaker describes the oil’s two core jobs: cleaning (carrying away contaminants/wear particles) and lubricating (reducing friction and wear). Oil analysis reflects how well the oil is doing those jobs by showing wear metal levels and oil condition over time.","simplifiedExplanation":"Oil’s job is to keep things lubricated and also to help hold onto dirt and wear particles so they don’t keep circulating. Oil testing can show whether that process is working normally."}},{"startTime":1249.1,"endTime":1249.1,"type":"concept","title":"Blackstone Labs","url":"/glossary/blackstone-labs","quote":"Podcast: Rennthusiast Radio Episode: Bore Scoring Is A Myth? Blackstone Labs Porsche Data Revealed!","canonicalId":"concept:blackstone-labs","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Blackstone Laboratories is a well-known used-oil analysis company that reports on wear metals and oil health. In enthusiast circles, their reports are used to trend engine condition over time rather than treat one sample as a final verdict.","simplifiedExplanation":"Blackstone is a company that tests oil samples from your car. Their reports help you see if your engine is wearing normally or if something is starting to go wrong."}},{"startTime":1461.9,"endTime":1474.6,"type":"term","title":"bore scopes","url":"/glossary/bore-scopes","quote":"Be very careful. Get boar scopes. It's a super issue.","canonicalId":"term:bore-scopes","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"A bore scope is a small inspection camera used to look inside the engine cylinders without fully disassembling the engine. In this context, it’s referenced as a way to check for bore scoring signs.","simplifiedExplanation":"A bore scope is like a tiny camera you can insert into the engine to look at the cylinder walls. It helps you check for damage without tearing the engine apart."}},{"startTime":2107.0,"endTime":2114.1,"type":"concept","title":"operational factors","url":"/glossary/operational-factors","quote":"...often that's more so related to operational factors, whether or not people are going to the track that can influence a wear profile.","canonicalId":"concept:operational-factors","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.86,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Operational factors are the real-world conditions that affect engine wear—like load, temperature, driving style, and track vs street use. The speaker argues that these factors often explain differences in oil-analysis wear results more than the oil itself.","simplifiedExplanation":"Operational factors are things like how hard you drive and how hot the engine gets. The point is that those conditions can matter more than just what oil you use."}},{"startTime":2125.3,"endTime":2196.2,"type":"concept","title":"one size fits all","url":"/glossary/one-size-fits-all","quote":"It's never a one size fits all. And that's why you need to go the analysis to see how the engine is responding to it... So it's never one size fits all. Every motor has its own story.","canonicalId":"concept:one-size-fits-all","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“One size fits all” is the idea that the same oil interval, additive strategy, or maintenance plan won’t work equally well for every engine and owner. The speaker emphasizes that operational factors (especially track use) and individual driving patterns can change wear outcomes."}},{"startTime":2485.1,"endTime":2493.2,"type":"term","title":"viscosity improvers","url":"/glossary/viscosity-improvers","quote":"We see a lot of, you know, instances of viscosity improvers or oil savers where if you have a consumption issue, if you have a leak that you need to slow down,","canonicalId":"term:viscosity-improvers","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Viscosity improvers are additive polymers that help oil maintain a more stable thickness across temperature changes. They’re part of how multi-grade oils (like 5W-40) stay usable in both cold starts and hot running.","simplifiedExplanation":"These are chemicals that help oil stay the right thickness in cold and hot conditions. That way, the oil can still protect the engine when temperatures change."}},{"startTime":2493.2,"endTime":2500.7,"type":"term","title":"leak","url":"/glossary/leak","quote":"where if you have a consumption issue, if you have a leak that you need to slow down, those can have the real world impact of assisting in that area.","canonicalId":"term:leak","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"A leak is when oil escapes from the engine through seals, gaskets, or other failure points. If oil is leaking, additives may reduce the rate slightly, but they don’t fix the source of the leak.","simplifiedExplanation":"A leak means oil is coming out of the engine somewhere. If that’s happening, you usually need to find and fix the leak rather than relying on additives."}},{"startTime":2708.1,"endTime":2751.6,"type":"concept","title":"calendar time vs mileage","quote":"...bring it back to the miles, don't obsess over the calendar time... miles are where we see that metal accumulated...","canonicalId":"concept:calendar-time-vs-mileage","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.88,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"This segment contrasts two ways to judge oil life: calendar time (months/years) and mileage (how much the engine has run). The speaker argues that mileage is where wear metals accumulate and where oil additives are consumed, while time alone may not be the dominant factor in many cases."}},{"startTime":2992.1,"endTime":3006.3,"type":"term","title":"microscopic metals","url":"/glossary/microscopic-metals","quote":"because we're looking at microscopic metals that are far too small to see with the naked eye. That stuff is held in a nice even suspension.","canonicalId":"term:microscopic-metals","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Microscopic metals refer to tiny wear particles suspended in the oil. Oil analysis measures these particles (often as elemental concentrations) to infer how much and what kind of wear the engine is experiencing."}},{"startTime":3043.7,"endTime":3054.5,"type":"term","title":"midstream sample","url":"/glossary/midstream-sample","quote":"if you're in an ideal situation during an oil change, just waiting for a midstream sample that is not so far towards the end, you miss the drain and not right at the beginning where you can get some debris.","canonicalId":"term:midstream-sample","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.82,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"A midstream sample is taken during the middle portion of the oil-draining process rather than at the very beginning or end. The segment suggests this often avoids debris near the drain plug while still being representative of the oil’s overall condition."}},{"startTime":3072.8,"endTime":3079.75,"type":"term","title":"pleats","url":"/glossary/pleats","quote":"he pull off his oil filter, cut it open, he'd inspect all the pleats, pleat by pleat, to see if there's","canonicalId":"term:pleats","priority":0.2,"confidence":0.7,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Pleats are the folded paper (or media) inside an oil filter that increase surface area for trapping particles. Inspecting pleats is a hands-on way to look for debris patterns, though it’s more subjective than lab oil analysis.","simplifiedExplanation":"Pleats are the folded sections inside the oil filter that catch particles. Looking at them can show you what the filter trapped, but it’s not as precise as lab testing."}},{"startTime":3085.8,"endTime":3197.6,"type":"term","title":"oil filter","url":"/glossary/oil-filter","quote":"Is there any benefit of doing that, sending you an oil filter and oil... Where does that line stand?... I have to imagine that if you get to the point where you're finding chunks of anything in your filter, the oil would have told you long before that you have an issue.","canonicalId":"term:oil-filter","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.88,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Oil filters trap debris as oil circulates through the engine. Testing a filter for metal can provide extra evidence, but the discussion suggests that if you’re seeing chunks in the filter, the oil analysis would typically have shown wear earlier.","simplifiedExplanation":"The oil filter catches dirt and metal particles as the oil flows through the engine. Checking the filter can be useful, but if you’re finding big chunks, the problem may have already been happening for a while."}},{"startTime":3116.9,"endTime":3134.1,"type":"term","title":"metallurgy","url":"/glossary/metallurgy","quote":"we can of course check it for visible metal and identify the metallurgy, whether it is brass bronze, it steels... looking at aluminum, identifying these...","canonicalId":"term:metallurgy","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.86,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Metallurgy in this context means identifying what type of metal wear debris is present (e.g., brass/bronze, steel, aluminum). Knowing the metal type helps narrow down what components are likely failing or wearing.","simplifiedExplanation":"Metallurgy here means figuring out what kind of metal the debris is. Different engine parts tend to shed different metals, so it can help point to the likely source of the problem."}},{"startTime":3197.6,"endTime":3205.0,"type":"concept","title":"microscopic signs","url":"/glossary/microscopic-signs","quote":"So generally, big problems start with microscopic signs. And that's where the oil sample comes in handy.","canonicalId":"concept:microscopic-signs","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"Microscopic signs are early wear indicators that occur at a scale too small to be seen as chunks in the filter. The episode argues that oil analysis is especially valuable because it can detect these early changes before they turn into larger failures.","simplifiedExplanation":"Microscopic signs are tiny early wear inside the engine. You usually can’t see them, but oil testing can detect them so you can address the issue sooner."}},{"startTime":3248.8,"endTime":3257.2,"type":"term","title":"ran out of oil","url":"/glossary/ran-out-of-oil","quote":"...if you have a hole in the side of the block of your motor because it ran out of oil because it all came out the bottom...","canonicalId":"term:ran-out-of-oil","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Running out of oil” means the engine loses its oil supply, which quickly removes lubrication from moving parts. Without oil, friction rises dramatically and can lead to overheating and engine failure.","simplifiedExplanation":"Running out of oil means the engine isn’t getting lubrication anymore. That can cause parts to grind and the engine can fail quickly."}},{"startTime":3382.4,"endTime":3386.3,"type":"concept","title":"wear metals","url":"/glossary/wear-metals","quote":"...And then we'll attack the metals. We'll let you know what we're seeing on our end.","canonicalId":"concept:wear-metals","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.84,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-5.4-nano","data":{"explanation":"“Wear metals” are microscopic metal particles found in used oil, typically originating from normal component wear or abnormal damage. Oil analysis labs use the concentration and pattern of these metals to infer which engine parts may be wearing. The episode frames this as the evidence they’ll use to evaluate bore scoring concerns.","simplifiedExplanation":"Wear metals are tiny bits of metal that show up in used oil. They can come from parts inside the engine rubbing against each other. More (or different) metal than expected can suggest something isn’t right."}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"Derek","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/bore-scoring-is-a-myth-blackstone-labs-porsche-data-revealed/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}