Slick Talk: Powered By Blackstone Laboratories - Blackstone Laboratories

Latest Episodes:

108: This Ain't Your Daddy's ATF Jan 15, 2024

Show notes

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

107: Lab Updates, Q&A, and Landslide by Jim Stark Jan 02, 2024

Show notes

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

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106: Q&A With The Analyst IV Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

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

105: No Time To Change Dec 04, 2023

Show notes

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

104: Feast of Clues Nov 20, 2023

Show notes

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

103: Unpacked with Eric Sanchez Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

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

102: The State of The Stone with Ryan Stark Oct 23, 2023

Show notes

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

101: Report Writing 101 with Kristin Huff Oct 09, 2023

Show notes

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

The 100th Episode Sep 25, 2023

Show notes

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

99: TBNs and TANs feat. Suzi Sep 11, 2023

Show notes

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