Heavy Duty Oil

Heavy Duty Oil

Meeting the challenge of shear stabilty and fuel dilution in modern diesel engine oils

Today's diesel engines present a serious challenge to the lubricants that protect them. Tight engine tolerances and intense pressures can generate enough force to tear apart the molecular structure of the oil, causing permanent t viscosity loss. Permanent viscosity loss is called"shear" and leads to accelerated mechanical wear, oil consumption and deposit formation.

 Shear stability testing measures a lubricant's ability to withstand shearing forces without degrading to a lower viscosity. To meet CJ-4 requirements for shear stability, the American Petroleum Institute (API) requires diesel oils to pass the Kurt Orbahn 90-Cycle Shear Stability Test. Resisting shear and maintaining protective viscosity in the harsh operating conditions of diesel engines is hard enough for many diesel oils, but maintaining viscosity in the face of fuel dilution is another challenge altogether.

 Factors such as frequent starts, excessive engine idling, short trips and cold weather have contributed to moderate levels of fuel dilution in diesel applications for years, while recent issues with emission systems have brought the fuel dilution problem to a whole new level.

 For example, AMSOIL inc. an industry leading manufacturer of synthetic lubricants has documented increasing fuel dilution levels in 2007-2009 Caterpillar C13 and C15 on highway engines. There are many possible causes, including problems with a unit injector or leaking seals.

 Another cause of fuel dilution is new emission systems using in-cylinder post-fuel injection, a process most 2007-2010 light-duty GM, Ford and Dodge diesel pickups use to regenerate the diesel particulate filter.

 Because diesel fuel is a natural solvent, it causes a multitude of problems when it contaminates the oil, including reduced oil viscosity, reduced oil film strength, increased engine wear (particularly in the cylinder/ring area), increased volatility, weakened lubricant detergency, accelerated lubricant oxidation, varnish formation, acid formation/ corrosion and low oil pressure.

 The most notable problem associated with increased fuel contamination is reduced viscosity and the corresponding effect it has on oil performance. When combined with shearing conditions, as little as 2 percent fuel dilution is generally enough to reduce an oil's viscosity to less than the specified viscosity grade.

 Diesel motor oil formulators have tried hard to overcome the problems of fuel dilution in late model diesel engines requiring API CJ-4 spec engine oil.

 The most successful example of this has been the 5W/40 CJ-4 synthetic heavy duty diesel oil manufactured by Amsoil inc. which uses a new proprietary ultra shear stable synthetic polymer system.

 When tested on the ASTM D-6278 Kurt Orbahn shear stability test for two complete cycles (the standard ASTM D-6278 test is 90 cycles- the oil was pushed to 180 complete cycles) The new polymer based Amsoil synthetic stayed in specified viscosity range even when subjected to four percent fuel dilution: a level of performance and protection under these conditions that is well ahead of the industry at this writing.

 Amsoil Inc, founded in the early 1960's introduced the first American petroleum Institute rated synthetic motor oil in 1972 and today is considered the industry leader in synthetic motor oils and lubricants.

 By Larry Crider, CLS. Amsoil direct jobber

www.sowoil.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 A Larry Crider is a certified lubrication specialist  and a twenty+ year veteran distributor for Amsoil inc. The worlds  largest independant maker of synthetic motor oils and lubricants. Larry can be reached through his website at www.sowoil.com

 I love to talk about all things lubrication!

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