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Layman's Guide to Synthetic Oil
Do You Change your oil when the Dipstick looks dirty?
AMSOIL
Synthetic Lubricants are designed and engineered for
extended drain interval service. The color of the
AMSOIL
on your dipstick (or ANY oil for that matter) has
absolutely no bearing on whether or not the oil is
suitable for continued use or if it should be drained
and replaced. Use the recommended change intervals for
both the oil and engine oil filters as specified by
AMSOIL.
It is a common misconception that an oil's color is
an indication of how dirty it is.
This is absolutely NOT TRUE. The color of an oil does
not have any bearing on its lubrication ability. Most
oil and especially diesel engine oil will turn black in
the first few hours of operation due to contaminates
generated by the combustion process and soot particles.
The ONLY way to accurately determine an oil's
lubricating value or contamination level is through
(spectrographic) oil analysis. Oil analysis is common
practice used regularly in commercial, industrial and
fleet operations and can also be used for passenger
cars, light trucks or any other application. Oil
analysis will determine the exact pars per million (ppm)
of wear metals in your oil, which provides an indication
of any abnormal wear or specific components that need
mechanical inspection, in addition to checking for any
fuel, water or glycol contamination.*
At the end of this section you will find a listing of
what oil analysis testing checks for.
The useful life of an engine oil is dependent on several
factors such as the quality of the oil, type of fuel,
equipment condition, type and operating environment of
the equipment and, most important, the type of
filtration used. The filtration system and the oil are
vital tools for preserving engine life. A highly
efficient filter is essential to protect an engine by
removing both liquid abrasive contaminants held in
suspension by a high quality premium oil such as
AMSOIL.
When using
AMSOIL
Synthetic Lubricants for extended drain intervals the
AMSOIL
Super Duty Filter must be changed at 12,500 miles or 6
months for gas engines and 10,000 miles or 6 months for
diesel engines, such as the Ford Powerstroke or Dodge
Cummins.
If the
AMSOIL
Dual-Gard or Dual-Remote By-Pass Filtration Systems are
used then the
AMSOIL
Super Duty full flow engine oil filter must be changed
at the same intervals as specified above and the by-pass
filter(s) changed as indicated by oil analysis results.
The oil does not need to be changed when using by-pass
filtration unless oil analysis testing indicates it is
necessary.
It is not uncommon to get several hundred thousand
or more miles on the
AMSOIL
when using by-pass filtration.
A Mack Dealership recently performed a teardown
inspection on a 1990 Mack E7-400 diesel engine with
630,000 miles total and 409,000 miles without an oil
change and its parts were examined by an engine rater
from a major oil additive raw materials manufacturer and
supplier. The engine showed light to moderate wear
throughout, just as an engine in similar service and
lubricated with conventional oil changed at
15,000-20,000 mile intervals (as is common with
over-the-road semi-trucks) would show. In fact,
according to the engine rater the parts examined
-cylinder liners, pistons, rings, bearings, valve train
components- could have been put right back in the engine
and would have continued to provide the good, dependable
service they had provided all along after 409,000 miles
without an oil change!
*Oil Analysis Report Items Include:
sample #, date sampled, date tested, unit #, engine
make, model, year, oil brand, viscosity grade, sump
capacity, make up oil added, type of filtration, last
filter change
-
component miles, oil miles, last oil change miles
-
% presence of gylcol, water, fuel
-
viscosity @40 deg. C. and at 100 deg. C.
-
% solids
-
soot, oxidation %, NOX %, TBN, TAN
-
% iron, chromium, lead, copper, tin, aluminum,
nickel, silver, manganese, silicon, boron, sodium,
magnesium, calcium, barium, phosphorous, zinc,
molybdenum, titanium, vanadium and cadmium
-
recommendations and additional test results
You cannot tell by the color of the oil on your dipstick
when it is time to change your oil. If you want the best
service and performance from your oil, whether it be
synthetic or conventional motor oil, go by the
recommended specifications or by testing analysis.
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