Commercial Fleet
Owners Save Money With Extended Oil
Drains
Changing lubricants and fluids eats up a lot
of time and money commercial fleets put into their regular maintenance programs.
Commercial fleet owners and operators can save
time and money by safely extending the intervals at which oils are changed,
while maintaining an active and productive fleet of vehicles.
For extended drains to be an option, however,
contamination must be controlled.
Oils and greases protect moving parts from the
effects of contamination, but are themselves contaminated as they do so and
eventually have to be replenished or replaced. Engine oil, for example,
lubricates, cools, cleans and protects the inside of an engine. It functions in
an environment where clearances are smaller than the diameter of a human hair.
In this environment, contact between cam shafts and lifters or meshing gear
teeth generates forces measured in tens of thousands of pounds per square inch.
But the oil survives thanks to chemical additives designed to keep it from
breaking down. These additives also increase fuel economy by reducing friction.
However, no oil can withstand the long term
effects of contamination alone. Oil must be filtered through a medium to remove
soot and other contaminants that remain suspended in the oil over time. Acids
and other combustion by-products also are removed through oil filtration. These
filters can last only so long before they also become clogged with contaminants
and must be replaced.
If the rate of contamination in a vehicle's
engine oil is carefully monitored, the life expectancy of both the oil and
filter can be dramatically increased, and the amount of down time related to
routine maintenance can be significantly reduced. Here are a few guidelines to
remember when extending drain intervals beyond the manufacturer's
recommendations:
-
Use Oil Analysis:
This service can tell you what contaminants are in
your oil and how much life is left. A good oil analysis program can also
tell you a lot about the condition of your equipment.
AMSOIL recommends oil
analysis and works closely with Oil Analysis Inc. to develop lubricant
regimens for commercial accounts.
-
Use Synthetic oils:
Synthetic oils have more stable chemical properties
than petroleum-based oils and last longer.
AMSOIL offers a wide variety of
synthetic motor oils designed to work with all types of fleet equipment.
-
Install By-pass
Filtration: By-pass filters can be used to extend
oil life for much greater service intervals. Some owner-operators have
extended oil life nearly indefinitely with the addition of by-pass
filtration units. The AMSOIL By-Pass Filter efficiently filters out
particles smaller than those that actually cause damage to internal engine
components.
-
Keep Copies of Oil
Analysis Reports: An Article in Road King
magazine reported on one owner-operator who had a warranty claim denied
because he went 58,000 miles without an oil change (using synthetic oil and
a wrapped-media by-pass filter) when a con-rod bushing broke. He brought out
a stack of oil analysis reports and asked, "which one of these shows that I
should have changed oil?" His warranty was honored.
T's Advanced Synthetics
Greg and Marcy Thurman
Your Nationwide
AMSOIL
Authorized Independent
Dealer
Nationwide US Warehouses,
Canada and Palm Harbor, FL
727-798-8552
E-Mail:
greg@tsadvancedsynthetics.com
If you
experience problems or have questions or comments about
our website please email us at
greg@tsadvancedsynthetics.com
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