Oil Color, Lubrication Ability and
Contamination Level
AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants are designed
and engineered for extended drain interval service.
The color 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. In addition oil analysis
will also 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.
I t 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! If you would like the full
detailed report and photographs of this teardown inspection
please e-mail us your address and we will drop it in
the mail.
* 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
AMSOIL is the undisputed leader in synthetics.............
