When I am asked what’s new in the area of oil filtration I say there is a lot going on. The real fact is that the driving force, emission’s, fuel economy and the resulting higher cost of the trucks at the end of the day creates a cascade of changes by every OE engine supplier.
It’s no different for Racor as a prime fuel, oil, air and CCV supplier to many of the top engine manufactures. As you know the engines that are hitting the road today were on the drawing board 2, 3 or more years ago. When a breakthrough happens at that level the requirements flow down to us to react and perform at times parallel to the changes. These requirements change according to the latest engine demands for higher efficiency and greater capacity with the engine manufacture looking for it in a smaller package and then the cu de gra, at a lower cost!
The new engines are much cleaner and if you read up on the progress of cleaner engines it is evident that it is better now than say 4-5 years ago. The effects of the cycle of changes on oil filtration have been a roller coaster. The life cycle for lube oil changes has gone from, “oil and filter change is cheap insurance” to “omg”, I just had a service and the truck message center on the dash tells me “time to service” again? The advent of electronics and logarithms based on our driving habits, are now dictating our maintenance costs, or are they taking the guesswork out of oil and filter changes?
I think there are two ways to look at advertised service intervals. One must read closely and determine the difference between; “longer recommended oil drain intervals and what the service manual says about “recommended” service intervals which is based on driving habits and conditions.
ULSD in itself is not the major contributor to oil change intervals. It has affected the way engines and related equipment is designed and that total change is what determines the OE manufacture’s requirements of the oil filter.
Higher engine oil temperature, lower TBN, (Total Base Number) in low ash oils to meet the needs of exhaust particle traps, open the door for the possibility that the oil degradation will happen sooner. With an increase in acidic properties due to heat/moisture, there are viscosity changes which increase or decrease depending on high soot levels and sludge or high fuel dilution due to driving habits and fuel injection related issues.
Filter manufacturer reaction time is a critical point to the OEM. Having localized Engineering such as Racor, coupled with localized manufacturing is not only a plus but also a necessity to keep up with the changes on all fronts.
The result of all of the high tech, electronic controls, re-designed combustion chambers, heads multiple injector firing, EGR, electronically controlled VG Turbochargers and a gaggle of other additions there becomes a totally different requirement in the field for service and repair.
When I owned a diesel, fuel injection / turbocharger repair shop, we were able to diagnose and repair 100% of the engines in the 1980’s, 80% in the 1990’s and from the 2000’s on it became evident that technology and the required expertise, was growing faster than most non-dealer shops could afford to keep up with. I had some very good Mechanic’s, now you see them listed as “Automotive Professionals” or “Master Technician’s”, as they should be because to reach that level there is a lot of schooling or additional classes required by the Dealership to stay in touch with the new engine systems for proper diagnosis and repair.
When I am asked what kind of truck and engine I would buy, I say you have to look at what your needs are first. Commercial is different from personal respect mainly because a commercial truck is for generating income. Every dollar spent to maintain the truck comes off the bottom line, which is “profit”. On the other hand if you buy a personal truck that looks nice and meets all your comfort needs but you cannot afford to maintain and drive it, then what good is it?
My answer to the oil filter needs is based on the life cycle of the engine and how it affects me in reliability, convenience and maintenance costs. Personally I think it should start with the OEM level.
I have attached a graph to help explain what I mean. First of all a new engine is not the cleanest engine. That is where the first issue of oil cleanliness comes in. I haven’t seen much on “break-in” period which used to be the time it took for the engine to actually wear in and then you could lay into it power wise. The caution is still given not to over load for the first oil change but there isn’t much more said.
With that said I would get my first oil service before the “suggested” manufactures oil drain interval.
If I had an option for a bypass oil filter on my new truck that would come before anything else on the option list.
If you look at the graph below it would benefit the OEM on the front side for contaminated oil related failures, or warranty. Secondly it would be the benefits I would get as an owner operator who will be on the hook to pay for the maintenance after the warranty is over and thirdly the proven fact that cleaner oil relates directly to longer engine life due to less wear on moving parts.
When I discuss Racor bypass oil cleaners with my customers I use the graph above to make my point. The only way to get cleaner oil is to filter it below the standard micron range of let’s say 20 micron. That is about as close as you can get on cleanliness using the size filters allowed due to space, cost etc. and still get the capacity, or life out of the filter element which relates back to the advertised “recommended” oil change interval.
When you look at the “recommended oil change interval based on driving and application” in the service manual then you get into more of the need for the addition of a bypass oil cleaner.
The common response I get is, “I already have a filter”. True but the difference between a full flow filter and a bypass oil cleaner is filtration versus polishing. In a standard application the filter may be adequate and there is no need for finer filtration. But when if you look at most commercial applications, they are used hard and long and the owner / operator will want the most bang for their buck. An OEM oil filter and bypass oil cleaner like the Racor Absolute Oil Cleaner makes every bit of sense when it comes to reducing the particle count cleanliness level to below standard filtration level, removal of moisture, soot, and wear particles.
When a customer goes to purchase an oil filter element from a source other than an OEM, then they are taking a chance that it doesn’t meet all of the OEM requirements, which efficiency is only one of several.
A filter element box that states 98% efficiency on it is meaningless unless it states at what micron level. This is only part of the equation because a very high efficiency element may not have the amount of capacity, (life) necessary to properly perform through the “recommended” oil change interval. Once a filter becomes plugged or restricted to a pre-set point, then dirty oil is directed around the media, which sends dirty oil directly to the engine to maintain lubrication.
An OEM oil filter has met all of the criteria set out by the OE and is continually monitored through very specific manufacturing processes to maintain that quality and performance.
Element performance, which includes micron ratings, is important when going outside of the OEM supplied filter for cost reasons or when there is a need to have performance beyond the norm.
Again there is a trade off of efficiency and capacity at some point in time so customers should be cautious of an advertised “high efficiency” element without all of the rest of the data to understand total performance. Standard full flow filtration is in the 20-25 micron range. The wear causing particles are in the 4-7 micron range.
Use an OEM oil filter and add a bypass oil cleaning system for the 4-7 micron range and enjoy much cleaner oil and the benefits that come with it.
There two new products Racor is offering and they are in the secondary oil filtration category.
1. Absolute bypass oil cleaners – These are very efficient elements that can filter oil down to 3 micron and absorb moisture.
2. The LFS1200 lube driven centrifuge – This product is oil driven and takes about 10% of the lube oil supply and runs it through a high speed rotating cartridge. The centrifugal force removes the particulate and soot.
David Cline
Oil Filtration Product Sales Manager
209-575-5706
thecleanoilsite 