Engine Oiling
I recently encountered a problem with one of my street rods that forced me to think objectively about engine oils, oil pressure and engine lubrication.
Let’s Talk Engine Oils
SN oils don’t have sufficient ZDP to coat all the engine components which are subjected to sliding friction. And, if that isn’t bad enough, a new oil specification, ILSAC (International Lubricant Specification and Approval Committee) GF-6 is on the horizon.
Engine Oil Changes and Innovations
It’s always helpful at the end of each year to reflect on what’s been accomplished and where we think our industry is headed. I think we should do this for the three types of oils you Engine Builder readers typically encounter.
Assembly and Fastening Lubes: Don’t underestimate the importance of proper lubrication
This month let’s cover two different lube topics. I think we can help everyone better appreciate what goes into both of these lubes and how important they are to the success of your engine building operations.
Regulations and Research: How PC-11 Became a CK-4/FA-4 Reality
PC-11 had its beginnings at least a decade ago due to the EPA and government regulators pushing for higher heavy-duty truck fuel economy standards. The American Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) wrote a letter to the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Society for Testing of Materials (ASTM) asking for their help in developing new, more fuel efficient diesel engine oils. Everyone agreed that new heavy-duty engine oil specifications would be needed to improve fuel economy significantly. Engine manufacturers, chemical companies, and oil marketers then began the process of identifying new engine and lab tests to define the performance levels needed to create these oils. Considerable R & D has occurred since that letter.
Test Procedures Prove Race Oils Have Differences
One of the premier racing oil developers finally took the time (18 months) and spent the money (megabucks) to quantify the performance differences between various oil products.
High Performance Engine Oils
Boy, has life ever gotten complicated! Back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s when Jim Kirby, Mike Kausch, and I were racing fueler Chevy funny cars, there were only about six American racing oils on the market. Three were produced by major oil companies (Pennzoil, Quaker State and Valvoline), and three were produced by
Assembly Lubes & Break – In Oils
Perhaps the most important property of lube oil is its ability to remove heat from a surface where two or more metals are sliding across each other. In much the same way as air flows around cylinder head fins to remove heat, oil flows through a bearing and removes the heat caused by friction. I
Why You Should Know How Different Fuels Need Different Motor Oils (But Proabably Don’t!)
A tremendous amount of attention has been focused on alternative fuels. However, little attention has been paid to lubricating oils for use with those fuels, and each different alternative fuel prefers oils with slightly different compositions.
Engine Assembly Lubes and Break-In Oils
Assembly lubes are one of the most important parts of an engine build. But, some components are hard to lubricate prior to start-up, and other parts allow assembly oils to drain off during storage. Let’s address the best way to overcome both of these problems.
High Performance Engine Oils
Now we have break-in oils, high-performance oils, hot rod oils, and turbo oils in addition to traditional racing oils, each developed to be very application specific. So how in the world is the average guy supposed to understand all this new complexity?
Diesel Oils Will Soon Be Changing
With May’s Engine Builder focusing on performance diesel engine technology, it’s the perfect time to alert you of two new diesel engine oil performance categories that will appear on the market in 2017. These new categories are the direct result of our federal government asking diesel engine builders and truck manufacturers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
