Ensuring that engine lubricants provide their intended value begins with using only approved oils and oil filters, as well as following recommended maintenance practices. “Always adhere to OEM guidelines,” says Mike Dowling, training manager at service provider Clarke Power Services. “Engine manufacturers have completed engineering and testing, and their recommendations are designed to keep equipment operating efficiently. We have seen engines that do not operate properly, have shortened service life and even failures from using non-recommended products.”
Designed specifically for newer diesel engines are API CJ-4 oils. These engine lubricants were developed especially for 2007 and newer on-highway emissions compliant engines. API Service Category CJ-4 describes oils that are particularly effective where diesel particulate filters and other advanced aftertreatment systems are used. For engines running on ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel, CJ-4 oils are critical to durability and performance with advanced emissions control technologies.
CJ-4 oils have been subjected to the most severe qualification testing requirements of any API engine lubricant category. They are formulated for improved wear protection, deposit and oil consumption control, soot-related viscosity control, prevention of viscosity loss from shearing, used oil low-temperature pumpability, and protection from thermal and oxidative breakdown. CJ-4 oils meet the expectations of engine manufacturers and fleets in terms of both engine performance and maintenance intervals.
Oil filters
Suppliers of engine oil filters also continue to refine their products in order to offer fleets options that provide the latest in engine protection, and help extend oil drain intervals and lower operating costs.
Wix has introduced a new oil filter technology, Wix ecoLast oil filters, that are available for Cummins ISX and M11, Mack MP8, Detroit Diesel DD60 and Caterpillar C13 and C15 engines. The filters are a direct replacement with no changes or modifications required. Wix ecoLast oil filters capture dirt and soot like a traditional filter, while utilizing media to sequester the acids in the oil. During close to 2 million test miles, the company notes, the new filter technology more than doubled oil drain intervals.
Donaldson Endurance lube filters feature synthetic Synteq media designed to balance the need for the filter’s ability to remove contaminants at a given micron size, the amount of contaminant that the filter will hold, and restriction or the amount of pressure loss between the upstream and downstream sides of the filter. Donaldson Endurance lube filters are designed to remove more than 90 % of contaminants that are 10 microns or larger. According to the company the filters deliver nearly double the contaminant carrying capacity of standard cellulose filters and lower restriction to provide maximum oil flow.
Luber-finer heavy-duty lube filters are available in full-flow, by-pass, high-efficiency and extended life versions. Engineered with specifically formulated media to provide maximum protection from engine wear, the filters meet or exceed OEM requirements for service life, efficiency and contaminant removal, the company says. Luber-finer Heavy-Duty Lube Filters feature a seamless steel shell, a spiral core to resist high-pressure surges and a vibration-resistant gasket for a positive seal.
The puraDYN Oil Filtration System from Puradyn Filter Technologies is a multi-stage bypass filtering system that works in conjunction with the engine’s full flow filter. The puraDYN system diverts engine oil at a rate of 6-8 GPH and replenishes additives. The filter’s element contains media treated with a process designed to remove solid contaminants to less than one micron. This filtration method removes higher volumes and smaller particles of soot being generated by newer engines that, according to the company, are generally too small to be adequately removed by traditional filtration systems.
While the latest engine oils and filters are designed to meet the needs of the industry’s newest engines, Clarke’s Mike Dowling is also quick to note the importance of maintaining recommended drain intervals.
“Follow a definitive maintenance schedule,” Dowling says. “We also recommend using oil analysis on a regular basis. It’s an important tool for identifying trends and finding problems that can be addressed before a major failure occurs.”
Managing oil changes more effectively
Ensuring the timeliness of oil changes is a growing challenge for fleets, relates Jeff Werstak, fleet services manager at Clarke Power Services. “It’s imperative to adhere to recommended intervals on a regular basis,” he says. “However, as traffic lanes shift it’s not always convenient to bring equipment to a company shop without putting on a larger number of out-of-route miles, which can be costly, or impact driver productivity by using available hours of service.”
Optimizing operations is even more critical than ever, Werstak notes, which makes the availability of a reliable and consistent service network a valuable tool for fleets, and possibly the source of long-term cost savings.
Clarke Power Services, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, can fill that role very effectively. The authorized service provider for Detroit Diesel, MTU, MTU Onsite Energy, Mercedes-Benz Truck Engines, Sterling Trucks and Allison Transmission operates 29 full-service facilities in eight states. The company’s locations are staffed by certified technicians and equipped with diagnostic tools, service equipment and a complete inventory of replacement parts.
Clarke is also a member of WheelTime, a truck care and service network with nearly 200 locations in the U.S. and Canada operated by 21 member companies. The strategic alliance between all of North America’s Detroit Diesel-Allison distributors, the network includes 3,500 factory-trained technicians, 2,800 service bays, 1,500 service trucks, and 33 fully-equipped training centers. All work provided by WheelTime member companies is backed by the WheelTime Promise that includes objective performance metrics and WheelTime’s Quality Truck Care Guarantee.
Playing a large role in benefitting fleets using Clarke and WheelTime network facilities is the WheelTime Customer Service Platform (WCSP). The repair and maintenance service management program developed for WheelTime by Decisiv Inc. is a web-based system that lets fleets exchange pertinent and accurate information in real-time with service providers.
The platform enables communication throughout the service write-up and repair process from documenting breakdown or service needs to managing service requests and authorization, and to expediting authorizations and approvals.
“WCSP makes information on a fleet’s vehicles instantly available at all of our facilities and at other WheelTime member company locations,” Werstak explains. “When everyone has the same parameters to follow, maintenance is completed in a more effective manner, repairs are expedited and downtime is minimized.”
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