What is Oil Analysis?
History The first use of used oil analysis dates back to the early 1940s by the railway companies in the Western United States. Prompted by the purchase of a fleet of new locomotives, technicians used simple spectrographic equipment and physical tests to monitor locomotive engines. As steam locomotives gave yield to diesel locomotives, oil analysis […]
States of Lubrication
hydrodynamic lubrication The design of oil is to produce a film of oil between two mating surfaces which gives you the best protection against wear. As the image below shows, oil flows, and creates a hydraulic pressure (elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication, or EHL) between the two surfaces. Now under perfect conditions this type of lubrication will not […]
Basic Lubrication Design
tbn and oxidation Engine lubricants are generally used to reduce friction between moving parts within the interior engine. In addition to the lubricating function, motor oil also serves as a coolant, corrosion protector, and method of removing contaminants from the engine filter. In other words, motor oil holds the same importance to an engine that […]
Motor Oil University Final Exam
question 1 While starting up your car at 75°F, mid-winter in Florida, which of these synthetic oils provides the least startup resistance, minimal battery and starter motor load? [A. 0W-20] [B. 0W-30] [C. 0W-40] [D. 0W-50] [E. They are all exactly the same] The correct answer is A- 0W-20 The correct answer is A- 0W-20 […]
Glossary
There are a number of terms and their definitions used in the various articles that are contained here. Additionally, this page serves to marshall many of the other more common terms and acronyms relating to the petroleum industry and to lubricants. Click each letter to open terms. A AAMAThe American Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA) is […]
Motor Oil University Mid-Term Exam
At normal operating temperature, 212°F, a straight 30 grade oil has a viscosity of how many centiStokes? A. 3 B. 6 C. 10 D. 20 E. 30 The correct answer is C- 10 cS The correct answer is C- 10 cS While racing at 95°F, mid-summer in Florida, which of these synthetic oils gives the […]
Motor Oil 201 – Chapter Ten – The Graduate
I am going to bring up the constant flow pump concept. First, it goes back to the principal that doubling the pressure of the same grade oil does not exactly double the flow but it is close. Also doubling the RPM for the same reason does not exactly double the flow but again it is […]
Motor Oil 109 – Chapter Nine – Let’s Start Over
We have seen that 0W-30, 5W-30, 10W-30 and straight 30 grade oils all have the exact same viscosity at 212° and 302°F. What about startup viscosities? Do 0W-20, 0W-30 , and 0W-40 all have the same viscosity at a 75°F startup. The answer is no. The SAE J300 standard allows for this discrepancy. Here are […]
Motor Oil 108 – Chapter Eight – Odds And Ends
I have some stories that I collected. First, my architect drives a big SUV. He was running with Mobil 1 brand 15W-50. He changed it to Pennzoil Multi-grade (mineral oil based, non-synthetic, cheap) 5W-20 at my suggestion. His gas mileage went from 10 to 13 MPG around town. What really impressed him the most was […]
Motor Oil 107 – Chapter Seven – What Is The Terminology From SAE And API?
Many think that the “W” in 10W-30 means “winter”. Two series of viscosity grades are defined in Table (1): (a) those containing the letter W and (b) those without. Single viscosity grade oils with the letter W are defined by maximum low temperature cranking and pumping viscosities and a minimum kinematic viscosity at 100°C. Single […]