Attempts to minimize wear

Status
Not open for further replies.
K

kohnen

Joined
Jan 24, 2009
Messages
397
Location
So. Cal.
Alrighty, I figure that the best way to keep my engine from eventually burning oil is to keep the oil as clean as I possibly can. So, I'm doing the following:

1) Using a MicroGreen filter on the car. It has a built-in bypass filter that is claimed to filter down to 1 micron or so.

2) I'm using a magnetic oil drain plug made by Gold Plug. I've confirmed that it's good to 302°F. I figure that will pick up any iron particles that fall to the bottom of the pan.

3) I have two Filter Mags on the oil filter. These too are good to 302°F, and the purport to pull almost all of the magnetic material out of your oil.

4) I plan on replacing the oil and filter as per the OLM of the car.

I'm also using Mobil 1 5w30 EP

I figure that doing all of these is my best shot at absolutely minimizing the amount of abrasive material in the oil, which should minimize the wear on the engine.

(Yes, I know that I'm "wasting" money - I'm doing it for gits & shiggles. I also know that some folks don't believe anything that MicroGreen says.)

I'd love to know your thoughts on this approach.

Comments?
 
Sounds like you are doing everything right. It isn't wasting money, it is an investment!
thumbsup2.gif
 
It all sounds great, especially if the car is new/newer. What car/engine are we talking here? some engines are known to burn more than others, it would be interesting to see if this approach has better results than normal procedure.
 
What is the vehicle? Mileage? Usage?

It's hard to say if that's the right oil for everything. If changing at the OLM period, you could benefit by using a beefier oil - that one is SN and has lower levels of ZDDP that may or may not be maximizing wear reduction in your car. The 5w-30 in your So. Cal. climate is also not maximizing the potential; a 10w-30 would have fewer VIIs and be more stable over time.

I live in a mild climate and favor wear protection over (mostly theoretical) fuel savings, so this is something to which I pay attention.
 
Originally Posted By: Nate1979
How will you know if you actually reduced wear?


The engine will last a really, really long time.
wink.gif
 
Unfortunately it may leak oil rather than burn it when it gets old. My 01 Escape with 223k doesn't seem to burn any but leaks some. So far Maxlife 10w30 reduces the leak to a small amount. I don't want to pay for a repair at this point.
 
I too am doing many of the things that you have mentioned including the Microgreen oil filters. My only evidence of success is a fleet of vehicles with over 250,000 miles that do not burn oil (leaks are another story). Much can be learned by surveying the abstracts of the technical papers on the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Web site.
In addition to what you are already doing you should be maximizing your air filter efficiency. Be sure that the seals and inlet tube are air tight and install a filter minder gauge to monitor air filter resistance. Do not change the air filter until it reaches a reasonable restriction like 15 to 20 inches of water because dry type air filter efficiency improves as a precoat is established.

The other big item is how you drive. Minimize cold start-ups, and when your vehicle is started, drive gently until engine oil temperature is normal (a few minutes after coolant temperature is normal) before shutting it off. This is not always convenient but it will prevent corrosive engine wear. Good Luck.
 
The huge thing that will reduce wear is to always operate your where it runs with the absolute minimum wear. The minimum wear occurs when the engine is at operating temperatures . The rest will be mostly Inconsequential increments at best. The air cleaner is the most important filter !
 
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Is this for your Chevy Volt?


Indeed it is. That by itself causes changes in the way that the engine is operated.

The computer prevents loading the engine immediately after it's started - it starts the engine and then waits a while before loading it. And, the computer tends to operate the engine in its most efficient power band. So, in order to reduce pumping losses, the engine is typically run at wide-open throttle (or close to it).

And, it's a high compression engine that requires premium high-octane fuel (as do all first generation Volts).

Probably the biggest factor in reducing the chances of the engine burning oil is that the Volt is primarily electric, only using the engine once the battery is (mostly) discharged.

As I've said before, I'm doing this primarily for amusement. I might get an oil analysis once this oil is done - it will be interesting to see what Blackstone does with oil from a Chevy Volt.
 
I think the biggest wear producer is aggressive and abusive driving habits. Given the oil/filter are changed at recommended intervals. I have no data. My opinion though says some people can trash a car engine a lot faster than another person given the same maintenance.
 
Originally Posted By: goodtimes
I think the biggest wear producer is aggressive and abusive driving habits. Given the oil/filter are changed at recommended intervals. I have no data. My opinion though says some people can trash a car engine a lot faster than another person given the same maintenance.

The Chevy Volt uses the engine (almost) exclusively uses the engine to power a generator to power the batteries, and that's all controlled by computer. So, the engine is cared for - no lugging, no over revving, no loading before oil gets a chance to flow through the engine. So, I suspect that the wear rate of the engine will only be proportional to the total electrical power out of the generator.
 
The Toyota hybrid system uses the engine to power a generator 100% of the time. Only an electric motor drives the wheels. On those, it is still possible to abuse the engine with the gas pedal. On the other end of it, the engine oil can be just warm even after a long run, I have changed oil and found that. Even though the coolant is at full temperature for a long time. But not always, I don't know why. It has never been blistering type hot since I have owned the car, an 07 Prius.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

BISCUT
Fram Ultra 2014 BMW X3 (N22) 6k OCI
Replies
4
Views
289
BISCUT
C
AC Delco filter for 2025 5.3L Tahoe?
Replies
10
Views
918
BrendanC
T
What's going on at fram?
2 3
Replies
41
Views
3K
Fishstyx
Z
Subaru Oil Filter Fitment Choices - any Subaru oil filter experts out there ?
Replies
18
Views
1K
ZeeOSix
GriffinB
Motorcraft FL-820S C&P
Replies
4
Views
491
53' Stude
Back
Top Bottom