Diesel engine oil cleanliness specs

[solocraftvs]

Hey folks.
I'm looking for information from engine OEMs on what cleanliness levels (PER ISO 4406) are required for diesel engines. (Under 200 HP) I think I can work with on-highway or off-highway engine specs. (One can't be too picky). But, for the life of me, I can't find any good data on how clean to keep the oil. There seems to be a wide range of specs on the filters being used. And, compared to hydraulic systems, it seems that the engine oil doesn't have to be anywhere near as clean.
Any good advice or comments are appreciated. Comments on the filters are also helpful.
Thanks!

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

What engine? If your application has a Donaldson Blue for it, that will keep it plenty clean regardless of whatever specs you'll need.

 

[solocraftvs]

Well...The goal is to see what data is out there. I don't really need it from any one particular manufacturer. Deutz, Kubota, CAT, Deere, Iveco, Cummins, Volvo... Anything will be helpful.

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted by SubieRubyRoo
What engine? If your application has a Donaldson Blue for it, that will keep it plenty clean regardless of whatever specs you'll need.


I agree with Subie. Run the best Donaldson your money can buy.

Your only other option is to add a low-micron bypass filter of some kind.

 

[Talent_Keyhole]

Originally Posted by solocraftvs
Hey folks.
I'm looking for information from engine OEMs on what cleanliness levels (PER ISO 4406) are required for diesel engines. (Under 200 HP) I think I can work with on-highway or off-highway engine specs. (One can't be too picky). But, for the life of me, I can't find any good data on how clean to keep the oil. There seems to be a wide range of specs on the filters being used. And, compared to hydraulic systems, it seems that the engine oil doesn't have to be anywhere near as clean.
Any good advice or comments are appreciated. Comments on the filters are also helpful.
Thanks!


Machinery Lubrication has several articles on oil cleanliness standards and particle count testing.

 

[solocraftvs]

https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/31395/engine-oils-filters

For sure...I found an article there earlier. But...it doesn't say much about cleanliness (in numbers).
This article has some anecdotal information about how filtration performance affects engine life.
https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/30697/choose-oil-filter

( I think you'd have to read the report itself to make it make sense)

Again, the question is..."What do the engine manufacturers require?".

By the way...I love the name "Suby Ruby Roo"! I'm a sucker for Subies myself.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by solocraftvs
Again, the question is..."What do the engine manufacturers require?"


Their "requirements" are the recommended service schedule, listed oil (and other fluids) specs and OEM filters. That's probably the best you're going to find from an engine manufacturer.

 

[solocraftvs]

I see a mistake in my post. Sorry. Someone else pointed out that the ISO code only covers 4/6/14 micron sized particles. Engines seem to not care about anything smaller than 20 microns. So, the code doesn't strictly apply. (But, you get the idea).
Thanks.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted by solocraftvs
I see a mistake in my post. Sorry. Someone else pointed out that the ISO code only covers 4/6/14 micron sized particles. Engines seem to not care about anything smaller than 20 microns. So, the code doesn't strictly apply. (But, you get the idea).
Thanks.


According to wear vs particle size studies, it's the particles in the 5 to 10 micron range that cause the majority of wear. That's why people who want to reduce wear from sub 10 micron particles install a bypass filtering system when doing super long OCIs on big diesel engines.

As the OCI decreases, then required filtering efficiency can also decrease because you're flushing the sump more often.