How clean is the new oil you use?

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Originally Posted by Onetor
Is anyone tracking this statistical data? You make a good point.....Perhaps the Chemists can chime in. Are there any regulations concerning ISO standards for bulk oil and it's respective particle count? OP has made a wave that should continue....

There have been sporadic threads over the years in the VOA section, if I recall correctly.
 
Originally Posted by Jesse_NE
Originally Posted by Bryanccfshr
I don't think I would stress about it if you go to a dealer or service facility that has a lot of service traffic. Even the facilities that use the boxes of oil such as Walmart and MIDAS pour into secondary containers to pour into the vehicle and the bay doors are open. It's not a clean room, dust and pollen is common. I just haven't seen any statistical evidence that dealer oil maintained vehicles last less than owner maintained.


It's just another non-issue to obsess over.



Yes and there could be this much variation or more in different batches of the same oil in the same packaging. A sample size of 1 does not make a trend, much less a useful trend to hang an analytical thought on.
There are iso cleanliness standards for lubricants, but your PCMO is not subject to them to meet specifications.
I believe it was Shannow who I saw post that clean oil is often dirtier than used oil.

Let us all get ocd and prefilter our fresh oil before we use it...kidding, seriously really don't torture yourselves.
 
Originally Posted by Talent_Keyhole
Originally Posted by Imp4
If we take it as a given they these contamination levels are different from one another, the separate question that then needs to he asked is:

"Does this difference matter in the given application?"
In all likelihood, the answer is an emphatic "No".

Putting it another way, yes these values are different from one another. So what?!?

How does the fact that one has a higher particle count impact my application???

It doesn't.


Granted this oil is not going into the 10 MegaWatt powerplant that supports NORAD in Colorado Springs, but in this application for my use it does matter.

Increased wear due to the unnecessary introduction of contaminents in an engine. Goal is extended oil changes and extend life of the engine. If I was leasing the vehicle or trade it in every three years, answer would be no.





So the big question is, what will you do?


What will you do?
 
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix

Use a high efficiency oil filter that's 99% @ 20 microns. ISO codes of used oil with a good oil filter are typically in the ISO 23/17/11 to 23/18/12 range. Used engine oil will have more 4 micron particles than that bulk oil, but will be cleaner above 4 microns. You need a full blown 2 micron oil bypass filtering system to clean up in the 4 microns range.

An oil filter that is 25-30 microns absolute is crap ... buy better oil filters.


^^^ This ^^^

I use a Fram Ultra or occasionally also Donaldson Synteq or Baldwin MPG series.

Just because..... I obsess over silly stuff like this.
 
Originally Posted by Linctex
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix

Use a high efficiency oil filter that's 99% @ 20 microns. ISO codes of used oil with a good oil filter are typically in the ISO 23/17/11 to 23/18/12 range. Used engine oil will have more 4 micron particles than that bulk oil, but will be cleaner above 4 microns. You need a full blown 2 micron oil bypass filtering system to clean up in the 4 microns range.

An oil filter that is 25-30 microns absolute is crap ... buy better oil filters.


^^^ This ^^^

I use a Fram Ultra or occasionally also Donaldson Synteq or Baldwin MPG series.

Just because..... I obsess over silly stuff like this.



This does what? Nothing to prolong engine life just makes you feel better this is what the majority of discussions have become here just what makes people feel better.
 
Don't know about the counts ... but recall a post a while back (from Shannow iirc) saying new oil has stuff in it which be filtered by the filter and that new oil is not that clean!

Maybe it's the case of 32 times a very small number is still a very small number i.e. Nothing to worry about.
 
Originally Posted by OilUzer
Don't know about the counts ...

Maybe it's the case of 32 times a very small number is still a very small number i.e. Nothing to worry about.


The PC data is particles per mL, so if there's say 100,000 4μ particles and larger per mL then there's quite a few in that small volume.
 
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
Originally Posted by OilUzer
Don't know about the counts ...

Maybe it's the case of 32 times a very small number is still a very small number i.e. Nothing to worry about.


The PC data is particles per mL, so if there's say 100,000 4μ particles and larger per mL then there's quite a few in that small volume.





100,000 particles per milliliter seems quite high. Is that correct?
 
I'm bothered by the chemistry much more than the cleanliness. In industrial hydraulics, we've preached the lack of cleanliness of bulk oil. BUT, we typically pass a full reservoir through the pumps and filters multiple times an hour. Circulating at low pressures for a day or so will usually reach equilibrium established by the filter media. I certainly want to strain the oil through something that doesn't pass particles large enough to clog orifices or block sliding parts. Filling through a 15-25 micron nominal element is good enough to me.

I'd bet that the bulk oil isn't Dexos 1 gen 2 ... that concerns me.
 
Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
Probably cleaner than its ever been. But clean don't worry about clean worry about sterile.


I wonder how clean our bulk 5w30 blend Safety Kleen ECO POWER Dexos 1 gen2 is
wink.gif


VOA I did showed its serviceable and our bulk tank was replaced in 2009 or year after I started.
 
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A lot would depend on how the tank was refilled and the atmosphere in the shop. A dusty shop would certainly introduce particles into the oil if the tank is open.

Just like changing the oil on a car, cleanliness is important. I clean the area around the fill cap before unscrewing it. A worker on a schedule refilling tanks might not be as diligent.
 
Originally Posted by 53' Stude
Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
Probably cleaner than its ever been. But clean don't worry about clean worry about sterile.


I wonder how clean our bulk 5w30 blend Safety Kleen ECO POWER Dexos 1 gen2 is
wink.gif


VOA I did showed its serviceable and our bulk tank was replaced in 2009 or year after I started.


LOL Adam when this mystery of BITOG has been resolved we will have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
A lot would depend on how the tank was refilled and the atmosphere in the shop. A dusty shop would certainly introduce particles into the oil if the tank is open.

Just like changing the oil on a car, cleanliness is important. I clean the area around the fill cap before unscrewing it. A worker on a schedule refilling tanks might not be as diligent.



Both bulk oil tanks are in separate room with just a air compressor.

Johnny: very true
 
Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson


LOL Adam when this mystery of BITOG has been resolved we will have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.


The Rainbow bridge got destroyed during the Dorothy and Toto tornado. That's also when the Wicked Witch found out her broom works airborne.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
Originally Posted by OilUzer
Don't know about the counts ...

Maybe it's the case of 32 times a very small number is still a very small number i.e. Nothing to worry about.


The PC data is particles per mL, so if there's say 100,000 4μ particles and larger per mL then there's quite a few in that small volume.


100,000 particles per milliliter seems quite high. Is that correct?


Yes, 100K/mL is pretty dirty.

https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/28979/iso-cleanliness-code
 
Originally Posted by Nick1994
What did they give you the sample in? A dirty old jar?


A sample container from Polaris Labs that meet ISO standards.
 
Originally Posted by kschachn
Originally Posted by Talent_Keyhole
Given the industrial environment and manner in which they made their way to my oil pan, it is a fair assumption they are not benign. The numbers alone are enough for me and others to make a better choice.

I wouldn't assume that but I guess you can. Why would you think there are abrasive, damaging particles in the oil? What part of the industrial environment and manner would introduce those types of particles?


Common sense and real world experience is the basis for my opinion. What is yours?

Everytime you fill up your gas tank there is a high efficiency filter being used to remove damaging particlutes, caused by the manufacturing of petroleum products, storage and transportation and finally, storage again in underground tanks that are never cleaned, and sometimes in use for several decades.
 
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