How Particles Affect Fuel Economy

[msparks]

quote:

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Book Bits: How Particles Affect Fuel Economy


From the "How to Select a Motor Oil for Your Car or Truck"

Sooner or later, wear from abrasive particles and deposits from carbon and oxide insolubles will interfere with efficient combustion in an engine. Valve train wear (cams, valve guides, etc.) can impact timing and valve movement. Wear of rings, pistons and cylinder walls influences volumetric compression efficiency and combustion blow-by resulting in power loss. Particle-induced wear is greatest when the particle sizes are in the same range as the oil film thickness.

For diesel and gasoline engines, there is a surprising number of laboratory and field studies that report the need to control particles below 10 microns. One such study by General Motors concluded that, "controlling particles in the 3 micron to 10 micron range had the greatest impact on wear rates and that engine wear rates correlated directly to the dust concentration levels in the sump."


More information about the book "How to Select a Motor Oil and Filter for Your Car or Truck"

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This is from my Lubes and Greases Newletter.

For more information about wear particles and filtration please see the BY-PASS FILTERS section on this site.

I don't care what kind of by-pass filter you are using(though I'm sure RALF will argue with me

) Removing particles greater than 3 microns will significantly increase the effeciency of your engine for a longer period of time( miles) than not using by-pass filtration.

So what I"m saying if you take 2 vehicles one with by-pass filter and one without, the one with the by-pass filter should run better and be more effecient at 100,000 miles than the one without.

While you don't see many engines fail even with excessive miles on them (200,000 miles) very few with those miles are producing the horse power and have significantly increased levels of exhaust emmissions.

This is one reason I'm a big proponent of by-pass filtration even if you don't keep your vehiles for more than 100,000 miles.

 

[Jimbo]

I know that bypass filters have a following here but I question the value of using them in gasoline engines. Automakers went to the current full-flow type mostly during the 1950's and abandoned the bypass type then in common use. Diesels, with all of the soot may me another matter, but I am talking about gasoline engines.

 

[Pablo]

This is interesting. I am a proponent of a true "off line" bypass filter system. I.E. taking the oil from a safe pressurized location, filtering it to 3 microns or so, and returning it top side, low pressure. I do NOT like the dual bypass system.

This, of course, is totally separate from the regular oil filter(s), which should just be the biggest da*m screen door(s) you can fit. The reg. OF as just an emergency device and a true off line bypass would seem quite ideal. The effect is magnified even better by the volume increase as well!