AMSOIL Proves Superior
in Clark County Field Test
In order to
demonstrate the effectiveness of AMSOIL 15W-40 Synthetic
Heavy Duty Diesel and Marine Motor Oil and the AMSOIL Dual-Gard
filtration system in reducing operating expenses, AMSOIL and
Direct Dealer Bill Andes began an ongoing field test in
October 1998 with the bus fleet of the Clark County Board of
Mental Retardation & Developmental Disabilities (MR/DD)
in Springfield, Ohio.
Participating in the field test are three
1997 International 3800 school buses, two equipped with
International 466 diesel engines and one with an
International 466E diesel engine. Each had previously been
running a conventional petroleum-based oil.
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Prior to starting the field test,
four goals were set:
1. |
The reduction of fuel
consumption through the superior lubricity and reduced viscometric
drag provided by AMSOIL 15W-40 Synthetic Heavy
Duty Diesel and Marine Motor Oil. Verification of this goal
will be obtained by com-paring previously documented fuel mileage
reports using petroleum oils with fuel mileage reports of the same
vehicles now using AMSOIL diesel oil. |
2. |
The extension of
fluid drain intervals due to the superior synthetic
chemistry and additive system of AMSOIL Synthetic Heavy Duty
Diesel and Marine Motor Oil, along with the additional
efficiency pro-vided by the AMSOIL Dual-Gard filtration
system. |
3. |
The reduction of
maintenance costs due to the superior wear protection and
extended drain intervals provided by AMSOIL Synthetic Heavy
Duty Diesel and Marine Motor Oil and the AMSOIL Dual-Gard
filtration system. |
4. |
Provide the
above-mentioned benefits without com-promising the
mechanical integrity of the equipment. |
Baseline samples of the petroleum oil already in the
crankcase were obtained, tested and documented. Next, the oil was
drained and the engines flushed with AMSOIL Engine Flush. AMSOIL
BMK-12 Filter Mounts, two BE-110 By-pass Filtration elements and
AMSOIL 15W-40 Synthetic Heavy Duty Diesel and Marine Motor Oil were
installed in each vehicle.
Oil samples from each bus are drawn and tested at
4000-mile intervals, the normal oil drain interval practiced by MR/DD
when using conventional lubricants. Data obtained from the oil samples
serves to determine the following:
1. |
Fluid
and vehicle baselines |
2. |
The
mechanical condition of the vehicles |
3. |
Ability
of the equipment to continue functioning as a demonstration
vehicle |
4. |
Rate
of internal equipment wear |
5. |
Serviceability
of fluids and filters |
Once drawn, each oil sample is reviewed in the areas
of elemental analysis (including wear metals, contaminates and
additives), physical properties (including viscosity, total acid
number and total base number) and contamination (including water,
solids, glycol, oxidation, fuel soot and fuel dilution). Oil
condemnation limits vary due to individual engine idiosyncrasies,
operating conditions and time the fluid has been in service.
Bus
Number |
Miles
on AMSOIL without being changed |
#
of Petroleum oil changes (based on 4,000-mile interval) |
#
of AMSOIL oil changes (based on proposed
10,000-mile interval) |
4 |
45,465 |
12 |
5 |
7 |
71,185 |
18 |
8 |
22 |
65,776 |
17 |
7 |
Observations
As of May 1, 2001, the buses had
accumulated a total of 182,426 miles without oil changes, and several
benefits associated with running the AMSOIL products have been
realized. First, both labor and vehicle downtime have been reduced.
While using the previous petroleum-based motor oil, the Clark County
Board of MR/DD was accustomed to changing oil at 4,000-mile intervals.
They now plan to extend their intervals to 10,000 miles and beyond if
supported by oil analysis results. The chart below shows the
comparison figures.
As for the aftermarket full flow oil filters, the
original intention was to change them every 6,000 to 10,000 miles, but
after careful review of oil analysis results, it was determined that
because of the efficiency of the AMSOIL Dual-Gard filtration system,
10,000- to 12,000-mile intervals were easily obtainable on the
full-flow filters.
For demonstration purposes, the BE-110 filter
elements remained unchanged for a 2-year period. However, after
review, it was deter-mined that under normal conditions it would be
beneficial to change them after a 40,000- to 50,000-mile interval.
Engine wear rates have decreased significantly since
changing to AMSOIL 15W-40 Synthetic Heavy Duty Diesel and Marine Motor
Oil. High temperature operating conditions have also been reduced.
This leads to enhanced engine protection, and ultimately, to longer
engine life. Because the engines have been operating more efficiently,
three to five percent gains in fuel economy have also been realized.
The chart below compares the levels of wear particles present in the
previous conventional oil with the levels present in the AMSOIL as of
May 2001. The condition of the AMSOIL at various testing intervals is
documented below.
Conclusion
Overall, this field demonstration was highly successful for AMSOIL.
The oil analysis data indicate that AMSOIL products deliver
uncompromising protection and performance. AMSOIL pro-vides longer
equipment life and reduced downtime, longer drain intervals,
significant decreases in wear rates and operating temperatures and
dramatic improvement in engine performance when compared to
conventional petroleum oils.
Oil Analysis -
Bus #4
|
|
Percent (%) of the
amount allowable
|
Parts Per Million (ppm)
|
Mileage |
Viscosity
(100°C) |
OXD |
NOX |
TBN |
Fe
(Iron) |
Pb
(Lead) |
Cu
(Copper) |
Al
(Aluminum) |
0 |
15.2 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
12.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3883 |
11.6 |
7.8 |
4.3 |
12.7 |
17 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
5378 |
12.3 |
23.3 |
8.6 |
9.9 |
20 |
3 |
4 |
8 |
9700 |
14.0 |
4.4 |
7.1 |
13.0 |
40 |
2 |
4 |
8 |
22885 |
12.0 |
7.8 |
15.7 |
12.1 |
89 |
3 |
11 |
7 |
34059 |
12.4 |
21.1 |
15.7 |
12.4 |
134 |
5 |
30 |
12 |
45465 |
12.2 |
20.0 |
18.6 |
11.9 |
146 |
7 |
35 |
16 |
Oil Analysis -
Bus #7
|
|
Percent (%) of the
amount allowable
|
Parts Per Million (ppm)
|
Mileage |
Viscosity
(100°C) |
OXD |
NOX |
TBN |
Fe
(Iron) |
Pb
(Lead) |
Cu
(Copper) |
Al
(Aluminum) |
0 |
15.2 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
12.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3614 |
12.8 |
1.0 |
2.8 |
12.9 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
4126 |
13.6 |
3.3 |
4.3 |
9.8 |
9 |
3 |
3 |
7 |
10607 |
13.9 |
2.2 |
10.0 |
11.9 |
12 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
22428 |
12.9 |
10.0 |
10.0 |
12.2 |
30 |
5 |
27 |
8 |
31569 |
13.2 |
15.6 |
14.3 |
11.0 |
28 |
1 |
12 |
5 |
42647 |
13.6 |
25.6 |
18.6 |
10.6 |
61 |
12 |
38 |
9 |
58055 |
14.0 |
27.8 |
21.4 |
10.5 |
73 |
20 |
30 |
10 |
71185 |
14.2 |
17.8 |
20.0 |
10.7 |
53 |
16 |
14 |
6 |
Oil Analysis -
Bus #22
|
|
Percent (%) of the
amount allowable
|
Parts Per Million (ppm)
|
Mileage |
Viscosity
(100°C) |
OXD |
NOX |
TBN |
Fe
(Iron) |
Pb
(Lead) |
Cu
(Copper) |
Al
(Aluminum) |
0 |
15.2 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
12.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2732 |
13.4 |
1.1 |
2.8 |
7.8 |
7 |
2 |
12 |
6 |
3680 |
12.3 |
7.8 |
4.3 |
12.8 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
14329 |
12.5 |
5.6 |
10.0 |
12.9 |
14 |
4 |
3 |
6 |
20905 |
13.4 |
11.1 |
10.0 |
12.3 |
26 |
7 |
5 |
8 |
30671 |
12.8 |
6.7 |
11.4 |
9.1 |
28 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
41196 |
13.1 |
16.7 |
14.3 |
11.7 |
36 |
6 |
11 |
7 |
52983 |
13.7 |
21.1 |
15.7 |
11.2 |
44 |
7 |
19 |
7 |
65776 |
13.8 |
12.2 |
14.3 |
11.0 |
49 |
0 |
10 |
8 |
Oil Analysis
Comparison: Petroleum Oil at 4,000 miles vs. AMSOIL Motor
Oil at 45,465 miles to 71,185 miles |
Vehicle |
Metal |
Type
of Oil |
Parts
Per Million |
Type
of Oil |
Parts
Per Million |
%
Reduction |
Bus #4
|
Iron
(Fe) |
Rotella
|
170 |
AMSOIL
|
146 |
-14% |
Copper (Cu) |
34 |
35 |
+3% |
Aluminum
(Al) |
68 |
16 |
-76% |
Lead (Pb) |
26 |
7 |
-73% |
Average
|
- 44%
|
Vehicle |
Metal |
Type
of Oil |
Parts
Per Million |
Type
of Oil |
Parts
Per Million |
%
Reduction |
Bus #7
|
Iron
(Fe) |
Rotella
|
126 |
AMSOIL
|
53 |
-58% |
Copper (Cu) |
42 |
14 |
-67% |
Aluminum
(Al) |
98 |
6 |
-94% |
Lead (Pb) |
42 |
16 |
-62% |
Average
|
- 70%
|
Vehicle |
Metal |
Type
of Oil |
Parts
Per Million |
Type
of Oil |
Parts
Per Million |
%
Reduction |
Bus #22
|
Iron
(Fe) |
Rotella
|
136 |
AMSOIL
|
49 |
-64% |
Copper (Cu) |
234 |
10 |
-96% |
Aluminum
(Al) |
117 |
8 |
-93% |
Lead (Pb) |
39 |
0 |
-100% |
Average
|
- 88%
|
|
|
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