Engine oil

Engine oil consumption is a problem nobody wants. Most new engines today use less than half a quart of oil in 3,000 miles. Some use almost no oil. But as the miles accumulate, wear and oil consumption naturally go up.

Using a quart of oil every 1,000 miles is not unusual for a high mileage engine. The amount of oil used is still acceptable, but by the time it reaches a quart of more in 500 miles it's using a LOT of oil. Blue smoke in the exhaust is a classic sign that an engine is burning too much oil.

Should you be concerned? It depends on your budget, the value of your vehicle, if you can afford to rebuild or replace the engine, and whether the oil consumption is causing other problems.

An engine that burns oil will usually foul the spark plugs. That, in turn will cause ignition misfire, higher emissions and likely damage the catalytic converter. Also, an engine that is burning oil usually won't pass an emissions test because of elevated hydrocarbon (HC) emissions.

If an engine is using oil because of leaks (valve cover gaskets, oil pan gasket, crankshaft end seals, etc.), the problem can be fixed by simply replacing the leaky gaskets.

WHAT CAUSES EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION

Oil consumption depends primarily on two things: the valve guides and piston rings. If the valve guides are worn, or if there's too much clearance between the valve stems and guides, or if the valve guide seals are worn, cracked, missing, broken or improperly installed, the engine will suck oil down the guides and into the cylinders. The engine may still have good compression, but will use a lot of oil.

Heavy carbon deposits on the valves are caused by worn valve guides and seals.

Worn valve guides can usually be restored a number of different ways. One popular method machine shops use is to ream out the guides and install thin bronze or cast iron guide liners. Knurling is another procedure that can reduce valve guide clearances. With aluminum heads, the original guides can be driven out and replaced with new ones. With cast iron heads, the guides can be reamed out to accept new valves with oversized stems.

If the oil burning is due to worn or broken rings, or wear in the cylinders, the engine will have low compression. The only cure here is to bore or hone the cylinders and replace the worn or broken piston rings

Oil burning can also occur if the cylinders in a newly rebuilt engine are not honed properly (too rough or too smooth), or if the rings are installed upside down, twisted onto the pistons, or the end gaps are too large or are not staggered to reduce blowby.

HOW TO REDUCE OIL CONSUMPTION

There are no "miracle" engine treatments or pills that will stop oil burning. But some crankcase additives can slow oil burning. There are also "high mileage" motor oils that are specially formulated with extra additives to slow oil consumption. Switching to a slightly higher viscosity motor oil (say changing from a 5W-30 to a 10W-30 or a 10W-40) may also help reduce oil consumption.

If an engine is using oil because of a leak, the leak must be fixed to stop the loss of oil. Valve cover, timing cover and oil pan gaskets are usually not too difficult to replace, but leaky crankshaft end seals can require a lot of disassembly (particularly the rear main crankshaft oil seal). One alternative to replacing a leaky gasket or seal is to add some "seal conditioner" to the crankcase, or to switch to a "high mileage" motor oil that contains additional seal conditions. The additives soak into the seals and gaskets, causing them to swell slightly. Hopefully, this will slow or seal the leak.

If the engine is using oil because of worn valve guides or valve guide seals, it is possible to replace just the valve guide seals without having to remove the cylinder heads or overhaul the engine. New valve guide seals can drastically reduce oil consumption. I have seen engines go from using a quart of oil every 500 miles to using no oil between oil changes (3000 miles)!

Replacing the valve stem seals requires a special valve spring compressor to disassemble the valve springs on each cylinder (one at a time). Remove the valve cover and all of the spark plugs. The piston in the first cylinder must then be placed at top dead center. This can be done by rotating the engine with a wrench on the crankshaft pulley until the timing marks line up. If the engine has no timing marks, insert a plastic straw into the cylinder through the spark plug hole so you can feel the piston as it approaches top dead center.

The cylinder must then be pressurized with compressed air through the spark plug hole to prevent the valves from dropping down into the cylinder when the valve springs and retainers are removed. Another trick for holding the valves in place is to snake a piece of rope or rubber tubing into the combustion chamber through the spark plug hole when the piston is at top dead center. The rope will fill the void between the piston and valves to hold the valves in place while you change the seals.

Be careful, because if a valve accidentally drops down into the cylinder, the cylinder head will have to come off the engine.

Engine oil and the importance of good lubrication.

"Oil: Oils well that ends well."

When starting a cold engine let it tick over for a few moments to circulate the oil - most engine wear occurs within the first minutes of switching it on 

Oil is an often overlooked part of the engine but more internal friction = lower power and more heat produced.

So the aim is to reduce the internal friction and cool the engine with a good oil and changing the oil frequently is vital to add longevity to your engine - certainly for the paranoid before and after a track day session and every 3-6 months.

This is not intended to be a highly technical guide that bangs on about SAE's Viscosity index and shearing of oil (if you want that ask for it in the feedback box below!).

This is a rough beginners guide to the slippy stuff and enables you to make an informed decision when choosing the correct grade and type of oil for your car.

When starting a car allow the engine to tick over for 10 seconds before driving it. Don't EVER leave a car idling though!

Which oil Viscosity should you use?:

Multi grade oils are popular and are rated typically with 2 numbers ie: 15w40 which shows

1) the thinness (viscosity or how runny it is!) at low temperature (W=Winter)

2) the thickness (viscosity or how sticky it is!) at high temperature (20w50 is thicker and 10w30 is thinner).

If the numbers are close together then the operating range and performance is more uniform. The second number is the important one unless you live in subzero climes! Use the recommended oil for you car - older cars sometimes prefer a slightly thicker oil to avoid leaks and burning in the cylinder but consult your workshop manual for your car.

Choosing oil that is too thin can cause permanent leaks in the seals once it has wicked through. Running low on oil will typically wear the top of the engine and this wear is typified by a rattle in the top of the engine on acceleration especially when cold, the pistons will also wear more quickly and you will start to burn oil (well, your car will) producing a blue exhaust discharge.

Do not use a different grade to the recommend one unless the engine is very worn (in which case go thicker) or if the engine has been rebuilt (a thinner oil may be needed but the engine builder will recommend the correct grade.)

Never put a semi or mineral oil in a car that requires fully synthetic unless this is an absolute emergency and get the oil drained and corrected as soon as possible afterwards. Try also to avoid mixing viscosity grades of oil and certainly never mix oil types.

NB: The oil light comes on to tell you your oil levels or oil pressure is dangerously low and NOT when it needs topping up check your dip stick every 2 weeks or after a long journey - oil is CONSUMED by engines (but different cars have different consumption 16 valves seem to use more than their 8 valve counterparts) and always goes down - never up!

Some people recommend a thinner oil in the winter and a thicker one in the summer - your manual should have the recommended oil specs to air temperature chart. Sadly so many people just buy the cheapest oil they can get and use the Grade for the cars life summer and winter.

Which oil type - synthetic, semi synthetic or mineral?

A raging argument ensues about synthetic oil lasting for 36,000 miles or more. There is certainly some big advantages to synthetic oils but I would still recommend a regular filter change - the filter gets the tiny particles of metal from inside the engine that acts like a sandblaster inside your engine so even if the oil does last it will pick up lots of gunk from the engine.

While your changing the filter you may just as well change the oil anyway! Choose a good quality filter that collects the damaging small particles of metal. There are magnets available that wrap around the filter to collect more fine metal particles and these have be proven to be effective.

Engine oil Additives:

Most oils contain ingredients to resist combustion (stops engine fires!), detergents - cleans the inside of engines and anti cake agents to prevent the oil clogging up and blocking important bits of the engine. Some oils contain electrostatically charged particles (GTX magnatec, electrosynthtec etc) which bond low friction molecules to stressed metal surfaced, (crank journals, bores, cams etc) and help reduce cold engine wear.

There are additives that you can add yourself to the oil: We do not recommend the use of additives that "bond" to the metal surface. A few studies have shown these to work well in lab conditions but in the real world people have experienced blocked oil filters, oil starvation and other issues.

PolyTetraFlouroEthelyne - PTFE bonds to the surface of the metal parts to theoretically create a low friction surface. Other additives work in this way also and usually need the engine to be warmed up for the bonding to take place - most engine oils set out to do the same thing so the question of these additives has been raised.

When you strip down an engine treated in this way the cylinders will generally have a hard black - almost mirrored finish - perfectly smooth.

Some additives can help with noisy valves and cold start issues but please do your research carefully.

Other substances condition the oil and make it 'sticky' (it works well and I don't know how!). The oil seems to cling to the surfaces of your engine for longer but it still lubricates and flows around and can even prevent minor oil leaks and reduce blow back and burning oil (Morays is the products name but I'm sure there's others around) The downside is that this additive is flushed out with the oil and needs to be reintroduced.

When starting a cold engine TorqueCars recommend that you let it tick over for a few moments (don't run it for minutes though) to circulate the oil - most engine wear occurs within the first minutes of switching it on although there is little if anything that can be done about this - as the oil warms an thins it gives better protection (most cold start engine wear occurs due to acids created in the combustion process rather than friction). Only drive at 1/2 to 1/4 of your redline until the engine warms up unless you want to wreck the engine.

Some pistons, normally high performance ones are tapered which stops slap on the skirt which can be catastrophic to a piston. An engine specialist showed me scratch marks on a piston (on the tapered end) and explained that it indicated that the car had been driven very hard before it had warmed up - obviously pistons change shape slightly (expanding) as they warm up and this design prevents piston slap.

The piston contains less metal than the bore surrounding it, which may even be made from a different material with a different modulus of expansivity, thus the piston is likely to expand at a higher rate than the bores. Until the whole engine is warm and the bore and piston have expanded equally engine revs should be kept relatively low.

Important note to turbo car owners: Turbo's spin at phenomenal speeds and are more prone to wear if the wrong oil is selected. They also run at high temperatures and this can show up weaknesses in the oils formulation. Also if you have a turbo you must wait for the turbo's turbine to slow down before switching off the engine.

The supply of fresh oil stops when the engine stops and the turbo's spinning will continue and wear it out (consult your manual for details or buy a turbo timer which keeps the engine running for you automatically shutting it off when it's safe to do so.) Most turbo manufacturers recommend the use of a fully synthetic oil.

How much oil should you put in?

Obvious Tip: keep the oil level below the max and above the min line !! - too much oil and it will get into places it shouldn't and could start seals leaking or cause other damage the engine ie:- burning oil/broken seals/piston rings.

Too little oil will cause premature wear. Always change the filter with the oil. Of the 7 oil changes I had done at garages only 2 had the correct level of oil - (3 would have caused serious damage to the engine if I hadn't spotted it (when I drained it out there was a whole litre too much oil!) after a service check the dipstick and complain if the oil is under the min or over the max mark!

I heard recently about a Porsche which was burning oil - it had been overfilled. When the correct level was restored the car thankfully didn't burn oil and no damage was done. The dipstick (on this car) should have been checked with the engine running as oil seeps into the pistons when stationary!

Don't assume you know how to check the oil. Consult the manual. If the manual says 4.5l then put 4.5l in and check the level in the way specified in the manual, allowing sufficient time for the oil to reach the sump, then top up if necessary - generally oil is checked with the engine warm but having stood for a couple of minutes to allow the oil to settle. Although I have slagged off garages the average motorist is equally negligent with 1 in 4 having below the minimum oil level in the engine.

Compressor oil

Outstanding cylinder and piston ringlubrication♦ Excellent lubrication of timing gears andbearings in rotary compressors♦ High compressor efficiency by reducingbuild-up of carbon on discharge valvesand inter-coolers♦ Enhanced oil life in circulating systemsand crankcases♦ Optimum rust, corrosion and wearprotection - all grades are inhibited tohelp reduce rust, corrosion and wear incompressor systems♦ Excellent water separation aids indraining excess moisture from circulatingsystems♦ Reduced sight glass staining ofcompressors equipped with automaticlubricators♦ Excellent air/oil separation when used inflood-lubricated rotary compressors♦ Foam protection - Grades 32 through 220contain an effective foam inhibitor

power factor

An automatic power factor correction unit consists of a number of capacitors that are switched by means of contactors. These contactors are controlled by a regulator that measures power factor in an electrical network. Depending on the load and power factor of the network, the power factor controller will switch the necessary blocks of capacitors in steps to make sure the power factor stays above a selected value.

Instead of using a set of switched capacitors, an unloaded synchronous motor can supply reactive power. The reactive power drawn by the synchronous motor is a function of its field excitation. This is referred to as a synchronous condenser. It is started and connected to the electrical network. It operates at a leading power factor and puts vars onto the network as required to support a system’s voltage or to maintain the system power factor at a specified level.

The condenser’s installation and operation are identical to large electric motors. Its principal advantage is the ease with which the amount of correction can be adjusted; it behaves like an electrically variable capacitor. Unlike capacitors, the amount of reactive power supplied is proportional to voltage, not the square of voltage; this improves voltage stability on large networks. Synchronous condensors are often used in connection with high-voltage direct-current transmission projects or in large industrial plants such as steel mills.

For power factor correction of high-voltage power systems or large, fluctuating industrial loads, power electronic devices such as the Static VAR compensator or STATCOM are increasingly used. These systems are able to compensate sudden changes of power factor much more rapidly than contactor-switched capacitor banks, and being solid-state require less maintenance than synchronous condensers.

Power factors below 1.0 require a utility to generate more than the minimum volt-amperes necessary to supply the real power (watts). This increases generation and transmission costs. For example, if the load power factor were as low as 0.7, the apparent power would be 1.4 times the real power used by the load. Line current in the circuit would also be 1.4 times the current required at 1.0 power factor, so the losses in the circuit would be doubled (since they are proportional to the square of the current). Alternatively all components of the system such as generators, conductors, transformers, and switchgear would be increased in size (and cost) to carry the extra current.

Utilities typically charge additional costs to customers who have a power factor below some limit, which is typically 0.9 to 0.95. Engineers are often interested in the power factor of a load as one of the factors that affect the efficiency of power transmission.

With the rising cost of energy and concerns over the efficient delivery of power, active PFC has become more common in consumer electronics.[16] Current Energy Star guidelines for computers (ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Computers Version 5.0) call for a power factor of ≥ 0.9 at 100% of rated output in the PC's power supply. According to a white paper authored by Intel and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PCs with internal power supplies will require the use of active power factor correction to meet the ENERGY STAR 5.0 Program Requirements for Computers.[17]

Industrial facilities tend to have a "lagging power factor", where the current lags the voltage (like an inductor). This is primarily the result of having a lot of electric induction motors - the windings of motors act as inductors as seen by the power supply. Capacitors have the opposite effect and can compensate for the inductive motor windings. Some industrial sites will have large banks of capacitors strictly for the purpose of correcting the power factor back toward one to save on utility company charges.

The power required by the appliance is directly proportional to the current,voltage, power factor. If the power factor is low, more current is required to supply the rated power of the appliance hence the ohmic losses increase. Therefore the efficiency decreases and the voltage regulation increases which is bad for the power company as well as the consumer.

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In the study of alternating current [that which supplies our homes and businesses in the United States], it will be observed that there are alternating waves of both voltage and current.

In a circuit with purely resistance load, the waves of current and voltage are in exact phase relationship to each other. This means that when the voltage is at it's peak, the current flow is at it's peak as well.

An inductive load [coil] causes the current wave to lag or fall behind the voltage wave, so that the peak current flow is some time after the voltage wave is at it's peak level.

A capacitive load [capacitor] causes the current wave to lead or advance ahead of the voltage wave, so that the peak current flow is some time in advance of the peak of the voltage wave.

The consequence of this is that the AVAILABLE REAL POWER is the relationship between the current and voltage waves.

Resistive circuits have a power factor of 1.0, or unity, because the waves are in phase.

The more out of phase the relationship between voltage and current, the less efficient the use of available power, the more "waste" energy.

The less efficient the use of energy, the larger the size of transmission and generating equipment required to provide for energy needs, and the more costly the operation of utilization equipment.

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The power factor of a device is what determines how much useful power is used out of the total amount of power which is supplied to it from the source.

A power factor as close to 1 as possible is desirable because then most of the power transferred from the source to the load is useful power.

1. If a device has a power factor much less than 1, that means more total input current must be supplied for a given output power dissipation and a more powerful source is required to deliver the required output power. This means the device must draw a higher amount of volt-amps (VA) compared to the actual load power it is delivering, which means its conversion of input power VA to output power VA is inefficient.

2. The closer to a power factor of 1 that a device has, the better the total current which has to be supplied will match the output from the device, and the more efficient it will be in its conversion of input power VA to output power VA.

COCONUT METHYL ESTER

Coconut Methyl Ester

The means to help clean our air and energize our economy is here...

WHAT IS BIODIESEL?

Biodiesel is a renewable and biodegradable diesel fuel extracted from plant oil. A natural hydrocarbon with negligible sulfur content, it will substantially help in reducing emissions from diesel-fed engines. It is now commonly used in the United States, Canada, Thailand, and many countries in Europe.

THE PHILIPPINES' C0C0-BI0DIESEL

The Philippines has launched the use of biodiesel, particularly, Coconut Methyl Ester or CME. CME is derived from coconut oil and is more appropriately known as Coco-Biodiesel. Compared with other forms of biodiesels, the medium carbon chain of Coco-Biodiesel offers excellent LUBRICITY, SOLVENCY, and DETERGENCY. Studies show that the addition of Coco-Biodiesel results in better combustion, less pollution, and more engine power; the engines run smoothly & with longer maintenance intervals!

Because of these outstanding characteristics, Biodiesel is considered first-rate and highly adaptable.

WHY USE Coco-BIODIESEL?

Environmental & Health Benefits

Coco-Biodiesel...

is renewable and biodegradable, being plant-based. lowers emission of nitrous oxide and sulfur oxide - the main contributors to smog.

significantly reduces serious air pollutants such as black smoke and air toxics that cause lung cancer, pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchitis, heart attack and stroke

means less emission and cleaner air.

Economic Benefits to Vehicle Owners and Drivers

Coco-Biodiesel ...

cuts maintenance costs because of its superior lubricating and cleaning properties. promotes better, more efficient combustion and less engine vibration because of its higher cetane number and inherent

oxygen content.

boosts engine power and acceleration

improves fuel economy by as much as 20%, which means you get more mileage and big savings per liter.

Economic Benefits to the Coconut Industry

Coco-Biodiesel…

will provide and establish a long-term, sustainable alternative domestic market and as a result, will stabilize the domestic coconut production, resulting in more income price of copra.

will enhance farm-based reintegration of opportunities.

Economic Benefits to the Country

Coco-Biodiesel ...

will spearhead the introduction of the ester industry in the Philippines -an industry that would create more jobs. will provide a potential high-value export product.

will promote participation of the Philippines in the potentially huge biofuel industry.

will enhance energy supply security through the use of indigenous resources, at the same time resulting in foreign exchange savings

will benefit 3.5 million coconut farmers and 20 million Filipinos dependent on the coconut industry.