How Water Affects Synthetic Lubricants
#1
01-14-2017, 10:51 AM
How Water Affects Synthetic Lubricants
How Water Affects Synthetic Lubricants
Just because a lubricant is labeled "Synthetic" doesn't mean it's indestructible.
A host of good reasons for us to take our rides for a good 10-20 mile out & back highway run in cold/cool weather, to get all lubricants up to temperature & get rid of as much accumulated moisture as possible, lest it, or it's acid by-products begin to chemically nibble away at our metal parts, or begin an accelerated demise of our lubricants base oil, or it's ad pack.
If our vehicle is chronically short tripped, such that it doesn't get up to operating temp, nor for very long, it would be wise to have UOA's = Used Oil Analysis performed, to see how the lube & it's ad pack are doing with the "Severe Service", short tripped drive cycle it's being exposed to, rather than just jumping right into extended OCI's = Oil Change Intervals, with synthetic lubricants.
No matter the lubricant recipe, the accumulating moisture & acids from short tripping, can hasten the need for more frequent filter & oil changes, lest sludge begin to clog things up & acids nibble away at the metals.
Our Owner Manual, or IOLM are calibrated to & assuming we are using the specified service grade & viscosity lubricant & oil filter that meets, or exceeds the manufacturers specifications, so if we choose to stray from those specs, we should have a UOA performed so we know how our choices are performing under the drive cycle their being exposed to.
EDIT: Short tripping & the resultant collection of condensates is also why it's probably a good idea to use a oil filter with paper blended into the filter media, like Motorcraft uses, as it can capture & hold onto the moisture & sludge that it's caused, while the glass, or other synthetic media fibers filters out the finer particles. So paper in a filtering media has it's place for us short trippers, in helping remove condensation from our lubes & fuels as discussed here. http://www.machinerylubrication.com/...lding-capacity
Some scheduled maintenance thoughts for consideration.
Just because a lubricant is labeled "Synthetic" doesn't mean it's indestructible.
A host of good reasons for us to take our rides for a good 10-20 mile out & back highway run in cold/cool weather, to get all lubricants up to temperature & get rid of as much accumulated moisture as possible, lest it, or it's acid by-products begin to chemically nibble away at our metal parts, or begin an accelerated demise of our lubricants base oil, or it's ad pack.
If our vehicle is chronically short tripped, such that it doesn't get up to operating temp, nor for very long, it would be wise to have UOA's = Used Oil Analysis performed, to see how the lube & it's ad pack are doing with the "Severe Service", short tripped drive cycle it's being exposed to, rather than just jumping right into extended OCI's = Oil Change Intervals, with synthetic lubricants.
No matter the lubricant recipe, the accumulating moisture & acids from short tripping, can hasten the need for more frequent filter & oil changes, lest sludge begin to clog things up & acids nibble away at the metals.
Our Owner Manual, or IOLM are calibrated to & assuming we are using the specified service grade & viscosity lubricant & oil filter that meets, or exceeds the manufacturers specifications, so if we choose to stray from those specs, we should have a UOA performed so we know how our choices are performing under the drive cycle their being exposed to.
EDIT: Short tripping & the resultant collection of condensates is also why it's probably a good idea to use a oil filter with paper blended into the filter media, like Motorcraft uses, as it can capture & hold onto the moisture & sludge that it's caused, while the glass, or other synthetic media fibers filters out the finer particles. So paper in a filtering media has it's place for us short trippers, in helping remove condensation from our lubes & fuels as discussed here. http://www.machinerylubrication.com/...lding-capacity
Some scheduled maintenance thoughts for consideration.
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