LubeTrak Newsletter

EGR Engines... Is This A Solution?

By BRETT WINBERG

We have many inquiries about EGR diesel engines and shortened drain intervals. In this weeks’ letter, we will explore some solutions to these new EGR engines… as they’re growing in popularity and it also appears, they are here to stay.

For those of you that don’t quite understand what an EGR diesel engine is… EGR stands for Exhaust Gas Recirculation. These engines are now being used in many late models, over the road applications including… Caterpillar®, Cummins® and Detroit®. Their primary function is to reduce emissions by recirculating exhaust gases one more pass through the combustion cycle. However, this also has a major impact on soot levels.

Higher than normal soot readings are now becoming a factor, as many oil analysis labs are recommending to drain crankcase oils at much shorter intervals. LubeTrak is all about solutions for lubrication, and this particular problem is no exception. Because this is a growing epidemic for larger fleets, and in the end, may cost all of us more to get our goods delivered, we have compiled some recommendations to reduce expensive oil changes and help the environment at the same time. These suggestions also apply to construction fleet managers as well.

First, we recommend the use of HIGH quality motor oil. Not just oil that you ‘get a good deal’ on. Using oils not designed for increased soot loads will cost you more in the long run than an oil with a higher TBN that meets or exceeds (API) CD CDII, CE, CF4, CG4, SD, SE, MIL-L-2104B, CID AA 52039. There are many quality oils to choose from. Be sure to choose one that fits your needs and application. Buyer beware, many diesel oils DO NOT meet ALL the (API) codes listed above.
Your oil must have a superior viscosity index. One that will handle the higher temperatures. When we tested (ASTM D-446) viscosity @ 210 degrees F, some oils come in at 80.0. This was very acceptable for larger diesel applications, however some of the oils tested were much higher because of the soot buildup from the new style EGR engine. We noticed this oil DID NOT have the CID-AA or CE rating. Your viscosity rating @ 100 degrees C, cSt, typically should run between 14.4 and 15.6 on oils for this application.
Quality diesel fuel is a BIG factor when running a diesel engine. It approximately takes 18,200 Btu’s (British Thermal Units) to burn a pound of diesel. Anything less… and your engine does not get a complete burn through its compression stroke. This leaves behind carbon that affects the engine components and the engine oil creating an increasing buildup of soot. Our tests concluded, that running a combustion catalyst in the fuel, increased the Btu’s to between 18,200 and 19,400 per pound. This has a major impact on reducing soot levels by getting a more complete burn. Also, water is your worse enemy when it comes to diesel fuel. Water will make a sulfuric acid when mixed with diesel fuel causing catastrophic failure to any diesel engine.
Last of all, purchasing quality filters of at least 20 micron or lower will cause the, now larger soot particulates, to adhere to the filtering media. When getting into the lower number micron filters, it may be possible to run an off-line filtration system to reduce fuel soot build up and keep the contaminates to a minimum. This will allow oil to be ‘double filtered’ and strip out any of the smaller contaminates.

So in conclusion, this will also allow you to reach the longer oil drain intervals that you were once used to with the older style engines. The added benefit is longer engine and equipment life. These 4 steps above have been proven to help enterprises running EGR engines reach their maintenance goals.

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