In This Issue:

• Up Front: Improving Delivered Grease Quality

• Book Bits: Stretching Out Oil Drain Intervals

• Today's Tip: Simple Way to Extend Bearing Life

• Q & A: Getting the Oil Sample Right
  

Up Front

Improving Delivered Grease Quality

We have recently switched to bulk purchase of grease and charging grease guns using a pail pump. Initially, grease guns were to be charged each week, ready for the weekend maintenance crew, whether they were empty or not. We quickly discovered that the grease in the gun was not being cycled correctly and the unused portion (about one-third) was becoming thick and pasty due to the oil being precipitated out by the constant spring pressure of the plunger.

Our current policy is not to recharge the grease guns until they are empty, thus ensuring that all grease is cycled.

To offset the inconvenience of running out of grease during our busy maintenance schedule, we simply purchased more grease guns - a small cost compared to lubricant failure.

We also ensure that the guns themselves are cycled for the same reasons as above. (Submitted by Dave Beale, Lubrication Specialist, Pastoral Foods. Thanks Dave!)

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Book Bits

Stretching Out Oil Drain Intervals

From "Converting to Condition-Based Oil Changes," a paper in the Practicing Oil Analysis 2000 Conference Proceedings.

Case History #5
A major Texas gas producer wasn't using oil analysis and wanted to extend its drain interval from two to three months. It selected 10 four-cycle engines with sump capacities of 100 gallons. It successfully extended the oil life from two to three months using oil analysis data resulting in the following economics for each engine:

200 gallons/year @ $4.00/gallon = $800
Manpower savings two hours @ $30/hour = $120
Oil disposal costs @ 1.00/gallon = $200
Total saved per engine/year = $1120

This gas producer has more than 300 four-cycle engines where they have adopted oil analysis and the longer drain interval. This has resulted in annual savings of more than $300,000.

More information about "Practicing Oil Analysis 2000 Conference Proceedings". Or download this single paper from: http://www.noria.com/secure/ebooks.asp

Today's Tip

• Clean the tip of grease guns before use by pumping out a shot of grease. Grease guns that are not used regularly may pick-up contaminates. This simple measure will add to bearing life. (Submitted by David Finley, Maintenance Team Leader, Kimberly- Clark. Thanks David!)

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Q & A

Getting the Oil Sample Right

"A mechanic asked us what he should use to take a quality sample from a crankcase on a diesel engine. He was concerned that draining the oil from the sump of a engine would negatively bias the sample toward a higher-than-normal wear debris analysis and or particle count. Your thoughts?" - Gary Wiggins, Condition Monitoring Technician, Alcoa.

The best way to sample a diesel engine is to install a sampling valve on the main pressure feed, somewhere between the oil pump and full-flow filter.

Many newer engines, particularly CAT, have these pre installed. You didn't mention the engine types, but I know that CAT will provide engine model-specific recommendations, and I'm sure other OEMs would do the same.

There are several different types of valves available, however we prefer what is generally called a minimess in oil analysis (actually a Stauff series 20 hydraulic test fitting).

If you cannot install a sample valve, drain sampling is not recommended. Instead, use a vacuum sampling gun and nylon tube, and insert through the dipstick. To ensure you don't sample sludge from the bottom of the crankcase, we also recommend using the dispstick to measure the tube length - typically cutting the tube 10 inches longer than the dipstick and inserting 1/2 inch shorter than the dipstick length will give a correct measure.

We also suggest cutting the tube end at an angle again to avoid bottom sampling. While this procedure works and will give reasonably reliable data, you did indicate you were doing particle counting, in which case I would strongly encourage you to install an appropriate sample valve.

Mark Barnes, Senior Technical Consultant, Noria Corporation

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